2024 has been a roller coaster year with regard to pasture production and growth across much of Ohio. Here in the east-central part of the state, drought took hold in July and really hasn’t eased up much. Pasture conditions continue to rate as poor or very poor and the hay crop was just a small percentage of a normal second cutting.
With the reduced forage availability both from pastures and from hay, beef producers will need to prepare to get their livestock through the winter months. In this article, OSU Extension Beef Specialist, Garth Ruff, details how producers can form a plan. Key factors of this plan include knowing how much-stored forage is available, getting forages tested, working with a nutritionist, and being flexible. https://u.osu.edu/beef/2024/11/20/winter-feeding-beef-cows-on-pasture/