Cooperative Extension Service Breckinridge County 1377 S. Hwy 261 Hardinsburg, KY 40143 (270) 756-2182 Fax: (270) 756-9016 https://breckinridge.ca.uky.edu

Breckinridge County AG Newsletter

Agent’s Corner I have had the opportunity in the past month to sit down with growers to

discuss issues on the farm. One visit, I thoroughly enjoyed, was dealing

with feed rations for the cow herd. Regardless of what you are feeding,

you must start with a good forage analysis. By good, I mean one from a

reputable source and one that will give all of the correct numbers that can

be put into a feed ration. I take forage sampling serious, and I don’t think

I could even begin with the statement ‘well it’s just fescue hay or its just

wheat haylage’. That statement can’t be used in a forage calculation pro-

gram.

Soil testing has become a very useful tool for so many farmers throughout

the county. I think forage testing should be as useful to growers in the

county. So I want to issue you a challenge. I will run a special on forage

testing for the first 15 people that call or text me. The special will be: buy

one and get one free (up to 15 samples). I have the sampling equipment

available here at the office, so call us to claim your free forage test.

As we draw closer to the end of the year, I hope you have your tax plan-

ning finished or at least figured out. Prices for commodities seem to re-

main constant while input costs seem to be taking an increase every time

they can!

Sincerely,

Carol M. Hinton

Extension Agent

For Agricultural/Natural Resources Education

Breckinridge County

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Page

Agent’s Corner 1

2018 Winter Wheat Mtg 2

Feed Rations for the Herd 2

2018 KY Commodity Confer-

ence 2

KY Logger Web TV 3

Use Horticultural Oils this

Winter to Control Spring &

Summer Pests 4

Cane Diseases of Brambles 4

Bee News! 5

2018 Beef Efficiency Confer-

ence 5

2018 KCA Convention &

Show 5

Burley Tobacco Growers Coop.

Annual Meeting 5

Yellow Tag– United Producers 6-7

Adult Health Bulletin 8-9

Almanac Tidbits for December

and January 10

Items for Rent 10

Extension Office Closings 10

KY Beef Cattle Market Update 11

Recycling Program 12

Future Meetings 12

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2018 WINTER WHEAT MEETING

January 4, 2018 9 AM - 3 PM (CST)

Registration: 8:30 am

James E. Bruce Convention Center

303 Conference Center Dr.

Hopkinsville, KY 42240

2018 Kentucky Commodity Conference

January 18, 2018 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (ct)

Sloan Convention Center Bowling Green, KY

If you are interested in this conference, stop by the Extension Office for an

agenda or visit the website www.kycommodityconference.org

Feed Rations for the Herd

Breckinridge County Extension Community Building

Monday, January 8, 2017

5:30 p.m. (ct)

Dr. Jeffrey Lehmkuhler, UK Associate Extension Professor & Extension Beef Cattle Specialist

will be speaking on balancing feed rations for the herd.

A meal will be served, so please call 270-756-2182 to register.

Sponsored by the Breckinridge County Cattleman's Association.

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County Logging Program

Two years ago the “Logger WebTV Program” was started and it was very successful. The pro-

gram was a live broadcast from Forestry Extension’s Webcast Studio, providing a format simi-

lar to TV news and commentary formats. This format allows us to conduct face-to-face inter-

views, show videos from across the state and use a wide range of presenters of interest to log-

gers on 10-15 different topics, so there is something of interest to everyone.

Obtain 6 hours of Continuing Education Credits.

When: Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Where: Breckinridge County Extension Farmers’ Market and Educational Facility

Time: 8 a.m.—2 p.m. (CT)

Fee: $50. make check to Breckinridge County Ag Advisory

To participate contact: Dr. Jeff Stringer stringer@uky.edu

Mr. Chad Niman (Forestry Ext. Associate) chad.niman@uky.edu

Carol Hinton—Breckinridge County Extension Office 270-756-2182

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Use Horticultural Oils this Winter to Control Spring and Summer Pests Sources: Rick Durham, UK Horticulture Specialist

Winter probably doesn’t seem like the right time to eliminate pests that will take advantage of your landscape plants

next spring. But we need to remember that many problem pests will spend the winter on or near the plants they want to

munch on when the weather turns warmer.

One way to get an early handle on problem pests is to use horticultural oils specially formulated for pest control.

Horticultural oils suffocate overwintering pests like scale, aphids and certain mites.

These oils are used as a more natural substitute for a traditional insecticide. They are an effective chemical control

with minimal environmental impact and usually have little effect on beneficial insects and wildlife. Plus, horticultural

oils are safe to humans, don’t have an objectionable odor and usually are inexpensive compared to many other insecti-

cides.

By using horticultural oils on pests in the overwintering stage, you can avoid a potential outbreak later. This can

save time because you might not need treatments in the early spring, or at least need fewer applications.

We do offer some words of caution. Don’t apply a horticultural oil during temperature extremes, especially if the

temperature is forecast to drop below 40 degrees F the day before or after application. If you wait until later in the year

to use a horticultural oil, don’t apply it if the temperature could rise above 90 degrees F. Trees and plants are more sensi-

tive to injury from a horticultural oil under extreme heat or cold.

As with all chemicals, read and follow the label directions. Also, be sure the product is labeled for the plants to

which you’re applying it.

Thorough spray coverage is key to an effective application because horticultural oils only work by contacting and

covering the target pests. For best results, use high-volume sprays combined with proper pruning practices to allow thor-

ough plant penetration of the spray material.

Proper timing is critical for successfully applying these oils. You should apply them before leaves or flowers show

signs of breaking dormancy—before bud break. It usually is in late March or early April but might vary by two weeks or

more depending on weather conditions. Wait until as close to bud break as possible before applying horticultural oil

sprays.

For more information about horticultural oil sprays, visit or contact the Breckinridge County Cooperative Extension

Office.

Cane Diseases of Brambles (PPFS-FR-S-17)

Several cane diseases commonly lead to the formation of cankers in

Kentucky bramble plantings. If left unchecked, these fungal diseases

significantly reduce overall yields and limit the longevity of bramble

plantings.

This publication discusses the three most commonly observed cane dis-

eases in Kentucky: anthracnose, cane blight, and spur blight. Infor-

mation on causes, symptoms, disease development, and disease manage-

ment is included, along with color photos that can aid in diagnosis.

Cane Diseases of Brambles (PPFS-FR-S-17) is available online.

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Bee News!

Source: Tammy Potter, KY State Apiarist, Beeline

Winter apiary activities include making sure that your hives have plenty of honey (their “fuel”) to help them maintain

“winter cluster” temperatures around 92-94 F degrees. Moisture is the enemy of the hives this time of year. If you feed,

make sure that the supplemental feed has very little to no moisture.

If you have a day when the temperatures are above 55 degrees F and you can’t resist opening a hive, take a look inside

to see if the winter cluster has moved against a hive wall. This tends to happen in mid-January. If the cluster has isolat-

ed itself against a hive wall, place a frame or two of honey between the bees and the hive wall. Getting the cluster “off

the hive wall” will help the bees access honey in other places inside the hive and also give the cluster room to expand as

the winter transitions into spring. Once you close the hive, slowly rotate the hive structure so that the sun warms the

hive’s exterior more evenly. This entire “exercise” should be done quickly, with an awareness of temperature and

wind. Don’t dawdle in any hive this time of year.

If you haven’t treated your hives with oxalic acid which is clearly labeled for use as a miticide, consider watching the

“Oxalic Acid” video in this Honey Bee Health Coalition series: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org/varroa/

#videos. This time of year is the ideal time to treat with oxalic acid labeled as a miticide (available for purchase from

beekeeping suppliers). Make sure to take precautionary measures such as having the proper respirator, protective eye-

wear and gloves. Read the label carefully for proper measurements. It is always a good idea to test and time your

equipment on a “dummy” hive (one with no honey bees) prior to an oxalic acid application.

Beginner Beekeeping School—February 17, 2018—Nelson Co. Extension Office, Bardstown, KY,

to register call 502-348-9204

Beekeeping School—March 3, 2018—Henderson County Extension Expo Center, Henderson, KY

pre-registration required

Beekeeping Seminar and School—April 28, 2018—Hardin Co. Extension Office, Elizabethtown, KY—

registration required

2018 Beef Efficiency Conference

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Lexington Convention Center, Heritage Ballroom 2 & 3

2018 KCA Convention and AG Industry Trade Show

January 11-12, 2018

Lexington Convention Center & Hyatt Hotel, Lexington, KY

Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Assn. Annual meeting and Ag Industry Trade Show

January 11-12, 2018

Lexington Convention Center, Lexington, KY

PRE-REGISTER call the BTGCA office at 1-800-880-3561 or 859-252-3561 to PRE-REGISTER by December 28,

2017 for the BTGCA Annual Meeting, U.S. Tobacco GAP Training and the Council for Burley Tobacco Annual mtg.

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Sale Date: January 3, 2018 United Producer, Inc., Irvington, KY

For more information call:

John Gibson, United Producers, Inc. (270) 547-4021

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Special Reminders: Office and Holiday Closings

The Breckinridge County Extension Office will be CLOSED on the dates below:

Monday, December 25, 2017 thru Friday, December 29, 2017.

The office will reopen on Tuesday, January 2, 2018 at regular hours.

Monday, January 15, 2018 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Almanac Tidbits for January

Plant above ground crops — 16, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 28, 29

Plant Below ground crops — 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15

Destroy Pests and Weeds—–3, 4, 5, 6 ,12, 13, 17, 18, 22, 23, 26, 27, 30, 31

Almanac Tidbits for December

Plant above ground crops — 23, 24, 25

Harvest ————–————1, 2, 9, 10, 28, 29

Plant Below ground crops — 13, 14, 15

Destroy Pests and Weeds—– 26, 27

Castrate Animals ———–— 21, 22

These items are available for rent:

No till Drill—Contact Hobdy, Dye and Read at 270-756-2555

Hay Wrapper—Contact Wright Implement 1 LLC, at 270-756-5152

Pasture Sprayer—Contact Breckinridge County Extension Office at 270-756-2182

11

Kentucky Beef Cattle Market Update Dr. Kenny Burdine, Livestock Marketing Specialist, University of Kentucky

The feeder cattle market did give back some of its fall gains in the last couple weeks as fed cattle prices pulled back

from their highs. At the time of this writing (November 15, 2017), spring CME© live cattle futures have dropped

roughly $5 per cwt from their early November highs and feeders have followed suit. While my charts below only show

monthly prices through October, the first couple weeks in November did suggest slightly lower prices. This is not unu-

sual for November, but I do not view this as a typical “seasonal” price drop. In this case I think it is directly in response

to lower fed cattle prices, which had really been on a tear since August. There is still very little indication that we have

seen major calf runs and given weather conditions and lower feed prices, we may not see our typical fall runs at all.

One dynamic that producers have commented on is the lack of market separation between calves and heavy feeders.

Even a quick glance at the charts below shows very little price difference per cwt in 550 lb steer calves and 850 lb feed-

er steers. Some of this is due to overall market price levels and some it is also due to cheaper feed prices this fall, but the

primary reason is a simple matter of timing.

Feeder cattle values are ultimately driven by their eventual value as fed cattle and the cost of finishing them. The timing

issue in the fall primarily comes down to when those feeder cattle would be finished. As of mid-November, there was

nearly an $8 per cwt decrease in CME© live cattle futures from April to June and roughly an $11 per cwt decrease from

April to August. Those heavy feeder cattle, that can be finished sooner and hit that higher spring fed cattle market, are

clearly going to have much greater value when sold as fed cattle. Feedyards know this and as they bid against each oth-

er to place those heavy feeders, they bid their prices upward in response. Conversely, those lighter calves would be on

feed a longer period of time and would be sold on the lower summer fed cattle market. This is actually a pretty common

market dynamic in the fall, but it just seems more pronounced this year than usual.

Given the expected decrease in fed cattle prices from spring to summer, it is very unlikely that current prices for heavy

feeders can be sustained without some outside factor emerging. However, there are some additional factors that are

likely to impact calf markets in the next couple months. First, local feed prices are such that the cost of growing calves

this winter is lower than it has been for a while. This makes these calves pretty attractive to winter backgrounders.

Couple this with the fact that we are not seeing a lot of calves move through markets due to exceptional fall weather,

and we should continue to see support for calf prices.

Secondly, we are now approaching the time when wheat grazing becomes relevant. Grazeout programs often set a foun-

dation under our fall / winter calf markets and they are likely to do so again this year. I was on a conference call with

some colleagues earlier this week and several in the southern plains were discussing this. The general consensus was

that wheat was planted and was up, but that placements had not been large thus far. However, they indicated that they

thought overall interest in grazeout was strong and they expected a lot of placement in the near future. As these winter

grazers start looking to place calves into winter programs, they will be competing with winter backgrounders and

feedyards for these calves.

Source: USDA-AMS, Livestock Marketing Information Center, Author Calculations

Figure 2. 850# Medium & Large Frame #1-2 Steers

Kentucky Auction Prices ($ per cwt)

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

KY Auction Prices ($ per cwt)

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Stop by one of the following recycling centers near you:

Breckinridge County High School

Cloverport Fire Department

Auggie Doggie’s, Garfield

St. Romuald Gym, Hardinsburg

McQuady Firehouse

Breckinridge County Extension Office

Rough River Corp of Engineers Office

McDaniels Community Center

Frederick Fraize High School, Cloverport

Hardinsburg Elementary School

Union Star

All recycling sites are

accessible 24 hours a day,

seven days a week.

The Cooperative Extension Service prohibits discrimination in its programs and employment on the basis of race, color, age, sex, religion, disabil-

ity, or national origin.

To file a complaint of discrimination, contact Tim West, UK College of Agriculture, 859-257-3879; Terry Allen or Patty Bender, UK Office of

Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity, 859-257-8927; or the USDA, Director Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W Whitten Bldg., 14th & In-

dependence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 (202-720-5964).

Upcoming Area Events:

If you are interested in any of these events, call the Extension Office at 270-756-2182 for more information.

January 3, 2018—Yellow Tag Calf Sale—UPI, Irvington, KY

January 8-9, 2018—KY Fruit & Vegetable Conference—Embassy Suites, Lexington, KY

January 11-12, 2018—KCA Convention—Lexington Convention Center, Lexington, KY

February 17, 2018—Beginning Bee School, Nelson Co Extension Office, Bardstown, KY

February 22, 2018—KY Alfalfa and Stored Forages Conference, Cave City, KY

March 3, 2018—Beekeeping School, Henderson Co Extension Expo Center, Henderson, KY

April 28, 2018—Beekeeping Seminar and School, Hardin Co. Extension Office, Elizabeth-

town, KY

Future Grain Events: Mark your calendars

January 04, 2018 UK WINTER WHEAT MEETING Hopkinsville, KY

January 18, 2018 KY COMMODITY CONFERENCE Bowling Green KY

March 1, 2018 WHEAT FIELD SCHOOL -GREEN UP UKREC Farm, Pr inceton KY

March 7, 2018 2018 IPM TRAINING Christian Co Extension Service, Hopkinsville KY

May 08, 2018 UK WHEAT FIELD DAY UKREC Farm, Pr inceton KY

July 24, 2018 UK CORN, SOYBEAN & TOBACCO FIELD DAY UKREC Farm, Pr inceton KY