March 2019 Hay Pellets

March 26, 2019

• Those needing hay or wanting to donate hay toward flood relief efforts in Nebraska can click here.

• Cattle and calves on feed for the U.S. slaughter market (feedlots over 1,000 head) totaled 11.8 million head on March 1. The inventory was 1 percent above the previous year. Marketings of fed cattle during February totaled 1.68 million head, slightly above 2018.

• In northern New York, snout beetle is a significant alfalfa pest. The most effective control is through the use of biocontrol nematodes, which are available through the Shields Lab.

• Missouri extension specialist suggests adding legumes to tall fescue pastures for enhanced profit potential.

• It’s time to start watching for the first hollow stem in dual-purpose wheat pastures in Kansas. Find an initial report here.

March 19, 2019

• In spite of a pitiful pay price, total milk production rose 1 percent in 2018 compared to the previous year, according to USDA. All of the increase can be attributed to more milk per cow as the nation’s dairy herd dropped by 7,000 head.

• During the past 10 years, U.S. milk production has risen by 15 percent and production per cow jumped 13 percent. Milk cow numbers rose by 2 percent.

• January 2019 milk production was up 0.9 percent over 2018. Milk per cow increased by 35 pounds to 1,988 while year-over-year cow numbers were 83,000 head lower.

• Registration for the Grassfed Exchange Conference closes on March 25. It’s being held in Santa Rosa, Calif.

• Looking to complement tall fescue during the summer? Consider native warm-season grasses.

March 12, 2019

• The U.S. beef cow herd as of January 1 totaled 31.8 million, up 1 percent from a year earlier. At a little over 9.3 million, the dairy cow herd was down 1 percent, according to USDA.

• Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market (feedlot capacity of at least 1,000 head) totaled 11.7 million head on February 1. The inventory was slightly above one year earlier. Marketings of fed cattle during January totaled 1.91 million head, 3 percent above 2018.

• The deadline to sign up for crop insurance covering spring-planted forages is this coming Friday, March 15 in many states.

• The Alfalfa Checkoff program has supported eight new research projects in its latest round of funding.

• What’s the most common poisonous plant to horses in the Upper Midwest? Find out here.

March 5, 2019

• For many states, the spring forage seeding closing date to purchase crop insurance is March 15.

• The University of Wisconsin recently announced the availability of a new bulletin titled “Planting cover crops after corn silage for spring forage harvest: Opportunities and challenges as told by dairy farmers and their consultants in Wisconsin.”

• In this video, Oklahoma State University’s Paul Beck describes why it is important to rotate hay feeding locations during the winter.

• Novel tall fescue renovation workshops are being offered in six different states during March and kickoff next Monday in Virginia.

• The Wisconsin Custom Operators recently selected their new board members and officers for 2019. That same organization will be co-sponsoring a safety training and certification session on March 13.