Nov. 22nd BQCA Training - Bourbon Co Extension 5:30 pm

Nov. 23rd BQCA Training - Bourbon Co Extension 10:00 am

Nov. 28th-29th OFFICE CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING

Dec. 10th Beef Students’ Presentation – Bourbon Co Extension 6:00 pm

Hello Everyone,

I hope things have been going well for everyone on the farm front. It seems that mother nature has given us a test run for our winter preparations. If we learn one point for managing the winter months for livestock; it is not so much the cold as it is the wet and sudden drop in temperatures. Providing access to wind breaks (trees, dips in the terrain, shelters, etc.) will help tremendously. It is when they are out in the open that they are most vulnerable and cold stressed.

It is also that time we start to precondition calves. It is advisable to make sure that you have a nutritional and health plan in place for these animals. Working out a protocol ahead of time will save you and your employees a lot of headache when and if these calves start to break. Weather like this cold snap will more than likely cause it’s share of problems. Having a plan in place and effectively communicating to everyone on the farm will increase efficiency and ultimately result in less phone calls on what to do. Another costly item to be aware of is bunk management. Depending on the concentrate choice in these diets, bloat may be a problem. Stressed calves can be a challenge to get on feed and can be an even bigger problem to be consistent. Feeding high levels of corn, although cost effective, should be managed accordingly. What you don’t want to find is a bloated animal. There are some BQCA trainings coming up this week (see the Save the Date section above). I will be offering one during the evening and another on Saturday. Please call the office to reserve a seat for one of the sessions. An up-to-date BQCA certification is required for the CPH sales and the large animal category for cost share participation. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at the Extension Office.

Kind Regards,

Patton

Bourbon County Cooperative Extension Service

AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES

NEWSLETTER

SAVE THE DATE

November 2019

Cattle Requirements:

Owned by seller at least 60 days

Weaned a minimum of 45 days

Eating from a bunk

Drinking from a trough

Dehorned and healed

Castrated and healed (knife castration strongly recommended)

Treated for grubs and lice (according to seasonal recommendations

Dewormed with endectocide a maximum of 60 days prior to the sale or 100 days, if using LongRange.

Vaccinated for Clostridia (7-way or 8-way) according to manufacturers label instructions

Vaccinated and boostered for IBR, BVD, PI3 and BRSV. Booster injection must be modified live

Vaccinated for Mannheimia

**All vaccines and boosters must be administered no more than 90 days and at least 14 days prior to sale

Mineral requirements:

Calves must have access to a free choice mineral supplement containing a minimum 1,400 ppm copper (no copper oxide), 26 ppm selenium, 3,000 ppm zinc, 3,000 ppm manganese & 18-25% salt based on a 4oz. daily intake. No other salt available. Producer Requirements:

All consignors must be BQA or BQCA certified

Complete CPH-45 form to accompany cattle to market

Calves must be identified with official Kentucky CPH-45 tag. Tag should be placed in calves left ear

Bull & Heifer Guarantees:

Males - castrated and healed (knife castration is strongly recommended). Late castrated calves may lead to stags, which are discounted. The scrotal sac with testicles must have fallen off "banded" calves. Steers are guaranteed not to be bulls.

KY CPH-45

Kentucky's Premium Feeder Calf Management Program

Sale Location

Guthrie

Springfield

Owensboro

Richmond

Lexington

Springfield

Lexington

Guthrie

Lexington

Lexington

Springfield

Sale Date

12/3/2019

12/4/2019

12/5/2019

12/10/2019

12/11/2019

1/09/2019

1/15/2020

1/28/2020

3/11/2020

6/17/2020

6/25/2020

Sex

S&H

S&H

S&H

S&H

S&H

S&H

S&H

S&H

S&H

S&H

S&H

KY CPH-45 Sales Dates

Kentucky Beef Cattle Market Update

Dr. Kenny Burdine, Livestock Marketing Specialist, University of Kentucky

The 2019 calf market does not appear to have found its bottom yet. As can be seen in Figure 1 below, a 550 lb. steer average averaged $136.08 for the month of September, which was off over $6 per cwt from August and over $23 per cwt from the April high. However, the month of October has brought some improvement to the fall 2019 and spring 2020 CME © feeder cattle futures market, which should work to support calf prices if it holds. Similar to what I said last week, heavy feeder cattle prices remain relatively strong and are comparable on a price per cwt basis to calves in many markets. This is not atypical for fall, as heavy feeders placed on feed now can be priced on a stronger spring fed cattle market, prior to the seasonal drop that typically comes with summer.

The majority of Kentucky finally got some much needed rain in October, which has worked to green pastures up. It may also partially explain a slight improvement in calf prices during the second week of the month. However, the bulk of the damage is done as very limited pasture growth was seen in August and September. And even after the initial round of rain, most of Kentucky was still classified as “abnormally dry” or in “moderate drought”.

Alot of producers have already began feeding hay and many pastures were also likely overgrazed, which will impact how much new growth occurs. Unfortunately, there are a limited number of forage growing days left, so things are setting up for a long winter hay feeding season. Hay already seemed to be in short supply, so I suspect this will only get worse as we move through fall. I would encourage producers to access their hay supply and estimate their winter feeding needs. Winter feed is largest cost for a cow-calf operation and the cost of hay this year has certainly increased.

Table 1 (right) is a quick way to estimate daily winter feeding costs per cow given assumptions about the cost of hay and estimated hay storage and feeding losses. Be aware that these estimates only include the cost of the hay and the waste rate. They do not include time or machinery expenses of actually feeding the hay. First, note the difference in winter feeding costs per day associated with higher hay prices. A $20 increase in hay price led to an increase in winter feed costs of $0.40-$0.52 per day, depending on waste rate. Secondly, note the increased importance of managing storage and feeding losses at higher hay prices. The higher hay prices are, the more important it is to limit waste rates to the extent possible.

Figure 1. 550# Medium & Large Frame #1-2 Steers

KY Auction Prices ($ per cwt)

Hay Cost per Ton

Storage and

Feeding Loss $60 $80 $100

15% $1.19 $1.59 $1.99

25% $1.35 $1.80 $2.25

35% $1.56 $2.08 $2.60

Table 1. Estimated Winter Feed Costs per Day

Assumptions: 1,350 lb cow consumes 2.5% of her body weight per day

To say that 2019 has been a challenging year would be a huge understatement. From the excessive rain the first half of the year, to the drought and depressed markets of late, 2019 will definitely be remembered as one of those years much like 2007, 2009 and 2012. Like most challenges in life, there always seems to be an opportunity if we just look hard enough. Some may think these so called opportunities are dressed in camouflage and I wouldn’t dare argue with you. However, there have been a few positive signs recently with the market trending higher and many areas receiving some rain. Although we are far from out of the woods on either front, there are a few strategies we can use to minimize losses now and improve our situation in the near future.

1. Wean the calves and precondition them prior to sale. Markets continues to reward weaned calves and precondition budgets look very favorable at the this time. Two common preconditioning mistakes are not feeding enough concentrate and feeding poor quality hay. For short term feeding programs (<100 Days ) calves need to gain better than 2.5 lbs. per day to have the best chance of return. Feed the calves hay that is greater than 10-12% protein along with a 14% protein concentrate feed. Concentrate should be fed at a rate of at least 2% bodyweight. Also consider extending the feeding/preconditioning period to 60-90 days prior to marketing to increase pay weights. Finally, sell these calves in a CPH-45 sale or similar type sale where there will be other preconditioned calves. If you have never weaned calves before, talk to your local county ANR extension agent or KBN facilitator about enrolling in the new PVAP– Precondition program.

2. Shut the gates and rest your pastures. Closing gates and preventing the herd from roaming will allow the remainder of the farm to rest and recover prior to winter and will reduce the chances of cows eating noxious weeds that they would not normally consume. Concentrate the herd in either a drylot or better yet in a paddock or field that is low in fertility. Remember, roughly 80% of what a cow eats is excreted as manure and urine, so concentrating and feeding the herd on a weak pasture can serve to fertilize that area. For more pasture tips see Dr. Teutsch’s article on “Reviving Drought Stressed Pastures”.

3. Test your hay and begin feeding dry cows. Dry cows in mid – gestation have the lowest nutrient requirements of any class of cattle on the farm. Feed the lowest quality hay to dry cows at this time. Hay that is greater than 8% protein and 48-50% tdn will maintain or add condition to dry cows. To be sure, enter your hay test results in the UK Beef Cow Forage Supplement Tool (http://forage-supplement-tool.ca.uky.edu/) to easily determine your supplementation needs. If you are running short on hay, consider limiting the time that cows have access to the hay (6-8 hours) or unroll a set amount of hay each day. Realize that this is a viable option only when cows are in good condition (body condition score 5 or above) and hay quality is good. Do not consider this strategy if cows are thin and/or hay quality is poor.

These are just a few of the strategies that can be employed during these challenging times. For more information always remember to contact your local county ANR extension agent or KBN facilitator. In the meantime, let’s pray for higher cattle prices, adequate rain and a late winter.

Searching for Opportunities Kevin Laurent, Beef Extension Specialist, Princeton Research and Education Center, University of Kentucky

Hoof growth is one of the most important considerations in hoof physiology. Hoof growth occurs from the coronary band down toward the toe. The average hoof grows 1/4 to 3/8 inch per month. Since the average hoof is 3 to 4 inches in length, the horse grows a new hoof every year. Rapidly growing hooves are considered to be higher quality and easier to keep properly trimmed and shod. Factors that effect hoof growth are age, season, irritation or injury of sensitive structures, and nutrition.

Age: Hoof growth rate seems to be highly correlated to heart rate. Young horses have a higher heart rate than that of older horses. Similarly, young horses have a faster hoof growth rate than older horses. Hoof growth rate decreases as the horse ages. The hooves of horses under 1 year of age grow about twice as fast as those of horses more than 12 years of age. Highly conditioned horses have a lower heart rate than idle horses, but their hoof growth is faster. It appears that the exercise they receive offsets the effect of the slower heart rate.

Hind hooves grow 12 percent faster than front hooves in foals and approximately 7 percent faster in weanlings. Differences between hind and front hoof growth diminish as horses age, with no difference

apparent by the time they are yearlings. Hoof size has no effect on hoof growth rate. Hoof size except is a function of age.

Season: A horse’s hoof grows faster in the spring of the year than other seasons. This growth rate may be influenced by climate. Hoof growth slows during the winter months.

Sensitive: Structures Stimulation of the sensitive structures by strong counter-irritant products or massage is thought to increase hoof growth. However, research indicates that these products do not significantly affect hoof growth. Systemic fever or injury of the sensitive structures results in rapid hoof growth.

Nutrition: Level of nutrient intake has been shown to affect hoof growth. Proper nutrient intake stimulates maximum hoof growth. Biotin supplementation is suggested to improve hoof growth and integrity over time. After several months of feeding biotin, some horses show increased hoof integrity and quality. However, not all horses respond to biotin supplementation. Hoof quality and growth is most affected by proper nutrition, which involves feeding a properly balanced ration.

How a Horse's Hoof Grows Craig Wood, University of Kentucky Extension Specialist

For More Plate It Up Recipes, Visit: http://fcs-hes.ca.uky.edu/

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