If you are a beef producer, you need the Ohio State University Extension Beef Team newsletter. You can download it every Wednesday, free of charge.

The June 6 issue has some great information on dry weather management for beef producers. Get your copy by going to www.fairfield.osu.edu/ag/beef

According to Stan Smith, Fairfield County Extension Beef Program Assistant, the most recent USDA Ohio Crop Weather Highlights shows nearly three fourths of our top soils are short or very short
on moisture.

While the NOAA Drought Information Center is calling only the southern half of Ohio “abnormally dry,” the recent above normal temperatures combined with the lack of timely precipitation has certainly taken its toll on our forages. Adding insult to injury are feed-grain prices that have attracted some of our hay acres into corn production.

All that being said, it’s apparent that it’s time to be considering the alternatives for managing around these poor producing pasture and hay fields. Certainly it’s never too early in the summer to take a look at your forage and feed resources, and give some thought to alternatives that will hold you until cooler temperatures and timely rains return to Ohio. Consider some of these alternatives which will help best utilize limited resources: Wean early spring born calves soon, if you haven’t already.

People have mentioned that feeding corn is too expensive. Is it? Do the math. For easy figuring, assume that one pound of corn replaces about 2 pounds of hay nutritionally. Plus, it’s a whole bunch easier and less expensive per ton to haul. As an alternative to offering what will likely be “expensive” supplemental hay at a time when cows could easily utilize a little more energy, feed the cows 2-3 pounds of whole corn per head per day. Feed it on the dry ground under an electric fence wire and the cows and calves won’t waste any. If you have adequate bunk space, wheat midds might be an alternative that’s less expensive than corn.

If you do still have forage that’s suitable for grazing, allow at least 2-3 inches of top growth to remain in the field. Also, extend rest periods now to 35 or more days for most forage species.

If your forage growth has stopped, pull the cows off pasture and feed hay or silage. Overgrazed plants won’t recover very well when precipitation and cooler temperatures do return. Roots transport moisture and nutrients to growing plants.

Manage for the long haul – don’t destroy a productive pasture just to survive the short term! If a pasture must be overgrazed and abused, make sure it’s a mature, well established one. It will recover more quickly than younger seedings.

Wheat harvest is upon us and this will provide vacant fields where you might want to consider planting oats. During the extremely dry summer of 2002, you will recall from our beef bus tour last year, the Wolfingers from Fairfield County,Ohio, planted oats into a harvested wheat field in early August.

They strip grazed 5 tons of high quality dry matter per acre beginning in November, and continuing into March. Fields of oats without fence have been mechanically harvested in the fall, consistently yielding five or more/less tons.

After the calves are weaned and the cow’s nutrient requirements are reduced, if you don’t get your harvested wheat fields seeded to oats, you may plan to graze wheat stubble and the volunteer wheat that emerges when some showers do occur. If you have a decent stand of volunteer forage, you might even consider applying a little ammonium nitrate to these fields to enhance growth. Beyond that, begin planning to graze cornstalks after corn harvest.

Palpate and cull now before everyone else does. Moving culls now will not only save feed, but prices are also pretty good … cull now, beat the rush.

Assuming it will rain again, plan to apply ammonium nitrate to resting pastures – especially the fescue – sometime around August 1.

When a little pasture top growth does return, don’t be impatient about grazing it. If you must graze on it, only top graze it lightly and move the cattle on.

The Beef Team newsletter will give you details on all these ideas to stretch your feed.

Readers with questions or comments for Steve Bartels may write to him in care of this publication.