Insec ts in L ives tock Feed and Hay Source: Beti, JA, TW Phillips, and EB Smalley. Economic Entomology, Tefera, T, S Mugo, and P Likhayo. African Journal of Agricultural Research.

Insects show great promise AS sustainable food sources for fish, poultry, and swine. Some species can efficiently convert organic waste to nutritional supplements while significantly reducing its mass and making it unsuitable as a breeding site for pests. However, insects and mites IN livestock feed are a different matter. Their activities can reduce nutritional quality, acceptability, and palatability of feed. In addition, some may serve as hosts for internal parasites. Early recognition of arthropod infestations in feed may prevent establishment of chronic infestations, further spread of the pests, and additional feed loss. Often, the best short-term recourse is to destroy infested feed and implement strong sanitation and prevention practices to prevent a recurrence. Here is a look at some of the insects and a mite that can be found in livestock feed. Potential Pests Borers Rice (Figure 1) and granary weevils develop in grain kernels, causing significant problems in farm-stored corn. The grub-like larvae of these insects develop inside kernels. The 1/8-inch long rice weevil is easily recognized by its long snout and 4 orange spots on its back. They can be seen crawling through infested grain.

Their feeding and tunneling (Figure 2) can result in about a 7% weight loss over a 90-day period along with production of vast amounts of “flour” within the grain mass. The “flour”, composed of

Cooperative Extension Service Boone County

6028 Camp Ernst Rd. P.O. Box 876

Burlington, KY 41005–0876 (859) 586–6101

Fax: (859) 586–6107 boone.ca.uky.edu

Thoughts From The

“Farmaci s t” Merry Christmas and Happy New Years from Boone County Extension! I hope everyone has a great holiday and has a great start to the New Year. We have a lot of great programs to kick off 2019 and I encourage everyone to come out and learn what we’re all about and get involved. Just a reminder on the weath-er policy- if the office is closed then meetings will be cancelled, other-wise they are still scheduled. If you are unsure about a program feel free to call the office to check. We have begun planning for the 2019 Boone County Farm Tour on June 22 in the Northern end of the county and are looking for potential farm hosts. If this is something you might be interested in becoming a part of or being in-volved with the event please let me know.

(Figure 1) Photo: Lee Townsend, UK

(Continued on next page )

insect eggs, waste, fines, and shed exoskeletons, may make serve as food for other insects, as well as making grain unpalatable. In addition, laboratory research has shown that weevils can contribute to the increase of the Aspergillus flavus fungus and aflatoxin production in infested corn. Metabolic activity of the weevils increases the moisture content of grain. This favors the fungus, and the weevils can carry its spores as they move through the grain mass. Mealworms, bran bugs, mites, and fungus beetles Mealworms (Figure 3) are the wireworm-like larvae of insects known as darkling beetles. These insects can be found in processed feed and cracked grains. The larvae and adults (Figure 4) feed on cracked grain kernels, fines, and processed feeds. In addition, darkling beetles have been implicated as intermediate hosts of some poultry parasites. The insects live in around feed rooms, feed bunks, and also may be found in stored hay. Both the adults and larvae avoid light and prefer to hide in or under things, so infestations may not be noticed until relatively large numbers of insects are present.

Horse owners who find dark beetles around stables and haylofts are legitimately concerned that the insects may be toxic blister beetles. Fortunately, it is easy to distinguish between the two (Figure 5). Blister beetles have a distinct narrow “neck” segment immediately behind the head. The darkling beetles “neck is much wider than the head.

Bran bugs (Figure 6), like mealworm beetles, feed on cracked kernels and fines. Large numbers of dead beetles, their cast larval exoskeletons, and fecal pellets produce “flour” similar to that from weevils. Their metabolic water contributes to grain heating and spoilage. In addition, the beetles produce quinones, that can give feed a pungent odor. Similar in appearance, small red-brown fungus beetles can thrive in moldy grain and feed. Sweet feeds are particularly prone to infestations of these insects and the tiny grain mite. Grain mites (Figure 7) thrive under warm, humid conditions. Infested grain or bags of spoiled feed often have a disagreeable musty odor and are covered with a fine “dust” of living and dead mites. People handling this material may develop dermatitis resulting from mite “bites”. In times past, this condition was called” grocers itch”, a malady suffered by those who regularly handled infested bags of meal or flour. Scavenger insects can infest silage and spoiled hay. Grain mite infestations generally are discovered as a pile of pinkish “dust” on infested bags or on the surface of moldy, infested feed or grain. Soldier fly maggots (Figure 8) were reported last week from silage in a ground bunker. These fly larvae are common scavengers in wet compost piles and other decaying organic matter. They are an indication of very wet conditions and their activity would liquefy the material even further.

Potential Consequences Insects are not uncommon in feed. Consumption of a few should not pose a threat to livestock.

(Continued on next page )

(Figure 2.) Rice weevil emerging from a hollowed corn kernel. Note dusty “flour” on the kernel. Photo: Lee Townsend, UK

(Figure 3) Mealworms are the active wireworm-like

(Figure 4) A darkling beetle (tenebrionid) is the adult stage of mealworms. Photo: Lee Townsend, UK)

(Figure 5) Blister beetles (left) Photo: Lee Townsend, UK

(Figure 6) Photo: Lee Town-send, UK

(Figure 7) Photo: Daviess County Extension

(Figure 8) Photo: Lee Townsend, UK

If only a relatively small number of beetles is present and the feed or grain is in good condition, it may be practical to feed it. Then, thoroughly clean and treat the storage area and surroundings with an appropriately labeled insecticide before refilling. However, the responses of animals to different insects can vary. Ingestion of significant numbers could cause gastric distress for some animals. Long-term infestations of large numbers of insects can result in significant loss of feed quality, condition, or palatability. The feed odor or taste may make it unacceptable. Management Sanitation is the important first step to take when dealing with infestations. Use a broom and shop-vac can be used to clean cracks and crevices. The goal is to remove accumulations of fines and hidden insects. Infestations can develop from small numbers of insects or mites that are not removed or killed. Appropriately labeled pyrethrins or pyrethroid insecticides can be used to after clean up and before new grain or feed is added. Do not treat feed or grain directly with these products.

Tax law changes for trade -ins Source: Suzy Martin, Area Extension Specialist in Farm Business Management

In the past, personal property that farmers used as a trade-in on a purchased item was treated as a “like kind” exchange. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changed the wording to accommodate only real property as eligible for like kind exchanges. Starting in 2018, we will have to treat personal property, such as equipment and livestock, as being sold when a trade occurs. This could potentially have both good and bad consequences. For example, let’s say you have Tractor A that you plan on purchasing. The full cost of Tractor A is $150,000. You are going to trade in Tractor Z and the trade allowance is $70,000. Under the old law, you would not report the sale of Tractor Z, it would continue to depreciate out and be marked as a traded item on your asset schedule. Meanwhile, you would put Tractor A on your depreciation schedule with a cost basis of $80,000 ($150,000-70,000.) Under the new law, you’ll have to report Tractor Z as sold for $70,000. If there is any cost left to depreciate, that will reduce the amount of gain or recapture on Tractor Z. You’ll have to put Tractor A on the depreciation schedule at $150,000 cost basis. Farmers report the sale of equipment and livestock on Form 4797 of their income tax return. The farmer generally reports the gain as recaptured depreciation, which is taxed at ordinary income tax rates or capital gain, which is taxed at capital gain rates. Neither of those are subject to self-employment tax. Let’s assume Tractor Z was depreciated out, you would report the entire sales price of $70,000 on the Form 4797, under the new law. The entire cost of $150,000 of Tractor A is available for depreciation on your Schedule F (farm income and expenses). For best results, apply 40 to 50 pounds of actual nitrogen per acre to pastures once or twice throughout the fall. Applications can be anytime between September and the first hard freeze (overnight temp of less than 24°F). See the full article here in the Bluegrass Equine Digest. Most likely, you’ll use some combination of depreciation allowances like Section 179 and/or Bonus Depreciation to get the Schedule F to the net amount you prefer. Keep in mind the goal of tax planning is not to avoid taxes, rather to be consistent in the income tax brackets and to avoid large swings in income levels from one year to the next. Continuing the example above, let’s assume you have no other means of income and generally keep the amount of adjusted gross income in the area of $75,000. The gain on the sale of the tractor was $70,000 on the Form 4797. Ideally, you then have a Schedule F net income of $5,000 to be consistent

(Continued on next page )

on the overall amount of adjusted gross income. Remember, self-employment tax is only on earned income such as the Schedule F and not Form 4797. On the positive side, taxpayers could pay less in self-employment tax than they have in previous years. In our example, you’re paying self-employment tax on $5,000 rather than $75,000. The flip side of that argument is that taxpayers need to remember that paying less or zero amounts of self-employment tax could have a negative impact of future retirement earnings or even qualified quarters for disability payments. Another factor to consider is the difference between federal and state depreciation laws. Kentucky has limited the Section 179 deduction to $25,000, and the deduction gets phased out if equipment purchases are greater than $225,000. Kentucky also does not allow for bonus depreciation. This means likely substantial differences in gain between the Kentucky and federal income tax returns. You need to let your tax preparers know when you have traded items and how much was allowed on the trade. As always, it’s a good idea to plan ahead and visit with your tax preparer before the end of the year to avoid any surprises when it’s time to file your returns.

Hay Qual i ty : Trash versus Treasure Source: Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, OSU Extension

That saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” usually does not apply to hay, but with as difficult as haymaking was in Ohio this year, it may be true. The “man” mentioned could be yourself in 2017 versus yourself in 2018. Based on what is available this year, you may be inclined to lower your standards of hay quality to make it through the winter. But, how low is too low when it comes to hay quality? The answer depends on your class of livestock, their nutritional needs, and your access to supplemental feed. Without knowing the actual nutritive value of the hay, all recommendations are relative and subject to error. The only way to confidently adjust your feeding program in relation to hay quality is to have hay analyzed by a laboratory. Characteristics like hay color, scent, dustiness, and texture are all indicators of hay quality, but are not definitive. On the other hand, mold and poisonous weeds are indicators of poor quality and should be avoided if found in stored hay. Whether you choose to buy hay or make it, having bales tested can save you time and money over the winter. Pay for a good test that tells you more than just crude protein. Levels of digestible fiber and net energy are important too. Sample multiple bales from each cutting and sample cuttings separately from one another. First cutting bales should be tested separately from second cutting bales. When you receive your test results back, work with a nutritionist at your feed mill, your veterinarian, and/or your county extension educator to formulate a feeding program based on what your hay can provide. Depending on the price of local and regional grain commodities, you might find more value in supplemental feed than your hay supply. Check the current market prices for hay that align with the quality of what you have and negotiate sale prices based on those two factors. Once you have found hay worth feeding, one of the best ways to preserve your treasure is to store it out of the elements. Moisture damage can turn that treasured hay into trash overtime. With that in mind, store bales on high ground, elevated off the soil surface if possible. Moisture can be wicked into the bale from the ground. Keep bales covered to prevent seepage into the bale from rain and snow. Air temperature and humidity will impact how significant damages can be.

(Continued on next page )

Is your 2018 hay crop trash or treas-ure? There’s really only one way to know! Photo By: Brooke Beam, AgNR, Educator, Highland Co.

Round bales stored outside should be oriented with the buff sides facing each other, with the line of bales proceeding north/south rather than east/west, and with three feet between rows. This will allow the bales to dry as fast as possible after a precipitation event. Hay bale damage by the elements significantly increases the amount of hay waste you will have. On a five foot round bale, the outer four inches make up 25 percent of the total hay. Which means, if that four inches is wasted, you will need 25 percent more hay to feed your animals than you initially accounted for. When buying hay, ask questions about storage. If the hay has not been tested, request a test. If it has been tested, ask to see the test results. If the test was done months before you are there to shop, it is likely that the nutritive value will not be as good as it once was. Think of a hay test as an appraiser of valued items. It is the advisor you approach to learn the market value of your perceived treasure. Then, do your best to preserve its condition until you are ready to trade it in for a return on livestock performance. For more information on topics such as, how to perform a forage test and interpret test results or the basics of making high quality hay, consult your local Extension office.

Low Cul l Cow Prices and Complex Cul l ing Decis ions Source: Josh Maples Assistant Professor & Extension Economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University

Cattle markets overall have shown impressive strength despite larger supplies during 2018. Feeder steer market averages have been near level or slightly stronger than 2017 levels in many markets over the past few months even in the face of larger calf supplies. USDA-AMS reported national feeder and stocker receipts were around 15 percent higher during August-October 2018 as compared to the same three months during 2017. Moving more calves at level or higher prices is a testament to the current demand-driven environment. But the same “strength despite supplies” story does not hold for the cull cow market in 2018. Usually one of the more predictable seasonal markets, cull cow sellers have been plagued by low and going-lower prices for most of the year. Cull cow price data is a little more difficult to disentangle because there is often not as much volume or consistency across markets as there is for feeder cattle – but the trend has certainly been lower cull prices in 2018. In South Dakota, average cull cow prices reported by AMS were about 12 percent lower over July-October 2018 compared to the same four months of last year. In San Angelo, TX, cull cow prices were 18 percent lower over this same period and in Kentucky, cull cow prices averaged about 17 percent lower. Larger supplies are indeed a big factor. Beef cow slaughter has been running above year-ago levels for nearly all of 2018. USDA-AMS reports about a 12 percent increase in the number of cull cows and bulls sold since the beginning of July 2018 when compared to the same period last year. Some of this is due to a larger U.S. cow herd leading to there simply being more potential culls. Low margins for dairy producers forcing more dairy cows into the slaughter mix is another factor. While prices have been low already, we are now in the time of year when we typically expect lower cull prices. Cow slaughter is seasonally higher during the last three months of the year as producers make cull decisions prior to winter. Combined with winter usually being a slower ground beef demand time of the year, there usually is not much cull market strength until we get closer to Spring. This dynamic makes cull decisions a little more complex this year for many producers. Wintering a cow that you do not plan to keep is generally something producers are not keen to do. But that may not be the case in certain instances this year – especially for producers who have been waiting for a cull price rally to sell over the past few months without reward. Culling, even at current prices, will still make sense for many (probably even most) producers once the cost of carrying a cow through the winter is considered. But for producers with relatively low marginal wintering costs, this is at least a year to crunch the numbers.

Winter maintenance for poul t ry houses Source: Jacquie Jacob, UK poultry extension project manager

With colder weather on the way, poultry producers will have an increase in fuel costs to maintain poultry house temperatures. There are several things that you can do to minimize these expenses. 1. House tightness. For equipment to efficiently maintain the required in-house environment, it is important that the house has no leaks. Complete pressure checks to identify problem areas. To conduct a pressure check, close all doors, vents, fan shutters, etc.; turn on one 48-inch fan; and then check the static pressure. A house needs to be able to pull a 0.12 (inches water) static pressure. If your house does not pull 0.12, here are some things you can do to tighten up your house: Cinch curtains up tight with curtain laps over the tops and lumber strips at the bottom. Patch all holes in the curtains. Seal all leaks in the side and end walls with caulk or spray foam insulation. Maintain seals around doors and vents. Thermal imaging or smoke testing houses will help find leaks. 2. Fan maintenance. You should routinely check fans between flocks to ensure that belts are tight and shutters are clean and properly operating. Make sure the fan blades are clean. Grease any bearings as needed. Replace worn fan belts and repair bent shutters and any others that do not close. 3. Vent maintenance. Vents routinely cycle open and closed during the winter months. Check the status of the cable or rod systems, pulleys, insulation on the back of the vent doors, vent hinges, as well as the gears and fittings. Make sure vents close tight. 4. Heater maintenance: A heater that is not properly operating is wasting fuel. Check that the burner and pilot orifices are not plugged, that direct spark igniters will fire, that regulators are properly operating and the pressure. If the system is operating at too low pressure, check all plumbing fittings for leaks. Make sure that the deflectors are in place so that heated air is directed to the correct location. 5. Correct placement of thermostats for heaters and fans. Placing the heater thermostats by fans will result in the heaters continuously running. Similarly, placing fan thermostats in the path of hot air for heaters will keep the fans running. Every time you enter your houses, check to see which fans are running. If the same fans are running every time, you may have a problem. 6. Insulation maintenance. Even with solid sidewall houses, there are two places in every house that are nearly always subject to heat loss–the tunnel inlet and fans. It is difficult to add insulation to the tunnel inlets because they have to be left so they can operate during emergency situations. Tunnel doors that properly seal are a great remedy to the problem.

This is the annual business meeting and luncheon for the Northern Kentucky Cattle Asso-ciation which is an organization comprised of cat-tle farmers in Boone and Kenton Counties that work towards promoting the beef cattle industry by diligently improving their farm operations to produce the highest quality of beef for consum-ers. This program also includes an educational component where participants will be certified for Cattle Handling & Care, learn new feeding and grazing techniques for their livestock, and learn from our speaker from Bridgeview Angus in Frankfort, Kentucky. January 26, 9:00 am at Boone County Extension

Enrichment Center, Lower Level

This is the annual business meeting and dinner for the Northern Kentucky Horse Net-work which is an organization of equine enthusi-asts working to enrich the horse industry and community by promoting, protecting and edu-cating. This is a great opportunity to become a member of the NKHN. The vision of Northern Kentucky Horse Network is to encourage the Northern Kentucky region to become a model equine community for all disciplines and breeds, to protect the horse population, to provide rec-reational opportunities, to encourage sound management practices and to promote agritourism and the interests of the local horse industry.

January 27- 1:00 pm at Boone County Extension Enrichment Center, Lower Level

Come learn the buzz about bees and other pollinators! Learn how to at-tract bees and other pollinators, the im-portance of protecting pollinators, and how to beecome “Pollinator Friendly”!

January 10, 6:30 pm at Boone County Main Library on Burlington Pike

Mark your calendars now! ► Office Closed for New Year’s

Day

► Pollinators and You!

Jan. 10, 2019 @ 6:30 pm Boone County Public Library ► Kentucky Cattleman’s Convention Jan. 17-18, 2019 Owensboro, KY

► Office Closed for Martin Lu-

ther King Jr. Day ► NKY Cattleman’s Association Annual Meeting Jan. 26, 2019 ► Northern Kentucky Horse Network Annual Meeting Jan. 27, 2019

Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

Rex McBride, Boone County Extension Agent for Natural Resources & Environmental Education

Is a way for you to get answers from the experts at the University of Kentucky, Cooperative Extension Service .

michelle.simon@uky.edu or rex.mcbride@uky.edu

859-586-6101

boone.ca.uky.edu

https://www.facebook.com/michelle.simonextension

Michelle Simon, Boone County Extension Agent for Agriculture Education

Colorful Quesadi l las for game day! Use fresh or frozen spinach and red peppers, or try adding your own colorful vegetables in this dish. Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients 8 ounces cream cheese, fat-free 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 8 flour tortillas (small) 1 cup sweet red pepper (chopped) 1 cup low-fat cheese (shredded) 2 cups spinach leaves (fresh, or 9 oz. frozen, thawed and squeezed dry) Directions 1. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese and garlic powder. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on each tortilla. 2. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons bell pepper and 2 tablespoons cheese on one half of each tortilla. 3. Add spinach: 1/4 cup if using fresh leaves OR 2 tablespoons

if using frozen. 4. Fold tortillas in half. Heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Put 2 folded tortillas in skillet and heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove quesadillas from skillet, place on platter and cover with foil to keep warm while cooking the remainder. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve warm. For nutrition information, please visit Colorful Quesadillas at What's Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl.