Dr. Maurice L. Eastridge, Professor and Extension Dairy Specialist, Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University
Some updates that I want to share with the agricultural industry include:
- There are a couple of changes in the Ohio Livestock Care Standards that become effective as of January 1, 2018: a) veal calves must be housed in group pens by 10 weeks of age and whether housed in individual stalls or group pens, the calves must be allowed to turn around and cannot be tethered; and b) tail docking on dairy cattle can only be performed by a licensed veterinarian and if only medically necessary. The news release from the Ohio Department of Agriculture about these changes can be found at: http://www.ohioagriculture.gov/public_docs/news/2017/11.13.17%20ODA%20Announces%20Changes%20to%20Ohios%20Livestock%20Care%20Standards.pdf
- The Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics at The Ohio State University has released a report on “The Economic Contribution of Agricultural and Food Production to the Ohio Economy” that provides some valuable insights about changes in agriculture and its impacts on Ohio’s economy. The report can be found at: https://aede.osu.edu/sites/aede/files/publication_files/The%20Economic%20Contribution%20of%20Agricultural%20and%20Food%20Production%20to%20the%20Ohio%20Economy_FINAL%20Nov%2028%202017.pdf