Livestock

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing additional time for livestock and poultry producers to apply for the Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program (PLIP). Producers who suffered losses during the pandemic due to insufficient access to processing may now apply for assistance for those losses and the cost of depopulation and disposal of the animals through Oct. 12, 2021, rather than the original deadline of Sept. 17, 2021. PLIP is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative.

“Livestock and poultry producers were among the hardest hit by the pandemic,” said Zach Ducheneaux, Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator. “We want to ensure that all eligible producers have the opportunity to apply for this critical assistance. The Oct. 12 deadline also aligns with the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 deadline.” 

PLIP provides payments to producers for losses of livestock or poultry depopulated from March 1, 2020 through Dec. 26, 2020, due to insufficient processing access as a result of the pandemic. Payments are based on 80% of the fair market value of the livestock and poultry and for the cost of depopulation and disposal of the animal.… Continue reading

The Ohio Poultry Association recognized some important industry leaders with awards at the Annual Banquet held last weekend in Columbus.

Lisa Timmerman, with Hendrix-ISA, was recognized with the Meritorious Service Award. Timmerman, of Ft. Recovery, has over 30 years of poultry experience. She has served as president of the OPA board and on the United Egg Producer Board (UEP) and American Egg Board (AEB). She has also worked for Cooper Farms.

Carl Link received the Golden Egg Award. Link has been with Cooper Farms for an amazing 50+ years, beginning his career at St. Clair Mills before it became Cooper Farms in 1976. Before recently retiring, his role was Production Manager. He continues to work for Cooper Farm one day a week on special projects.… Continue reading

Mark your calendar for the 2021 Ohio Sheep Day on Sat., Oct. 2. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. at the OARDC Small Ruminant Center (5651 Fredericksburg Rd. Wooster, OH  44691). Please visit: https://go.osu.edu/ohsheepday21 to RSVP will be used for accurate breakfast and lunch count.

Topics covered in the program will include alternative forage crops, forage storage, manure and mortality composting, fall lambing, data collection, Dystocia, and animal handling.

For more information, contact Brady Campbell, Ohio State University Small Ruminant Specialist at Campbell.1279@osu.edu or visit https://www.ohiosheep.org/osia%20programs/2021/ohiosheepdayflyer_9821.pdf.… Continue reading

For Steve Boyles, Ohio State University (OSU) beef cattle extension specialist, it’s all about connecting with his students and providing visual, hands-on demonstrations and activities to help them be the best cattle handlers they can be. 

Boyles is originally from Southeast Ohio, where his family ran a research facility for OSU. Growing up on the farm cultivated his love for beef cattle. Boyles pursued that interest, eventually becoming a leading expert in Beef Quality Assurance (BQA). He uses his knowledge and expertise to teach agriculture students, cattle producers, and consumers alike the importance of BQA.

“It’s not always the classic classroom lecture,” Boyles says. “I think people appreciate visual and hands-on opportunities. So that’s why I always get the audience to participate.”

To help with visual learning, Boyles obtained a grant in 2001 to have miniature corrals built. These make it easy to discuss corrals in a three-dimensional method where pieces can be moved around. … Continue reading

The Ohio State University Department of Animal Sciences has hired Brady Campbell as an assistant professor to focus on small ruminant management.

Campbell begins his new position on Sept. 15 in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). He will work with Ohio State Extension professionals to develop educational materials and programs for sheep and goat producers. 

“Brady will fill an important role for our department and the state. Ohio is the largest sheep production state east of the Mississippi,” said John Foltz, chair of the animal sciences department. “Lamb and goat production are on the rise in Ohio due to a variety of factors, including increased consumption in restaurants and increased ethnic populations in the state.”

In addition, he will conduct applied research on small ruminant production and management and assist with youth livestock sheep and goat programs. 

“As we educate undergraduate students who are increasingly from urban backgrounds, they can more easily work with small ruminants,” Foltz said.… Continue reading

With the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory confirmation of African swine fever (ASF) in samples collected from pigs in the Dominican Republic, efforts are being redoubled to protect U.S. swine herds from this devastating disease hitting too close to home.

ASF has moved through Russia and Eastern Europe since 2007 and in August of 2018 was reported in China’s swine herd. It has been estimated that the number of sows China has lost to ASF is more than the entire U.S. sow herd.

The Dominican Republic case of ASF confirmed on July 28 is less than 1,000 miles away from the U.S. border, so USDA is using the case as an opportunity to prepare U.S. producers and key stakeholders for the possibility of ASF entering the U.S. Rosemary Sifford, with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), participated in a recent Pork Checkoff producer webinar on the topic. … Continue reading

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its intent to designate Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as a “protection zone,” a World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) designation that allows the United States to maintain its current animal health status should there be a detection of African swine fever (ASF) or other foreign animal disease on the island territories. The USDA will work to gain OIE acceptance of this designation to maintain U.S. pork export continuity should Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands have an animal test positive for African swine fever in the future. The United States, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, remain free of African swine fever, a swine-only disease with no human health implications. There is no commercial pork trade from Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands to the United States mainland.

“We thank Secretary Vilsack for taking this pre-emptive step to preserve the continuity of U.S.… Continue reading

By Lingying Zhao

The COVID-19 pandemic has painfully made us recognize how critical air quality is to our health. Office buildings, classrooms, most public facilities, and even our homes are not equipped to deal with the airborne transmission of infectious diseases. One sick family member at home may put the whole household at risk. One sick worker may easily spread the virus to coworkers. One sick animal may quickly infect many other animals in large-scale animal production facilities. We need solutions to address these emerging and pressing challenges. Ventilation and/or air pollution mitigation technologies can be developed to control COVID-19 and other types of airborne infectious disease transmission in indoor spaces. Ohio State University researchers are developing innovative ventilation and air disinfection technologies for homes and animal production facilities to improve human and animal health.

Ventilation

Ventilation is an intentional air exchange process that introduces fresh air in, and exhausts stale air out, of an indoor space.… Continue reading

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the details of the Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program as part of meetings with farmers and a tour of farms with Senator Leahy. 

In June, USDA committed to providing additional pandemic assistance for dairy farmers in an exchange at a hearing with Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Leahy. Through the program, USDA will provide about $350 million in pandemic assistance payments to dairy farmers who received a lower value for their products due to market abnormalities caused by the pandemic. The assistance is part of a larger package including permanent improvements to the Dairy Margin Coverage safety net program.

“The Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program is another component of our ongoing effort to get aid to producers who have been left behind and build on our progress towards economic recovery,” said Tom Vilsack, Agriculture Secretary. “Family dairy farmers have been battered by the pandemic, trade issues and unpredictable weather and are the life-blood of many rural communities throughout Vermont, the Northeast and many other regions.… Continue reading

By Don “Doc” Sanders

No, this isn’t about Playboy bunnies. I’m writing about a virus that’s killing rabbits in the western U.S. It’s killing not only wild rabbits, but also domestic ones like New Zealand Whites and European breeds.      

The disease has in recent years been identified in the U.S. as Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Serotype-2 (RHDV-2). In the past decade this virus was killing about 20% of infected rabbits. But RHDV-2 has become more deadly, killing 80% of infected rabbits — especially domestic rabbits.

Three to five days after exposure to RHDV-2, a rabbit will develop a severe illness with internal bleeding and will die in less than 24 hours. Often there are no signs other than hemorrhaging from the deceased rabbit’s nose.

This news takes me back to my boyhood. Rabbits were my first livestock project when I was about nine years old. My cousins, who were three and four years older than me, and were experienced in rabbits as livestock, got me started.… Continue reading

The American Lamb Board’s (ALB) end of the fiscal year 2021 is approaching Sept. 30, however, producers and industry partners still have time to submit an application for the Promotional Funding Program. 

 ALB has combined its two industry funding/support programs, the Local Lamb Promotional Funds Program and the Supplier Cooperative Funds Program. The new program, the Promotional Partnership Program, is designed to create more flexibility for industry partners. Applications can be made throughout the year, so there is no longer a deadline. This allows the industry to apply as opportunities arise. 

There are four categories of funding/support available:

1.       Cash sponsorships for events or educational conferences. This category is primarily meant for industry organizations who have existing, successful events or conferences they host regularly with existing sponsorship packages available.

2.       Donation requests for promotional materials that are sold on LambResourceCenter.com, such as spice tins, reusable grocery bags, hats, aprons and socks, up to $100 value.… Continue reading

U.S. red meat exports closed the first half of the year on a strong note, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Although volume and value eased from the enormous totals posted in April and May, export value was still the highest on record for the month of June and first-half shipments established a record pace for both beef and pork exports.

“USMEF had expected a continued strong performance in June for both beef and pork exports, despite significant headwinds,” said Dan Halstrom, USMEF President and CEO. “2021 has presented many formidable challenges for the U.S. industry, including a very tight labor situation, logistical obstacles that slowed product movement and foodservice restrictions in many key markets. So the fact that first-half exports reached record levels speaks to the loyalty of our international customer base, strong consumer demand for high-quality, nutritious U.S. red meat and the U.S.… Continue reading

By Victor Shelton, NRCS State Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

I hear people mention the “lazy days of summer,” but I’ll have to admit that has never really seemed valid for me. I’m glad that the days are long, because quite often, I need every minute of daylight and then some. Precarious weather seems to be timed quite well to disrupt plans and tasks. This is only doubled in difficulty when you are also holding down an off-farm job, which always seems to take you away when the weather is perfect. You have to just shut your mind off, focus on the task at hand and not dwell on the farm work that must be completed. I know that I am not the only one this happens to.

I had something sent to me recently and I thought it made some good points. When time is sparse, as it seems it often is, then we need to be as efficient as possible and that includes pasture management.… Continue reading

By Kenny Burdine, Livestock Marketing Specialist, University of Kentucky

I decided to shift gears a bit this week and dive into a topic that often comes up when I visit with producers in extension settings. I am often asked whether I think it pays for a cow-calf operator to castrate bulls and sell steers. Castration is not without cost as it requires time and facilities and does stress calves for a period of time. Like so many management decisions, there are an infinite number of ways to examine this topic and there is more to consider than economics alone. But, it is a good question and one for which a livestock economist should be able to provide some perspective.

When examining historical prices, it is difficult to argue that there is not a price advantage to selling steers. Sure, there will be times when a group of bulls will outsell a group of steers, but I view those times as the exceptions, rather than the norm.… Continue reading

Champion: Carson Shafer, Eaton (Crossbred Division III Champion)
Reserve Champion: Delaney Jones, Harrod (Champion Chianina)
Third: Frani Levan, Woodstock (Reserve Champion Chianina)
Fourth: Caden Jones, Harrod (Crossbred Division III Reserve Champion)
Fifth: Essie McGuire, Urbana (Crossbred Division II Champion)

Champion: Aiden Knecht, Fayette Co. (Champion Dark Cross)
Reserve Champion: Cade Peterson, Ottawa Co. (Reserve Champion Dark Cross)
Third: Reagan Gross (Champion Yorkshire)
Fourth: Maya McCoy, Fayette Co. (Champion Light Cross)
Fifth: Madelyn Fearon, Darke Co. (Reserve Champion Light Cross)

… Continue reading

Champion: Bailee Amstutz, Union Co. (Champion Grade)
Reserve Champion: Kaitlyn Zeedyk, Defiance Co. (Reserve Champion Grade)
Third: Elizabeth Shatto, Shelby Co. (Champion Natural Color)
Fourth: Addilyn Bryant, Ashland Co. (Reserve Champion Natural Color)
Fifth: Nevah Powers, Fulton Co. (Champion Hampshire)

Champion: Paige Pence, Clark Co.
Res. Champion: Jada Shroyer, Logan Co.
Third: Briley Ashcraft, Athens Co.
Fourth: Coby Frey, Wyandot Co.
Fifth: Anara Shroyer, Logan Co.
Sixth: Adrionna Phillips, Highland Co.

… Continue reading