Farmers Breakfast
Tuesday, March 25th
The Bracken County Ag Advancement Council,
the Agri-Business Community and the Extension
Service, will once again host the annual Farmers
Breakfast. Due to the great success of the annual
event, these groups are now planning for the
2014 breakfast. It will be held on Tuesday,
March 25th from at 7:30 – 10:00 AM at the
extension office. All producers are welcome to
attend and join in conversations on agriculture
issues, learn about upcoming extension programs,
and just enjoy some good fellowship and
outstanding food. Due to the limited parking,
make plans with your neighbor to car pool to the
breakfast. Extra parking will be available at the
white barn located between the extension office
and the water office.
Many new extension
publications will be available, including all of the
forage and grain variety publications and many
management handouts. The 2014 Beef Calendars
which have monthly management information
will also be available and Farm Record Books
will be for sale. This will be an excellent chance
to learn about projects taking place in the county
and a chance to visit with other producers before
the busy spring season begins.
David Appelman, CEA for Ag & Natural Resources
KENTUCKY SPRING
GRAZING SCHOOL
Cooperative
Extension Service
Bracken County
1120 Brooksville Germantown Rd
Brooksville, KY 41004
(606) 735-2141
Fax: (606) 735-3871
Email: dappelma@uky.edu
March 2014
The spring Kentucky Grazing School will be held
at the Woodford County Extension Office and C.
Oran Little Research Center in Versailles May
21-22, 2014. This two day program features the
latest, practical information on “grazing” with
both classroom and field activities. Registration
is $50 and includes all handout materials, grazing
manual, breaks and lunch both days. The class is
limited to the first 45 to sign up. Please call the
office if you are interested in attending.
Fruit Tree and
Grape Spraying
The most important disease prevention sprays
you will make on both fruit trees and grapes is
before buds open or right at the end of dormancy.
Any delays in spray applications result in less
than optimal control. Now is the time to
determine what chemicals you need and have
them on hand, ready to apply at the right time.
The UK publication, Disease and Insect Control
Programs for Homegrown Fruit in KY is
available at the office. It has spray schedules and
chemical recommendations for each phase of the
plant development with a description and pictures
of the fruit buds as they develop.
This is also the time to prune these plants which
also helps in disease control. Prune out any
diseased plant growth and reduce any excess
growth for more air flow which helps dry the
for first-calf heifers) may be needed if you are feeding lower
quality hay. Supplementation may have a beneficial effect
on date and rate of conception. The most important time to
feed a beef cow is after calving. Thin cows don't come into
heat very soon after calving. We must have cows in good
condition, if we plan to breed them early in the season for
best pregnancy rates, especially on high-endophyte fescue
pastures.
leaves. Remove all diseased or dried, left over
fruit or leaves, on or around the tree as these will
serve as a source of inoculums for new
infections.
Timely Tips for Beef
Herds
Watch for scours in newborn calves. Consult your
veterinarian for diagnosis, cause, and treatment. Obtain
fecal samples and submit to diagnostic lab, if scouring
begins.
Dr. Roy Burris, UK Beef Extension Specialist
Overall condition of the cow herd should be evaluated.
Cows losing weight now are most likely to have weak or
dead calves. These cows will likely be a poor source of
colostrum milk for the newborn calf. Feed cows, if
necessary to keep them in good body condition.
Separate cows that calve away from dry cows and increase
their feed. Avoid muddy feeding areas so that cows' udders
won't become contaminated and spread scours. Don't
confine cows to muddy lots.
Have calving equipment, supplies and labor ready for the
spring calving season. Some supplies which may be
needed are: eartags and applicator, tattoo pliers and ink,
record book, scales for calf weights, iodine for calves'
navels and colostrum supplement. Calving equipment and
facilities should be ready and clean.
Replacement heifers should be gaining adequately to reach
target breeding weights by May 1. Be sure that their
feeding program is adequate for early breeding.
You should be feeding a mineral supplement with adequate
magnesium to prevent grass tetany (~ 15% Mg) now. The
Hi-mag UK Beef IRM mineral can be used now.
Heifers should begin head-start calving in early February.
Move them to a clean, accessible pasture, away from cow
herd and near facilities so that calving assistance can be
given. Cows may start calving later this month. Signs of
calving are relaxation of pelvic ligaments, enlargement and
swelling of the vulva, and enlargement of the udder. Expect
calving difficulty if (1) calf's head and two feet are not
visible, (2) only the calf's tail is visible, and (3) the cow has
been in labor for 1½ hours. Be sure calf is being presented
normally before using calf puller. Recognize situations that
are beyond your capability and seek professional help as
early as possible. Calves that aren’t=t breathing should
receive assistance. Try sticking a straw in nostril to
stimulate a reflex or try alternate pressure and release on
rib cage. Commercial respirators are also available. Calves
should consume colostrum within 30 minutes of birth to
achieve good immunity.
Start looking for herd sire replacements, if needed.
Control lice. Watch for signs such as rubbing.
Begin pasture renovation. You can overseed clover on
frozen or snow-covered pastures.
Poison Hemlock Control Program
One of the very first plants to start growing after
winter is Poison Hemlock. This invasive weed is
becoming more prevalent throughout the county and
is a great concern with our livestock industry. For
many years, plants were only found along fencerows,
feeding areas and barn lots. Now it is not uncommon
to find plants in pasture and hay fields. Due the
plants extreme toxicity, and the potential to kill
livestock, control measures need to be implemented to
prevent the contamination of hay with this weed. A
fatal dose can be as little as one half of one percent of
an animal’s body weight of the plant material and all
parts of the plant are equally toxic. Herbicide
applications need to be made right away while plants
are small and easily controlled. Products that are
recommended include 2,4-D products, products
containing triclopyr, and products containing
glyphosate.
Record birthdate, cow I.D., and birthweight immediately.
Identify calf with eartag and/or tattoo. Registered calves
should be weighed in the first 24 hours. Male calves in
commercial herds should be castrated and implanted as
soon as possible.
Sub-zero weather can mean death for newborn calves.
During extremely cold spells, bring the cow(s) into a
sheltered area as calving approaches to protect the calf.
Be prepared to warm-up and feed newborn, chilled calves.
Calving in mud can also cause problems.
Increase feed after calving to 25-27 pounds of high quality
hay. Concentrate (3-4 lb. for mature cows and about 8 lb.
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were cycling in the first month of the breeding season
(June) was considerably lower than for cows that were
in more moderate body condition. During the second
month of the breeding season, 55% of the cows with a
BCS of 4 had still not initiated estrous cycles, while
more than 90% of the cows in more moderate
condition had begun to cycle. Thin cows need a longer
breeding season, which results in more open cows in
the fall. They may also result in lighter calves to sell
the next year because the calves from these thin cows
will be born later in the calving season.
For general broadleaf weeds in pasture, 2,4-D type
herbicides will control many of the early season
weeds. For more woody type weeds such as briers, a
stronger herbicide will be needed.
Herbicide
selection guidelines are available at the office to
determine which product best matches your weed
problems.
Preparing Cows for
Breeding
A successful breeding season actually begins with
management decisions made at calving. Cattlemen
can impact rebreeding efficiency by focusing on body
condition score (BCS), early assistance during calving
difficulty, scheduling a breeding soundness exam for
the herd sires, planning their herd reproductive health
program, and developing a plan to regulate estrus in
their first-calf heifers and late-calving cows.
Management of BCS after calving also impacts
rebreeding efficiency. Maintenance requirements for
energy and protein increase 25-30% for most beef
cows after calving. Ranchers need to plan their
supplementation to match or exceed this increased
nutrient requirement.
Rebreeding efficiency is
enhanced in cows that calved thin if their energy intake
is increased. Although the best management plan is to
calve cows in a BCS of 5+, increasing the energy to
cows that are thin at calving can boost reproductive
performance.
Reproductive management begins with evaluation and
management of BCS. Body condition score is a
numerical estimation of the amount of fat on the cow’s
body. Body condition score ranges from 1-9; 1 is
emaciated while 9 is extremely obese. A change in a
single BCS (i.e. 4-5) is usually associated with about a
75 pound change in body weight. Evaluation of BCS
prior to calving and from calving to breeding is
important to ensure reproductive success.
Dystocia can severely delay the onset of estrus after
calving. Research shows that for every hour a female
is in stage 2 active labor there is a 4 day delay in the
resumption of estrous cycles after calving. Early
intervention helps; 16% more cows conceived when
cows were assisted within 90 minutes of the start of
calving. The best method is to reduce the incidence of
dystocia via selection but early calving assistance will
increase the opportunity of cows to rebreed.
Rebreeding performance of cows is greatly influenced
by BCS at calving. Cows that are thin (BCS < 5) at
calving take longer to resume estrous cycles and
therefore are delayed in their ability to rebreed.
Research has clearly demonstrated that as precalving
BCS decreases, the number of days from one calving
to the next (calving interval) increases in beef cows.
Females with a precalving BCS of less than 5 tend to
have production cycles greater than 1 year. For
example, cows with a precalving BCS of 3 would be
expected to have a calving interval of approximately
400 days, while a cow with a precalving BCS of 6
would have a calving interval of approximately 360
days. South Dakota research illustrates the influence
of precalving BCS on the percentage of cows that
initiated estrous cycles after calving. This experiment
demonstrated that the percentage of thin cows that
A tool that can improve reproductive performance is
breeding soundness exams in bulls. Ranchers need to
think of breeding soundness exams as breeding
season insurance. These exams are a low-cost
method of insuring that your bull is not infertile. Bulls
should be examined for breeding soundness about 30
days before they are turned out.
Dr. Les Anderson, UK Beef Extension Specialist
Several diseases are associated with reproductive loss
(lepto, BVD, vibrio, trich, etc). The main problem is
that most reproductive loss due to disease is subtle
and ranchers don’t notice the loss unless they have a
massive failure. Most cattlemen are not aware of their
losses due to abortion. Ranchers need to work with
their local veterinarian to develop an annual
vaccination plan to enhance reproductive success.
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Managing for reproductive success actually begins at
calving. Cows need to calve with a minimum BCS of 5
and with little assistance. Effective planning for
reproductive health and management plan for limiting
the impact of anestrus will ensure that cattlemen are
happy, happy, happy at the end of the breeding
season.
Do not add fertilizer until after plants have
germinated and have at least 2 leaves. Use only
recommended float bed fertilizer.
If using old trays, you need to use Terramaster in
the float water to control Pythium. Even if trays
are sterilized with the bleach, Pythium organisms
will still cause major losses in the float bed and
in the field. Apply Terramaster no sooner than 2
weeks after seeding and no later than 3 weeks
after seeding to avoid plant damage. Waiting
until the disease is present can result in major
damage to plants and long delays in plant growth.
Tobacco Float Bed and Greenhouse Management
To calculate the amount of water in your float
bed, use this formula: Depth of water in inches X
Number of trays X 1.64 = Gallons
Ventilation is a major key to disease prevention.
Warm air trapped in a greenhouse or float bed
holds more moisture than cool air outside. Air
out greenhouse at the end of the day to avoid
moisture buildups and dripping at night.
With a very successful tobacco market this past
year, many producers will soon be starting
another crop. There are a number of guidelines
you need to follow to make sure your plants are
as disease free as possible.
Start spray schedule on weekly intervals once
plants reach the 4 leaf stage. The only chemical
that is labeled for use in the weekly spray
program is Manzate Pro-stick. Dithane DF and
Penncozeb are no longer labeled for tobacco use.
Growers must have a 24(c) label in their
possession to use Manzate Pro-stick. This label
can be obtain from your dealer, the extension
office or the CDMS website at www.cdms.net
Variety selection – review the list of varieties in
this newsletter and determine which variety will
best meet the needs of your farm. If Black Shank
is a problem, notice that TN 90 is very low in
resistance. Many varieties are better choices for
this disease.
Do not allow plant clippings to drop into the
canopy. Dead plant material is a major cause of
disease.
Sanitation – sterilize old trays by washing off
dirt, dipping them in 10% bleach solution, and
then wrap them in plastic while wet with the
bleach solution. After 24 hours, remove them
from the plastic wrap and rinse off the bleach
residue. The chlorine gas provides the best
possible sterilization of the trays.
Calibrate your meter and make sure and maintain
proper fertility levels in float water. Last year,
low fertility levels resulted in major outbreaks of
Target Spot.
Quadris is now labeled for one application in the
greenhouse or float bed to control target spot.
This application needs to be made after the first
clipping. The rate is 4ml. in 5 gallons of water
and applied to 400 trays (1000 square feet). A
24(c) label must be in your possession for
Use only new plastic and clean water for the bays
Use new soil media. The wetting agent in old
soil media breaks down over time and may cause
problems with dry cells.
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Quadris use the same as above. After this
treatment, return to the weekly spray program
using Manzate Pro-stick.
Signs of Hypothermia
Faced with a cold environment, the body defends
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. Cold nostrils 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. 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.
For more information on Tobacco Disease
Control, stop by the office and pick up a copy of
the 2014 Fungicide Guide for Burley Tobacco.
Cold Stress &
Newborn Calves
Michelle Arnold, DVM (UKVDL)
When the weather is predicted to be bitterly cold,
producers should take extra care of newborn calves to
ensure their survival. A calf’s body temperature often
falls below normal in extremely cold conditions due
to a slow or difficult birth (dystocia) followed by
delayed standing and nursing. Returning the calf’s
core body temperature to normal (100° F for newborn
calves) is of 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 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 or if there
are no natural windbreaks available.
Treatment of Hypothermia
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. Karo
syrup (dark is preferred) delivered by mouth to a
weak calf is a quick source of readily available energy
and is rapidly absorbed through the mucosa in the
mouth into the bloodstream. Effective 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.
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 breathing, 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.
3. Placing calves next to the heater in the house
and/or using a blow dryer to dry and warm
the hair coat. Never leave calves unattended
next to a portable space heater.
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
soaked with uterine fluids. Other causes of immersion
hypothermia of young calves may include being born
in deep snow or on wet ground, falling into a creek or
being saturated from heavy rains followed by chilling
winds.
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.
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Pasture Improvement Training
March 26th at 6:30 PM
Upcoming Meetings
Soil Health & Cover Crops Training
(Repeat of fall program)
March 17th at 10:00 AM
Both meetings qualify for the Phase I
Educational Requirements.
Attention: Tobacco Growers
All those who plan to grow tobacco in 2014 will be required to obtain a Grower ID Card and attend Tobacco GAP
Certification. Below is a brief description of the ID System and certification.
The Grower ID System is a secure database of tobacco growers involved in the U.S. Tobacco GAP Program. The
system, by assigning a unique ID number to each grower, will help growers easily keep track of and share their
GAP compliance records with potential companies. Instead of a grower’s GAP efforts being tracked only through their
current contracting companies, growers will have their GAP information follow them from year to year regardless of
marketing company. Temporary cards can be obtained by visiting www.gapconnections.com or the Bracken
Extension Office will provide this service as a courtesy to growers without internet access.
Tobacco GAP Certification Training is scheduled for March 19, 2014 at the Mason County Extension Office.
This certification will be a two tier offering for that evening. Producers who did not participate in training last
year should arrive at 5:00 PM and producers who did attend last year should arrive at 6:00 PM for an updated
GAP Certification.
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Cooperative Extension Service
University of Kentucky
Bracken County
1120 Brooksville Germantown Rd
Brooksville, KY 41004
NONPROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE PAID
MAYSVILLE KY
PERMIT #13
RETURN SERVICE
REQUESTED
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