“Out to Pasture” February 2019

UPCOMING EVENTS

Woodford County 184 Beasley Drive Versailles, KY 40383-8992 (859) 873-4601 Fax: (859) 873-8936 woodford.ca.uky.edu

ACROSS THE AGENT’S DESK

February 21 – Kentucky Alfalfa & Stored Forage Conference; Fayette County Extension Office; Lexington, KY

February 21 – Soybean Intensive Management Workshop; Bluegrass Stockyards; Lexington, KY

February 23 – Kentucky Small Ruminant Grazing Conference; Derrickson Agricultural Complex; Morehead, KY

February 27 – Soybean Dicamba Application Training; Fayette County Extension Office; Lexington, KY

February 28 – Beginner Poultry Management Workshop; Woodford Co Extension Office; Versailles, KY

March 20 – Novel Tall Fescue Renovation Workshop; Central Presbyterian Church; Princeton, KY

I thought I would stop talking about mud…but then I wondered about the benefits of mud. So, I did what many folks would do in this day and age and Googled it! Then all I found was about the benefits of a mud bath. According to

howstuffworks.com, mud baths have anti-inflammatory properties, a soothing effect on the skin, and can help alleviate sypmtoms of some skin conditions. In fact, some people apply mud to make their skin look younger! While that website may not be scientifically supported, after taking my daily mud bath after feeding the cows, I may have decided to start a new enterprise on the farm…my mud farm spa! All jokes aside, if you would like to get out of the mud for a bit, look forward to some of the

upcoming meetings listed above. For more information about any of them, please contact me at the extension office for more details! We would love to see you there.

FORAGES

Taking Stock Source: Dr. Jimmy Henning; UK Forage Extension Specialist Here are a few suggestions to start the move to healthier pastures.

Soil Test. Forages are crops, and they need nutrients. Knowing soil fertility levels helps you target your fertilizer dollar to the most needed fields. Thankfully pasture fertility levels don’t change as much as hay fields, since most are returned in the manure and urine.

Find ways to remove dense canopies of dead grass such as close mowing or brief periods of mob grazing. This allows sunlight to reach the crowns of cool season grass and initiate new tillers (which emerge next spring).

Nitrogen is an important tool to rejuvenate grass pasture. Consider applying nitrogen in the spring to a damaged pasture and harvest it as hay.

Upgrade your fencing and water plan for better utilization in 2019. Having water points centrally located in a pasture so livestock are always within 600 to 800 feet of water will result in more uniform grazing. UK will be offering Fencing Schools and Grazing Schools this spring that focus on pasture layout.

Address the production slump of mid and late summer that happens with cool season grasses. Consider summer annuals, a deep rooted legume like red clover or alfalfa and even native warm season grasses. All these options have payoffs that offset up front costs and management requirements.

Target some fields for complete renovation. Reseed these fields to cool season grass in late summer. One or two burn down sprays with glyphosate will help insure successful re-establishment.

GRAIN CROPS

2019 Dicamba Label Updates on Soybeans In late 2018, the US-EPA renewed registrations of dicamba products labelled for dicamba resistant soybeans (Xtendimax, Engenia, and FeXapan) through 2020. However, additional restrictions were put in place on those herbicide labels, which include:

Only certified applicators may apply dicamba over the top (those working under the supervision of a certified applicator may no longer make applications)

Prohibits post emergent applications of dicamba on soybeans 45 days after planting

Applications are only allowed from 1 hour after sunrise until 2 hours prior to sunset

In counties where endangered species may exist, the downwind buffer will remain at 110 feet in addition to a 57 foot buffer around all other field borders

Applicators must attend a dicamba application training every year

Enhanced tank clean out instructions

Enhanced label to improve awareness on the impact of low pH on potential volatility

Additional label clean up instructions If you plan on incorporating one of these products in your soybean management programs, then you MUST attend a training conducted by UK, Bayer, Corteva, or BASF. A list of upcoming nearby trainings can be found below.

Date Time Location Street Address City Sponsoring

Organization

2/5/2019 8:00 AM Warren County

Extension Office 3132 Nashville Road Bowling Green Bayer

2/8/2019 9:00 AM Larue County

Extension Office 807 Old Elizabethtown Rd Hodgenville Bayer

2/26/2019 1:00 PM Breckinridge County

Extension Office 1377 S Hwy 261 Hardinsburg UK

2/27/2019 8:00 AM Fayette County Extension Office 1140 Harry Sykes Way Lexington Bayer

2/28/2019 6:00 PM Mason County

Extension Office 800 U.S. 68 Maysville Bayer

3/5/2019 8:00 AM Hal Rogers Regional Fire Training Center 180 Oak Leaf Lane Somerset Bayer

3/19/2019 6:00 PM Fleming County Extension Office 1384 Elizaville Road Flemingsburg UK

BEEF CATTLE

The Winter of Mud: Consequences of the Wettest Year on Record Source: Dr. Michelle Arnold; UK Extension Ruminant Veterinarian

Record rainfall in 2018 has had major impacts on cattle health in KY. Despite relatively mild temperatures this winter, submissions at the UKVDL and telephone conversations with veterinarians and producers confirm cattle are losing body condition and some are dying of malnutrition. The very prolonged cloudy, wet weather with regular bouts of rain has resulted in muddy conditions that require substantially more energy in feeds just to maintain body heat. In addition, the hay quality is exceptionally poor this year as much of it was cut very ripe (late stage of maturity), rained on while curing, and baled with enough moisture to support mold growth. Many cows presented to the laboratory for necropsy (an animal “autopsy”) revealed a total absence of fat and few, if any, other problems. This indicates winter feeding programs on many farms this year are not adequate to support cattle, especially cows in late pregnancy or early lactation, or their newborn calves, even though bitter cold has not been a factor.

The body of the animal has several defenses against cold. The first is the hair coat which grows longer in winter and offers considerable help in conserving heat and repelling cold. If an animal’s coat cover is wet and muddy, then energy requirements for maintenance can easily double, particularly if not protected from the wind. Energy from intake of hay that is adequate for maintenance in normal years is falling far short of the requirement this year. Cold conditions are not too difficult for cattle but when rain and wind are added, heat loss is multiplied several times by the effects of conduction and evaporation. Under these

circumstances the “wind chill factor” referred to by the weatherman has real meaning to a cow. If producers are not supplementing cattle with adequate energy AND protein sources, hay of unknown nutritional quality often does not provide sufficient nutrition to meet the animal’s basic requirements. This results in depletion of body fat stores, followed by breakdown of muscle protein, and finally death due to insufficient nutrition.

BEEF CATTLE (CONTINUED)

Typically, near the end of most winters, both veterinary diagnostic laboratories in KY receive older beef cows for necropsy. These cows often are broken-mouthed or toothless due to their advanced age, are heavily pregnant or in peak milk production and in poor body condition (BCS 2-3). However, this winter, ‘malnutrition’ cases include young cows and pre-weaning/weaning age calves, indicating serious nutritional deficiencies in the feedstuffs, especially the hay produced last summer. The producer may first notice a cow getting weak in the rear end. Later she is found down and is unable to stand. Death follows within a day or two after going down. Multiple animals may die within a short period of time. At necropsy, the pathologist finds a thin animal with no body fat stores but the rumen is full of bulky, dry forage material (poor quality hay). Even the small seam of fat normally found on the surface of the heart is gone, indicating the last storage area in the body for fat has been used up. Despite having had access to free choice hay, these cattle have died from starvation. Although hay may look and smell good, unless a producer has had the hay tested for nutritional content, he or she does not know the true feed value of that harvested forage. It is often difficult for producers to bring themselves to the realization that cattle can actually starve to death while consuming all the hay they can eat – especially if crude protein levels are in the 3-4% range, and TDN is <40% – as is not uncommon in some late-cut, overmature, rained-on hay. Inadequate crude protein in the hay (below7-8%) means there is not enough nitrogen for the rumen microflora (“bugs”) to do their job of breaking down fiber and starch for energy. Digestion slows down and cattle eat less hay because there is no room for more in the rumen. Cattle are expected to eat roughly 2.5% of their body weight in dry matter but this may fall to 1.5% on poor quality hay. Many producers purchase “protein tubs” varying from 16-30% protein to make up for any potential protein deficiencies but fail to address the severe lack of energy in the diet. In the last 60 days of gestation, an adult cow (1200 pounds eating 2% of her body weight) requires feedstuffs testing at least 54-56% TDN (energy) and 8-9% available crude protein while an adult beef cow in the first 60 days of lactation requires 59-60% TDN and 9-10.5% available crude protein. In addition to malnutrition in adult cattle, inadequate nutrition and weight loss severely affect the developing fetus in a pregnant cow. Maternal nutrition during the last trimester of pregnancy – particularly dietary protein level – has been well-documented to play an important role in calf survivability. A weak cow may experience dystocia (a slow, difficult birth) resulting in lack of oxygen to the calf during delivery, leading to dead or weak (“dummy”) calves. Calves born to protein-deficient dams are less able to generate body heat and are slower to stand and nurse compared to calves whose dams received adequate dietary protein during the last 100 days of pregnancy.

Colostrum quality and quantity from protein and energy-deficient dams is frequently not adequate for calf survival and performance. One study looking at diets during pregnancy found at weaning, 100% of the calves from the adequate energy dams were alive compared to 71% from the energy deficient dams. The major cause of death loss from birth to weaning was scours, with a death loss of 19% due to this factor Mineral supplementation this winter is another area of concern, as copper and selenium levels in liver samples analyzed from a large number of cases have been far below acceptable levels. Copper and selenium are vital nutrients for immune system function and the absence of these nutrients is a major factor in development of disease. Selenium deficiencies in adult cows will lead to later reproductive problems of delayed conception, cystic ovaries and retained placentas. Additionally, grass tetany/hypomagnesemia will occur in late February and March in lactating beef cattle consuming only poor quality hay if high magnesium mineral is not made available now. The best advice for producers is to become expert judges of forage quality by testing hay. Testing is simple, inexpensive and results are easy to interpret. Contact your local cooperative extension service if you need assistance to get this accomplished. If cows are losing weight, consider supplemental feed to help them through the rest of winter until grass is growing and is past the “watery” stage. Contact your nutritionist to review your feeding program. Energy AND protein are both crucial; protein tubs will not be sufficient in most cases to fulfill energy requirements. Adequate nutrition is not just important today but also down the road. Milk production, the return to estrus and rebreeding, and overall herd immunity are also impacted over the long term. Continue to offer a trace mineral mix high in magnesium in order to prevent hypomagnesemia or “grass tetany” at least through the first of May. It is important to understand that the winter of 2018-2019 has been exceptionally easy temperature-wise but difficult for cattle in Kentucky. Cows of all ages are losing weight now at levels typically seen in late winter. If this problem is not addressed, the expectation is for many stillborn and weak calves that do not survive to be born this spring. Feeding hay exclusively throughout the winter will not necessarily work this year but supplemental feed can fill the nutritional gap. Check out the UK Beef Cow Forage Supplement Tool at http://forage-supplement-tool.ca.uky.edu/. Enter the values from your hay test and stage of production of your cows (gestation or lactation) to find a supplement that will work for you. The UK Beef Cow Forage Supplement Tool was produced by Kevin Laurent, Jeff Lehmkuhler and Roy Burris in the University of Kentucky Department of Animal and Food Sciences and serves only as a tool to estimate forage intake and supplementation rates. Remember actual feed/forage intake and body condition should be monitored throughout the winter and cattle should also have access to a complete mineral supplement and clean drinking water at all times.

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

(Washington, D.C., January 22, 2019) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced that all Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices nationwide will soon reopen to provide additional administrative services to farmers and ranchers during the lapse in federal funding. Certain FSA offices have been providing limited services for existing loans and tax documents since January 17, and will continue to do so through January 23. Beginning January 24, however, all FSA offices will open and offer a longer list of transactions they will accommodate. Additionally, Secretary Perdue announced that the deadline to apply for the Market Facilitation Program, which aids farmers harmed by unjustified retaliatory tariffs, has been extended to February 14. The original deadline had been January 15. Other program deadlines may be modified and will be announced as they are addressed. “At President Trump’s direction, we have been working to alleviate the effects of the lapse in federal funding as best we can, and we are happy to announce the reopening of FSA offices for certain services,” Perdue said. “The FSA provides vital support for farmers and ranchers and they count on those services being available. We want to offer as much assistance as possible until the partial government shutdown is resolved.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture has temporarily recalled all of the more than 9,700 FSA employees to keep offices open from 8 am to 4:30 pm weekdays beginning January 24. President Trump has already signed legislation that guarantees employees will receive all backpay missed during the lapse in funding. For the first two full weeks under this operating plan (January 28 through February 1 and February 4 through February 8), FSA offices will be open Mondays through Fridays. In subsequent weeks, offices will be open three days a week, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays if needed to provide the additional administrative services. Agricultural producers who have business with the agency can contact their FSA service center to make an appointment. FSA can provide these administrative services, which are critical for farmers and ranchers, because failure to perform these services would harm funded programs.

FSA staff will work on the following transactions:

Market Facilitation Program.

Marketing Assistance Loans.

Release of collateral warehouse receipts.

Direct and Guaranteed Farm Operating Loans, and Emergency Loans.

Service existing Conservation Reserve Program contracts.

Sugar Price Support Loans.

Dairy Margin Protection Program.

Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage.

Livestock Forage Disaster.

Emergency Assistance Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish Program.

Livestock Indemnity Program.

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.

Tree Assistance Program.

Remaining Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program payments for applications already processed.

Transactions that will not be available include, but are not limited to:

New Conservation Reserve Program contracts.

New Direct and Guaranteed Farm Ownership Loans.

Farm Storage Facility Loan Program.

New or in-process Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program applications.

Emergency Conservation Program.

Emergency Forest Rehabilitation Program.

Biomass Crop Assistance Program.

Grassroots Source Water Protection Program.

With the Office of Management and Budget, USDA reviewed all of its funding accounts that are not impacted by the lapse in appropriation. We further refined this list to include programs where the suspension of the activity associated with these accounts would significantly damage or prevent the execution of the terms of the underling statutory provision. As a result of this review, USDA was able to except more employees. Those accounts that are not impacted by the lapse in appropriation include mandatory, multiyear and no year discretionary funding including FY 2018 Farm Bill activities. Updates to available services and offices will be made during the lapse in federal funding on the FSA shutdown webpage. Programs managed by FSA that were re-authorized by the 2018 farm bill will be available at a later date yet to be determined.

Sincerely,

Adam Probst, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources

Email: adam.probst@uky.edu

Visit our website at: http://ces.ca.uky.edu/woodford Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/woodfordcountyCES

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Equipment Location

(4) No-till drills Southern States

(2) No-till drills Woodford Feed

(2) Tubeline bale wrappers Woodford Feed

Chain Harrow Woodford Feed

The Woodford County Conservation District has the following equipment for rent. Please contact the

location of equipment for availability.

Disclaimer: When trade names are used, no discrimination is intended and no endorsement is implied by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Food and Environment. Although every attempt is made to produce information that is complete, timely, and accurate, the pesticide user bears the complete responsibility of consulting the pesticide label and adhering to those directions.

WC CONSERVATION DISTRICT

Free Soil Testing

Free soil test vouchers are available at the Woodford County Conservation Office to be redeemed when soil samples are submitted through the Woodford County Extension

Service. Up to 20 free soil tests are available per farm or homeowner. This program runs through June 30, 2019, or until the funds are depleted.

Woodford County Extension Service Equipment

Grain Moisture Meter

Liquid pH Meter

Sprayer Calibrator

Grain Test Weight Meter

Hay Probes

Soil Probes

Please contact the Extension Office, 873-4601, for details and availability.

Electrical Conductivity (EC) Meter

Hay Moisture Tester

Walk-behind BCS tractor - Attachments include: 3 foot plastic layer with drip tape applicator, single rotary plow and 30 inch tiller

Raised Bed Plastic Mulch Layer - Model 2400 lays 4 foot wide plastic and adjustable 3 to 5 inch bed height (requires 30-hp and 4-wheel drive)

Portable Livestock Scales