Seasonal management of livestock is a little different from row cropping and forage production.  Our crop management is dependent on the same tasks taking place at the same time of year, each year.  You want to get your crop in the ground as early as possible, or you want to harvest a crop as soon as it is ready.  We also have a list of tasks that are necessary when raising livestock, but they may not be as tied to the calendar as plants.  Depending on your management schedule, we are entering a period when you could be weaning lambs and kids or getting ready for breeding your beef cattle.  Regardless of when you need to do it, most livestock management tasks (not including feeding, watering, and cleaning pens) include vaccinations and livestock pest treatments.

When vaccinating or applying a pest treatment, you want to be ahead of the challenge.  For example, we are approaching the season when flies are a significant production concern.  We have products that can help knock back populations if they suddenly explode, but we can limit the impact if we take preventative measures before they become a problem. 

Limit early season fly numbers by taking these steps

Now is a great time to incorporate a larvicide into your mineral mixes or TMRs to limit early season fly numbers.  By the end of May, you should tag your cattle with an insecticide ear tag.  Don’t forget to remove those tags when we get to the end of the season, or as directed by the label.

When you are vaccinating, it is important to follow the label directions for storage, handling, and administration.  You will handle a killed vaccine product different from a modified-live version.  Most labels will require that the product be kept cold and out of direct sunlight.  There are a number of commercial vaccine coolers that you can purchase, or you can get one of the cheap Styrofoam coolers and cut a couple holes in the top to hold a multi-dose vaccine gun.  Remember to select needles appropriate for the preferred route of administration and the size of the animal.  A one inch or ¾ inch length needle is ideal for subcutaneous injections while an inch and a half is better for intramuscular.  An 18 gauge will be fine for younger stock, but you may need to move to a 16 gauge for those older animals due to their tougher hide.

We should always be thinking of administering animal health products using quality assurance principles.  Always follow the label directions for any withdrawal period.  The withdrawal time begins when the last dosage is administered to an animal.  You should also target giving all injections, regardless of route of administration, in the neck.  If giving multiple injections at the same time, try to allow at least 4 inches between injection locations.  This may be difficult on young animals and you can utilize both sides of the neck.

Chat with Extension agents in Mt Hope twice a month

We have several big events coming up each month this summer.  You will find those below, but I want to let you know of one reoccurring opportunity.  If you are by the Mt. Hope auction on the 2^nd or 4^th Wednesday’s each month, you can stop by and see me at our information booth.  Myself and Janessa Hill, Holmes County ANR Educator, will have an information booth down by the hay auction.  We will have a supply of fact sheets from OSU Extension as well as being available to answer any questions you may have.  If nothing else, just stop by and say hello.  If you missed us this week, we will be back on May 28^th and June 11^th.

The 2025 Small Grains Field Day will be held on the OSU Wooster Campus Schaffter Farm on June 18.  There will be presentations on: wheat profitability, fertility, and pest management, as well as a summer weather outlook, and tours of the OSU wheat and barley breeding plots and the USDA ARS Soft Wheat Quality Lab.  The program is sponsored by the Ohio Corn and Wheat Board and is free to all attendees. 

The Wayne-Ashland Dairy Service Unit will host their annual Dairy Summit and Twilight Tour on July 15^th.  This year’s host is the Sarah Douglas family at Zido Valley Dairy.  The committee is currently recruiting sponsors for the program, and I encourage you to watch the OSU Extension website for updates as more details are confirmed. 

Finally, we are planning a cow feeding clinic for August 8^th at the OSU Wooster Campus shop.  The all day program will discuss factors affecting feed quality, feed mixer management for delivery of quality feed, evaluating your feeding program, and developing feed mixing protocols.  The event is free and lunch will be provided.  If you are interested in any of these programs, you can check out the events calendar on our website at wayne.osu.edu.  As always, I wish you a safe and prosperous planting season.  If you have any questions or would like more information about one of our programs, you can contact me at the OSU Extension office – Wayne County at 330-264-8722.

John Yost is an extension educator IV, Agriculture and Natural Resources, at OSU Extension-Wayne County.
This article was previously published in The Daily Record.