Cooperative Extension Service

Campbell County

3500 Alexandria Pike

Highland Heights, KY 41076

(859) 572-2600

Fax: (859) 572-2619

http://ces.ca.uky.edu/campbell

AGRICULTURE NEWS April 2017

CAIP Application Update

We are now ready to announce the 2017 CAIP (County Agriculture Improvement Program)

application schedule. Starting on Tuesday, April 25, CAIP applications can be picked up at

the Campbell County Conservation District office at 8350 East Main Street, Alexandria

(Alexandria Court House where the County Clerk’s office used to be) on Monday, Wednes-

day and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or at the Campbell County Cooperative Exten-

sion Service at 3500 Alexandria Pike in Highland Heights from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mon-

day through Friday. An application can also be mailed upon request. The last day to submit

an application will be Wednesday, May 16 at 4:00 p.m. at

either location.

The maximum amount that any one farmer can receive for a

CAIP project(s) is $2,500. The Campbell County Agriculture

Development Board has set funding levels for Priority 1 cost

-share programs at $2,500 and Priority 2 cost-share pro-

grams at $1,250. Priority 1 programs include: Agriculture

Diversification, Large Animals, Farm Infrastructure,

Fencing and On-Farm Water, Forages and Grain Improve-

ment. Priority 2 projects include: Small Animals, On-

Farm Energy, Poultry and Other Fowl, Technology and Leadership Development, and

Value-Added and Marketing.

Included in this mailing is a summary of the cost-share items for each program area.

For more information about these program areas go to http://agpolicy.ky.gov and click on

KADF Programs and then KADF Program Portal. When you pick up an application we will

have information about each program area as far as cost-share items and any prerequisites.

To help farmers understand this year’s CAIP program and the application process, educa-

tional meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday, April

26 at 9:00 a.m. at the Environmental Education Center. Applications will also be availa-

ble at that time.

For additional information and assistance call Don at 572-2600 or cell at (859)250-6665 or

Linda Grizzell at the Conservation District office at 635-9587.

CAIP PROGRAMS/INVESTMENT AREAS

The following is a list of individual cost-share CAIP programs/investment areas and an overview of the most

significant investment practices for each area. For more information about these program areas go to http://

agpolicy.ky.gov and click on KADF programs and then KADF Portal. Individual investment areas may have

prerequisites that must be adhered to. Specific information about each investment area will be given to appli-

cants when applications are picked up or mailed. Individuals who receive CAIP funds will be required to at-

tend one educational program related to farm management, production, best management practices or market-

ing. Examples of sessions that would qualify include workshops, seminars, field days and production meet-

ings sponsored by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Documentation of attendance

is required.

1. Agriculture Diversification

A. Commercial Horticulture Production- seeds, seedlings, transplants, soil media, trans-

plant containers, bird netting and the following non self-propelled equipment: trans-

planting, cultivating, plasters layers and sprayer

B. Commercial Aquaculture- pond construction, water source supplies, electric power

supplies and aeration equipment

C. Timber Production- tree seedlings, woodland roads, steam crossing and timber stand

improvement and timber and lumber processing equipment

2. Large Animal

A. Beef and Dairy- bull purchase or lease, DNA testing, artificial insemination supplies,

bred or open heifers, cattle handling facilities (head gate, chute, scales feeders etc.),

pregnancy testing, filter fabric pads, animal waste equipment, and milking equipment

B. Equine- exercise equipment, shade structures, mare monitoring equipment and animal

waste equipment

3. Small Animal

A. Goat and Sheep Production- male and female breeding stock, handling facilities (head

gate, chutes, scales, feeders, etc., filter fabric pads

B. Swine Production- male and female breeding stock, animal waste equipment

C. Bees- new or used hives, extractor , storing equipment, purchase of bees, protective

equipment and medications

D. Rabbits- Breeding stock, cages, wire, feeders, nest boxes and ventilation equipment

4. Farm Infrastructure

A. Hay, Straw & Commodity Storage

B. Greenhouse Construction/Conversion

C. Livestock, Equine & Poultry Facilities

D. On-Farm Composting

5. Fencing and On-Farm Water A. Fencing- Posts, fences, and supplies, including woven wire and wire fencing, fence

chargers, interior fencing and plank fencing is eligible. Rental and contract equipment

and hired labor

B. Water- Establishing and Enhancing On-Farm Ponds, wells, cisterns, public water

hook-up, waterers, water lines, irrigation equipment, and pumps

Page 2

6. Forage and Grain Improvement A. Forage/pasture seed, limestone, spraying equipment, custom seeding, rental of no-till

drill and land clearing

B. Commodity handling and forage equipment- feed bunks, elevators/augers, front end

loaders, bale wrappers/bagger, hay forks, hay rings

7. On-Farm Energy Efficiency & Production Investment Area

A. New Installation of, or Conversion to, Energy Efficient Systems

B. Energy Efficient Building Components & Renewable Energy Projects

C. Professional Fees and Training

D. Biomass energy crops

E. Equipment for On-Farm Energy Production

8. Poultry and Other Fowl – commercial breeding stock, animal waste equipment, feeders,

poultry facilities, brooders

9. Technology and Leadership

A. Precision Agriculture- GPS and Yield monitors, light bars

B. Animal Data Management- scales, readers, computer management programs

C. Miscellaneous Equipment- field meters, moisture and nutrient meters,

D. Broadband Internet Service

E. Leadership Development- Leadership KY, KY Ag Leadership Program and other

state and county leadership programs.

10. Value-Added Marketing

A. Value Added processing, packaging, refrigeration equipment

B. Agritourism Development- site prep. for parking, walkways etc.

C. Commercial Kitchen- materials and supplies for new and renovation structures, and

equipment for commercial kitchen

D. Marketing and Promotion- promotion and advertising materials, signage, on-farm

marketing structures, site prep., and storage equipment

Page 3

Fenceline Feeder System Field Days : Are you tired of seeing your cows waste

hay and walk in deep mud around the round bale feeder? If so, you do not want to

miss the upcoming Fenceline Feeder System Field Days scheduled for April 6 at

10:00 a.m. and May 9 at 3 p.m. at the Eden Shale Farm in Owen County. I will be

renting a van to carpool to both of these field days. On April 6, I will be leaving

from the Alexandria Park and Ride (across from the police department) at 8:30

a.m. On May 9 we will depart from the same location at 1:30 p.m. Please call the

Extension office at 572-2600 to register to carpool and KY Cattlemen’s Associa-

tion (see flyer) to register for the field day.

First-Calf Beef Heifers Can Benefit from a

Little TLC It is a fact that first-calf heifers require special

management strategies to help them wean a bigger

calf, breed back sooner, and improve her chances of

staying in your herd longer.

While calving can often be a major stressor on

your heifers, more subtle stress may take its toll on

them. Two year olds calve in at approximately 85% of

their mature

weight. Her

entire first lac-

tation requires

her to continue

growing, go

through the

stress of calv-

ing, produce

milk, and raise

a calf all while being at the bottom of the pecking or-

der in the herd. Monitoring Body Condition Score

(BCS) in first-calf heifers is critical to her success.

Ideally you would like to keep your heifers at a BCS

of 5-6. Animals with excess body condition (>7) have

lower reproductive performance. Here are some strate-

gies to keeping first-calf heifers in ideal condition:

* Feed/Graze first-calf heifers and mature cows sepa-

rately.

* Always give heifers the best quality hay/pasture

available.

* Supplement first-calf heifers (especially after calv-

ing) with grains (energy) like corn, or commodity

feeds (usually 4 to 5 pounds a day) so they don’t lose

body condition.

* Wean calves off heifers at 5 - 6 months of age.

* If heifers are thin at calving, calves may need to be

weaned extra early.

* Keep a high quality complete mineral available for

first-calf heifers.

* Use strategic deworming programs for young cows.

* Control external parasites.

Careful management of first-calf heifers will benefit

you in the long-run. Closely monitoring BCS and sup-

plementing nutrition will help your heifers raise

healthy calves and breed back to stay in your herd for

years to come.

A Breeding Soundness Exam: Insurance for

Your Breeding Season Dr. Les Anderson, Beef Extension Specialist, University of

Kentucky

I received the call on a Monday. I seem to receive this call 6-8 times each year. This particular farmer had just finished getting his cows diagnosed for pregnancy. He had 43 fall calving cows. The previous fall, those cows were synchronized for artifi-cial insemination and were exposed to his herd bull for an addi-tional 13 weeks. Only 22 cows conceived and all of them con-ceived to the AI. The first question I asked this rancher was the obvious one; did you get a breeding soundness exam (BSE) per-formed on your bull? His response; the bull had one when he bought him but he had not had one done since (2-3 years). The bull was checked and, sure enough, he was infertile. What is a BSE? A BSE is a fertility exam performed on bulls by a veterinarian. A BSE has three components; scrotal cir-cumference, a physical exam, and a semen evaluation. Scrotal circumference is highly correlated with semen output and serving capacity. It is recommended that a 12-13 month old bull have a scrotal circumference of at least 30 cm. The physical exam is per-formed to simply ensure that a bull is physically up to the chal-lenge of the breeding season. Are his feet and legs structurally correct? Is he free from injury and/or infection? The veterinarian then examines the bull's semen to determine if the sperm cells are normal. The bull is then graded as satisfactory, unsatisfactory, or deferred. Bulls classified as unsatisfactory are considered infertile and it is not recommended that they be used for breeding. Bulls that receive the deferred classification had some irregularities in their ejaculate and a second collection is required to determine his fertility. A BSE is a highly reliable tool to use to identify bulls that are infertile. Results from surveys nationally and in Kentucky indicate that fewer than 30% of cattlemen routinely subject their bulls to a BSE. I am amazed by how few people obtain a BSE in their herd bull before each breeding season. We purchase car, health, life, and crop insurance why wouldn't we purchase a little breeding-season insurance? We protect ourselves against most disasters but we don't protect our cow herd from the ultimate disaster? A BSE will cost $50-150 (actually $25 for Campbell County Cattle Association members at the April 22 bull testing program in Kenton County) so it is very inexpensive, easy form of risk man-agement. I'm fairly certain that the cattleman that called me wished he had gotten a BSE on his bulls before he found out that he had 21 open cows. The $150 investment in breeding insurance (BSE) seems small compared to the lost income from 21 cows ($12-15,000). So protect your investment. Obtain a BSE on all your bulls 30 days before every breeding season.

Based on the past several years of BSE testing in

Kenton County about 10% of all bulls fail the test

each year. I (Don) know of 4 producers in Campbell

County who have had calf crop failures due to

infertile bulls. See the enclosed flyer for information

on getting a BSE test done on your herd bull(s).

Page 4

Fertilizing Pastures In The Spring By Jeff McCutcheon, Extension Educator, Ohio

Every spring I get questions from producers

about fertilizing their pastures with nitrogen, phos-

phorous and potassium. Many producers coming out

of winter want to give their pastures a boost. Eventu-

ally I lead the conversation to the question, "Is this

really the best time to fertilize pasture?"

Now, I am not totally opposed to fertilizing

pastures in the spring. Applications of phosphorus

(P) and potassium (K) should be made prior to estab-

lishing a new seeding based on soil test results. A

light application of nitrogen (N), 20-40 lbs. N/ac. or

50 to 100 pounds of urea (46-0-0) per acre in March

or early spring could be used to jump start spring

growth and

allow for ear-

lier grazing.

This could

potentially

give about two

weeks of earli-

er grazing if

environmental

conditions are

favorable. But

the acreage covered by this N application should be

limited. The spring flush is coming and most produc-

ers can't normally harvest it all with grazing animals.

Why add to the amount of forage produced when

you don't need it? An early nitrogen application also

can increase the potential for grass tetany. Generally,

one acre of pasture for every two cows should be

fertilized with N in early spring and never more than

a third of the total pasture acreage.

The best time to apply fertilizer to pastures is

August 15 to September 15. Research shows that if

one application of N, P and K is being done, then fall

is the best time for the application. By applying P

and K in September or October plants develop a

healthier root system and improve winter survival.

This results in plants better able to withstand drought

the following year. If high rates of phosphorus and

potassium are recommended by soil test, then there

is an advantage to splitting the application. Some of

the recommended fertilizer should be applied after

the first hay harvest in early summer, with the bal-

ance being applied in the fall. This will help reduce

the luxury consumption of potassium by the plants

and improve the efficiency of K use.

If a recent soil test suggests you need fertilizer or lime on hay and pasture land, then don't think for a minute it's anything but voodoo economics if you think you're better off to avoid it. This is especially the case with hay fields. After all, an "average" annual hay yield of 3 tons per acre removes the same amount of potash from the soil as a SIX HUNDRED (yes, that's 600) bushel corn crop! Optimum hay production

requires adequate fertility.

At a minimum, if fertilizer prices dictate that you simply can't fertilize all the hay and pasture land that a soil test indicates need be, take the resources available and use them strategically where they are most needed. Practicing efficient pas-ture grazing management over the years distributes and recycles ma-nure nutrients very nicely. Your soil test may indicate that applying P & K is likely your lowest fertilizer

priority on pasture land.

If limited resources dictate you only apply nitrogen fertilizer one time during the year, consider doing it after the first growth flush is over in late May or June, or wait until Fall when you begin to stockpile. However at the same time, re-member that research suggests that each of the first 40 pounds of nitrogen applied to a grass field returns up to an additional 54 pounds of dry matter. When high quality forages are valued at 5 to 8 cents per pound, that would indicate the breakeven price you could pay for up to 40 pounds of nitro-gen per acre exceeds $2.70 per pound of N! Or, looking at it another other way, an investment of 40 pounds of nitrogen at 70 cents per pound (total cost per acre= $28.00) strategically timed on a grass hay field will return more than a ton of extra

forage.

Strategically fertilizing hay ground needs to be a long term priority, especially replacing P and K. Each ton of hay (especially legume hay crops) which is removed from a hay field takes with it 14 pounds of actual phosphorous and 50-55 pounds of actual potash/potassium. At a minimum, replacing the soil nutrients removed by hay harvest must remain the highest priority to maintain long term stand health and

productivity of perennial hay fields.

Stan Smith, Fairfield County, OSU Extension

Page 5

GETTING A GOOD FORAGE STAND

Some farmers always get a good forage stand and some al-ways fear seeding grasses or legumes because of difficulty getting good stands. A good stand is crucial to profitability. If the stand is thin, it will never yield well and will be weedy. Additionally, if the stand is so poor that reseeding is necessary, the grower will have lost most or all of a growing season for forage production on that field.

More than 90% of forage stand failures are due to one of three reasons: 1) low soil pH, 2) loose soil, or 3) seeding too deep. Each cause of stand failure is preventable by the farmer.

Insure proper soil pH: We have known for over a hundred years that alfalfa needs a soil with pH of 6.8 and other legumes need a pH of 6.0 to 6.3. However, many farmers do not apply lime either in adequate amounts or sufficiently far ahead of seeding to raise soil pH. Failure to raise soil pH to optimum levels results in poor germi-nation and slowed seedling growth, which makes the seedlings more susceptible to disease and death. Lime should be applied 1 year prior to seeding to allow the soil pH to raise to optimum.

Insure a firm seedbed: The second major cause of stand failure is seeding into loose soil. Soil must be packed around the seed to make good seed to soil contact so that the seed can take up water from the soil. All of us have seen fields where the forage stand was better in the wheel tracks, where the soil was packed more firm-ly around the seed. The old, but good, recommendation has been that if you stand on the field and your shoe sinks more than 1/4 inch into the soil, the soil is too loose and will need to be firmed before or after seeding.

Most farmers use a disk to prepare a conventional seed bed. If forage crops are seeded into the “loose” seed beds then it is ex-tremely important that the soil is firmed around the seed as a part of the seeding process.

Some soils need to be fall plowed to allow settling to occur before a spring seeding. Chiseled soils may need less time to settle but still require disking to level and pack the soil surface prior to seeding. Fields seeded no-till will generally have firm soil, though some disking may be necessary in these systems simply to smooth the field for future hay making. Spike tooth harrows or drags will level the field and break up clods but they are bad for seeding because they loosen soil rather than pack it.

A Brillion seeder has been successful on tilled fields because it has two corrugated packing rolls to pack the soil. A drill can also work well if it has press wheels that are properly adjusted. Many farmers use cultipackers or a corrugated roller to further pack the soil.

Insure proper seeding depth: The third major reason for stand failure is seeding too deep with a drill. Legume seed should be placed 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep in most soils. Placing seed deeper may delay or reduce emergence and result in poor stands. Poor seed placement is often visible in new seedings as rows or parts of rows germinate and emerge well while adjacent rows have a poor stand.

One good test to use when seeding with a drill is to look for seeds on the soil surface after seeding. If the seed is properly placed at 1/4 to 1/2 inch depth, some seed will end up on the soil surface. One should find 8 to 10 seeds per square foot on the soil surface. If the number is less, you are likely placing the rest of the seed too deep.

What is a Bull Worth? Patrick Gunn, Iowa State University

I often get the question "How much should I

pay for a bull?" My first answer is "Whatever the mar-

ket will bear." Admittedly, that answer really gives no

insight into return on investment for the producer rela-

tive to traits of emphasis for their particular marketing

goals. With the record prices currently being observed

in all markets of the beef industry, it is no secret that

this translates to increased prices of replacement breed-

ing stock.

While to my knowledge, no calculator exists to

determine the exact price a producer should spend on a

bull, there are multiple factors that can be considered

to establish a base price. Typical thumb rules that I

have heard over the years for the value of an average

purebred or composite bull include 2 times the value of

a fed steer, 4 to 5 times the value of a feeder calf at

weaning.

While spending less does not insinuate you

have purchased an inferior bull, it should be expected

that an above average bull for traits such as calving

ease, weaning weight, docility, staybility, marbling,

etc., will likely garner a premium.

Let’s assume you purchase a bull in today's

market for $3,000 and use him for 4 years and mated

him to a total of 25 cows each year/ 100 cows for the 4

years, the mating fee over the life of the bull will be

$30 per cow. Regardless of base price, for every $500

more spent on a herd sire, it raises the service fee only

$5 per cow over the life of the bull.

Given today's feeder prices, for every $500

more spent on a herd sire, only 3 more pounds of

weaning weight

per calf would

need to be obtained

to offset the added

investment on a

sire improved

growth EPDs. Sim-

ilarly, only 0.5

more calves would

need to be born to a sire with an improved calving ease

EPD profile.

The initial investment of a bull in today's mar-

ket may seem staggering, but it is an investment that

adds immediate value to the herd working forward.

Page 6

Timely Tips Dr. Roy Burris, University of Kentucky Beef Specialist

Spring-Calving Cows The spring calving season should be in full swing now; top priority should be to get a live calf and keep cows in suffi-cient body condition to rebreed early.

Calving areas should be accessible and as clean and as free of mud as possible. Pastures which have

good sod and are close to facilities work best.

Check cows at least twice daily and first-calf heifers more frequently than that. Be ready to assist those not making progress after 1 to 2 hours of hard labor. Chilled calves should be dried and warmed as soon as

possible.

See that each calf gets colostrum within an hour of

birth, or administer colostrum (or a commercial colos-

trum replacement) with an esophageal feeder.

Identify calves with eartags and/or tattoos while calves are young and easy to handle and record birthdate and dam ID. Commercial male calves should be cas-trated and implanted as soon as possible. Registered

calves should be weighed in the first 24 hours.

Separate cows that have calved and increase their feed. Energy supplementation to cows receiving hay is necessary to prepare them for rebreeding. For ex-ample, a 1250 lb cow giving 25 lb/day of milk would need about 25 lb of fescue hay and 5 lb of concentrate daily to maintain condition. Cows must be in good condition to conceive early in the upcoming breeding

season.

Watch for calf scours! If scours become a problem, move cows which have not calved to a clean pasture. Be prepared to give fluids to scouring calves that be-come dehydrated. Consult your veterinarian for ad-vice and send fecal samples to a diagnostic lab to de-termine which drug therapy will be most effective. Try

to avoid feeding hay in excessively muddy areas to avoid

contamination of the dams’ udders.

Continue grass tetany prevention. Be sure that the min-eral mix contains magnesium and that cows consume

adequate amounts.

Vaccinate calves for clostridial diseases (Blackleg, Malig-nant Edema) as soon as possible. You might choose to do this at the prebreeding working in late April or early

May.

Prepare bulls for the breeding season. Increase feed if necessary to have bulls in adequate condition for breed-

ing.

Finalize plans for your spring breeding program. Pur-chase new bulls at least 30 days before the breeding season—demand performance records and check health history including immunizations. Use visual evaluation and expected progeny differences (EPD’s) to select a bull

that fits your program.

(Don’s thoughts)

For years, I have pushed soil sampling and the recommendations that follow as the guideline for establishing a fertility program for any agriculture crop. We know that a good fertility program should be a part of your management tool box. Under or even over fertili-zation can have a serious economic impact upon your farming operation. The following is my recommendations for fertilizing pasture and hay fields. Soils test and apply lime, phosphorus and potassium

(preferably in the fall) to maintain production levels. Maintain soil fertility levels in at least the “medium range” so yield and plant persistence is not compromised. Use legumes (alfalfa and clover) in hay and pasture fields to eliminate or at least reduce the need for nitrogen fertilizers. If legumes are not present (25% or greater of the stand) you can apply nitrogen to grass hay field and pasture fields in the early spring (usually mid March to early April) when in-creased production is desired. Apply nitrogen to grass pasture/hay fields in the fall (August 15-September 15) to improve fall growth such as for stockpil-

ing fescue.

Three point hitch

spreader is avail-

able for your use.

Contact Southern

States for more

information.

Page 7

Preparing Cows for Breeding Dr. Les Anderson, Beef Extension Specialist, University of

Kentucky

A successful breeding season actually begins with man-agement 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. 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 de-layed in their ability to rebreed. Research has clearly demon-strated that as precalving BCS de-creases, 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 calving interval of approximately 400 days while a cow with a precalving BCS of 5 or more have a calving inter-val of approximately 360 days. Thin cows need a longer breeding season, which results in more open cows in the fall. They may most likely have lighter calves to sell the next year because the calves from these thin cows will be born later in the calving season. Management of BCS after calving also impacts rebreed-ing efficiency. Maintenance requirements for energy and pro-tein increase 25-30% for most beef cows after calving. Produc-ers need to plan their supplementation to match or exceed this increased nutrient requirement. Rebreeding efficiency is en-hanced in cows that calved thin if their energy intake is in-creased. 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. Dystocia (calving problems) can severely delay the on-set 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. One often overlooked management tool that can im-prove reproductive performance is breeding soundness exams in bulls. Ranchers need to think of breeding soundness ex-ams 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 be-fore they are turned out. I have worked in reproductive management for nearly 20 years and it amazes me how many cattlemen still do not vac-cinate their cow herd against reproductive diseases. Several diseases are associated with reproductive loss (lepto, BVD, vib-rio, trich, etc). The main problem is that most reproductive loss due to disease is subtle and producers don’t notice the loss un-less they have a massive failure. Most cattlemen are not aware of their losses due to abortion. See the enclosed article on a basic vaccination program for cows. Lastly, beef producers need to develop a plan to enhance the rebreeding potential of their first-calf heifers and late-calving cows. Young cows and late-calving cows have one characteris-tic in common that will greatly impact their reproductive success;

anestrus. After each calving, cows un-dergo a period of time when they do not come into estrus/heat. This anestrus period can be as short as 17 days but can also last as long as 150 days de-pending upon a number of factors. Typi-cally, mature cows in good BCS will be in anestrus for 45-90 days (avg about 60 days) while first-calf heifers will be in an-estrus for 75-120 days. If bull turnout is May 20 and the length of anestrus for mature cows is 60 days and for young cows is 90 days. A mature cow that

calves on March 1 will begin to cycle on May 1 and is highly like-ly to conceive early. However, the mature cow that calves on April 20 won’t cycle until June 20 and her opportunity to con-ceive early is very limited. A first-calf heifer that calves on April 20 won’t begin to cycle until July 20 and will have limited oppor-tunities to conceive. Cattlemen can reduce the anestrous period by fenceline exposure to a mature bull or by treating the cows with progesterone for 7 days prior to bull exposure. Sources of progesterone include the feed additive melengestrol acetate (MGA) or an EAZI-Breed CIDRÒ insert (Zoetis Animal Health). Both sources have been shown to induce estrus in anestrous cows and exposure of anestrous cows to progesterone for 7 days before bull exposure will not reduce fertility. Pregnancy rates will actually be increased in these females because induc-ing estrus will increase the number of opportunities these cows have to conceive in the breeding season. 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 breed-ing season.

Page 8

Managing Spring Grass Growth and Selective Grazing

Rory Lewandowski, Ohio Extension Educator

For most beef cattle farmers who are managing their pas-tures in a rotational grazing system two of the biggest spring challenges are the flush of rapid growth that will occur and selective grazing. While there are no easy man-agement answers, if we review some basic plant growth biology and grazing principles, they may suggest some management strategies. We know that as spring progresses, grass growth will speed up. Our cool season pasture grasses produce about 60% of their total dry matter production by early Ju-ly. If your farm has a stocking rate that is matched to sum-mer pasture production there is no way your cattle will be able to consume enough pasture forage to keep up with the flush of grass growth that will occur in late April through May. Coupled with this explosion in grass growth is a physi-ological response to the shorter nights and long-er days that triggers seed head production generally starting at some point in early May. So not only is there more forage than can be consumed, but now the quality is steadily de-clining as a seed head is produced. It is very hard to fight this biology. Fast grazing rotations where hopefully the cattle just top the grass, combined with clipping the pas-tures to keep seed heads off are some standard manage-ment practices that are tried. In reality, these are not great solutions because cattle are not grazing uniformly and are not just topping the grass. Instead they are picking and choosing. They are grazing some places harder than oth-ers, and leaving other places alone. The result is a patchy, uneven growth pasture field. The solution is typically to reset that field to an even height, while clipping seed heads. Clipping pastures can be very time consuming, not to mention the fuel and machinery costs that are incurred. Instead of fighting the biology of spring grass growth, work with it. If your stocking rate is matched for summer produc-tion all of the pasture fields are not needed during the spring and early summer period. Some fields should be

dropped out of the spring rotation, and doing so will make it easier to manage the spring flush of growth. The end result might be as much as 50% of your grazing acres dropped out of the spring rotation. If you are willing to change your management and drop paddocks, then the next thing that should be done is to divide those remaining pastures in half. Use temporary fence, such as polywire, to make these divisions. So, when fields are dropped out of the rotation, there is now the opportunity to graze more ani-mal units, more pounds of animal per acre. This will accom-plish a couple of things. First, with more animal pounds on a smaller field acreage, a faster rotation is necessary. Cattle will need to be moved more often. Depending upon field size and cattle number, the goal is to move every 2 to 3 days. This will help keep

plants in the pasure in a vegetative growth stage. It will also prevent any desirable plants that may start regrowth after being grazed from being grazed again too soon. Second, when stocking at more pounds per acre, cattle tend to be much less selective. They get down to the business of eating what is in front of them. Pastures are grazed more uniformly, reducing the need to clip. Pasture forage utilization is increased. Keep practicing good grazing principles, do not graze below a 3 inch height, and do not enter a paddock with less than 8 inches of growth. Re-

member, if you have to err on when to pull cattle out of a paddock, it is better to leave more residual growth as com-pared to grazing lower. When grass growth begins to slow down and you can no longer pull cattle out of a paddock with 3-4 inches of residual and move to a paddock with 8 inches of growth, it is time to begin adding some of those dropped paddocks back in to the rotation to maintain these grazing principles. The question will come up about what to do with those pad-docks that are dropped out of the spring rotation. Options include taking a hay crop from them, clip them before they are worked back into the rotation, or just let them grow. The advantage of taking a hay crop is that it might be used later as a management tool, and fed in the late summer to pro-tect paddocks from being overgrazed, particularly if a drought situation develops. The disadvantage is that there is some significant nutrient removal associated with a hay crop.

Page 9

Timely Garden Tips By David Koester, former Campbell County Horticulture Agent

There are probably more gardeners outside in May than during any other time of year. People can’t wait to get outside in the nice spring weather and plant their gardens knowing that several months of frost-free weather are ahead. Time spent in the spring garden, will yield big payoffs with beautiful fruits and vegetables and an abundant harvest.

◊ May 5 is the earliest date that’s somewhat “safe” for planting tomatoes, but be ready to cover them with boxes through mid-May, just in case we have an unusually late freeze. Good tomato varieties include 'Big Beef', 'Better Boy', 'Celebrity', 'Jet Star', 'Heavy Weight', 'Pink Girl', 'Mountain Fresh', and 'Roma VF'.

◊ May 10 is the earliest somewhat "safe date" for setting out pepper transplants. Good sweet peppers include 'North Star', 'Merlin', 'King Arthur', 'Boynton Bell', 'Gypsy Hybrid', 'Mandarin' (orange color), 'Purple Beauty', and 'Banana Su-preme'.

◊ Other "earliest semi-safe planting dates" include May 1 for lima beans and cucumbers; May 5 for watermelons, and Southern peas; and May 10 for eggplant, muskmelons, okra, sweet potatoes and squash.

◊ For staggered harvest of sweet corn, make plantings every 2 or 3 weeks through July 10.

◊ Make plantings of green beans in mid-May through mid-June.

◊ When setting out vegetable transplants, pour one cup of starter solution in the hole around the plant. To prepare this solution, mix fertilizer with 15-30-15, 10-53-17, or 20-20-20 analysis at the rate of 2 tablespoons per gallon of water.

◊ DON'T fertilize beets, carrots, lettuce, parsnips, squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, or watermelons during the growing season, since additional nitrogen after plant establishment may reduce the yield or lower the quality.

These somewhat safe planning dates will be one to two weeks later for gardens in low lying areas that are more susceptible to a late frost.

The Kentucky Grazing School will be held on May 17-18, 2016 at the Woodford County Extension office and the Oran C. Little Research Center in Versailles, KY. This two-day program includes hands-on exercises, such as build-ing temporary paddocks and watering systems, and as-sessing pasture production. Classroom discussions will cover topics including forages, animal manage-ment, and grazing sys-tems. Emphasis will be on spring and summer grazing management for

ruminant species.

Enrollment is limited, so apply early. Past partici-pants range from new to experienced grazers and all have gained new infor-mation and skills to imple-ment on their operations. All past participants have indicated that attending motivated them to make changes to their grazing systems to improve their opera-

tions.

Pre-register for the grazing school as enrollment is limited to the first 45 who register. The $50.00 registration fee includes all materials, grazing manuals, breaks, and lunch both days. This program is partially funded through the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy. To register, con-tact Austin Sexten, Master Grazer Coordinator, at (859) 257-7512 or austin.sexten@uky.edu. A program and addi-tional information can be found at the following link: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/grazer/Documents/2016-Grazing-

School-flyer-final.pdf.

2016 KENTUCKY GRAZING SCHOOL

PLANNED FOR MAY

Grazing school attendees learn

through hands on exercises

about using temporary fence

and waterers in a grazing

system.

Photo Courtesy: Donna

Amaral Phillips

Page 10

Rotational grazing can help producers increase forage productiv-ity, which can increase the profitability of an operation. Additional benefits to implementing a rotational grazing system include: reduced supplemental feed costs, improved animal distribution and forage utilization, improved manure distribution and nutrient use, and many more. While many producers want to achieve these benefits, many struggle with implementing a system to achieve their grazing goals. Thoughtfully planning out a system that works for your operation is a critical first step toward imple-menting a successful grazing system. Know What You Have- The development of any grazing system starts with an inventory of what the operation already has and then developing a plan of how to best use those resources going forward. The best way to start this process is by obtaining aerial maps of the farm from your local NRCS office or using a comput-er program such as Google™ Earth. The larger the scale of these maps, the easier it will be to see landscape details. Making several copies of these maps allows one to draw on them and adjust their plan as needed. Another useful map in planning a grazing system is a soils map. When used along with a list of soil descriptions, producers can get an idea of forage yield potential of their farm. Forage- The next area needing consideration is the forage base of a farm. Producers need to understand when forage is going to be available and identify gaps in forage availability. The typical Kentucky farm is going to have a cool-season forage base con-sisting of tall fescue, bluegrass, clovers and possibly or-chardgrass. Depending on the goals of the operation, the forage base could be further developed to include inter-seeding leg-umes and establishing warm season perennial grasses or annu-al forages to fill gaps. Water- One of the biggest challenges in developing a grazing system is water availability. Wherever animals are grazing, water must be available. Research shows that if water is within 800 feet of cattle, pastures are grazed more uniformly and manure is distributed more evenly over a pasture. When water is farther away than 800 feet, pasture use decreases and overgrazing of areas closer to water occurs. All potential water sources should be considered when developing a grazing system. Ponds, springs, streams, municipal water and wells are options and can all contribute to providing water. If it is possible to utilize portable water systems, like the one shown in Figure 1, while developing a grazing system, producers can evaluate waterer locations and make better decisions about where to place permanent waterers. Fencing- Fencing is another big part of any grazing system. Most grazing systems use both permanent and temporary fenc-ing. When looking at farm maps, make sure to draw in bounda-ries and permanent fences. Once all current fences are drawn, stop to evaluate the current layout’s benefits and deficiencies. Next, subdivide pastures into smaller more uniformly sized pad-

docks. Square shaped paddocks use less fence when compared to other shapes like rectangles or triangles. Try different tempo-rary fencing components and decide what works best. Using tem-porary fences for internal divisions provides flexibility to the sys-tem that can be changed and improved. For more information on fencing for grazing systems follow the link to the UK publication “Planning Fencing Systems for Intensive Grazing Management”: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id74/id74.pdf. Animals- Understanding the needs of the animals to be grazed is im-portant in developing a grazing sys-tem. Producers must account for livestock’s nutrient requirements and how requirements are affected by species, breed, stage of production, and age of animals, as well as envi-ronmental conditions. Producers need to understand if the animals’ requirements will be met with the pasture provided. The importance of providing shade for animals is often overlooked. Cows provided with shade spend more time grazing and less time standing than those without shade. Producers need to evaluate pastures based on available natural shade and deter-mine if artificial shade should be added. The combination of an animals’ changing nutritional needs and changing pasture condi-tions require greater management on the part of the producer to maximize production. Time/Labor- One final component to a grazing system is the time or labor associated with managing it. There are operations with highly developed grazing systems, in which animals are moved multiple times each day to fresh pastures. On the other end of the scale are operations that move once every week. The grazing system must work with the schedule of the individual who is actu-ally moving the animals, temporary fencing, and managing other components of the system. However, cattle are quickly trained and often moving to a new paddock takes just minutes. If de-signed correctly, a grazing system can make management easy and efficient. Developing a grazing system can be intimidating. By understand-ing and managing what is already available and adding new com-ponents to a system, like new watering sites or subdividing pas-tures with temporary fencing, soon the system will begin to take shape and producers will reap the rewards of their hard work. For more information on developing a grazing system follow the link to the UK publication “Rotational Grazing” at: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id143/id143.pdf or contact your Local Extension Agent or NRCS Grazing Specialist to assist you.

Figure 1: Cattle drinking from a portable water tank in rota-tional grazing system. Photo Courtesy: Kevin Laurent.

Page 11

By Victor Shelton, NRCS Grazing Specialist

Most pastures this spring had little residu-

al left on them because of the dry weather last

fall. I would recommend holding off as long as

you can (and the hay supply lasts) to allow a lit-

tle extra time for the forages to revive them-

selves or to let new forages and legumes planted

take hold. I say this somewhat tongue in cheek,

because if you have over seeded or frost-seeded

legumes into the pasture, you do need to some-

what keep

their competi-

tion at bay.

Those fields

need to be

grazed

enough to

keep existing

forages,

mainly grass

from compet-

ing too much

with the seed-

lings for

light. All of this can be accomplished by keeping

the livestock moving and not staying on any pad-

dock too long. We need to build some root re-

serves back because of last year's conditions. If

we would happen to have another…I hate to say

it…droughty year, we are going to need as many

root reserves as possible…so don't overgraze.

Keep at least 3-4 inches of growth at all times on

most cool-season forages.

Pastures that were grazed down real tight

early last summer and fall will tend to be very

short in the spring and slower to start growing

because the plants will also have to grow roots at

the same time. These pastures will benefit from a

longer rest prior to being grazed the first time.

Pasture growth and productivity is highly de-

pendent upon an adequate root system of the for-

age plants. Grazing too early this spring will on

already stressed pastures will only reduce produc-

tion for the entire growing season.

So, how to answer the real question of the

day of "when do I start grazing"? Preferably, when

the plants are about 6 to 8 inches tall (tall cool-

season forages such as fescues and orchardgrass)

and the ground is dry enough to support the weight

of the livestock without causing damage to the for-

age base.

Especially in a rotated grazing system, there

is some advantage to grazing fairly early as long as

you use some self control . . . animal control. Start-

ing early and making sure to maintain minimum

grazing heights for the forages is really the critical

issue, but it also helps to keep the for-

ages from getting too far ahead of you

before you graze them. Staging forages

helps you to be able to keep more of the

pastures in better condition longer with

less need of haying or clipping. Fields

with more rest and more leftover forage

will be ready earlier and tighter grazed

fields ready later. If you are dealing

with wet conditions and little residue

then you would be better off to wait un-

til forages are at least 6 - 8 inches

providing better thicker growth to hold

up the weight of the grazing animals. I

would still promote grazing for short periods,

keeping the animals moving and never grazing

closer than 3-4 inches whenever possible. Quality

forage with good intake will ensure good growth

on growing animals and milk for lactating animals.

Don Sorrell

Campbell County Agent for Agriculture

and Natural Resources

Page 12