BEEF
NEWSLETTER
Cooperative Extension Service
Jackson County
1408 Main Street South
P.O. Box 188
McKee, KY 40447
PHO: (606) 287-7693
FAX: (606) 287-7694
January, 2014
Email: http://ces.ca.uky.edu/jackson/
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/JacksonCoExtensionService
Herd Health Discussed at Next JCCA Meeting
As we start the new year, our focus as beef producers turns to the upcoming calving season and keeping the
herd healthy through the remainder of the winter. The Jackson County Cattlemen Association’s next
meeting will feature Dr. Philip Bundy, veterinarian from Animal House in London, who will
talk to the group about herd health issues in preparing for the spring calving season and
general herd health topics. Dr. Bundy is a JCCA member and has a beef herd in the county so he is well
aware of the issues that face cattle producers as they prepare for the calving season. This meeting will be
held at the Jackson County Extension Service on Tuesday, January 21 at 6:30 p.m. and every
cattle producer is encouraged to attend. This will be a very informative meeting so make plans to
attend. The JCCA will provide refreshments for this meeting.
2014 JCCA Meeting Schedule
In addition to the meeting with Dr. Bundy on January 21, the Executive Committee of the JCCA has already scheduled
several other events throughout the year.

March 18 - Feeding Meeting sponsored by Southern States in London. Tentatively scheduled for Gray Hawk
Reformed Church at 6:30 p.m. A Ribeye dinner planned.

Late May or early June: Two sessions, the first will be an on farm meeting concerning Reproduction and
Heat Synchronization. A meal is planned. A follow-up meeting is planned one week later on the farm for those
interested in the Heat Synchronization procedures. The exact location and date are to be announced.

August 5 - Beef Marketing Outlook meeting featuring Dr. Kenny Burdine, UK Beef Economic
Specialist. This meeting will be held at the Jackson County Extension Service at 6:30 p.m. The JCCA will
provide refreshments.

Late September or early October: JCCA Family Fun Night, tentatively scheduled at Truett’s
Pumpkin Patch. The date and time are to be announced.
More detailed information will be made available to you as the meeting dates get closer .
In addition to these meetings, the JCCA will also have other activities that you can get involved in such as helping
cook at the Jackson County Homecoming and other events. For more information, contact the Jackson County
Extension Service at 287-7693.
Jeff Henderson
County Extension Agent
for Agriculture and Natural Resources
JCCA Equipment Rental Program
The Jackson County Cattlemen Association with the help of the Jackson County Ag Development Council
has purchased some equipment that will be available to all producers in the county on a rental basis. The
equipment available will include a portable cattle squeeze chute/headgate (currently available), a set of
portable livestock scales, a round bale hay hauler and a boomless sprayer for weeds with a 150 gallon
tank. All of this equipment will be located at Russell Pennington’s Garage in Annville and each piece can be
rented for $20 per day, $30 per weekend and should be available for rent soon.
Cold Stress and Newborn
Calves
When the weather is predicted to be bitter cold producers should
take extra care of newborn calves to ensure their survival.
A calf’s body temperature often falls below normal due to a slow
birth (dystocia) followed by delayed standing and nursing. Returning the calf’s core body temperature to
normal (100 degrees F for newborn calves) is the immediate concern then maintaining that core temperature is
of secondary importance. If at all possible, bring close-up cows indoors to calve in a heavily bedded, clean pen.
If calving outdoors, make sure there is dry, clean ground available for the cows to calve on without a large
amount of manure. If the cow calves outdoors, bring the calf in until warm and dry if the calf is showing signs of
hypothermia and/or there are no natural windbreaks available. The two most important factors in calf survival
are warmth and colostrum. Before giving colostrum, a chilled calf first needs to be warmed as these newborns
are typically too weak to suckle or colostrum may be delivered by an esophageal feeder. Karo syrup (dark is
preferred) delivered by mouth to a calf is a quick source of readily available energy and is rapidly absorbed into
the bloodstream.
Methods to warm a calf include:
1. Floor board heaters of pickup trucks
2. Submersion of wet calves in a warm bath-you must support the calf to prevent drowning. The water
should be gradually warmed to 100° F and will need to be changed to keep it at that temperature.
3. Placing calves next to the heater in the house.
4. Placing the calf under a heat lamp-be careful to cover the lamp with a screen so the calf will not get
burned as it becomes more active.
5. Warm blankets-These should not be so hot that they can cause skin burns. Change the blankets as
needed to maintain a consistent temperature and not allow the calf to cool off.
6. Hot box or warming box-the temperature should not be so high that burns could result. Some type of
venting is necessary to prevent buildup of carbon monoxide and moisture. Air movement is also
important to ensure thorough warming of the calf and prevent hot spots in a warming box.
7. Warm IV fluids may be administered by a veterinarian.
Once the calf has been warmed, provide colostrum and maintain body temperature. Colostrum is a
concentrated source of protein, vitamins, minerals and energy and also contains antibodies to diseases or
vaccines that the dam has been exposed to. If the calf is unwilling to suck and it is not possible to milk the dam,
commercial colostrum replacement products are available. Calves should be fed colostrum as soon as possible
after the suckle reflex has returned-generally within the first 6 hours after birth but ideally within 1-2 hours
after birth. Once the calf is warm and fed, move it back to its mother.
From the University of Nevada/Reno Cooperative Extension Service: There are two types of hypothermia:
exposure (gradual) and immersion (acute). Exposure hypothermia is the steady loss of body heat in a cold
environment through respiration, evaporation and lack of adequate hair coat, body flesh or weather protection.
This type of hypothermia affects all classes of livestock but particularly affects young, old and thin animals.
Immersion hypothermia is the rapid loss of body heat due to a wet, saturated hair coat in a cold environment.
Immersion hypothermia often occurs after the birthing process because the calf is born saturated with uterine
fluids. Other causes of immersion hypothermia of young calves may include being born in deep snow or wet
ground, falling into a creek or being saturated from heavy rains followed by chilling winds.
Signs of Hypothermia
Faced with a cold environment, the body tries to defend itself in two ways: shivering, to increase muscle heat
production, and blood shunting, to reduce heat loss by diverting blood flow away from the body extremities to
the body core. Mild hypothermia occurs as the body's core temperature drops below normal (approximately
100° F. for beef calves). In the early stages, vigorous shivering is usually accompanied by increased pulse and
breathing rates. A cold nostril and pale, cold hooves are early signs that blood is being shunted away from the
body's extremities. In the case of newborn calves, severe shivering may interfere with its ability to stand and
suckle. This increases the chances for severe hypothermia. Erratic behavior, confusion and a clumsy gait, are all
signs of mild hypothermia. Producers often refer to these as "dummy" calves. Severe hypothermia results as the
body temperature drops below 94° F. Shunting of blood continues, manifesting as cold and pale nostrils and
hooves. Paleness is due to poor oxygenation of the tissues near the body surface. Decreased peripheral
circulation also results in a buildup of acid metabolites (waste products) in the muscles of extremities. After the
shivering stops, it is replaced by muscle rigidity. The pulse and respiration begins to slow as the body core cools
to 88° F. Below core temperature of 94° F. , the vital organs are beginning to get cold. As the brain cools, brain
cell metabolism slows, resulting in impaired brain function. The level of consciousness deteriorates from
confusion to incoherence and eventual unconsciousness. Below 86° F., signs of life are very difficult to detect
and the calf may be mistaken for dead. The pupils of the eyes will be dilated and fixed. The pulse may be
undetectable. Occasional gasps of respiration at a rate as low as four or five per minute may be the only clue
that the calf is still alive. Heart failure may be the actual cause of death.
Other Livestock tips
Water is critical. Livestock need water to maintain their health and immune system. Lactating animals have a
higher need for water than young stock and mammals in their dry period. Livestock will reduce their
consumption of feed if they don't have water available. The immediate result will be less milk
production. Check your water source several times a day. It's vital for the health and production of your
animals. In addition, consumption of salt without water available can result in salt poisoning which often
results in death of the animal.
Cold temperatures will increase maintenance energy needs. Producers either need to increase their animals’
feed intake or increase the energy density of the diet by feeding higher quality hay or adding more grain or fat
to the grain mix. Consider separating younger and thinner animals that may not have the same internal
insulation as conditioned older animals and supplement them accordingly or offer them higher quality forage if
available.
Weeds in Pastures that can be Controlled in the Spring
Weeds continue to be an issue in pastures and hay land. Buttercup, poison hemlock and chicory among others are
becoming quite prevalent in our forages and control measures need to be considered. Clipping pastures can help some
but chemical controls may need to be considered to reduce the pressure from these weeds significantly.
The good news is that most of these weeds can be controlled by spraying pastures in February and March. The bad
news is that any clover that is in the pastures will be eliminated. Research at the University of Kentucky showed that
chemical control of weeds yielded better results and higher forage yields even though clover populations were severely
reduced than clipping pastures, which hurt overall production. Clover recovered to some degree without reseeding the
second season after chemical application. Below is a table that shows the chemicals that you need to consider and
when to use them. Make sure you consult the label before using any of these herbicides or other chemicals.
Remember, clover populations will be damaged and severely reduced by these chemicals.
Weed Species
Preferred Time to
Treat - 2
B
Hemlock, Poison
March-April
F
F
F-G
G
F
G
-
-
-
-
G
B
Thistle, Bull
February-March
--
--
G
G
G
G
F-G
--
G
G
G
A
Buttercup spp.
February-March
G
G
G
G
G
G
-
G
F
G
G
P
Chicory
February-March
--
F-G
F-G
G
G
G
--
G
G
--
G = Good or Excellent
Lifecycle: A-Annual
--
F = Fairy (Suppression or partial control)
B-Biennial
P = Poor
N = None
-- = No Information
P-Perennial
This table should be used only as guide for comparing the relative effectiveness of herbicides to a particular weed. Depending on the
weed size, time of application, and/or use under extreme weather conditions, a herbicide may perform better or worse than indicated in the table.
2 The preferred time to treat will vary depending on environmental conditions and other factors. Consult herbicide label for recommended plant height
or stage of growth.
# Potential to cause temporary stunting and seedhead suppression of tall fescue and timothy (consult label).
1
National Farm Machinery Show
February 12-15, 2014 / 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Free Admission / $8.00 parking
Discover the most complete selection of cutting-edge agricultural products and services available from more
than 850 exhibitors. Name brands and assistance from industry experts in 1.2 million square feet of indoor
space. Learn at one of the free seminars presented by Farm Journal, Farm Industry News and DTN/The
Progressive Farmer. Shop at the Family Living Center in East Hall for gifts and specialty items.
For more information visit: www.farmmachineryshow.org