MANHATTAN, Kan. – Once the calves are born into a beef cattle herd, there is no better sight than watching them get up and begin to nurse their mamas.

However, experts in Kansas State Universi-ty’s Beef Cattle Institute (BCI) say that difficult deliveries, inexperienced dams and calves born without vigor sometimes keep that connection from happening. It is at those times when a beef producer may have to intervene.

Trying to determine when to offer assistance to the cow/calf pair was a discussion topic among BCI experts during a recent podcast, avail-able online. The chief concern is getting the colostrum into the calf within the first few hours after it is born.

“Colostrum is the first milk that the calf gets from its mother that contains a lot of immu-nity to set it up for the first four to five months of life,” said Brad White, veterinarian and BCI director. “As soon as the calf starts drinking, it has 12-24 hours to absorb the colostrum before his gut closes.”

As to when to inter-vene, the experts had a difference of opinion. “If I don’t observe a first calf heifer allowing her calf to nurse in the first two to four hours, I will get involved by helping,” said Bob Weaber, beef cattle extension special-ist and BCI expert.

He added: “My goal is to get at least one quart of colostrum into the calf. After milking out the cow, I offer it to the calf through a bottle and if that doesn’t work, I use an esophageal tube feeder to deliver it.”

White prefers to follow a less aggressive ap-proach by observing calf behavior over the course of 24-48 hours. “I am not going to intervene until the calf tells me it is not thriving, by walking with its head down or try-

ing to nurse off of other cows,” he said.

He added that if he does intervene, his goal is to gather the milk from the calf’s dam rather than using colos-trum supplementation. White said the immunity in the colostrum comes from the proteins in the dam’s milk and that milk from beef cows is more nutrient dense than that of dairy cows (which is what most colostrum supplements consist of). So, with supplementa-tion of dairy colostrum, White said the supple-mentation goal is to provide two quarts.

Both experts agree that the quantity and quality of the colostrum produced by the cow has a direct correlation to the dam’s body condition score.

“A cow in good body condition will have the nutrition she needs to make the proteins to pass on the immunity to her calf,” White said.

He also stressed the importance of calving in a dry, clean environment.

“The immunity is only as effective as the chal-lenges we put it under, so if the calf is born in a mud lot, the cow’s udder may be covered in mud and that will give the calf a high pathogen chal-lenge when it tries to nurse,” White said.

If supplementation is ultimately neces-sary, White and Weaber agreed that getting the milk delivered to the calf at the correct tempera-ture is critical.

The goal is feeding it at a temperature of 100 degrees, Weaber said. White adds: “It is best to warm up the milk in a hot water bath. If you microwave it, you will destroy a lot of those proteins.”

White and Weaber of-fer these five tips:

• Maintain cows in good body condition to maximize the quality and quantity of the colos-trum they produce

• Develop herd im-

munity by following a vaccination schedule

• Ensure cows have a dry location in which to calve

• Have an intervention

plan in place for colos-trum supplementation

• Keep intervention equipment such as a bottle or esophageal tube feeder on hand

Page 4 February 4, 2020 • The Flint Hills, KS

Riley County Fish and Game Association’s Annual

Outdoor Gear Swap MeetFebruary 8, 2020

8am to Noon Po� orf Hall, Cico Park

Manha� an Kansas

$10 will get you a table and

admission

Registration and setup begins at 7:30am $1 gets you in the door.

Info call Pat at 313-1077

Contact Deanne Smith, Administrator, for more details • 785-457-2801

Formerly known as Westy Community Care HomeSame great company and service since 1975!

105 N. Hwy 99Westmoreland, KS 66549

Long-Term Care• Medicare & Medicaid Certified • Long-Term Care• Adult Day Care • Memory Care/Alzheimer’s Unit• Inpatient/Outpatient Therapy • Respite Care• Home Meal Delivery Services

Assisted Living• 3 Meals Per Day • Laundry Services• Weekly Housekeeping • Walk-In Closets• Additional Accommodations Available• Life Enhancing Activities • Competitive Rates

Meal - Silent Live Auction - Gun Drawings and Kansas Lifetime Hunting License Giveaway

to 1 Youth to Age 17Contact Darrin at 785-456-3193 or John at

785-640-5833

Alma Chapter West Branch Ridge Runners

5th Annual Banquet

Located at Sacred Heart Hall Newbury – 1 mile north of Paxico

Doors open at 5:00 p.m. | February 21, 2020

Find us on Facebook

2803 Claflin Rd. | (785) 539-3737

R I C C I D I L L O N

S U P V . B R O K E R /A P P R A I S E R / P A R T N E R

7 8 5 - 3 1 3 - 0 5 5 0

A N D Y C A R S O N

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C O U R T N E Y B O L T E

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E I L E E N M E Y E R

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V E T E R A N O M A R

P A C H E C OA S S O C . B R O K E R

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C R A I G S C H O L Z

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L A U R A C A I N

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A L L I S O N D I S B R O W

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7 8 5 - 4 2 1 - 7 3 6 8

C A R R I E C H A I

R E A L T O R ®6 2 6 - 6 9 6 - 5 7 0 6

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L A U R I E S T O C KA S S O C . B R O K E R

7 8 5 - 5 3 2 - 8 8 8 0

K-State: First milk important to successful calving experience

Feb. 14, 6 pm & 8:30 pm Feb. 15, 6:30 pm

12 th AnnualValentines Dinner

Treat Your Sweetheart

1ST COURSEOR

2ND COURSE OR

3RD COURSE

4TH COURSE

OR

TH COURSE

OR

Meal Times:Call

785-456-9616for

Reservations

www.friendshiphouse.biz

Just like Grandmaused to make!

M-Sat 6:30a-3p | Sun 8a-2p

ClassifiedAdvertisingWill work for you!Smoke Signal

456-2602smokesig@wamego.net

P.O. Box 267, 407 Lincoln Wamego, KS. 66547

ClassifiedAdvertisingWill work for you!Smoke Signal

456-2602smokesig@wamego.net

P.O. Box 267, 407 Lincoln Wamego, KS. 66547

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF BENEFIT UNIT OWNERS OF RURAL WATER DISTRICT

#2 WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KANSASThe annual meeting of the bene�t unit owners of Rural Water District #2,

Wabaunsee County, Kansas, will be held at 7:00 P.M. Wednesday February 12, 2020 at the Bank of the Flint Hills, Alma, Kansas. Business to be conducted will include the election of three Directors to �ll the expiring terms on the Board of Directors. The three positons are Frank Harrison, Keith Behnke and an open position formerly held by Greg Dekat. The new terms will be for three years from the date of the annual meeting for the Directors elected.

The nominating committee will present nominees and they will also ask for nominations from the �oor to �ll these positions. The nominating com-mittee is Harold Bailey, Manhattan, Charles King, Manhattan, and Ivan Seele, Paxico.

Your participation in the annual board meeting is strongly encouraged. This is a time for you to participate in the election and in the policy making decisions of the District. See you on the 12th of February.

PUBLIC NOTICEDue to long term non-payment, Railroad Properties,

LLC d/b/a Storage City in Manhattan, KS will sell the property of the following individuals:

Allen BellinderDebra Clayton

Railroad Properties, LLC d/b/a Storage City9770 Limerick Lane

Manhattan KS 66502785-776-1976

All goods will be released for sale after 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 6, 2020 if the accounts are not paid

in full by 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 6, 2020.Terms of Sale: Cash only

NOTICEThe City of St. Marys is seeking an individual, group, or organization to operate the concession stand in the St. Marys Riverside Park for the 2020 season.

Any interested party should inquire at St. Marys City Hall for bid requirements or go to www.smks.info for the informational pack-age. Sealed bids will be accepted until noon on February 14, 2020 for review at the February 18th City Commission meeting.

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