Caswell County Center
126 Court Square
Post Office Box 220
Yanceyville, NC 27379-0220
(PHONE) 336-694-4158
(FAX) 336-694-5930
Caswell AMAZING GRAZING Extension
Notes
WINTER 2007
Happy New Year!
The 2006 year went by fast and we are already
into a new one. I appreciated all the help from
folks last year in preparing for Extension,
Cattlemen’s and Horsemen’s meetings and
events. If there is anything that my staff or I
can do to help you in your farming enterprises,
Family and Consumer Sciences, or 4-H Youth
Development, please call us at 336-694-4158.
Farm-City Week Breakfast
This year’s Farm-City Week Breakfast will be
held at Caswell Pines Golf Resort on
Wednesday, January 17, 2007 at 8 a.m. NC
Senator Tony Foriest,
NC House of
Representative 50th District Bill Faison, and a
representative from NC Congressmen’s 13th
District Brad Miller’s office will be the guest
speakers serving on a question/answer panel.
Caswell County citizens who have concerns
and issues they want to voice and want to gain
support from our legislative leaders before they
go into session should attend this important
meeting. This is a way county and city folks
can come together to help get things
accomplished and move Caswell County
forward. Tickets are available for $9, which will
cover the cost for the buffet breakfast. Call the
Caswell County Cooperative Extension Center
at 336-694-4158 to get tickets.
Caswell County Coggins/Vaccination Clinic
The NC Cooperative Extension Service,
Caswell County Center, and the
Caswell County Horsemen’s
Association will conduct a
Vaccination/Coggins Clinic on
Saturday, February 3, 2007
from 9-11 a.m. at the Caswell
Agricultural Building on the Court Square
beside the Historical Courthouse in
Yanceyville, NC. This allows horse owners to
get their animals vaccinated at a lower cost and
avoid the barn visit from the veterinarian. Dr.
Paul Erwin, DVM, will be performing the clinic.
The prices for the vaccinations are as follows:
Coggins – $17.00
West Nile – $20.00
EWT+EHV+Tetanus+Flu (4-Way) – $14.00
Rabies – $16.00
If you plan to bring horses to the clinic, please
call our office at 336-694-4158 by 12 noon on
Friday, February 2 and let us know the time you
plan to arrive, the number of horses you are
bringing, and the vaccinations you want your
horses to receive. This way, we can schedule
your arrival time so everyone will not be at the
clinic at the same time, and this will help us
insure we have enough vaccines for the day.
Refreshments and coffee will be available.
Horsemen’s Association Meetings
Upcoming Caswell County
Horsemen’s Association
Meetings are January 30
and February 5.
On
Tuesday, January 30,
2007 Mr. Lewis Sapp,
Fencing Specialist from
Pfafftown, NC, will present
an
educational
topic
entitled, “The Common Sense Approach to
High Tensile Fencing for Equine”. Also, that
evening Mrs. Sherri Cobb will give a short
presentation on “Caswell County’s Relay for
Life Sponsorship”.
On Monday, February 5, 2007 Dr. Ted
Feitshans, NCSU Extension Ag/Environmental
Law and Economics Specialist, will be the guest
speaker.
Dr. Feitshans will present an
educational program entitled “Farm Liability of
the Horse Business”.
Both meetings will be held at the Caswell
County Agriculture Building in the Extension
Kitchen at 6:30 p.m. Please call our office at
336-694-4158 the day before each meeting if
you plan to attend. This enables the cooking
crew to better prepare for the meal.
Cattlemen’s Association Meetings & Events
Upcoming
Caswell
County
Cattlemen’s
Association Meetings are January 29, February
13, and March 5. On Monday, January 29,
2007 Mr. Ronnie Able from Saluda, SC will
present an educational program entitled,
“Rotating Dewormers and Pour-On Dewormer
Resistant Build-up”.
On Tuesday, February 13, 2007 Mr. James
Buck from Roanoke, VA will present an
educational program
Products Update”.
on
“Animal
Health
On Monday, March 5, 2007 Mr. Wistar Heald
from Fuquay Varina, NC will present an
educational program on “Forage Varieties
Selection Update”.
All three meetings will be held at the Caswell
County Agriculture Building in the Extension
Kitchen at 6:30 p.m. These meetings are
sponsored; therefore, you need to call our office
(336-694-4158) before the meeting dates in
order to help the cooking crew better prepare
for these meetings.
The Cattlemen’s Steak Supper and Fundraiser
will be held on Friday, March 30, 2007 from 5-7
p.m. at the Agriculture Building located On-TheSquare in Yanceyville, NC.
The Annual Cattlemen’s Tour will be held from
April 10-13, 2007 heading toward Western
North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee
areas. I am still working on stops and an
agenda for the tour.
Virginia Forage Conference
The Virginia Forage and Grassland Council will
conduct the Virginia Forage Conference on
Wednesday, January 24, 2007. It will be held
at Central Virginia Community College in
Lynchburg, VA. Registration will begin at 8
a.m. and the day’s events will end at 3:30 p.m.
This year’s theme is “Profitable Pastures:
Extending Grazing”. “Beef producers will gain
skills and knowledge of economical ways to
manage pastures that will result in reduction of
costs by extending grazing and reducing use of
expensive stored feeds or purchased grains,”
said Gordon Groover, Extension Farm
Management Specialist at Virginia Tech, who
will discuss the cost of hay for grazing
operations at the conference. “Farmers will
also gain knowledge about beef marketing and
practical knowledge of marketing their calves.”
Researchers, producers, and government
officials will discuss a wide range of topics:





Bill West, a successful beef producer in
Ripley, West Virginia will share his
experiences with year-round grazing
Emmit Rawls of the University of
Tennessee will discuss the cow-calf
cycle and the importance of forages for
these animals
Jim Cropper of the Natural Resource
and
Conservation
Service
in
Greensboro, NC will explain how
controlled grazing affects soil ecology
Patrick Cook, the Small Game Project
Leader for the Virginia Department of
Game and Inland Fisheries, will present
information about wildlife damage to
livestock
Robert Shoemaker of the Virginia
Department of Conservation and
Recreation will discuss his concept of
beef production that revolves around
year-round rotational grazing systems
with limited inputs

Lewis Sapp of Salem, NC who worked
for Gallagher Power Fence for 25
years, will be discussing cost-effective
fencing for grazing systems.
The early registration fee is $25 for Virginia
Forage and Grassland Council members and
$35 for non-members. After the January 9
deadline for early registration, the fee is $35 for
Virginia Forage and Grassland Council
members and $45 for non-members.
For more information or to register for the
conference, contact Margaret Kenny at
makenny@vt.edu or call (434) 292-5331.
56th Annual NC Cattlemen’s Conference
The 56th Annual NC Cattlemen’s Conference
will be held on February 2324, 2007 at the Hickory
Metro Convention Center in
Hickory, NC. Registration
starts Friday, February 23 at
8 a.m. and the program
concludes
on
Saturday,
February 24 at 12 noon. For further program
information contact our office or look on page
18 in the January 2007 issue of The Carolina
Cattle Connection.
January Beef Management Tips
Spring Calving Herds
Begin to gather calving supplies
Keep late pregnant cows gaining 1.0 lb.
per day
Pregnant heifers and 3 yr. olds should
gain 2.0-2.5 lbs. per day
Keep high quality minerals available
Review calving assistance procedures
Stockpile a few gallons of colostrum
Attend performance tested bull sales
and/or order semen for AI
Soil test pastures not tested in last 3
yrs.
Order clover seed for frost seeding later
this winter
Fall Calving Herds
Begin/continue breeding
Check cow and bull condition
Supplement energy to young bulls
during breeding season
Send in forage test if not done earlier
this year
Continue to check calves closely for
health problems
Re-implant September and early
October born calves that were
implanted at birth
Soil test pastures not tested in last 3
yrs.
Order clover seed for frost seeding later
this winter
February Beef Management Tips
Spring Calving Herds
Have all calving supplies on hand and
review calving assistance procedures
Move pregnant heifers and early
calving cows to calving area about 2
weeks before due date
Begin calving late in month (some
herds)
Check cows 3 to 4 times per day,
heifers more often - assist early if
needed
Keep calving area clean and well
drained, move healthy pairs out to large
pastures 3 days after calving
Ear tag and dehorn all calves at birth;
castrate male calves in commercial
herds
Give selenium and vitamin A & D
injections to newborn calves
Keep late pregnant cows gaining 1.0 lb.
per day
Pregnant heifers and 3 yr. olds should
gain 2.0-2.5 lbs. per day
Keep high quality, high magnesium
minerals available
Vaccinate cows against scours if it has
been a problem
Attend performance tested bull sale
and/or order AI semen
Frost seed clovers (mid to late in the
month)
Fall Calving Herds
End breeding early in the month
Remove bulls to bull pasture and check
condition
Begin creep feeding or creep grazing
calves if desired
Plan marketing strategy for calves
Begin
feeding
high
magnesium
minerals to prevent grass tetany
Continue to check calves closely for
health problems
Inventory winter feed supplies
Frost seed clovers (mid to late in the
month)
Sincerely,
Joey E. Knight, III
County Extension Director
JEK/psm