Cow-Calf Corner | May 23, 2022
May Forage Conditions Critical
Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist
In the past week I have driven across Nebraska, northern Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. It is springtime in the region and pastures and rangeland are trying to begin growing. However, the green up is muted because of dry conditions, with little forage growth evident in many areas. The limited greening of rangelands will fizzle quickly in the coming weeks without immediate moisture. In a newsletter article three weeks ago, I discussed the implications for the beef cow herd inventory given the current drought conditions (Cow-Calf Corner “The Cow Herd Numbers Game”). The article ended by saying that the next few weeks would be critical regarding the drought.
Each passing week is indeed critical and by any measure, the U.S. is in the worst condition now of any May, in at least the last 35 years. The Latest Drought Monitor has a Drought Severity and Coverage Index (DSCI) of 183 (out of 500 possible) for the nation, the highest DSCI in mid-May for any year of the data back to 2000. This includes over 63 percent of the country abnormally dry or worse, with 21.6 percent of the country in extreme (D3) to exceptional drought (D4). USDA reported pasture and range conditions starting in May have the highest percentage of poor to very poor conditions this year in data back to 1995.
May 1 hay stocks were 15.1 percent below the 2012-2021 average for the country and were down 21.7 percent from the ten-year average in the 17 western states. This includes ten western states with May 1 hay stocks down more than 30 percent from the ten-year average. Hay prices are forecast to reach record levels in 2022 (see figure below) with national alfalfa prices forecast to average $245/ton for the 2022/2023 hay crop year. Other hay prices are forecast to average $155/ton for the current hay crop year.
High fertilizer and fuel prices are adding to the extraordinary cattle industry challenges in 2022. High input costs are causing some producers that are not facing drought conditions to reduce or skip fertilization of pastures and hay fields. This will result in additional forage reduction and push herd inventories even lower.
Beef cow slaughter from January through April was 4.2 percent of the January 1, 2022 beef cow herd inventory. The average beef cow culling percentage of the first four months of the year was 3.0 percent from beginning of this data in 1986 through 2021. The highest previous culling percentage for the January through April period was 3.7 percent in 1986. The beef cow herd decline this year may well be the largest since 1986, when the beef cow herd decreased 4.7 percent year over year, a drop of 1.65 million head in one year.
*2022 hay prices forecast by the Livestock Marketing Information Center
Facilities and Avoiding Injury When Working Cattle
Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist
Objectives of good cattle working facilities include reducing stress on the animals, increasing the efficiency of our labor, and the safety of both cattle and humans alike. Proper facility design and good stockmanship skills are critically important to handling cattle as safely and efficiently as possible. A good working facility, understanding animal behavior and good animal husbandry skills all work in synergy with regard the safe handling of cattle. A good cattle working facility is typically designed as a result of considering:
- animal behavior
- site selection
- lighting
- drainage
- surface (dirt, rock, concrete)
- number of animals to be worked
- size of animals to be worked
- frequency of use
Effective stockmanship is typically the result of considering the following with respect to animal behavior:
- cattle want to see you
- cattle do not like to be alone, they will go to other cattle
- cattle typically have one thought at a time, they are motivated by fear and have a “fight or flight” mentality
- cattle want to remove pressure
- cattle have a flight zone
- cattle have a point of balance
The Human Element
For those of us who work in production agriculture, physical risks are inherent on a daily basis. Agricultural occupations are consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous. An OSU study done by researchers in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering showed that over 50% of injuries sustained while working cattle were the result of human error. Equipment and facilities were perceived as the cause about 25% of the time. In most cases, a better understanding of how an animal may respond to human interaction and its immediate surroundings will help keep someone from becoming an injury victim. Human errors in judgement are due to a variety of reasons, but occur most often when people are tired, hurried, upset, preoccupied or careless. Remember, the human factor greatly influences the occurrence of life-threatening accidents. Using this information in combination with good facilities and proper cattle handling techniques will reduce the risk of injury.
Chapter 40 of the eighth edition of the OSU Beef Manual is an excellent source of information for producers interested in more information on cattle handling facilities.
OSU Department of Animal and Food Sciences Releases a New Summary of Research
Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University State Extension Beef Nutrition Specialist
The Oklahoma State University Department of Animal and Food Sciences has released a new summary of research from their department entitled “OSU Department of Animal and Food Sciences 2022 Annual Summary P-1064”. Research efforts from 2021 by graduates and faculty ranging from cow-calf nutrition and management, stocker cattle production, finishing cattle nutrition, and meat science are summarized in this publication in 13 reports.
We are proud to present a summary of research accomplishments from this past year. Whether basic or applied, the mission of our research program in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences is to solve problems and capitalize on opportunities in animal agriculture, companion animals, and the food industry. This report summarizes a wide array of research activities conducted at our livestock units and in our laboratories by faculty, staff, and students. We hope to build on the Department’s rich history of excellence in research to better serve animal agriculture and help provide all citizens abundant affordable and safe food supply. We hope you find this research report useful and informative.
The previous publication in this series “OSU Department of Animal and Food Sciences 2019 Annual Summary P-1062”
Between 1958 and 2013, faculty and graduate students participated in a "Research Reports" program as an opportunity to inform stakeholders, educators and researchers about the exciting research being conducted in our department. The research in our department focuses on animal science and food science. The reports describe the methods, results, and conclusions found by researchers during their scientific investigations. Research Reports for 1995 - 2013 are available on our website.