Cow Country News- March 2024 by The Kentucky Cattlemen's Association

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C O L UM NISTS 07 Jeff Pettit President's Thoughts

23rd Annual Grass Time Partners Sale Monday, April 15 at 7pm • Paris Stockyards

08 Jonathan Shell Commissioner's Corner 10 Dave Maples Thoughts from Dave 46 Dr. Michelle Arnold Act Now to Control Poison Hemlock 50 Chris Teutsch Strategies for Reclaiming Disturbed Pastures 84 Katie VanValin Forages Have A Fundamental Role To Play In The Beef Industry

F E AT U RE STORIES 14 Auctions Help Producers Meet Their Hay Needs 18 Manage Mud for a More Efficient Livestock Operation 20 U.S. Cattle Inventory Reaches 73-Year Low 22 Calm Cattle Handler 24 Don’t Make a Mistake, CALIBRATE!!! 30 Cattlemen’s Beef Board Elects New Officers At 2024 Winter Meetings 34 Make 2024 a Better Hay Year 36 Growing a Forage Base 42 Understanding Forage Seeders To Maximize Establishment Success 48 Establishing Livestock Pastures and Hayfields 56 Variable Rate Frost Seeding Evaluated at UK Research and Education Center 72 NCBA Releases 2024 Policy Priorities 16 County News 26 Legislative Update 38 Economic & Policy Update 64 Membership 66 Kentucky Beef Council 68 Kentucky Beef Network 74 News Releases 77 Kentucky Angus News 82 Calendar of Events 83 Advertisers Index 83 Classifieds

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Cover photo by Jimmy Henning, UK Forage Extension Specialist

4 • Cow Country • March

Fe a tu ri n g t h e s o n s o f S A rch i te c t 9 501

50 R EGISTE R E D A N GU S BU LLS 20 R EGISTE R E D A N GU S FE MA LES 60 C OMME R C IA L FE MA LE S John McDonald 859.404.1406

Jason Crowe 859.582.0761

Randel Arnett 859.585.2266

The recent January cold snap should have come as a many things in the cow herd are anecdotal for us to eliminate surprise to absolutely no one. Our area did not have measur- the need to open the door and stick your head out of the office able snowfall in 2023, and a snow-loving public was willing to to take the temperature of how things are going in the pasture. tune in to anything that gave them hope of a light covering of If you pay attention, you will see things that the models won’t winter precipitation. The local meteorologists were on top of quantify but certainly matter in the cow herd. it. From accumulation predictions to temperature timing, they Something like maternal instinct and colostrum qualhad every bit of their data at their fingertips to communicate ity has to be nearly impossible to quantify, but how much was to their audience. I don’t envy the jobs of the weathermen that worth that week? We had a calf born a week earlier than of the world. Airline pilots may be the only ones the general the bull turnout indicated we should have, with an overnight public expects to execute their jobs at a higher success rate. If low of 3 degrees. This calf was born at some point through the they don’t wholly nail a forecast, someone will complain. Even night, and I did nothing but tag and weigh it the next day. All if they do, there will still be complaints from those who sim- that will show up in the data is a late January birthdate, a 74 ply don’t like the weather outside. As farmers, we know that if lb birthweight, and a slightly above-average udder score. The there was a way to control the weather, we would have figured cow is 10 years old with pedestrian EPDs, has never produced it out by now. a herd sire, and her only daughter’s production record is I am an easy customer to please regarding my forebarely above average. She is just a cow. However, if you ask a cast consumption. Just tell me the temperatures and a few commercial cattleman what he thinks of her performance, he possible outcomes based on the modeling (needless to say, I would take a whole herd of her. read weather blogs instead of simply viewing the apps or local We can provide a multitude of other examples. Some news). I do have one complaint, though. Weathermen tend sire groups get sick after weaning, while some seem to never to editorialize their forecasts. As Joe Friday used to say on miss a beat. Some cattle appear to have the IQ of a border Dragnet, I want “just the facts, ma’am.” That week was filled collie, while others have the IQ of a rock. If you aren’t out with phrases like “bone-chilling.” While I understand the ex- there calving them out, treating the sick ones after weaning, citement of a typically once-a-year event around here, I think and constantly rotating and working them, you cannot see it many of these professionals fail to actually get outside and the same. A lot of these things we seem to chalk up to being experience the weather conditions they are trying to comeither low in heritability or hard to measure, but that is not municate. Days forecasted as “dangerously cold” were some of an excuse to act like they don’t exist and opt for only using the the most pleasant work conditions of the week once the sun data we do have. Much like we don’t need to revert to using appeared after what felt like a significant hiatus. The week our farmer’s almanac to predict the weather, we don’t need prior, many meteorologists saw an above-average stretch of to go back purely to visual appraisal and anecdotal informatemperatures as a “break from the cold” and ignored the most tion. The data is terrific and needs to guide every breeding annoying 48-degree rain you will ever work in. The same thing decision we make. However, we need to give more credit to seems to happen in the summer. I don’t know how often the what we see when we actually step outside into the elements. 90-degree day with a pleasant breeze was much better on us Sometimes, that requires the ones making your breeding (and the cattle) than the stagnant 80-degree day that felt like recommendations to get a little mud on their boots with the you were living in a sweaty sock. They have all the data in the ones out doing the work. We got plenty of mud on our boots world to predict and quantify the conditions outside. Howev- developing every bull in our spring sale. Every bull was perer, far too often, those of us who make a living outside are left sonally tagged by my father or me at birth. Every piece of data wondering what they were talking about when they told us it was written on a legal pad in my handwriting and submitted was a “bad” day to be outside. from my laptop. I delivered every bite of feed while they were The point is that no matter how good the data is, we on test. We know the set of bulls inside and out to help you have to get out from behind our desks and see what it is like in best find the bull for your cows. Give us a call, and we would the field. I have preached data as much as anyone. The seedbe happy to talk about them with you. We got plenty of mud stock sector has done a fantastic job quantifying what these on our boots learning about them, so you don’t have to. cattle are genetically when we can measure something. Foot Joe K. Lowe II score, heifer pregnancy, and hair shed EPDs have significantly Contact joe.lowe@icloud.com for an additional monthly newsletter reduced my headaches regarding sire selection. However, too

45TH ANNUAL FIRST CHOICE BULL SALE

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2024 - SMITHS GROVE, KY - 5:30 PM CDT -YEARLING AND 18-MONTH-OLD BULLS KENNETH D. LOWE 270-202-7186 - JOE K. LOWE II 270-202-4399 WWW.OAKHOLLOWANGUS.COM

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS:

KCA PAST PRESIDENTS:

REGIONAL DIRECTORS:

PRESIDENT Jeff Pettit 5745 US Highway 41 S Sebree, KY 42455 (270) 836-2963

PAST PRESIDENT Andy Bishop 6135 High Grove Road Cox’s Creek, KY 40013 (502) 350-7609

1972-73 Jere Caldwell† - Boyle

2004 Paul Napier - Lincoln

1974-77 Smith T. Powell† - Lincoln

2005 Eddie Young - Washington

1978-79 Larry Lovell† - Union

2006 Greg Ritter† - Barren

PRESIDENT ELECT Randy Warner 2717 Ratliff Road Sharpsburg, KY 40374 (859) 771-5280

KCA PROGRAM CHAIRMAN Daniel Hayden 6333 Herbert Road Whitesville, KY 42378 (270) 570-2815

REGION 1 Wayne Zoglman*.........................270-264-1764 John Mark Brown........................270-333-5936 Ashley Holloway................................................. Leland Steely...............................270-339-3476 Gary Woodall...............................270-725-0819 Coleman Ladd.............................270-871-1091 Susan Zoglman...........................270-993-2752 Bill Plemmons.............................270-668-2056 Kenton Howard...........................270-893-3066 Sara Roberson............................270-668-2428

VICE PRESIDENT Allan Bryant 1429 Hillspring Road Eminence, KY 40019 502-548-1379

KBC CHAIRMAN Ryan Miller 60 Country Estates Lebanon, KY 40033 (502) 827-5027

TREASURER Ken Adams 90 E Horseshoe Ave. Upton, KY 42784 (270) 734-1443

KBN CHAIRMAN* Allan Bryant BEEF SOLUTIONS CHAIRMAN* Daniel Hayden *ex officio

1980-82 John Masters - Fleming

2007 Don Pemberton - Christian

1983-85 Seldon Hail† - Laurel

2008 Billy Glenn Turpin - Madison

1986-87 Bob Vickery† - Wayne

2009 Scotty Parsons - Christian

†

1988 Glenn Mackie - Bourbon

2010 Corinne Kephart - Shelby

1989 Dale Lovell† - Muhlenberg

2011 Greg Robey - Mercer

1990 Steve Henshaw† - Union

2012 Mike Bach - Bath

1991 Jerry Fraim - Grayson

2013 Don Reynolds - Hart

1992 Glen Massengale† - Wayne

2014 Steve Downs - Marion

1993 Dell King - Christian

2015 Gary Woodall - Logan

1994 Kenneth Lowe - Warren

2016 David Lemaster - Clark

1995 Dr. J.L.Cole - Monroe

2017 Chuck Crutcher - Hardin

1996 Harvey Mitchell - Mercer

2018 Bobby Foree - Henry

1997 Jim Naive† - Spencer

2019 Tim White - Fayette

1998 Shelby Hughes - Logan

2020 Steve Dunning - Christian

1999 Hoppy Lovell - Barren

2021 Chris Cooper - Madison

2000 Charles Miller - Jessamine

2022 Cary King - Mercer

2001 Larry Clay - Perry

2023 Andy Bishop - Nelson

2002 Jack Kimbrough† - Shelby

(Deceased)

†

2003 Mark Williams - Crittenden

REGION 2 Phyllis Gentry*............................502-331-1146 Joe Lowe.....................................270-202-4399 Alison Nissley..............................270-403-3205 Rayetta Boone.................................................... Robbie Hatfield............................270-230-6716 Chris Imbruligo...........................270-993-0543 Maggie Webb..............................270-590-8017 Mike Jones..................................270-670-7588 Corbin Cowles.............................270-991-2534 Glen Byrd....................................270-991-1186 Isaac Thompson..........................270-789-8712 Kenneth Green............................270-589-7175 Trent Jones.................................270-590-5266 Brian Manion...............................270-868-0253 Joe Mike Moore..........................270-670-7493 Amy Cecil....................................270-427-7207 REGION 3 Amanda Hall................................859-333-5001 Nathan Lawson............................502-836-3879 James Brown..............................502-226-0126 Phillip Douglas............................502-552-0688 Larry Bryant................................502-845-4615 Lincoln Clifford...........................859-954-0102 Abbey Biddle...................................................... Ben Tinsley..................................502-682-6237 Kevin Perkins..............................502-269-7189 Kyle Bush....................................859-588-4531 Michelle Simon...........................859-572-2600 Craig Retzlaff...............................502-541-0086

Clara Belle Bishop and Gracie Pike of Nelson County were all ready for Winter Formal when they had to trade in their heels for boots to help deliver a calf.

VOLUME 37 • ISSUE 3 176 PASADENA DRIVE • SUITE 4 • LEXINGTON, KY 40503 • PHONE: (859) 278-0899 FAX: (859) 260-2060 • WWW.KYCATTLE.ORG • INFO@KYCATTLE.ORG

Executive Vice President

Membership and Communications Coordinator

Communications Manager

Chief Operating Officer

KBC Director of Industry Relations

KBC Director of Nutrition

Beef Solutions Operations Manager

Video Production Specialist

Director of Kentucky Beef Network

KBC Director of Communications

KBN Program Coordinator

KCA Collections & Compliance

Graphic Designer

KBN Industry Coordinator

Director of Operations & Policy

KBC Director of Education

National Advertising Sales, LAN Debby Nichols (859) 321-8770

Dave Maples Carey Brown Kenny Allen Kelly Baird

Todd Brown

Bradon Burks

Rachel Cain

Amelia Carter Danny Coy

Jake Harrod Dan Miller

Katie Pratt Alex Scott

Becky Thompson Kelly Tucker

Nikki Whitaker

COW COUNTRY is published monthly by THE KENTUCKY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any material which he feels is unsuitable for the publication. Although the highest journalistic ethics will be maintained, the KENTUCKY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION limits its responsibilities for any errors, inaccuracies, or misprints in advertising or editorial copy. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for all content of advertisements made against the publisher.

6 • Cow Country • March

REGION 4 Amy White*.................................859-227-2552 Brad Reynolds.............................859-200-1632 Chad Anglin.................................859-893-2375 Phillip Stamm..............................606-796-9175 Danielle Harmon.........................606-748-8059 Bruce Witt...................................859-585-8889 Jodi Purvis..................................606-336-3540 Mike Ravencraft..........................606-584-0310 Ronnie Lowe...............................606-782-5058 Danny Callahan...........................859-388-0910 Jason Crowe...............................859-582-0761 Rob Amburgey............................859-338-1816 REGION 5 Adam Chunglo*..........................859-613-2985 Brent Woodrum...........................859-397-1078 Tommy Spalding.........................270-402-9157 Dean Craft...................................606-634-0191 Doris Hamilton............................859-613-2315 Rick Brewer.................................606-682-2352 Brent Williams.............................502-817-1511 Anne Bays..................................615-478-8450 Terry Mattingly.............................270-692-0527 Ryan Miller..................................502-827-5027 Phillip Reese................................606-787-1629 Tommy Glasscock.......................270-692-4336 * Denotes member of Executive committee

President's Thoughts Jeff Pettit KCA President I hope this issue finds you all seeing some green-up in your pastures! KCA enjoyed a very successful annual meeting and convention in Lexington in January, now we are already working on the next one which will be back in Owensboro in January 2025. Please start planning now to be there in January and learn more about how we can be better stewards of the blessing God has allowed us to have in being caretakers of his creation. As I begin writing this article, I am sitting in the hotel room in Orlando, Florida, getting ready to go into the NCBA CattleCon 2024. It has been an interesting first month on the job as your KCA president. I applaud all who have served in this role prior to me for your efforts and devotion to the beef industry. We all must realize that what we do extends beyond our own farmgate and checkbook if we want to be able to hand down a viable beef industry to the next generation. A comment that I recently heard gives me cause to worry. The comment went like this, “I am not in the beef business; I am just in the cattle business.” I have a hard time understanding how someone could make such a statement. What value do cows have if they aren’t part of the beef supply chain? Even the most soughtafter prize herd sires' end up as hamburger or being compost when they are no longer producing, and compost really doesn’t provide much value! We all must realize at the end of the day we are growing beef, otherwise there is no value for our product. Oh, maybe a pasture ornament or petting zoo would have some value but not to sustain the U.S. cowherd as we know it today. Once you realize and understand we are all producing beef whether we are cow-calf operators, seedstock producers, backgrounders, feeders, or packers then you can see how it takes everyone working together to get our product from “Pasture to Plate.” In the 1963 movie “McLintock,” John Wayne starred as a cattle producer in the Old West. He knew his role when asked who he worked for. He said something along these lines, “Son, I work for every person that walks into a fancy steakhouse in New York City and sits down and orders a T-bone steak.” Even in 1963, beef and the consumer were paramount. We can never forget that! We are not just cattle producers or cattle traders. We are beef producers. In our role of producing beef for a growing world we must do that better than anyone else in the world. We have to do it with less cows and less acres of pasture every year. We are either seeking ways to improve our skills as producers or we are getting left behind. The world is not setting by and allowing us to operate the same way as we did 50 or 100 years ago. What are you doing to improve your operation? What are you learning that will allow you to produce more pounds of high-quality beef? Land and water stewardship, animal health and welfare, disease traceability, efficient genetics and free markets are all important components of a viable and sustainable beef industry that is required to feed the world in which we live.

Folks, it is important. It can be scary in many ways. Change is always met with resistance and fear, but we cannot allow fear to impede progress and the safety of our food supply chain or health of our cowherds. Some folks say we have a system in place to handle this already, but in reality, it is an antiquated and outdated system that in some cases relies on paper records stored in a cardboard box in a dark closet. That kind of system cannot keep up with the speed of commerce in today’s business world. I am willing to bet very few of you who have off-the-farm jobs work with the same systems or processes from 60 or 70 years ago. Why would anyone think that our beef industry should or would do that? As your KCA president, I am committed to KCA being in the midst of this conversation and trying to help develop a plan that makes the most sense for everyone involved from the producer to the consumer. Stay tuned and look forward to more on traceability in coming months. It’s not the “big bad wolf” that some would have you believe it is! I have been using EIDs in our herd for several years now and have lived to talk about it. LOL!

Jeff Pettit

Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association President

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Commissioner's Corner Jonathan Shell

Commissioner of Agriculture Last year, Kentucky farmers donated nearly $736,000 to the Ag Tag Program, which is the largest amount donated in a single year in the history of the program.

the $10 Ag Tag donation has nearly doubled from about 20% to just under 40%. I want to increase it to 50%. That’s a huge goal, but I think it’s something we should shoot for.

Most farm vehicle license plates, or “ag tags,” must be renewed in March. Kentucky motorists who renew or buy ag tags have the option to make a voluntary $10 donation to the Ag Tag Fund. It’s one of the easiest ways to give back to your community and to the future of Kentucky agriculture.

Ag Tag donations, which have totaled more than $5 million since 2016, are divided equally among Kentucky 4-H, Kentucky FFA and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. Last year, each group received more than $245,000. Since 2016, Kentucky FFA and Kentucky 4-H have received, collectively, nearly $3.5 million from donations made by ag producers renewing their vehicles each year.

The $10 donation is also one of the most inexpensive ways an individual can make a difference in the lives of Kentucky’s youth. If you give $10 to a cause, it’s not going to change the world. But if a million people give $10 across this state, it’s going to change a lot of people’s lives. More and more Kentucky farmers are getting involved. During the past 12 years, the number of folks making

Half of the 4-H and FFA funds go back to the county where the tag is purchased. Both organizations use the funds to support local programming, awards and scholarships. A lot of times, these funds give vulnerable kids the means to get their first FFA jacket or to go

to 4-H camp. I’m fortunate that my family was able to buy my jacket and send me to FFA camp, but I knew kids in school who didn’t get to participate because of financial hardships. The more donations we can provide, the more those kids can get the lifechanging experiences that FFA and 4-H provide. You will help shape the future of the agriculture industry by helping the next generation participate and feel wanted, needed and valued. In the weeks to come, as many of you head back to your county clerk’s office to renew your ag tags, I hope you’ll make the $10 donation. It’s a simple way to give back to your community and, collectively, make a huge impact on the future of Kentucky agriculture.

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Fertil

Thoughts From Dave Dave Maples Executive Vice President

The topic around animal disease traceability systems has caused a whirlwind of conversation this past month. This conversation began with a draft of a proposed NCBA policy resolution that state cattlemen’s associations were to vote on at the then-upcoming NCBA convention Feb. 1. Over the course of two days at the end of January, the KCA office fielded hundreds of phone calls regarding this resolution. Our staff did a really nice LS! job taking the calls, and we had some A E D very nice conversations GTIMEwith some very N I R P niceSpeople. It was a great opportunity for us to provide education and clear up misunderstandings about the resolution and the current USDA animal disease traceability rules, which, by the way, have been on the books since 2013. It was also a good time for our KCA executive committee members to listen to the concerns of our livestock markets regarding this proposed resolution. We scheduled the meeting with the Kentucky Livestock Marketing Association the week of Jan. 15 and had a lively conversation with them about the issue Jan. 26 in Bowling Green. The topic of animal disease traceability is not new to us, and it is an important topic to talk about. A major disease outbreak in the U.S. could not only be detrimental to our herds but would negatively impact our markets and our livelihoods. KCA has been highly involved in this conversation for 20 years. If you will remember 20 years ago, we were one month into the BSE era and “the cow that stole Christmas.” KCA had way more calls over a longer time period with the BSE issue asking for help and how to get the markets opened. At that time, KCA worked with Kentucky Beef Network and 10 southeastern states to form the Southeastern Livestock Network and implemented an animal disease traceability system. John Stevenson and Becky Thompson from KBN, Jim Akers from UK and our KBN facilitators were all hands-on deck getting calves tagged and in a PVP – process-verified program. John and Jim were in stockyards all over 10 • Cow Country • March

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the Southeast helping them and order buyers get their processes in place. There is no telling how many air miles they logged in this effort. I remember very well that KBN was at the Ag Development Board meeting, and we had a $25,000 request in our Ag Development Board application for some equipment for our Kentucky livestock markets. We walked out of the Capitol that day with $2 million to administer and distribute to the stockyards. That was a big lift getting those dollars equitably distributed to the markets.

industry. We have a real chance to build infrastructure to become more competitive economically and invest in our producers and their success. Like I said earlier, being in the cattle business isn’t an easy job – but being able to help our producers while making agriculture and food systems sustainable is worth it.

The toughest made multi-purpose spreaders Over the years, I have had many different Redhawk CU100 favorite counties, but this month I have made a change. My new favorite county is Lewis County. It was hard to admit at their county cattlemen's meeting that this was my first time being in the county. Lewis County is beautiful, and there are only 14,000 residents in the county that has nearly 500 square miles. Phillip Stamm, Lewis County Cattlemen’s Association president, gave me a twohour tour of the county, and it had to be one of my best days. Thank you, Phillip.

It also needs to be highlighted that you CU100 all Redhawk but have a mandatory animal traceability program now. It is just piecemealed and not very well communicated. Most of the industry does not realize that it is in place. The NCBA resolution that passed at convention said NCBA would support and provide education on our current traceability system, which is what we plan to do.

There are many spread engineered and built li Ground Driven Spreade Our industry is changing and is going taken to the next level. FERTILIZER PRECISION to change really fast in the next couple LE!du Stoltzfus’ ABunique L I There are many spreaders, but none available. Unibody f A of years. We have the smallest cow herd V AND LIME POWER G Awheel offers fertilizer p N I C that we have had in 73 years. Cattle prices and built like Stoltzfus. N engineered Our construction, top dr A FIN with the break-out stren are high, and people are going to sell Driven Spreaders Ground for example are purpose-built walkin more cows. Being in the cattle business is lime, litter and compost The toughest made taken to the next level. result in a multi-use not an easy job. You have to do physical most versatile ground d multi-purpose spreaders Stoltzfus’ unique dual contact press for decades of use. labor and be smart about the decisions Fertilizer Precision and 75 years. for over offers fertilizerLime precision Stoltzfus you make. The next generation wheel of cattle Power combined Building spreaders forSpread multiThe toughest made multi-purpose spreaders for over 75 years. producers will use technologieswith thatthe we break-out strength to handle damp toughness, longevit have not even thought of, and Ilime, would litter and compost making this the multi-product applic predict that the EID tag that we are most versatile ground driven spreader That’s the Stoltzfus D having all the conversations about today Redhawk CU100

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The pace is beginning to pick up in the Used for spreading wet (damp Sized for lit Kentucky Legislature, and we have spent or stockpiled) lime, gypsum, these comb sand and much more. spread a lot of time in Frankfort. The primary focus of the General Assembly continues R to be the budget, and agriculture has Lime Spreaders Bulk Material Spreaders Row Crop Spreaders several big asks this session. I think Used for spreading wet (damp Sized for litter but built for lime, For wide swath spreading of lime it’s wonderful that so many of our or stockpiled) lime, gypsum, these combination spreaders can and fertilizer, with the ability to elected officials support agriculture top-dress on standing crops. sand and much more. spread most materials. and want to see Kentucky’s agriculture RED BARN AND ASSOCIATES industry grow. One of those asks is the Row Crop, Bulk Material, Wet Lime, and Boom Spread Kentucky Livestock Innovation Center that would create opportunities for workforce development in the livestock redbarnandassociates.com Building spreaders for multi-purpose applications for 75 Years!

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STONE GATE FARMS optimum trait genetics April 26, 2024

STONE GATE SUMMIT 792

WKU L.D. Brown Expo Center

Bowling Green, KY The KJCA Cattle Working Contest is designed for KJCA Members who want to develop their skills in animal management and handling. Working as a team, members must efficiently process three head utilizing Beef Quality Care & Assurance guidelines. They are also responsible for accurately completing a processing plan, and team problem. Each county may enter one team, all team entries received will be placed into a random draw lottery to determine which 10 teams compete in the contest. All teams will be notified of their status in the competition by Friday, March 15th, 2024.

Registration

CED

Milk

20530643

-1.6

115

20530669

2.6

121

20530612

2.5

133

20682788

1.5

128

20682791

4.8

155

20682792

3.5

139

20682794

1.0

134

20682795

-0.6

116

20682800

1.6

121

20682790

2.6

141

ANNUAL SPRING SALE MONDAY MARCH 4, 2024 55 ANGUS BULLS AND 40 FALL BRED COMMERCIAL HEIFERS

1669 Mill Creek Rd. • Flemingsburg, KY 41041 Chris Cannon: 606-748-0407 • Caleb Cannon: 606-748-0044 Charles Cannon: 606-748-0747 www.stonegatefarms.com • stonegateangus@gmail.com @stonegatefarmsky March • Cow Country • 11

C A

nnA

annon ngus

6:30 PM

e l aS

Pr o duc t i o n l a u

Farmer’s Stockyards 3-14-24

Flemingsburg, KY

SELLING

6 - 18 Month Old Bulls 35 Yearling Bulls 10 Cows 15 Bred Heifers 15 Open Heifers

_Angus

Cannon

Angus

12 • Cow Country • March

cannonangusfarm.com

Mary Jayne Cannon: 606.748.6307 Victoria Cannon: 606.748.5420 Casey Story: 606.209.5566

TJB/3T KENTUCKY BULL SALE April 6, 2024 | Mid-Kentucky Livestock Market Upton, Kentucky

DONORS REPRESENTED:

TJB Anissa 954G

TJB Anissa 579C

TJB Vanessa 914U

Selling

25 BULLS FROM PROVEN ET PROGRAM 20 COMMERCIAL FALL CALVING BRED HEIFERS TODD BICKETT DVM TJB GELBVIEH, (423) 667-3799 tjbgelbvieh.com

JASON TAYLOR 3T FARMS, (270) 352-7093 @3TFarm

VISIT TJBGELBVIEH.COM TO VIEW CATALOG & UPDATES March • Cow Country • 13

Madison County Regional Hay Auction photos by Brandon Sears

Auctions Help Producers Meet Their Hay Needs Katie Pratt Kentucky Cattlemen's Association Dwindling hay supplies can cause a good amount of worry for cattle producers in the middle of winter. Hay auctions across Kentucky are working to help producers get the hay they need to get to spring.

spring freeze. The auction typically occurs on the third Saturday in January.

“Winter is the perfect time to have a hay auction and connect buyers and sellers,” said Brandon Bell, Metcalfe County agriculture and natural resources extension agent with the University of Kentucky. “By the end of January, producers are going to know whether you have extra hay to sell or are in need of hay to get through the rest of the winter.”

“We wanted to give people a local option to buy and sell hay at an auction,” he said. “It has grown to be bigger than I thought it would be. It’s a big undertaking, but we have a lot of support from the fair board and our fair board president Chuck Givens, who is also our auctioneer.”

Bell is one of five UK extension agents in south-central Kentucky that organize the Tri-County Hay Auction. The auction has occurred on the last Saturday in January for the last several years and is open to anyone. Further east, Madison County Extension has hosted a similar type of regional hay auction in conjunction with their fair board since 2007. That year, hay was in short supply due to a fall drought and late 14 • Cow Country • March

Evan McCord was one of the producers that helped start the Madison County Regional Hay Auction.

While the extension auctions occur during midwinter, the Fairview Produce Auction in Christian County offers producers a weekly hay auction each Friday during the winter and monthly during the summer months. “I think it actually started out on someone’s farm and moved to the auction in the late 1990s as it was something we could during our off season,” said Joseph Hoover, Fairview’s assistant manager. “Most of our buyers are local and our sellers tend to be from within a couple

hours of the auction.” Hay auctions are especially important for producers when supplies are tight across Kentucky as they are this winter. Spring forage growth was delayed by cool temperatures early in the growing season, and dry weather during the fall shortened the haymaking season for many. As a result, the number of consignors at the 2024 hay auctions were down but prices have been up from previous years. While consignors are able to put reserve prices on their hay, prices have significantly exceeded the reserves. For McCord, who also has a custom hay operation, this year posed a unique challenge. He was able to consign some hay, but he also found himself on the buying end as he was short on square bales this winter. “I lost a barn and shed in a hailstorm earlier this year. My facilities did not get rebuilt until the fall so I had nowhere to store the bales until then,” he said. Hay that sold in the Tri-County Hay

Why Buy a Red Hill Bull? Red Hill Farms is focused on improving the proﬁtability of our customers’ operations. • Collect ‘all the data, all the time’ to increase accuracy of EPDs and Indexes to aid in our breeding and selection program. • Offer multiple breeds to optimize heterosis - the ‘last free lunch’ in the beef industry. • Understand environmental and forage adaptability trumps every other selection factor. • Place emphasis on ‘Convenience Traits’ including docility, calving ease, feet and udders. • Extensive use of Economic Index selection to increase genetic progress for proﬁtability.

REDHILL REVOLUTIONARY 268K

He Sells!

(RAAA #4774545)

$Profit: 22,886 (1.0%) $Ranch: 158 (3.5%) $Feeder: 158 (3.5%) ProS: 142 (2%) HB: 88 (3%)

Auction was tested by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture on-site for its nutrient content. The hay was also weighed. This helps buyers feel more confident in the quality of the hay they are purchasing. “While it was hard to get consignors this year, our quality of the hay in the auction was also the best it has been,” Bell said. Sears said KDA usually tests hay sold in the Madison County auction, but due to a snowstorm that occurred on the auction weekend, this year’s hay was not tested. All the hay was weighed before it was sold. “Bale weight and quality tend to vary at our auction from year to year, but having that information at sale time helps the buyer make an informed decision which has been our goal from the beginning,” Sears said. Hoover said while hay testing is not required of consignors at the Fairview Auction, it is encouraged as it can help them better market their hay. Hay is sold by the bale. The auction releases weekly market reports . Producers can get more information about the regional hay auctions by contacting Sears at 859-623-4072 or brandon. sears@uky.edu; Bell at 270-432-3561 or gbbell2@uky.edu or Hoover at 270-887-0053.

He Sells! REDHILL 231A 145X 365K

(ASA #4218685)

$Profit: 26,528 (1.2%) $Ranch: 117 (8.2%) $Feeder: 209 (0.4%) API: 179.5 (2%) TI: 93.1 (10%)

Visit www.RedHillFarms.net for information about our sale and breeding program.

XIX

MORE THAN A BULL SALE

Bart, Sarah & Ty Jones • (615) 666-3098

SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2024 466 Red Hill Road, Lafayette, TN 37083 1 p.m. CDT • At the Farm

Selling

75 Red Angus Bulls, SimAngus™ and Charolais Bulls photo by Matt Futrell

mail@redhillfarms.net Gordon & Susan Jones • (270) 991-2663

March • Cow Country • 15

BARREN COUNTY NEWS submitted by James W. Bailey

The Barren County Cattlemen’s meeting was held Thursday, Feb. 8 at the Barren County High School Trojan Academy. During the meeting, members of the Barren County FFA Chapter presented a program on their supervised agriculture experience projects. FFA members pictured include back row (L to R): Matthew Estes, Mollie Webb, Addison Houchens, Riley Degraft, Garrett Parker and Bodie James. Front row (L to R): Kendal Crowe, Lexie Gray, Aubree Lee and Karie Beth London. Pictured far right representing Pro Solutions of Hiseville is Daniel Craine, Jon Keigtley and Caleb Logsdon and Dr. Steve Webb, Barren County Cattlemen’s Association president. Pro Solutions of Hiseville sponsored a delicious dinner. The Barren County Cattlemen’s Association meeting was held Thursday evening, Jan. 25 at the Barren County High School Trojan Academy. During the meeting, Rachel Walker, representing Southern States Co-op, presented a program on forage management. Pictured from left to right representing Southern States Coop of Glasgow is Rachel Walker, Drew Russell, J.T. Martin, Zach DewBord and Lindsey Jackson. Far right is Mark Craine, vice president of the Barren County Cattlemen’s Association. Members enjoyed a delicious steak dinner that was sponsored by Southern States Co-op of Glasgow.

Kentucky Cattlemen's Foundation YOUTH SCHOLARSHIPS Five $1,500 Scholarships are available through the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association and are funded by the Kentucky Cattlemen's Foundation. Requirements: • Must be a graduate from a Kentucky public, private, charter, or homeschool in the year of the application • Must be enrolled and attending an institute of higher education following graduation • Must be planning to major in agriculture or an agriculturally-related subject • Applicant or their parent/guardian must be an active member of the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association Applications for the 2024 KCF Youth Scholarships should be submitted by March 31, 2024. For more information contact Bradon Burks at the KCA office at 859-278-0899 or visit kycattle.org/youth-scholarship 16 • Cow Country • March

The Inaugural AAA Farms Production Sale APRIL 13, 2024 • 4PM AT THE FARM IN LAVINIA, TN

CRAZY K RITA 6726

Reg# +*18604882

ALSO FEATURING FULL SISTERS TO THE POPULAR AAA HERD SIRE HEADLINER, TRUE BALANCE 1311 AND THE PROVEN EDISTO PINES FARM, EZ ANGUS AND SELECT SIRES ROSTER MEMBER, STEP UP 9178.

CED +13, BW +.5, WW +65, YW +120 Milk +26, CW +57, MARB +1.44, RE +1.05 FAT -.009, $AxH +214, $AxJ +217 , $W +53 $W +54, $F +109, $G +100, $B +210, $C +326 Headlining the proven donors selling in this first time event, Rita 6726, the Marb., RE, $B and $C leading feature who is a direct daughter of the foundation Hillhouse Angus and Maplecrest Farms female, Ingenuity 3132 by the Marb. leader, Momentum. Progeny from this AAA cornerstone includes: Fervent 2549, the Lot 2 headliner of the 44 Farms Spring Bull Sale; Rita 1503, the $90,000 top-selling female of the recordsetting first Gobbell G3 Farms sale selected by Vintage Angus Ranch; and Rita 0024, the $70,000 selection of Audley Farm in the 2021 Spruce Mountain Ranch Sale. Rita 6726 sells with heifer calf at side by True Balance, and open and ready to flush.

VINTAGE RITA 5008

SPRUCE MTN ERICA 8364

Audley Ruby of Tiffany J184-20267380 use photo of Audley Ruby of Tiffany G124 LOT

Reg# *18066030 CED +4, BW +1.7, WW +85, YW +147, Milk +20, CW +72, MARB +1.02 RE +.65, FAT -.019, $AxH +91, $AxJ +94, $M +39 $W +68, $F +120, $G +74, $B +195, $C +292

Reg# +*19221717 CED +12, BW -.4, WW +83, YW +143, Milk +33, CW +61, MARB +1.43 RE +.41, FAT +.045, $AxH +158, $AxJ +115, $M +91 $W +90, $F +99, $G +87, $B +186, $C +332 Featuring two daughters of this $55,000 $M and $W leader of the AAA donor program sired by the $175,000 AAA, Spruce Mountain RS Angus and Express calving-ease specialist, True Balance and the popular ST Genetics roster member, Kenny Rogers. Express Ranches boought a heifer pregnancy by the multi-trait sire, True Balance in the 2023 Bases Loaded Sale for $25,000.

A special highlight from the Rita family, daughters of this $240,000 valued AAA and Vintage Angus donor sell by the record-selling Jameson, the multi-trait leader of the ST Genetics roster, Breakthrough and the now-deceased ST Genetics roster member, Clarity. Full and maternal sisters include: Rita 8204, the $160,000 valued selection of Herbster Angus and Linz Heritage Angus; Rita 0227, the $120,000 selection of EZ Angus and Optum Angus; a $35,000 heifer pregnancy selling to Circle G Ranches; and two females selling to Vintage Angus Ranch in the record-setting 2023 Gobbell G3 Farms Sale. Sale Managed by:

517.546.6374 www.cotton-associates.com

AAA FARMS

1091 Kefauver Drive • Milan, TN 38358 Andy and Angie Atwood, Owner Chris Hooker 731-437-3747

WWW,AAAFARMS.COM March • Cow Country • 17

is the time to make sure you have a soil test so you can renovate your pastures for the best growth. With better weather, we also look forward to the construction season when all sorts of projects can be completed.

Manage Mud for a More Efficient Livestock Operation Paulette Akers Scientific Advisor, Kentucky Division of Water One thing farmers have plenty of this time of year is mud. With the field traffic from livestock and equipment plus the rain, and the freezing and thawing of the ground, many farmers spend the first half of every year fighting the battle against mud. Mud causes many problems. It can be sticky, slippery and heavy. It can create suction on the hooves of livestock and cause cattle to expend calories as they fight to pull their feet from sucking mud. Cattle will also expend more calories to stay warm when their coats are wet and mud covered. Those calories could have been weight gains. Some animals may also choose to drink from a muddy hoof print rather than walk through mud to a cleaner water supply. Not only is mud a problem for your livestock, but it also means you’re losing valuable topsoil and compacting the remaining soil. Have you noticed that the fence posts are more eroded on one side than the other? Or that the barn footers are more visible? Even if you aren’t seeing rills and gulleys, these are signs that you are losing soil. These losses also lead to poor quality pastures and require added nutrients and seed to keep enough good quality grass growing in warmer months. When soil health suffers, the weeds increase, and the 18 • Cow Country • March

forage quality drops. Spring is just around the corner, so now

Not sure about the best plan of action? The Agriculture Water Quality Plan has a list of Best Management Practices you can install on your farm that can help prevent soil erosion and protect water quality. You can check out the list and get ideas at https://eec.ky.gov/NaturalResources/Conservation/Pages/BestManagement-Practices.aspx or complete your plan at https://eec.ky.gov/AgWater. Funding assistance is also available through the State Cost Share program. Applications are taken year-round, so you might want to apply for funding to repair that trouble spot from this winter, even if you have to wait until next year to start construction. For more information about the State Cost Share Program, visit your local conservation district or https://eec. ky.gov/Natural-Resources/Conservation/ Pages/State-Cost-Share.aspx.

Beef Quality Assurance certification means beef raised with respect. Respect for cattle care and respect for the high-quality beef consumers want. Because in this industry, respect isn’t just something – it’s everything. Don’t miss your chance to get BQA certified.

JOIN US FOR A BQA WORKSHOP

EVENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH:

Hardin County Extension Office Friday, April 12, 2024 Guest Chef Josh Moore from Volare SCAN TO REGISTER CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF, 206 RIFFEL RD., WOOSTER, OH 44691

March • Cow Country • 19

U.S. Cattle Inventory Reaches 73-Year Low Derrell S. Peel Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist Not many ranchers active today will remember the last time the U.S. cattle industry was this small. On Jan. 1, the All Cattle and Calves inventory was 87.15 million head, the smallest total inventory since 1951. The All Cattle and Calves inventory is 1.9% smaller year over year and is the fifth consecutive year of declining cattle inventories, a total decrease of 7.65 million head or 8.1% since the most recent peak in 2019. The 2023 calf crop was 33.6 million head, down 2.5% year over year and the smallest calf crop since 2014. The Jan. 1 beef cow herd inventory was 28.22 million head, down 2.5% year over year and a decrease of 3.47 million head or 10.9% lower, from the cyclical peak in 2019 (Table 1). The current beef cow inventory is the smallest beef cow herd since 1961. Table 1 shows that the top 10 beef cow states, which currently represent 57.3% of total beef cows, accounted for 79.4% of the year over year decrease in total beef cow numbers and 67.7% of the decrease from 2019 to 2024.

Top Ten States

Rank

Beef Cows, 2024

2023-2024 Change

2019-2024 Change

1000 Head

Texas

4,115

-185

-540

Oklahoma

1,922

-69

-228

Missouri

1,840

-116

-219

Nebraska

1,637

-67

-304

South Dakota

1,502

-31

-316

Kansas

1,264

-51

-265

Montana

1,251

-20

-197

Kentucky

907

+12

-110

Florida

862

-26

-52

North Dakota

860

-16

-115

Top Ten

Sub-Total

16,160

-569

-2,346

U.S.

Total

28,223

-716.3

-3,467.7

Table 1: Top 10 Beef Cow States, 2024 Inventory, change from 2023 and 2019

WE’LL TRADE FOR IT, EVEN IF IT EATS!

LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS • HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS • AGRICULTURE REBATES www.PogueChevrolet.com • 270-641-0300 www.PogueChrysler.net • 270-641-0400 20 • Cow Country • March

2250 West Everly Brothers Blvd. Powderly, KY 42367

The inventory of beef replacement heifers on Jan. 1 was 4.86 million head, down 1.4 % year over year. However, the 2023 beef replacement heifer inventory was revised down by 4.5% from the initial value reported one year ago. Thus, the 2024 inventory of beef replacement heifers is down 11.4% from the 2022 inventory and is the smallest beef replacement heifer total since 1950. Since 2001, USDA has provided the portion of beef replacement heifers that are expected to calve in the coming year. The current inventory of these bred beef heifers is 3.05 million head, the smallest in the data back to 2001. The estimated supply of feeder cattle outside feedlots is calculated by summing the inventories of other heifers, steers >500 pounds and calves <500 pounds and subtracting the inventory of animals already in feedlots. On Jan. 1, inventories of other heifers, steers and calves under 500 pounds were all down year over year and feedlot inventories were up 1.6%, leading to an estimated supply of feeder cattle outside feedlots of 24.2 million head, down 4.2% from one year ago. The estimated feeder supply can be consistently calculated back to 1972, and the 2024 value is the smallest in that 53-year period. The smaller cattle inventory is projected to result in a decrease of about 5% in total beef production to roughly 25.5 billion pounds in 2024. That’s three times as much beef as was produced in 1951, the last time the total cattle inventory was this small; impressive growth in productivity in the beef cattle industry. Nevertheless, the current ability to produce beef is smaller than market potential today, and the industry will look to rebuild numbers and increase beef production when conditions allow.

West Kentucky Select Bred Heifer Sale Selling 225 Fall Calving Bred Heifers Hampton Premium Meats was founded in 1975. 100% USDA inspected slaughter and processing of Beef, goat, sheep and swine. Excellent vacuum packaging and labeling for resale. Smoke house available for any processed animals. Third party BRC certified. Halal harvest on Mondays and Thursdays.

Saturday, May 18 at noon CST Kentucky-Tennessee Livestock Market · Guthrie, Kentucky All heifers qualify for both Kentucky and Tennessee Cost Share Programs See these heifers at: www.kyheifersale.com For more information contact:

PAACO Animal Welfare audited for beef cattle. Trucking available to pick animals up in Central Kentucky area one day each month to get animals to slaughter. Call for scheduling as we will have to coordinate a load.

Immediate processing dates available. Wholesale accounts welcome.

Kevin Laurent, University of Kentucky (270) 625-0994 Mark Barnett, KY-TN Livestock Market (931) 624-7176 Tom Barnett, KY-TN Livestock Market (931) 624-7376

(270) 847-0634 Chris (call or text)

All heifers are bred to bulls with genomic enhanced EPDs and have met stringent requirements for health, quality and pelvic measurements.

orders@hamptonpremiummeats.com

(270) 885-8474 Office

Sponsored by the Univ. of Kentucky and Univ. of Tennessee Cooperative Extension Service

March • Cow Country • 21

Calm Cattle Handler Katie Pratt Kentucky Cattlemen's Association Communications Manager Kentucky Beef Network field associate Charles Embry has had a lifelong passion for cattle and he enjoys sharing his passion and educating others. “I am always talking about cows and hay, no matter where I am,” he said. Embry was one of five managers of KBN. He resigned that position when the south-central Kentucky field associate job became available. His area extends to Elizabethtown in the north and includes south to the Tennessee state line and counties on both sides of Interstate 65. In this position, Embry enjoys equipping cattlemen with knowledge to improve their operations. “I want to help people,” he said. “I want to show them how to do something, give them the tools they need and then let them do it themselves.” Embry has worked hard to help area producers improve their cattle handling facilities and techniques. One of those producers is Glenn Byrd of Hart County. Byrd and his wife Judy learned about Embry through a conversation with Becky Thompson, director of KBN, on the 2019 FACTS Tour. Both the Byrds and Embry were members of the Barren County Cattlemen’s Association, but did not know each other at the time. “I told Becky I wanted to improve my herd. I wanted to have a tight calving window. I wanted them to look good when they go into the sale ring. I already had a vaccination program and weaning program in place,” Byrd said. “She mentioned I may want to try artificial insemination and asked if she could give my contact information to Charles Embry. She did, and he called me at the airport.”

it needed to be done,” Glenn Byrd said. “All I had was a corral with panels. I got cows in the barn by using feed troughs. It was really very basic. So, we backed off AI and started working on my facilities. I wanted a facility to handle cattle without somebody getting hurt. Charles agreed.” Embry took Byrd to his farm to see his facility and also to several other area farms to look at the different cattle handling designs. They also spent some time measuring his current facility and sketching ideas. Byrd wanted to reuse what he could of his old facility. After three or four planning sessions, they settled on design and started construction. Byrd said it was a major undertaking that took several months to complete. Today, Byrd says his facilities are “stockyard quality” and include three pens, feedlot, bull gates, latches and alleyways equipped with stops. The system is designed in a way that allows him to successfully work his cattle by himself. “I’m proud of it, and I think he’s proud of it,” Byrd said. “Had it not been for his initiative and his help, it would not have turned out the way it did. My facilities are 200% to 300% better than what they were, and the best part is they really work.” Byrd continues to stay in contact with Embry. Embry also has helped him with bull selection, provided education on cattle handling techniques, and encouraged him and Judy to complete the Master Cattlemen program, which they did.

Embry spent some time with Glenn and Judy Byrd after they returned from the FACTS Tour. He visited their farm and herd, which includes around 75 mama cows. Of those cows, half calve in the fall and half in the spring. Embry also looked at their cattle handling facilities.

Byrd is just one of the many south central Kentucky cattlemen that Embry has helped. Roger Smith of Cave City is another. Over the years, Smith said he has made great improvements in cattle handling by working with Embry and attending Beef Quality and Care Assurance classes. He has modified his alleyways leading up to his chute to maximize cattle comfort and allow cattle to access the chute from multiple pastures.

“At the time, I really didn’t have the facilities to AI the cows in the way that

“You really have to figure out the animals and adjust to them,” Smith said. “A lot of

22 • Cow Country • March

Charles Embry

the information they give you in the cattle handling classes is dead on. A lot of it depends on your position to the animal and not being forceful. Slower is often better when it comes to working cattle. Charles taught me that.” Embry encourages all the producers he works with to stay calm while working cattle to improve the experience for the cattle and the producer. “Working cattle becomes faster if you stay calm and let the cattle think they are leading you,” Embry said. “Plus, keeping calm makes cattle working easier on the cattle and the producer.” He’s also helped Smith with feeding rations, bull selection and understanding EPDs. They are also both members in the Barren Beef Group. “Our relationship is different because I consider Charles more of a friend,” Smith said. When Smith’s daughter, Jeanna, returned to the farm and started selling freezer beef, Embry was able to share grant opportunities, trainings and educational

Barren County Producer Roger Smith

resources with her. Jeanna and her partner Ethan Mefford were able to realize their dream of opening a farm market in June 2023. Along with freezer beef, they offer locally produced milk, eggs, honey and cheese. “Charles was quick to take me under his wing when he heard I was interested

in getting more involved on our family farm,” Jeanna Smith said. “For a young lady in agriculture, his faith in my potential has been so encouraging. In many ways, Charles has given me the confidence that's required to succeed and grow. Without him, our farm and business would not be what it is today.”

Glenn Byrd's cattle handling facility in Hart County

March • Cow Country • 23

Don’t Make a Mistake, CALIBRATE!!! Chris Teutsch UK Research and Education Center, Princeton Grain drill calibration is a critical, yet often ignored part of successful forage establishment and pasture renovation. Planting lower seed rates than recommended can result in thin stands that are susceptible to weed encroachment. Planting more than the recommended seeding rate is undesirable due to increased seed costs. As drills wear, and tires and cogs get replaced, actual seeding rates can vary significantly from seeding charts found on drills. The following calibration method can be applied across a wide range of grain drill types and manufacturers and minimizes the need to carry out detailed mathematical calculations.

Figure 1. Make sure that seed tubes are clear of obstructions by blowing them out with compressed air.

Steps to Calibrate a Grain Drill 1) Read your drill’s operator’s manual to learn where the adjustments for leveling, seed depth and seeding rate are located. 2) Ensure that seed tubes are not blocked by spraying them out with an air hose and running a wire through them. Mud daubers and spiders love to build nests in seed tubes! DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! 3) Using a tape or ruler, measure the distance between disk openers. 4) Use the "Seeding Rate Chart" on the drill to determine the initial drill setting and set the drill accordingly. 5) Select the proper gear box setting or drive gear for the desired seeding rate based on the manual.

Figure 2. Determine the circumference of the drive wheel by direct measurement or by using the following formula: Circumference in feet = 3.14 x Diameter of Drive Wheel in feet.

6) Place a small amount of seed above each opening in the drill box. 7) Lower the drill to engage the seeding mechanism. 8) If calibrating the drill in place, jack up the drive wheel (wheel that turns the ITEMS TO CALIBRATE DRILL

• • • • • • •

Tape measure (150 feet) Flags to mark stopping and starting points Jack for stationary calibration Gram scale with 0.1 g accuracy Plastic sandwich bags Rubber bands Screwdriver and pliers

24 • Cow Country • March

Figure 3. Turn the drive wheel the number of revolutions it would take to travel 150 feet. The number of revolutions can be determined by using the following formula: Number of Revolutions = 150 feet / Circumference of the Drive Wheel in feet.

seeding mechanism) just far enough off the ground so that it can be rotated. CAUTION: When jacking the drill up, make sure that is chocked or attached to a tractor with its parking brake set. 9) Turn the seeding mechanism until seed comes out. Make sure that seed is coming out of each disk opener. 10) Disconnect three to five seed tubes from the disk openers across the span of the drill. 11) Place and secure a collection container on each seed tube. A sandwich bag secured with a rubber band works well. 12) Pull the drill 150 feet OR turn the drive wheel the number of revolutions it would take to travel 150 feet.

Figure 4. Tare the scale for the weigh container and determine the AVERAGE weight per disk opener in grams. Compare this weight to the grams of seed/disk opener found in Table 1 for the desired seeding rate and row spacing combination.

a. Revolutions can be determined by using the following formula: Number of Revolutions = 150 feet / circumference of the drive wheel in feet. The circumference can be determined by direct measurement or by calculation using the following formula: Circumference in feet = 3.14 x Diameter of the drive wheel in feet.

16) Compare the AVERAGE weight per disk opener to the grams of seed/ disk opener found in Table 1 for the desired seeding rate and row spacing combination. a. If the collected weight is within 10% of the target weight found in Table 1, then the calibration is complete.

13) Carefully remove collection containers. 14) Tare the scale for an empty collection container and then weigh and record in grams each collection container with the seed in it.

b. If the collected weight is more than 10% different than the target weight found in Table 1, repeat steps 7 to 12 after adjusting seeding rate setting on drill.

15) Add the seed weight for each collection container together and divide by the number of seed tubes collected to get the AVERAGE weight per disk opener.

17) Compare the output of individual seeds tubes. If the output varies more than 10% for an individual tube, then adjust the seeding mechanism for that tube.

SCAN QR CODE TO SEE OUR VIDEO ON GRAIN DRILL CALIBRATION

Seeding Rate in pounds/acre Distance Between Disc Openers

inches

100

120

140

160

180

93.8 109.4 125.1 140.7

grams of seed/disk opener to catch in 150 feet

1.6

3.1

4.7

6.3

7.8

9.4

10.9 12.5 14.1 15.6 19.5 23.5 27.4 31.3 39.1 46.9 62.5

70.4

78.2

1.8

3.6

5.5

7.3

9.1

10.9 12.8 14.6 16.4 18.2 22.8 27.3 31.9 36.5 45.6 54.7 72.9

82.0

91.1 109.4 127.6 145.8 164.1

7.5

2.0

3.9

5.9

7.8

9.8

11.7 13.7 15.6 17.6 19.5 24.4 29.3 34.2 39.1 48.9 58.6 78.2

87.9

97.7 117.3 136.8 156.3 175.9

2.1

4.2

6.3

8.3

10.4 12.5 14.6 16.7 18.8 20.9 26.1 31.3 36.5 41.7 52.1 62.6 83.4

93.8 104.3 125.1 146.0 166.8 187.7

Table 1. Grams of seed to catch per disk opener in 150 feet for given combinations of disk opener width (inches) and seeding rate (pounds/acre). To use this table, you will need to know the distance between the disk openers in inches and the desired seeding rate in pounds per acre.

March • Cow Country • 25

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE BEST OF THE BEEF INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED DURING CATTLECON24 ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 2, 2024) – Producers, students and advocates were recognized as the best of the beef industry through a variety of scholarship and award programs during CattleCon24, held Jan. 31-Feb. 2, in Orlando. 2023 Environmental Stewardship Award Program Regional Winners The Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP), which annually recognizes outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements of cattle producers, honored regional winners, including: • Region I: Tuck Farms, Moneta, Virginia • Region II: JB Ranch, Immokalee, Florida • Region IV: G Bar C Ranch, Rosston, Texas • Region V: Tower Rock Ranch, LLC, Mansfield, Washington • Region VI: Hart Ranch, Montague, California • Region VII: Bartholomay Kattle Kompany, Sheldon, North Dakota ESAP is generously sponsored by companies and federal agencies who share the cattle industry’s commitment to caring for the environment and protecting natural resources. Sponsors including U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, Corteva Agriscience, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Cattlemen’s Foundation partner with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) to promote environmental stewardship throughout the beef supply chain. Beef Quality Assurance Awards The National Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Awards, funded in part by the Beef Checkoff program and sponsored by Cargill, annually

26 • Cow Country • March

recognize outstanding beef and dairy producers, marketers and educators. Winners not only demonstrate highquality animal care and handling principles as part of their day-to-day operations but also express a strong desire to continually improve their operations through BQA. The 2024 honorees include CowCalf Award winner VanWinkle Ranch, Colorado; Dairy FARM Award recipient Dotterer Dairy, Pennsylvania; Feedyard Award winner Adams Land & Cattle, Nebraska; Educator Award recipient Dr. John Wenzel, New Mexico; and the Marketer Award presented to Power Genetics, Nebraska. W.D. Farr Scholarships Megan Eckhardt of New Braunfels, Texas, and Jaime Luke of Stanberry, Missouri, were each awarded a $15,000 W.D. Farr Scholarship by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF). The annual W.D. Farr Scholarship program, established by the NCF in 2007, recognizes outstanding graduate students who plan to pursue careers furthering the beef industry. Eckhardt and Luke were selected from 51 applicants based on their academic achievements, leadership and commitment to the advancement of the beef industry. CME Group Beef Industry Scholarships Ten students pursuing careers in the beef industry were awarded $1,500 scholarships by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. The CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship program recognizes talented and thoughtful students emerging as industry leaders. The 2024 CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship recipients include: • Grace Anderson of San Luis Obispo, California, California Polytechnic University • Addie Brown of Beeville, Texas, West Texas A&M University • Bryce Hoeltzel of Olsburg, Kansas, Allen Community College

• Harper Kirsch of Platte, South Dakota, Iowa State University • Alaina Link of Moberly, Missouri, University of Missouri • Delaney Nichols of Marshalltown, Iowa, Iowa State University • Collin Ochsner of Kersey, Colorado, Texas Tech University • Ava Perrier of Eureka, Kansas, Kansas State University • Megan Sanders of Oral, South Dakota, South Dakota State University • Weston Schrader of Wells, Kansas, Kansas State University Masters of Beef Advocacy Program Advocate of the Year Allison Fender of Santa Ysabel, California, was honored as the Advocate of the Year for the positive example she sets for other beef advocates by sharing her journey in ways that connect with people outside of her immediate beef community. This award, given annually by the NCBA’s Beef Checkoff-funded Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) program, recognizes an outstanding beef advocate for success in engaging consumers who want to learn more about beef and raising cattle. Trailblazers The Trailblazers program, funded by the Beef Checkoff, was established in 2021 to identify, train, equip and empower the next generation of advocates in the beef community. Over the course of a year-long program, 10 elite advocates develop the necessary tools to facilitate quality conversations and help safeguard the work of producers, ranchers and cattle farmers across the United States. The 2023 Trailblazers include Tucker Brown, Texas; Colton Coffee, Montana; Sam Cossio, Washington; Allison Fender, California; Rocky Forseth, Montana; Macey Hurst, Missouri; Joe Lowe, Kentucky; Erin Perkins, New York; Paige Schmidt, Kansas; and Ally Spears, Texas. The 2024 Trailblazers cohort will be announced in mid-February.

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28 • Cow Country • March

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March • Cow Country • 29

Cattlemen’s Beef Board Elects New Officers At 2024 Winter Meetings Andy Bishop Named CBB Chair ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 2, 2024) – Cattle producers Andy Bishop of Kentucky, Ryan Moorhouse of Texas and Dr. Cheryl DeVuyst of Oklahoma are the new leaders of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board (CBB). This officer team is responsible for guiding the national Beef Checkoff throughout 2024. Bishop, Moorhouse and DeVuyst were elected by their fellow Beef Board members during their Winter Meetings, held during the 2024 Cattle Industry Convention in Orlando, Florida. Bishop, the 2023 vice chair, will now serve as the CBB’s chair, while Moorhouse will transition from his role as the 2023 secretary-treasurer to become the 2024 vice chair. DeVuyst is the newest member of the officer team, taking on Moorhouse’s former responsibilities as secretary-treasurer. 2024 Chair Andy Bishop and his wife Meagan of Cox’s Creek, Kentucky, are raising their four children on their registered Angus seed stock operation, Fairfield Farm. Bishop began his career teaching agriculture and moved into the field of agriculture lending in 2007. Bishop is the former chair of the Kentucky Beef Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Young Cattlemen’s Conference. Bishop also served as a member of the Long-Range Planning Task Force and as president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) Young Producers Council and the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Young Producers group. Bishop recently finished his term as president of the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association. “The beef industry is in a unique situation as 2024 gets underway,” Bishop said. “Producers have been dealing with adverse weather and production cost conditions over the past few years, leading to herd liquidation. While things do seem to be improving, the Beef Checkoff must continue to be vigilant, developing the right programs and messaging to keep beef demand high. I’m excited to lead the CBB as we navigate the opportunities and challenges this year sends our way.” Vice Chair Moorhouse grew up in North Central Texas on his family’s cow/calf and stocker operation. After graduating from Texas A & M University, Moorhouse went to work for Continental Grain Cattle Feeding (now Five Rivers). He currently serves as the general manager for Hartley Feeders, a Five Rivers Cattle Feeding operation. A resident of Amarillo, Texas, Moorhouse, his wife Colette and their two sons also operate a stocker operation back home on part of the family ranch. Dr. Cheryl DeVuyst and her husband, Eric, own DeVuyst Ranch, a cow-calf and stocker operation. DeVuyst is also a professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University and head of its Ag Econ department. DeVuyst is involved with numerous agricultural organizations, including Oklahoma CattleWomen, Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Pawnee County 30 • Cow Country • March

CattleWomen, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association and American National CattleWomen. She’s also a faculty advisor for the Oklahoma Collegiate CattleWomen and is a past board member of the Western Agricultural Economics Association. “Our CBB members and staff are incredibly fortunate to have three strong beef industry leaders and advocates like Andy, Ryan and Cheryl at the helm of this organization,” said Greg Hanes, CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “Each has unique experience and perspective to share, representing producers from across the U.S. As we begin our journey through 2024, I’m looking forward to working with this leadership team to launch programs and initiatives that drive beef demand and benefit producers nationwide.” To learn more about the Beef Checkoff and its programs, including promotion, research, foreign marketing, industry information, consumer information and safety, visit DrivingDemandForBeef.com.

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Kip 859.608.7798

Roger 859.333.2707

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March • Cow Country • 31

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near Danville, Ky. CKAA 50 FEMALES: including cow-calf pairs, bred heifers TH Selling 25 PREMIER BULLS (most fall yearlings) ANNUAL 58 and open heifers & REGISTERED ANGUS WINTER SALE FEMALES JANUARY 25 Sales Manager: TimSATURDAY, Dievert, 478 Dry Fork Rd, Danville, KY 2:00PM 40422, 859-238-3195, tdievert@dievertsales.com CKAA Sales Pavilion • Danville, KY See ad on page 53

32 • Cow Country • March

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March • Cow Country • 33

Will hay yields be better in 2024? Lock in a better year by managing hay supply and demand. photo by Jimmy Henning

Make 2024 a Better Hay Year Jimmy Henning University of Kentucky Forage Extension Specialist If USDA estimates are on target, getting through the hay feeding season of 20232024 is going to leave Kentucky producers with the least amount of hay they’ve had on hand since 2019. Rebuilding hay supplies is going to take a multi-faceted approach. The reasons for low hay supply this year are diverse, including carrying over less hay from 2022, lower-than-normal first cutting hay yields, and a longer-thanusual hay feeding season this winter. To replenish hay supplies in 2024, there are opportunities on both the supply and demand side of the balance sheet. On the supply side, effective fertilizer management will help produce a better first cutting. On the demand side, better summer grazing management can help extend the grazing season and lower 34 • Cow Country • March

overall hay demand in 2024-2025. With spring approaching, managing the supply side of hay needs to be a major focus. First cutting fescue hay forms the bulk of the annual forage supply for the beef herd, and nitrogen drives first cutting yields. UK research has shown that yield efficiency declines after about 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Fertilizer prices have moderated, so it is less painful to address soil fertility needs. Take advantage of these moderated prices by getting a current soil test and apply needed fertility. Potassium status of hayfields may be a hidden factor holding back hay yields. During the run up in fertilizer prices in 2020-2021, many producers reduced fertilizer applications across the board.

It is more and more common to find fields that have been in continuous hay production and that have been fertilized with only urea or triple-19. Using only urea or triple-19 under fertilizes hay fields, especially for potassium which is removed at the rate of 50 pounds of K2O per ton of hay (equal to 83 pounds of muriate of potash). For fields where potassium application rates have not kept up with removal, nitrogen will be limited in its ability to produce expected yields. Producers in this situation should plan on applying some potassium to go with their spring nitrogen application this year. Forage agronomists are quick to say that potassium is best applied in the fall, and they would be right. Spring forages

St. Clair Farms Registered Angus Bull and Female Sale

will take up more freshly-applied potassium than needed, lowering fertilizer efficiency. However, producers whose soil test potassium is in the low range should apply it in the spring anyway. They can always follow up with a fall application of potassium as well. Many feel their hayfields have played out and are considering some sort of overseeding or interseeding. We need vigorous tall fescue or orchardgrass stands to produce economic hay yields. If existing stands are weak and thin, this may be the year to do some type of renovation. Space does not allow a full discussion of all of the options, but consider using a summer annual followed by a fall seeding of cool-season grass to revitalize hayfields. A word of caution about seed supplies. For many reasons, Kentucky producers will have fewer choices when looking for their favorite forage seed. For example, certified (blue tag) Kenland will be in very short supply as will some of the better ladino clovers. Producers should contact their local seed sources now to line up seed needs for spring.

SATURDAY April 6, 2024 At 6:00 pm cst Featuring 35 Bulls and 35 Females Angus Balancers Gelbvieh SimAngus 25 Commercial Fall Bred Angus Heifers

It is not too early to think about strategies to extend the grazing season to lower overall hay demand. The best and most costeffective way to extend the grazing season is to set aside some fescue acres in late summer and apply nitrogen to accumulate growth for winter grazing. For better fall fescue growth, don’t overgraze these fields in summer. Summer pasture options, like crabgrass, sorghum-sudangrass or even native warm-season grasses will let fescue rest and protect the ‘growability’ of fescue when the weather cools in fall. In addition, strip grazing the accumulated growth can give 40% more grazing days per acre. In short, there are opportunities to increase the probability of better hay yields this spring, and to lower overall hay demand by extending the grazing season. Proper fertilization according to a current soil test will help ensure good first cutting yields. If reseeding is needed, take the long-range view and consider using a summer annual for extra yield before a fall seeding of coolseason grass. And start planning now for ways to rest fescue in summer to ensure having winter grazing this coming year.

ERIC AND SHERRY ST.CLAIR 13433 Falls of Rough Road Falls of Rough, Kentucky (270) 617-1079 eric@stclairangusfarm.com www.stclairangus.com

March • Cow Country • 35

Growing a Forage Base Katie Pratt Kentucky Cattlemen's Association MUNFORDVILLE, KY−Five years ago, Hart County producer Matt Isaacs found himself in a situation that most farmers can only dream about−the opportunity to design his own grazing system from scratch. Isaacs and his wife Madison purchased 70 acres that was previously in no-till tobacco and row crop production to add to the 55 acres they already owned. His plan was to design a grazing system that would increase his capacity and efficiency for his forage and beef enterprises. “I wanted to do things better and make sure everything I did added value to my operations,” said Isaacs who runs a cowcalf operation and custom hay operation and is partners with his parents Tim and Ann Marie Isaacs. Isaacs’ story of his improvements earned him the title of 2024 National Forage Spokesperson. It is the second consecutive year a Kentucky producer has won this American Forage and Grassland Council contest.

Fencing was his first priority as the new farm bordered a subdivision and a busy state highway. He needed a permanent perimeter fence. As a young producer, Isaacs, 33, knew he also had to a find way to quickly finance the land purchase. Buying the farm in the early part of the year also meant that he did not have enough time to establish cool-season forages. That first year to create cash flow, he planted sudangrass, a summer annual forage and grazed 45 yearling heifers on the ground from summer until Thanksgiving. He then no-tilled drilled in a more permanent stand, which was a mixture of Bar Optima novel endophyte tall fescue, orchardgrass, festulolium and ladino clover. “I double drilled it in different directions, so I would be sure to get a good stand,” Isaacs said. He uses the majority of the farm for rotational grazing. Temporary fencing to divides 50 acres of the into around 10

Adam Estes, left and Matt Isaacs in Isaacs' cover crop field.

36 • Cow Country • March

paddocks. He grazes around 40 cow-calf pairs on those acres. Pastures have at least 21 days of rest after cattle graze them, and the polywire allows Isaacs to change the size and shape of his pastures each year. “I don’t own a bush hog nor do I want to purchase one,” Isaacs said. “I think animals should be able to graze to get the gains they need and keep my forages in check.” On the other 20 acres, he planted alfalfa and orchardgrass for the custom hay operation. He is quick to point out that changes in his operation took time to implement. He has also done a significant amount of research, including finding available resources, attending farm shows, reading lots of literature and asking questions of fellow farmers and industry supporters. He has a great relationship with Adam Estes, his extension agent. The two have been lifelong friends and often bounce ideas off each other. “Matt is always willing to try new things,”

Estes said. “He does an excellent job with forages, fertilization and keeps his farm in great working condition. He comes from a family of hard workers.”

Soil testing is a critical part of making sure his ground and grasses have the nutrients they need. He soil tests at least once year and twice in some years.

Isaacs admits that forages were not always his top priority when he started in the business. He changed his focus to cattle production to forages after talking with local producer Clayton Geralds.

He’s also willing to participate in research projects. A recent research project allowed him to see how sorghum could be used as silage in his feeding operation both alone and when mixed with corn silage.

“He told me that I have to realize that I am really just a dirt farmer. I use the dirt to grow the forages and the cattle consume the forages and then I see the gains and the cycle continues,” Isaacs said. “That really stuck with me.”

“Don’t try to be like somebody else and use the resources that are available to you to improve your operation,” he said. “Remember that not everything happens overnight.” His grazing system is always evolving. Not only does Isaacs change up his grazing rotation each year but he also evaluates the pastures and makes renovations when necessary. “Pastures are never where you want them to be,” he said. “Components in forage mixes will die out while other parts will take over and you just have to evaluate and adjust.”

Isaacs encourages other young farmers to start out with the basics and find approaches that work for their operation and to make the most of cost-share opportunities.

Matt Isaacs, center, is 2024 National Forage Spokesperson with Jason Tower, AFGC president and Alan Franzluebbers, USDA scientist.

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JEFF & LEAH MEINDERS • 812-654-2030 3687 N. CO. RD. 500 E • MILAN, IN 47031 WWW.CLEARWATERSIMMENTALS.COM WINCHESTER, IN LUCKY PENNY CATTLE COMPANY • NATE HOEING • 765-561-3178 NEAL BROTHERS • JOE NEAL • 812-881-9381 March • Cow Country • 37

E C O NO MI C & P O L I C Y U P D AT E

5 Commandments for Bale Grazing in the East Greg Halich Associate Extension Professor Bale grazing in the eastern U.S. has its challenges compared to traditional, more Northern regions where the system is used. To be successful in areas with more moderate winters, you need to do a few things differently. In my experience, there are a number of fundamental concepts that need to be followed to make bale grazing work well here. I have had many people tell me they tried bale grazing and that it will not work under conditions such as those found in Kentucky. In just about every case where they explained how they were implementing bale grazing, they were not adhering to one or more of the following fundamental concepts, which I will frame as the “Five commandments for bale grazing in the East.” 1) Thou shall not feed more than 2 tons of hay per acre. The biggest problem I see with bale grazing in the eastern U.S. is feeding at densities that are much too high for our winter conditions. This typically results in pastures that are severely pugged. Why do so many people make this mistake? If you do an internet search for videos or images of bale grazing, the odds are good you will find something from the Great Plains or Canada. This is where bale grazing first became popular and is a common form of wintering cattle today. This region is characterized by cold winters, where the soil is frozen solid for months, and significantly lower levels of precipitation compared to the eastern U.S. These two factors combine to provide a long window of prime feeding conditions of either dry or frozen ground that results in minimal soil disturbance from bale grazing. This allows animals to be fed at high densities, and pugging is rarely an issue. This same high-density bale grazing will not work well in most of the East. Sometimes, you will get lucky and conditions will be dry or frozen for a period of time, and the bale grazing will go reasonably well. But at some point, the soil will become saturated, the sod will start falling apart, and pastures will turn into mud holes. What is the ideal hay density to avoid severe pugging? The answer will depend on the soil type, management skills, cattle size and other factors. For beginning bale grazers, I like to see a maximum of around 2 tons of hay fed to the acre, which is roughly four, 5x5 bales or five, 4x5 bales. Except with the most extreme weather or with poorly drained soils, this will generally keep pugging to acceptable levels. There are many situations where 4 tons per acre would likely be fine, but you will not know this until you have gained experience. For the majority of farms, 2 tons per acre is a good place to start.

The Agricultural Economics Department publishes the Economic and Policy Update towards the end of each month. Each issue features articles written by extension personnel within the department and other experts across the country.

38 • Cow Country • March

2) Thou shall not allow cattle unfettered access to a pasture. The only way I have seen bale grazing work well in the East is by using temporary electric fencing and rotational grazing techniques to ration out the hay and to make sure the cattle are constantly getting fresh pasture every one to seven days. I have seen farms try to implement bale grazing without using temporary electric fencing. They either set hay out every few days, gradually spreading the bales around the pasture, or put out four to eight bales at a time in a few large pastures. They then rotate cattle from one pasture to the next and do it all over again when they get to the end. I have not seen even one of these situations turn out where the farmer was happy with the results. Usually, there is a lot more pugging than they were expecting. Why is this? With well-managed bale grazing, cattle will always be getting “fresh” ground every time the fence is moved forward, which, if planned correctly, hasn’t seen a cow hoof since early to mid-fall. This unimpacted ground will be a lot more resilient compared to ground that cattle have been walking over for weeks or months at a time. Cattle that have unfettered access to a large pasture are going to tend to wander, especially if they get hungry. It is during these times of aimless walking that the cattle are causing the most damage. Sometimes the damage is not obvious in that there is not much mud, but the sod becomes weakened from all of the hoof traffic. When you then drive over that ground with a tractor or feed a bale in that location, the sod will come apart much quicker compared to “fresh” ground. Where the fence is constantly being moved forward, cattle will spend the vast majority of their time on that new strip of pasture with the new bales of hay. The ground will be cleaner and drier than the pasture they previously had access to. As a general rule, they will spend a lot less time walking around, even though they have access to the areas they have already bale grazed in that pasture. The end result is much less damage to pastures compared to cattle having unfettered access to the pasture. 3) Thou shall not set out hay piecemeal. A major benefit of well-planned bale grazing is a significant reduction in machinery and labor costs compared to any other form of winter hay feeding. This benefit is made possible by setting out a large percentage of the winter hay needs at one time. It should be obvious that setting out a wagon or trailer load of hay will be more efficient than setting out one to two bales at a time. But what might not be as intuitive is why setting out multiple wagon or trailer loads of hay can be much more efficient than setting out just one at a time.

Topics will vary greatly but regularly include marketing, management, policy, natural resources, and rural development issues. If you would like to recieve this newsletter by email, please contact Kenny Burdine at kburdine@uky.edu.

You can also view current and past issues online at https://bit.ly/2PoHsZj Co-editors: Kenny Burdine, Alison Davis, and Greg Halich

5) Thou shall not let your cattle go hungry.

Once you have the equipment ready, the more hay you can move before that equipment is put away, the greater the efficiencies will be. You are spending less time per unit of hay moved hooking up equipment, opening and shutting barn doors, inflating wagon tires, getting yourself and your helpers ready, and then putting everything away when you are finished. These are “setup costs,” and it doesn’t matter if you move one load or 10 loads of hay, they will be the same.

This really is a rule that should apply to any feeding method. As the old saying goes, “You can’t starve a profit out of a cow.” But it can be particularly important with bale grazing because cattle can and typically do have access to large areas of pasture. With well-managed bale grazing, cattle will spend the vast majority of their time on the new strip of pasture they have with the current bales they are eating. This is assuming they have adequate feed in the strip of pasture (hay and possibly stockpiled forages).

The other reason that setting out a large portion of your hay at one time is generally more efficient is that it allows you (with proper planning) to wait for soil conditions that are near optimal to move hay — either dry (best) or frozen ground. Hay can be moved more efficiently in these conditions compared to even slightly wet conditions. For example, I can pull a fully loaded wagon of hay with a medium-sized pickup truck about anywhere on either of my two farms when conditions are dry, but I struggle to pull a wagon with even a few bales when the soil is saturated.

However, if the cattle are hungry, they are going to wander around the pasture, and that is going to be when most of the damage occurs. You do not want your cattle to move around the pasture, especially when it is wet. You want them content and either actively eating or lounging on the clean and dry section of new pasture. Making sure your cattle don’t go hungry will go a long way in keeping bale grazing damage to a minimum. It can be done.

When both of these efficiencies are combined, it is amazing how quickly you can move hay. My favorite example is with a farm I’d been working with that was starting into their third year of bale grazing. Up to that point, they were putting hay out mostly one load at a time. That third fall, with some encouragement, they set out all the hay they needed for a 40-cow herd in just under four hours (two people with a tractor-loader and pickup with trailer). The hay lasted from late November until early March. During that time, they never had a tractor on that farm. They moved P Tto I Oseven N 1 -days, B R Aspending NDON G OTES Q average UE the cattle every Ofive anR hour on moving the fence and four hay rings to the next set of bales. I could not believe how drastic a time saver it turned out for them.

GEORGETOWN, KY

OSH BROTH ER NT I C

You don’t have to set out this much hay at a time, but I H generally OS BROT advise setting out at least a third of your overall Ihay NT needs. ThisHER C will capture the bulk of the cost-saving efficiencies compared to setting out hay piecemeal. Just don’t wait until you are within a week of running out of hay. In most of the East, you can easily have two- to three-week periods where ground conditions are constantly wet.

There are some really wet-natured soils that, even if following these rules, you will still have pugging problems with when the soils become wet and saturated. On most farms, however, following these rules will help avoid the bulk of the pitfalls that can cause bale grazing to be a bad experience in the eastern half of the U.S. Don’t let the challenges of bale grazing in this region scare you off from implementing this winter feeding technique. It can be done effectively; you just need to learn a few fundamental concepts to make it work well.

GEORGETOWN, KY

4) Thou shall not bale graze the same pasture more than once per winter.

About six years ago, I was helping a farm implement bale grazing and they underestimated how much hay they would need to get the cattle through the winter. They bale grazed over the entire farm and still had two to three weeks left to feed hay.

H BRO Watch for our consignments HEannual Bluegrass TOS to theT3rd NProduction I Gelbvieh Alliance Sale March R 23th at the C Bluegrass Stockyards Lexington KY. For more information call William 502 867 3132 or Steve 502 868 5726. S

The only exception to this rule is if you are purposely trying to set back the pasture for something like overseeding clover. In thisKY GEORGETOWN, case, setting the pasture back temporarily can be a benefit for the establishment of developing forage seedlings and their ability to compete with the existing sod.

They set out more they grazed. O P hay T I Oon N the 2 - first M U pasture SEO SA N S bale ROU NDED I suspected that pasture would be set back a bit, but I was completely surprised by the severity. A month into the growing season, the pasture still did not look like it was thick enough to graze. By early summer it looked fine, but much of theSH spring BR TOhappenOTHE N growth potential was lost. I have seen the same thing I R C on other farms after this experience, and thus my general recommendation is that you should never bale graze twice in the same pasture in a given winter.

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(502) 868-5726 March • Cow Country • 39

E C O NO MI C & P O L I C Y U P D AT E

The first number I always look at is the number of beef cows in production, which speaks to the likely size of the calf crop in the new year. Beef cow inventory was down 2.5% from 2023, which puts the beef cow herd at the smallest level seen since 1961. This was not a surprise given cow slaughter levels and heifer retention over the course of last year. This places the U.S. beef cowherd down 11% (3.4 million cows) from its recent high in 2019. The chart below tracks U.S. beef cow inventory since 1940. USDA also estimated that the number of heifers held for beef cow replacement was down by roughly 1.5%. This was also after a significant reduction to beef heifer retention from a year ago. On a percentage basis, this is a smaller decrease than what was seen from 2022 to 2023, but still suggests that beef cow numbers are likely to decline again during 2024. Of course, things can change quickly, and beef cow slaughter will have an impact as well. Historically, calf prices at levels seen in 2023 have brought heifer retention, but higher input costs, limited hay supply in some regions, and high interest rates are limiting producer desires to expand. The report also provided some perspective on the number of cattle on feed in the U.S. On a monthly basis, USDA estimates onfeed inventory for feedlots with one-time capacity exceeding 1,000 head. Despite a smaller supply of feeder cattle, on-feed inventories have been running above year-ago levels since October of last year. This was likely due to some early domestic 40 • Cow Country • March

U.S. Beef Cow Inventory Decline Kenny Burdine Extension Professor Figure 1. January 1 US Beef Cow Inventory - 1940 to 2023 USDA-NASS (1,000 cows) 50,000 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 2021

2018

2015

2012

2009

2006

2003

2000

1997

1994

1991

1988

1985

1982

1979

1976

1973

1970

1967

1964

1961

1958

1955

1952

1949

1946

1943

10,000 1940

USDA-NASS released their January 2024 cattle inventory estimates on the afternoon of Jan. 31. Estimates came in pretty close to expectations and confirmed that the cowherd had continued getting smaller during the course of 2023. It was really a question of how much contraction had occurred. At the national level, inventory of all cattle and calves came in little less than 2% lower than January 2023. It is also worth mentioning that this decrease is in addition to a downward revision to the January 2023 number of about 0.5%. While this large, aggregated number likely has the highest accuracy, it includes all types and classes of beef and dairy cattle, so I tend to focus on a few of the more specific estimates from this report each year.

Table 1. USDA Jan. 1, 2024 Cattle Inventory Estimates All Cattle and Calves Cows and Heifers That Have Calved Beef Cows Milk Cows Heifers 500 Pounds and Over For Beef Cow Replacement For Milk Cow Replacement Other Heifers Steers 500 Pounds and Over Bulls 500 Pounds and Over Calves Under 500 Pounds Cattle on Feed Calf Crop

2023 (1,000 head) 88,841.0 38,336.8 28,939.3 9,397.5 18,760.7 4,929.6 4,073.6 9,757.5 16,056.5 2,029.0 13,658.0 14,195.8 2022 (1,000 head) 34,439.5

placements, an increase in live cattle imports, more heifers on feed, and a longer number of days on feed in the latter part of 2023. Consistent with these monthly estimates, the annual cattle inventory report that came out on Jan. 31, placed total cattle on feed in the U.S.− 1.6% higher than January of last year. Comparing Jan. 1 on-feed estimates in these two reports is always interesting and suggests that nearly 83% of total cattle on feed are being fed at these larger feedlots. That proportion has been increasing for some time, and it is a trend that I suspect will continue. The Kentucky inventory estimates were not what I expected. After a 7% decrease during 2022, this most recent report estimated the size of the state’s beef cow herd at 907,000 head, a slight increase from January 2023. Given the number of cows moving through auctions last year and observations from my Extension

2023 (1,000 head) 87,157.4 37,579.8 28,223.0 9,356.8 18,483.0 4,858.3 4,059.2 9,565.5 15,789.2 2,020.7 13,284.7 14,423.3 2023 (1,000 head) 33,593.0

2024 as % of 2023 98 98 98 100 99 99 100 98 98 100 97 102 2023 as % of 2022 98

travels, I expected beef cow numbers in the commonwealth to be lower. Kentucky was the only top 10 beef cow inventory state that saw an increase in cow numbers. While the Kentucky beef cow herd was estimated to be slightly larger in the new year, beef heifer retention was lower. From a longer-term perspective, this most recent USDA report paints a picture of continued tight cattle supplies. The smaller beef cow herd means the 2024 calf crop is going to be smaller. Even if we did start seeing heifer retention occurring in the new year, those heifers would not wean calves until 2025. From my perspective, the only way that we could see an increase in beef cow numbers next year would be from sharp reductions in cow culling. There are macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties that can impact these markets, but it appears that the supply picture will remain pretty bullish.

Farm Bill Update Will Snell Extension Professor Table 1. Reference Prices for Kentucky Crops

Corn Soybeans Wheat

2024 Statutory Reference Price ($/bushel)

2024 Effective Reference Price ($/bushel)

2024 ARC Benchmark Price ($/bushel)

$3.70 $8.40 $5.50

$4.01 $9.26 $5.50

$4.85 $11.12 $6.21

Following the expiration of the 2018 Farm Bill on Sept. 30, 2023, Congress extended the 2018 Farm Bill late last year until Sept. 30, 2024. Congress has been forced to address budget issues during the early weeks in 2024, with a continuing resolution passed in midJanuary to prevent a government shutdown. However, ongoing budget discussions to keep the government open beyond early March, along with a major tax reform bill, border security, and foreign aid packages will continue to monopolize floor debate in the coming weeks, leaving minimal, if any floor time to address reauthorizing a new farm bill. Farm organizations and other farm bill participants are reorganizing their strategies moving forward in 2024, but as always, politics and dollars will battle to determine if this massive piece of legislation makes it across the finish line this year. The two primary safety net programs for major crops remain the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) programs. In general, PLC program payments are triggered when the average market price for the covered crop in any given year falls below the “effective reference price” for that crop. Farmers have two options within the ARC program – a county revenue-based program (ARC-CO) and an individual farm revenue program (ARC-IC). Historically most farmers selecting the ARC program have chosen the county-based revenue program. ARC-CO program payments are triggered when the actual county crop revenue of a covered commodity is less than the ARC-CO revenue guarantee for the crop. Several major farm organizations have endorsed increasing the reference prices for the major crops, arguing that input costs have increased significantly since these safety net levels were originally authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill. The 2018 Farm Bill

provided a mechanism to increase reference prices based on historical trends in crop prices. However, these adjustments face a cap of 115% of the statutory reference price. The table above presents the reference prices for major Kentucky crops for the 2024 crop year, indicating that the corn and soybean effective reference prices will increase marginally from their statutory level, while wheat will remain at the level established under the 2014 Farm Bill. Currently, these “safety net” prices remain below projected prices for the upcoming crop year. Relatively higher grain prices in recent years also led to greater price protection under the ARC programs by increasing the price component used to calculate the ARC revenue guarantee. Farmers will have until March 15, 2024 to select either the PLC or ARC programs to protect their crops from major adverse market fluctuations for the upcoming crop year. In recent years of relatively high commodity prices, most grain farmers have not received any PLC or ARC payments. Without significant declines in market prices (which could trigger PLC payments) or significant localized yield reductions (which could trigger ARC payments), analysts are generally not projecting payments for many of the major program crops in 2024, inducing many farm organizations to argue for higher reference prices in future years to protect against diminishing and vulnerable crop profit margins. Besides higher reference prices, the farm community continues to lobby for protecting the critical piece of the farm safety net – crop insurance. In addition, in lieu of uncertain future disaster/ad hoc payments, there is growing support of expanding crop insurance coverage/subsidies to more crop and livestock producers, along with increasing funds for trade promotion,

conservation, rural infrastructure programs and ag research. However, additional funding remains a huge hurdle in this farm bill debate given rising concerns over federal debt levels. Maintaining the existing farm bill under its current structure is projected to cost nearly $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years, compared to $867 billion for the 2018 farm bill at the time of its enactment. Without additional new funding sources, lawmakers seeking increased farm bill funding will require finding dollars from other parts of the farm bill pie. Pulling dollars from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – over 80% of the current farm bill budget), is off-limits for many lawmakers who likely will be critical to its passage. Others are looking at acquiring funds from the climate change/ carbon-smart agriculture conservation programs funded in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to provide for a stronger farm safety net in this farm bill and to boost available baseline spending in future farm bills. Again, opposition exists to redirect these funds. Others are looking at the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), USDA’s line of credit at the Treasury, for additional dollars to fund expanded farm bill initiatives which is meeting resistance from some lawmakers who claim these funds should only be used in emergencies beyond paying for traditional farm safety net programs. The bottom line is that passage of a new farm bill will be a huge challenge this year with 2024 being an election year determining who is in the White House and which political party controls majority status in the House and Senate. Floor time debate in the coming months for a farm bill could be challenged in this political environment. Furthermore, despite two years of debate, major differences still exist among farm bill participants relative to the distribution of farm bill dollars among farm safety net programs, conservation, and nutrition. If we don’t see farm bill movement prior to the August recess, perhaps the next opportunity will be during the lame-duck session after the November election, with another extension of the 2018 farm bill into 2025 certainly a possibility. Stay tuned!

March • Cow Country • 41

Understanding Forage Seeders To Maximize Establishment Success Jimmy Henning University of Kentucky Forage Extension Specialist Many are considering whether to renovate, interseed or completely reseed their pastures and hay fields this spring. Forage establishment can be reduced to a few essential principles: 1) controlling competition before and after seeding, 2) addressing soil fertility needs, and 3) getting the proper amount of seed in firm contact with the ground at the right depth. Whether your method is a spinner seeder ahead of two passes with a chain harrow to the latest in no-till drill technology, the principles are the same. The type and size of seeders varies greatly. This article will outline the features of five different no-till seeders. Three of these are the conventional, furrow-cutting implements that come in various widths from 6 to 7 feet to more than 30. One uses a spiked cylinder (or disk) to disturb the soil ahead of a drop seeder instead of the cutting coulter/double disc opener systems of traditional drills. And one is a modified Brillion-type seeder. The seeding mechanisms of the Haybuster (above) and Great Plains drills (below). In the Haybuster, the double disks of the row openers are offset so the leading disk can cut through crop residue. The Great Plains uses a separate front coulter to cut through crop residue. The rear press wheels help control depth by limiting the penetration of the row openers where the seed is dispersed.

Traditional, furrow-cutting no-till drills are designed to place the desired amount of seed at recommended depths and firm the seed into the furrow with press wheels. When using any equipment, be sure to read and understand the manual and follow its guidelines for maximum success

Haybuster The Haybuster is unique among the traditional furrow-cutting no-till drills in that it does not have a cutting coulter ahead of the double-disk row openers where the seed is dropped into the furrow. Depth is controlled by varying the weight on the row openers by a hydraulic cylinder and by the amount of travel allowed in the press wheels. Steel ‘donuts’ or spacers can be 42 • Cow Country • March

placed on the piston shaft of the cylinder to provide a consistent, limited down pressure on the row openers. Press wheels serve to ensure seed-to-soil contact behind the row openers. The up-down travel of the press wheels can be adjusted to help the row openers ‘float’ and stay at a consistent depth. Haybuster drills have removable panels over the seed path that keep it clear of debris and help in clean out. These drills also have sliding plates at the bottom of the seed boxes that greatly aid in clean

Smaller three point hitch seeders like this Woods use spiked cylinders or disks (model not shown) to disturb soil ahead of the seeding mechanism. Corrugated rollers in the rear firm the seedbed and help ensure good seed soil contact

out when planting is done. Haybuster drills have a ‘tricycle’ tire arrangement, one in front and two behind, which makes it easier to transport on narrow roads. Truax Truax drills have a front cutting coulter ahead of the row openers, and press wheels firm the seed into the soil. Depth is controlled by depth bands on the row openers and by a hydraulic cylinder which can limit the down pressure on the row openers. These drills are known for their specialized seed box that is designed to handle the fluffy seed of native grasses. These drills have boxes that can also handle cool season grass or legume seed. Great Plains Great Plains drills also have a front cutting coulter ahead of the double-disk row openers. Depth is controlled by adjusting the depth of the front cutting coulter as well as the up-down movement of the following press wheels. The seeding mechanism is driven by end wheels and can be disengaged for calibration or transport. Woods Seeders The Woods seeder is an example of a different mechanism than those of the traditional furrow-cutting drills like the Haybuster, Truax or Great Plains. These seeders are not ‘drills’ as their seeding mechanism simply drops seed onto soil that has been disturbed by spiked cylinders or disks at the front of the

implement. The angle of the front cylinder or disk (depending on model) can be adjusted to alter the amount of disturbance ahead of the seed drop zone. A corrugated roller at the rear firms the seed into the ground. These three point hitch seeders vary in width from 49 to 84 inches. A calibration tray and crank handle are integrated onto the implement to facilitate calibration. The ground-driven seeding mechanism can be disconnect for either calibration or when using the implement only for soil disturbance or tillage. Brillion ‘Till N Seed’ This ground driven seeder is a one-pass tillage and seeding implement that disturbs the soil by a rotating disk. Seed is distributed onto the soil as it is being disturbed by the rotors. A heavy, corrugated roller then firms the seedbed, ensuring seed-to-soil contact. These seeders have a built-in, full width calibration tray that is stored on the implement when not in use. Depth and down pressure on the tilling rotors is adjustable. These implements come in pull behind or three point hitch models. These drills provide excellent depth control and are most effective in dry conditions. Final thoughts Many methods of forage seeding can be successful. When using any equipment, be sure to read and understand the manual and follow its guidelines. Always clean out seed boxes and tubes before and after each use. And for rental equipment, never assume the person who had it before you had it set right! Good luck with your spring seedings. March • Cow Country • 43

ANIMAL DISEASE TRACEABILITY Animal disease traceability provides vital information that helps producers, veterinarians, state and federal officials respond rapidly and effectively during an animal disease outbreak. An animal disease traceability system:

•

Protect ownership information from disclosure to future owners.

•

Protect producers from liability for acts of others, after the cattle have left the producer’s control.

•

Operate at the speed of commerce.

•

Maintain existing state brand inspection activities without replacement or impediment. Work within a framework to accommodate all classes of cattle.

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Reduces the number of animals involved.

•

Limits the economic impact for both domestic and international markets.

•

Provides risk protection against the spread of disease.

•

Streamlines response times.

•

Safeguards the food supply chain.

ANIMAL DISEASE TRACEABILITY BACKGROUND

•

Facilitates continuity of business for unaffected premises in a foreign animal disease outbreak.

•

Requires only four data points are recorded with these electronic tags: Animal ID, date, time, and GPS location of where the tag was scanned (ranch, feedyard, processing facility).

KCA will be engaged in the process and make decisions on behalf of our 32,000 producers across the state. Based on producer and industry feedback KCA believes an effective animal disease traceability program should:

Our current traceability system requires an update to improve speed and accuracy for animal disease tracing. If a foreign animal disease outbreak, such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease, occurred in the United States today, there would be an immediate 72-hour stand-still for all cattle movement. The return of cattle movement in controlled disease regions of the country would require the use of electronic identification (EID) to track and verify movements. Updating our traceability system will reduce the amount of economic harm U.S. cattle producers could face in a disease outbreak and allow for more rapid domestic business continuity. Producers that use EID tags for their cattle will facilitate animal disease tracing and be better prepared to move their animals during a foreign animal disease outbreak.

•

WHAT IS KENTUCKY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION POLICY

KENTUCKY’S TRACEABILITY CONSENSUS POINTS

Be compatible with private sector animal ID and verification programs backed by the USDA.

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Be compatible with the general traceability principles of World Organization for Animal Health.

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Recognize existing USDA programs for beef exports.

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Be built using infrastructure that supports other potential uses of ID.

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Utilize low-cost electronic official tagging devices paid for by federal and/or state funds.

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Require that cattle ID information for disease traceability be kept confidential and strongly protected from disclosure.

44 • Cow Country • March

The Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association acts on policy issues at the direction of our members, Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee. KCA strongly supports the United States' ability to effectively respond to an animal disease outbreak. Kentucky’s beef farm families are our number one priority, therefore, our goal is to achieve a voluntary traceability system that protects confidentiality and keeps cattle identification data secure, protects cattle producers from liability once the animals have left their control and uses low-cost electronic tagging devices paid for by federal or state funds.

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CORY 859-338-5826

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KYLE 502-682-7442

ROGER 859-333-2707 March • Cow Country • 45

Act Now to Control Poison Hemlock J. D. Green Extension Weed Scientist Megan Romano UKVDL Toxicologist Michelle Arnold DVM (Ruminant Extension Veterinarian, UKVDL) During the early summer, the presence of poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is more evident. Although this plant is often seen along roadways, abandoned lots, fencerows and other non-cropland sites, in recent years it has expanded out into grazed pastures and hay fields. Poison hemlock is toxic to a wide variety of animals including man, birds, wildlife, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses. It contains several neurotoxic piperidine alkaloids; the two major ones are coniine (major alkaloid in the mature plant and seed) and the more toxic gamma-coniceine (predominate in green, vegetative growth). These alkaloids cause muscle paralysis by acting as a neuromuscular blocking agent, resulting in two major effects: 1) rapid, sometimes fatal effects on the nervous system and 2) they are teratogenic agents, meaning they are known to cause birth defects when consumed during certain times of gestation. Cattle seldom choose to eat poison hemlock unless no other forage is available or it is incorporated in hay, silage or the seeds in grain. A commonly asked question is how much plant material must be consumed by cattle to kill them. Unfortunately, the answer is not clear cut as there is considerable variation in the toxic alkaloid content of the plant depending on its stage of growth, season, moisture, temperature, time of day and geographic region. Cattle have died by eating 0.2-0.5% of their body weight in green hemlock. Poison hemlock is classified as a biennial that reproduces only by seed. It is capable, however, of completing its lifecycle as a winter annual in Kentucky if it germinates during the fall. New plants emerge in the fall as a cluster of leaves that form a rosette which remains green throughout the winter in a semi-dormant state. It is most noticeable at this stage of growth in late fall through early spring with its parsley-like leaves which are highly dissected or fern-like with leaf petioles that have purple spotting and no hairs (Figure 1). The individual leaves are shiny 46 • Cow Country • March

at the end of each terminal stalk. Poison hemlock foliage has an unpleasant mouse urine-like odor, detectable when near the plant or when a stem or leaf is crushed. Although this weed is often associated with areas that have moist soil conditions, it can also survive in dry sites.

Figure 1: Poison hemlock rosette

green and triangular in appearance. After resuming active growth in late winter, they form larger rosettes. As the plant begins to send up flower stalks, the leaves are alternately arranged on the main stem. Each individual leaf is pinnately compound with several pairs of leaflets that appear along opposite sides of the main petiole. As the plant matures, poison hemlock can grow upwards to about 6- to 8-feet-tall (Figure 2). At maturity, the plant is erect, often with multi-branched stems and forms a deep taproot. The hollow stems are smooth with purple spots randomly seen along the lower stem that helps distinguish it from other plants similar in appearance. The flowers, when mature, are white and form a series of compound umbels (an umbrella-shaped cluster of small flowers)

Figure 2: Mature poison hemlock plants growing in hayfield.

Fortunately, most animals avoid grazing poison hemlock if other forage is readily available. However, animals are more likely to consume green plants during the late winter and early spring when other forage species are limited or when dry lotted or starving animals gain access to an overgrown field. All parts of the plant, including the seeds, contain the toxic alkaloids coniine and gamma-coniceine. Gamma-coniceine is more toxic than coniine and is at its highest concentration in early growth. As the plant matures, gamma-coniceine undergoes chemical reduction to the less toxic alkaloid coniine. Seeds and dried plant material contain the highest concentrations of coniine. Although toxicity is reduced during drying due to volatility of coniine, animals will eat much more dried poison hemlock than fresh because palatability is greatly improved. Seeds are highly toxic and can be a source of poisoning when they contaminate cereal grains fed to livestock. Therefore, avoid feeding animals hay or grain known to contain poison hemlock. Symptoms of acute poisoning can occur rapidly after ingestion of plant material anywhere within 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the animal species, quantity consumed, and stage of plant growth. Initially, the affected animal may develop nervousness, salivation, tearing, frequent urination and signs of abdominal pain. There may be a detectable mousy odor to the breath and urine. Symptoms progress to muscle tremors, incoordination, and weakness, difficulty breathing, and death can result within hours due to respiratory failure. If acute poisoning does not progress to collapse and death, signs can begin to improve within several hours, with full recovery in as few as 6-8 hours.

Diagnosis is based on history of plant ingestion, clinical signs and chemical analysis for presence of alkaloids in rumen contents. Activated charcoal may help bind alkaloids if administered prior to onset of signs. Avoid exciting or stressing symptomatic animals, as that may exacerbate symptoms and result in death. Poisoning is prevented by providing sufficient, good-quality forage and preventing livestock exposure. Public health is a concern when dealing with poisoned animals because of the possibility of alkaloid residues in meat. Elimination of plant toxicants through the milk is a minor route of excretion but may be important when consumed by a calf or a human. More importantly, people have been accidentally poisoned when they confused poison hemlock for plants such as parsley, wild carrot or wild anise. Although acute poisoning is a primary concern, an equally serious problem is subacute intoxication of pregnant livestock that results in congenital birth defects. These defects are caused by inhibition of fetal movement by the plant toxin during critical fetal development. In cattle, the susceptible period of pregnancy is 40 to 100 days while in swine, sheep and goats, the susceptible period of gestation is 30 to 60 days. Defects possible include severe limb deformities (Figure 3), joint rigidity, rib cage anomalies, vertebral curvature and cleft palate. Diagnosis of plant-induced congenital defects is only through known exposure during gestation since the alkaloids are long gone once the calf is born.

with poison hemlock (Figure 4) and begin to look there for emergence of new plants in the fall. Herbicide products containing 2,4-D, dicamba+2,4-D (e.g. Weedmaster, Brash, Rifle-D, etc.), and aminopyralid (e.g. DuraCor, GrazonNext) are the preferred choices for obtaining effective control. Effectiveness of chemical control

can decrease as plants begin to elongate and become more mature. When using herbicidal control methods on larger plants, it is important to remove animals from treated areas since animals are more likely to graze poison hemlock plants following herbicide treatment.

Figure 3: Limb deformity due to ingestion of poison hemlock during the first trimester of pregnancy. Photo courtesy of Levi Berg, (November 2018). Figure 4: Poison hemlock growing along fence line in December.

The principal strategy for poison hemlock control is to prevent seed production, which can be a challenge since a fully mature plant can produce 35,000 – 40,000 new seeds. It is too late to utilize herbicide control methods after plants have produced flowers. Therefore, mechanical control efforts (if feasible), such as mowing or cutting down individual plants should be initiated just before peak flower production to avoid or reduce the number of new seeds produced. The best time for control using herbicides is generally when plants are in the younger rosette stages of growth in late October/ early November or February/ early March when daytime temperatures reach the 60°s. Make note of areas heavily infested March • Cow Country • 47

Establishing Livestock Pastures and Hayfields S. Ray Smith, Jimmy Henning, Chris Teutsch, Stephanie Q. Smith University of Kentucky

Profitable ruminant livestock operations depend on the production of high-quality forages. Achieving good establishment is key to producing dense, vigorous stands and high yields. Successful forage establishment requires careful planning and attention to detail. By following these recommendations, you can increase your chances of successful forage establishment. Plant at the right time. You can seed many grasses and clovers in either spring or fall. However, cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass, orchardgrass, timothy and tall fescue, are most easily established in the late summer and early fall. While spring plantings of cool-season forages can be successful if they have adequate moisture and mild temperatures, their failure rate is greater in the spring compared to the fall due to heat and weed competition. If seeding in the spring, plant in early to mid-March to increase your chances for success. Control problem weeds prior to seeding. To reduce weed competition in the seedbed, control perennial weeds the season prior to establishment. Follow the reseeding restrictions on herbicide labels to prevent damage to new forage seedlings. Consult UK extension publication, AGR-172: Weed Management in Grass Pastures, Hayfields, and Other Farmstead Sites, https://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/ pubs/agr/agr172/agr172.pdf, for specific information. Apply needed lime and fertilizer amendments. A current soil test will indicate your pastures’ nutrient needs. If you pasture requires lime, apply it at least six months before establishment. Use high-quality seed of an improved variety. Choose a variety that performs well in Kentucky. Consult the UK Forages Extension website, https://forages.ca.uky. edu/variety_trials, for Variety Trial Report information. High quality seed has high germination 48 • Cow Country • March

rates and is free of contamination from seed of other crops or weeds. This information can be found in the on the seed tag. When using “public” varieties, use CERTIFIED seed which is indicated by a BLUE seed tag. Most commercially available varieties are produced under Plant Variety Protection Act (PVP) that protects seed genetics for 20 years. Using varieties that are PVP protected (commercial) or Certified (public) provides assurance that you are getting the genetics stated on the bag. Tall fescue is a common livestock pasture grass, but varieties such as KY-31 contain a toxic endophyte which lowers animal performance. Producers can improve their performances by choosing tall fescue varieties that are endophyte free/ low endophyte (less than 5%) or novel endophyte. If this information is not on the label, you should assume that the tall fescue seed is infected with a toxic endophyte. The new novel endophyte tall fescue varieties contain a nontoxic endophyte which gives the plant insect resistance, grazing tolerance and improved persistence without the toxic effects on grazing livestock. DO NOT USE turf-type tall fescue and perennial ryegrass varieties in your livestock pastures. While these varieties are great for your yard, they contain very high levels of the toxic endophyte and could cause severe symptoms in livestock. Inoculate legume seed. Lime-based seed coatings that contain inoculant are commonly present on most varieties of improved legume seed. Raw or uninoculated seed should be treated with the proper strain of nitrogen-fixing bacteria prior to seeding for optimum nitrogen fixation. Use proper seeding rate. Seeding rates will vary by species and whether sown alone or in a mixture (Table 1). When sowing a mixture, less seed of each component is used than when sown alone. The seeding rates in Table 1 show a range of rates needed to produce a stand. Higher seeding rates are used to improve

the probability of achieving a good stand. Prepare seedbed and use proper seeding method. Many seeding methods will work, so long as they provide a way to evenly distribute a desired amount of seed at the correct depth and result in good seed-to-soil contact. For conventional seedings, prepare a fine but firm seedbed and for no-till seedings reduce residue prior to planting with close grazing or hay harvest. When planting hay crops like alfalfa, a conventionally tilled seedbed can be a preferred method of establishment, especially when a cultipacker or corrugated heavy roller is used to firm the seedbed before and after seeding. Brillion® and Trillion® seeders combine packing and seeding into one operation. For more information on seeding alfalfa and alfalfa-grass mixtures, see the University’s of Arkansas’ FSA15 Establishing Alfalfa for Forage at https://forages.ca.uky.edu/files/alfalfa_ establishment_from_ar_fsa-15-1.pdf . No-till seeding is preferred on sloping land where erosion potential is high and also when improved forages are being interseeded into established stands. Close grazing or hay harvest prior to no-till seeding removes residue and reduces hair pinning. Hair pinning occurs when residue is pushed into slit made by the no-till coulter that hampers seed-to-soil contact. This reduces germination and uniform emergence. Although less common and less accurate, minimum tillage can be used to establish forage stands. In this method, pastures or hayfields are harrowed to result in approximately 40%-60% disturbance. Seed is then broadcasted on and the pastures or hayfields are lightly harrowed to incorporate the seed. Success will be enhanced by cultipacking the field. This firms the soil, enhancing seed-to-soil contact. Red and white clovers may be established by frost seeding. Frost seeding refers to

the practice of broadcasting seed on top of the ground during late winter and relying on the freeze/thaw cycle of late winter to work the seed into the soil. Frost seeding is not recommended for alfalfa or grasses. The optimal time for frost seeding is late January to midFebruary. Pastures should be closely grazed and hayfields clipped which allows seed to reach the soil surface. For more information on frost seeding, see AGR-271: Frost Seeding Clover: A Recipe for Success, http://www2.ca.uky. edu/agcomm/pubs/AGR/AGR271/ AGR271.pdf. Manage post-seeding sod and weed competition. New seedings often fail due to post-seeding competition from existing vegetation and newly emerged weeds. When interseeding into existing pastures or hayfields, it is important to control competition from the existing stand by grazing or clipping. This allows sunlight to reach the developing seedling. Weeds can also provide competition for newly established seedlings. In some cases, herbicides can be used to control weeds. However, there are limited herbicides that can be used in stands that contain both grasses and legumes. Always read and follow label directions. For more information on grass pasture weed control, see AGR-172: Weed Management in Grass Pastures, Hayfields, and other Farmstead Sites, http://www2.ca.uky. edu/agcomm/pubs/agr/agr172/agr172. pdf. Another valuable resource is AGR-207: Broadleaf Weeds of Kentucky Pastures, http://www2.ca.uky.edu/ agcomm/pubs/AGR/AGR207/AGR207. pdf. This publication contains photos of the most common pasture weeds in Kentucky with guidance on herbicide usage and optimum timing. Allow the immature seedlings to become established. Allow new stands to become fully established before putting them back into full use. For example, it can take over a year for a grass pasture to develop a strong, dense sod. Overgrazing newly seeded areas is a major cause of seeding failures, but light and managed grazing can enhance sod formation. For hayfields, it is best to allow them to grow to maturity (seed head or flowering stage) and then to harvest one cutting of hay before returning the field to full use.

SEEDING RATE (lb/A) Alone

In a Mixture

OPTIMUM SEEDING DATES

E- or Novel Tall Fescue

15-25

10-15

08/25 - 09/25

Orchardgrass

15-20

10-15

08/25 - 09/25

Kentucky Bluegrass

15-20

4-6

8/15 - 9/15

E- Perennial Ryegrass

20-25

3-5**

8/25 - 9/25

Timothy

8-10

4-6

8/25 – 9/25

Bermudagrass

5-8

---

5/15 – 6/30

White Clover

---

1-3

2/15* - 4/15, 8/15 - 9/15

Red Clover

8-12

6-8

2/15* - 4/15, 8/15 - 9/15

Alfalfa

15-20

10-12

4/1 – 5/1, 8/10 – 8/31

SPECIES

*Winter seeding of clovers, often called frost seeding, can be made on closely grazed or mown pastures in late January or February. **Never seed perennial ryegrass more than 25% of a seeding mixture. Ideally, only 10 to 15% is needed to provide quick cover without outcompeting the desirable long-term perennial grasses. FORAGE ESTABLISHMENT AT A GLANCE

• • • • • • • •

Control problem weeds prior to establishment. Soil test and adjust fertility. Use high quality seed of an improved variety. Inoculate legume seed prior to planting. Use proper seeding rate, check seeding depth, and plant at the correct time. Ensure good soil to seed contact. Control competition from weeds or existing sod immediately after seeding and during establishment. Prevent overgrazing of the newly established pastures.

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Strategies for Reclaiming Disturbed Pastures Chris Teutsch UK Research and Education Center, Princeton Hoof damage from livestock during the winter can result in almost complete disturbance of desired vegetation and soil structure in and around heavy use areas (Figure 1). Even well-designed hay feeding pads can be a sea of mud where animals enter and leave. Highly disturbed areas create perfect growing conditions for summer annual weeds like spiny pigweed and cocklebur. Weed growth is stimulated by lack of competition from a healthy and vigorous sod and the high fertility from the concentrated area of dung, urine and rotting hay. The objective of this article is to describe two approaches to revegetating these areas! Regardless of the reclamation strategy you use, it is important to create an environment that will allow seeds to germinate quickly and uniformly, resulting in rapid canopy closure. This will help to inhibit weed seeds from germinating. Creating this environment starts with making sure that soil fertility is in the medium to high range, soil pH is 6.0 to 6.4, and preparing a fine, but firm, seedbed. Plant cool-season grasses and legumes The first strategy is to seed cool-season grasses or a mixture of grasses and legumes in the spring. While this is commonly done, results are usually less than ideal in most years. Seedings are normally delayed until late spring or early summer. Consequently, seedlings do not have time to establish before the hot, summer months. The second reason is that summer annual weed pressure is usually very high. Summer annuals weeds like foxtail, goosegrass, spiny pigweed, cocklebur and others actively compete with cool-season seedlings for light and water, often causing stand failures. If you attempt a spring planting of coolseason grasses and legumes, you can do several things to enhance, but by no means guarantee, success. These are listed below. Plant adapted forage species. Plant forages that are well adapted to Kentucky and the soils and drainage found on your farm. Tall fescue, red clover and ladino clover are, by far, the best adapted and most versatile forage species for pastures in the commonwealth. If this area will be disturbed again, then investment in novel endophyte tall fescue varieties is not recommended. Information on the 50 • Cow Country • March

Figure 1. Excessive rainfall and high livestock concentration in and around hay feeding areas can result in almost complete disturbance.

best adapted varieties for Kentucky can be found on the University of Kentucky Forages webpage, https://forages.ca.uky.edu/ variety_trials. Consider leaving legumes out of the mix. While legumes are an important part of grassland ecosystems, herbicide options for controlling weeds in grass-legume mixtures are limited. Leaving legumes out will allow you to apply selective herbicides to control broadleaf summer annual weeds. For specific herbicide recommendations, you can contact your extension agent. Use the high end of the recommended seeding rate. Seeding rates are normally given as a range (Table 1). For spring

seedings, make sure and use the high end of this range. Rapid canopy closure is critical to suppressing summer annual weeds. Plant as early as possible. Spring-seeded, cool-season forages should be planted starting in early to mid-March. Early plantings will have more time to emerge and form a canopy that can shade summer annuals weeds. Early planted grass seedlings will also have additional time to develop a root system that can sustain the new planting during the summer months. Plant in two directions. If drilling, cut seeding rates in half and plant in two directions. This will aid in obtaining quicker canopy closure, helping to reduce the

Table 1. Seeding rates for perennial cool-season forage species planted ALONE or in a MIXTURE. SPECIES

SEEDING RATE (lb/A) Alone

In a Mixture

Tall Fescue

20-25

10-15

Orchardgrass

15-20

6-8

Perennial Ryegrass

20-25

Kentucky Bluegrass

Not Recommended

4-6

Red Clover

Not Recommended

6-8

White Clover

Not Recommended

1-2

Do NOT include red and white clover if herbicides will be used to control broadleaf weeds.

germination of weed seeds. Use a shallow seeding depth. Small seeded, cool-season forages should not be planted deeper than ½ inch. Make sure to check and recheck your seeding depth. Seeding deeper than ½ inch will delay emergence, result in uneven stands, and in many cases, cause complete stand failure Control broadleaf weeds in cool-season grasses. Once grass seedlings have four collared leaves, some herbicides can be applied. Always consult and follow label directions. For the most up-to-date information on using herbicides on new seedings, contact your extension agent. Clip or flash graze new stands. Summer annual weeds compete very aggressively for light, water and nutrients with cool-season grass seedlings. If not controlled, plantings will likely fail. The most effective control of competition is to flash graze paddocks before weeds get well established. Flash grazing is accomplished by placing a large number of animals in small areas for a short period of time. This reduces selective grazing and increases grazing uniformity. Plant warm-season annual grasses The second strategy involves planting a summer annual grass in late spring or early summer. This strategy has a much higher probability of success than planting cool-season grasses in late spring. Summer annual grasses, especially sorghumsudangrass or sudangrass, have very rapid emergence and canopy closure. This will prevent summer annuals weeds from germinating and provide forage for grazing or harvesting during the summer months (Figure 2). Perennial cool-season grasses can then be reseeded under more ideal conditions in late summer or early fall. The following tips will help to enhance your chances of success when using warm-season annual glasses. Plant adapted summer annuals species. Always plant forages that are well adapted to Kentucky and the soils and conditions on your farm. Summer annuals that can be used to reclaim hay feeding areas include sudangrass, sorghum-sudangrass, pearl millet, and crabgrass. A description of these species can be found in AGR-229, Warm Season Annual Grasses in Kentucky, https:// www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/AGR/ AGR229/AGR229.pdf. Use the high end of the seeding rate. Seeding rates are normally given as a range. (Table 2). Make sure and use the high end of this range. Even with summer annuals,

Figure 2. Sorghum-sudangrass (left) emerges quicker and forms a canopy faster than pearl millet (right).

rapid canopy closure is critical for reducing unwanted weed competition. Plant after the soil warms. For summer annual grasses to germinate and rapidly emerge, soil temperatures at planting should be at least 60 degrees F. This should allow plenty of time to let hay feeding areas dry out and to get them smoothed up prior to planting. If there is a delay in planting the summer annuals after final tillage, it may be a good idea to do one more pass of light tillage to disturb any weed seedlings that may have germinated. Control broadleaf weeds. Once warmseason annual grasses are established, some herbicides can be applied to control summer annual broadleaf weeds. If coolseason perennials are to follow in the fall, make sure and check the label for reseeding restrictions prior to application. Always consult and follow label directions. For more information on using herbicides on summer annual grasses, contact your extension agent.

Grazing summer annual grasses. Allow taller growing summer annuals like sorghum-sudangrass and pearl millet to reach a height of 18-24 inches before grazing and stop grazing at to 8-10 inches. Regrowth can be stimulated be applying 40-60 lbs. N/A after each grazing but the last. Crabgrass can be grazed once it reaches a height of 6 to 8 inches. Cattle should be pulled off once it has been grazed to a height of 3 to 4 inches. Detailed management recommendations on for individual summer annual species can be found in AGR-229, Warm Season Annual Grasses in Kentucky, https://www2.ca.uky. edu/agcomm/pubs/AGR/AGR229/AGR229. pdf. Haying summer annual grasses. Allow taller growing summer annuals to reach a height of 30 to 40 inches before mowing. This will optimize yield and forage quality. If regrowth is desired, do not mow closer than 6 inches. Apply 40 to 60 lbs. N/A after each cutting, but the last. Crabgrass should be cut C O N T I NU E D O N PAGE 52

Table 2. Seeding rates for commonly planted summer annual grasses in Kentucky SPECIES

SEEDING RATE (lb/A)

Sorghum-sudangrass

20-25

Sudangrass

15-20

Pearl millet

15-20

Crabgrass

4-6

A small amount of crabgrass, 2-3 lb/A, can be seeded with the taller growing summer annual species to fill in thin spots in the stand that may develop. March • Cow Country • 51

CONTINUED FROM PAG E 5 1

for hay at the late boot-stage. Care should be taken to not mow crabgrass closer than 3 to 4 inches. With the taller, thicker stemmed species, a crimping mower-conditioner will help the crop dry to safe baling moistures, although this may take some time. Ideally, summer annuals should be conserved as

chopped silage or baleage.

establishment can be found in AGR- 64: Establishing Forage Crops, https://www2. ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/agr/agr64/ AGR64.PDF.

Reseeding cool-season grasses in the fall. Pastures with summer annuals should be sprayed with a non-selective herbicide in late summer to control any remaining summer annual grass and any weeds that have germinated. Use a no-till drill to plant cool-season grasses into the killed pasture area. More information on forage

For more information on renovating pastures and no-till seeding techniques visit UK Forage Extension website at http://forages.ca.uky.edu/ or contact your extension office.

FEATURED VIDEO

FEATURED PUBLICATION

This month’s featured video is Assessing and Repairing Damaged Pastures by Chris Teutsch. This presentation was given March 15, 2019 at Red Hill Farms, Lafayette, Tennessee. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=aMddAmYURXg

This month’s featured publication is: AGR-255, Strategies for Reclaiming Hay Feeding Areas by Chris D. Teutsch and Kelly M. Mercier, Plant and Soil Sciences. UK Cooperative Extension Service, Lexington. It can be accessed at the following link or visiting your local extension office. https://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/ AGR/AGR255/AGR255.pdf

FEATURED UPCOMING EVENTS Kentucky Fencing School: Morehead State University on April 23 and Mayfield on April 25 More information on this conference UK Forage Extension page. https://forages.ca.uky.edu/ events Kentucky Beginning Grazing School: Princeton on April 30 to May 1 - More information on this conference UK Forage Extension page. https://forages.ca.uky.edu/ events

FORAGE MANAGEMENT TIPS

• • • • •

FENCING TIP Connect wires in parallel at the end of runs. A good way to increase the ability of a fence to carry voltage is to connect all the wires at the beginning and end of runs of multi-wire fence. This allows the multiple strands of high tensile wire to function as one large wire that is capable of carrying higher levels of voltage.

Interseed legumes into pastures using a no-till drill. Continue hay feeding to allow pastures to rest and spring growth to begin. Seed cool-season grass and legumes by mid-March. Smooth and reseed hay feeding areas. Graze pastures that have been overseeded with clover to control

• •

competition. Provide free-choice high magnesium mineral to prevent grass tetany. Make plans to attend one of the Kentucky Fencing Schools and Grazing Schools in April.

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March • Cow Country • 55

Variable Rate Frost Seeding Evaluated at UK Research and Education Center Chris Teutsch, Caroline Roper and Brittany Hendrix University of Kentucky Research and Education Center Clover and other pasture legumes are important parts of sustainable grassland ecosystems. Legumes form a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria. The Rhizobium bacteria fix nitrogen from the air into a plant available form and share it with the legume. In return, the legume provides the bacteria with a place to live (nodules on the root system) and an energy source (sugar from photosynthesis). Nitrogen fixation is the second most important biochemical process on earth following photosynthesis. In addition to nitrogen fixation, legumes improve pasture quality and animal performance, and new research from our USDA Forage-animal Production Research Unit in Lexington shows that a compound found in red clover may help to alleviate tall fescue toxicosis. Frost seeding is the process of broadcasting clover or other legume seed onto existing pastures or hayfields in late winter and allowing freezing and thawing cycles to incorporate the seed into the soil. This method is most commonly used with red and white clover as well as annual lespedeza, all of which are legumes and an essential part of sustainable grassland ecosystems.

Figure 1. Pastures often contain rough and undulating terrain that makes maintaining a constant speed difficult.

Variable rate seeding technology allows seeding rate to be adjusted in real time as field conditions or ground speed changes. This could be especially useful in pastures where rough terrain makes maintaining a consistent speed difficult (Figure 1). This technology could improve the uniformity of seed dispersal resulting in more uniform stands of clover. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of variable seeding technology on actual seeding rate as ground speed was varied. Variable Rate Seeder Evaluation This evaluation was conducted at the University of Kentucky Research and Education in Princeton. The experimental design was a random complete block with four replications. An UTV (Kawasaki Mule, 4010) was driven on a paved course that was 1,000 ft in length (Fig. 2). An APV broadcast seeder, model MDD 100 M1 (APV America Inc., Pottsboro, TX), was mounted in the bed of the UTV. The seeder was calibrated for a seeding rate of 10 lbs./A at 6 mph. The treatments consisted of driving the course at 3, 6, and 9 mph with either variable or constant seeding rates. A Raven CR7 GPS unit was used to monitor speed. The actual speed was also calculated by timing each run and converting that measurement into mph. At the beginning of each treatment, 15 pounds of wheat seed was weighed and added to the seeder. Variable or constant seeding rate was then selected based on the treatment. The course was then driven at the speed designated for that treatment. At the end of the course, the seed metering mechanism was disengaged, and the remaining seed was removed with a shop vacuum and weighed (Figures 3 and 4). Data were analyzed for statistical differences. 56 • Cow Country • March

Figure 2. A UTV with the APV seeder mounted in the bed was driven on a paved course that was 1,000 ft in length.

Results Actual speeds were not different for the constant and variable seeding rate treatments for a given speed treatment (Figure 1). In addition, actual speeds for the variable or constant seeding rates were very close to the target speeds of 3, 6, and 9 mph (Figure 1). This indicates that the UTV operators were driving both accurately and consistently in terms of speed. As expected, when the seeding rate remained constant and the speed was varied, actual seeding rates were different (Figure 2). Increasing speed from 6 to 9 mph resulted in a 30% reduction

10 --------------------------------------------------------------------

a 9 -------------------------------------------------------------------8 -------------------------------------------------------------------7 -------------------------------------------------------------------Speed (mph)

6 -------------------------------------------------------------------5 -------------------------------------------------------------------4 --------------------------------------------------------------------

3 -------------------------------------------------------------------2 -------------------------------------------------------------------1 --------------------------------------------------------------------

Constant Rate - 9 mph

Constant Rate - 6 mph

Variable Rate - 9 mph

Variable Rate - 6 mph

Variable Rate - 3 mph

Constant Rate - 3 mph

Figure 3. Sweeping remaining seed out to determine the seeding rate by difference.

Figure 5. Actual speed in miles per hour for the 3, 6, and 9 mph treatments. 22

20 18

c d 10 -------------------------------------------------------------------8

6 4

Constant Rate - 9 mph

Constant Rate - 6 mph

2 Constant Rate - 3 mph

Using variable rate seeding technology in low input pastoral systems could have a measurable impact on pounds of seed applied per acre, especially in uneven terrain where a constant speed is difficult to maintain. Overall, using variable seeding rate technology could reduce seeding costs for livestock producers and result in more uniform stands of clover. However, the cost of this technology may limit adoption. The price of the seeder used in the study was $5,800. This is a substantial increase when compared to less automated seeders that cost $500 to $1,000. One potential path to adoption is for extension offices and soil and water conservations districts to purchase seeders and make them available as part of already existing equipment share/rental programs. More research is needed on-farms to better document the economic impact of utilizing variable seeding rate technology in low input pastoral systems.

Variable Rate - 9 mph

Summary and Implications

Variable Rate - 6 mph

in the seeding rate. In contrast, slowing ground speed from 6 to 3 mph doubled the seeding rate. When the variable seeding rate option was used, the seeding rate remained relatively constant (<10% variation) regardless of changes in ground speed (Figure 2).

Variable Rate - 3 mph

Figure 4. Weighing remaining seed to determine the seeding rate by difference.

Seeding Rate (lb/A)

Figure 6. Actual seeding rate in pounds per acre as impacted by speed and the use of variable seeding rate option. March • Cow Country • 57

HEREFORD PRODUCTION SALE • Saturday, APRIL 20, 2024 BLUEGRASS STOCKYARDS 4561 Ironworks Pike, Lexington, KY 40511

15 SERVICE AGE BULLS 60 PUREBRED FEMALES 15 BLACK BALDY FEMALES

CHF WH LAYLA 65J 49L

P44524364 • Calved: Feb. 17, 2023

CHF WH LANE 9024 23L

P44332932 • Calved: Jan. 11, 2023

Spring & Fall Calving Pairs Bred & Open Heifers

The Kentucky Cattlemen’s Foundation with support from members of the Livestock Coalition have proposed the construction of a Livestock Innovation Center at the University of Kentucky C. Oran Little Research Farm to educate and train those currently involved in livestock agriculture and to encourage the involvement of others.

Show your support for the Livestock Innovation Center and

NJB 196 4040 TOPAZ 909

P44100463 • Calved: Sept. 14, 2019

CALL YOUR LEGISLATOR TODAY

GUEST CONSIGNMENTS: Wells Farms • Underwood Farms • K3 Cattle Weinel Farm Grassy Run Farms • Gordon Cattle Company • NJB Limited FOR A SALE CATALOG PLEASE CONTACT: Ben Clifford..............................................................................(859) 421-7902 Lincoln Clifford........................................................................(859) 954-0102 Dale Stith, Sale Manager.........................................................(918) 760-1550

58 • Cow Country • March

1-800-372-7181 They will ask for the Bill Number This is not a bill; it is a budget request. They will ask for your name, phone number, email, address, and county.

With these volatile cattle prices, do you have them

PROTECTED? Call the UPI Risk Management team to discuss your options.

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For more information, visit www.uproducers.com/risk-management

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Sandford & Sons & Service Bowling Green, KY Siler Implement Corbin, KY

Broadest range of windrow width settings in the industry

Meade Tractor Georgetown, KY Richmond, KY MT. Sterling, KY Paris, KY, Harlan, KY London, KY, Somerset, KY Danville, KY

Visit your local KUHN Hay & Forage dealer today!

March • Cow Country • 59

Smithland Angus Farm Since 1940

28th Annual Smithland Angus Bull & Female Sale

Friday, March 8, 2024 • 6:30pm cst Russell Springs Stockyard - Russell Springs, KY

50 Performance Angus Bulls (35 Fall Yearlings, 15 Spring Yearlings) 25 Fall Bred Heifers (15 Commercial, 10 Registered) 10 Open Registered Heifers Sons of Deer Valley Growth Fund, Musgrave Exclusive,

GAR Ashland 10G & BJ Surpass

Deer Valley Growth Fund

Musgrave Exclusive

Smithland Angus Farm Henry Bryan, Melissa, Bryanna & Blane Smith 4437 East Hwy 80 Russell Springs, KY 42642 (606) 271-7520 • (270) 866-2311 • bmsmith@duo-county.com 60 • Cow Country • March

March • Cow Country • 61

THE MOST ELITE AND COMPLETE BLACK HEREFORD SALE IN THE BREED

B l a c k IS THE Co l o r

VISIT US TODAY!

9th annual

P ro d u c t i o n S a l e Saturday, MARCH 16th • 1PM EST

ALL AGES WELCOME SCHEDULE A GROUP VISIT CHOOSE YOUR LESSON PLAN CATERING IS AVAILABLE

CATTLE VIEWING MARCH 15: 9AM-DARK w MARCH 16: 8AM-1PM LUNCH 11:30AM w SALE 1PM EST

TRIPLE T FARMS w 2616 HWY 1664 w NANCY, KY 42544

THE YARDS is an education center focusing

Approximately 65 Lots:

Real world cattle that will make you a profit. 25 BIG STOUT 2 YEAR OLD AND COMING 2 YEAR OLD BULLS - READY FOR SERVICE All registered bulls are approved herd sires and have passed a BSE test. Many bulls qualify for KY/TN cost share money.

OPEN AND BRED HEIFERS, BRED COWS, AND PAIRS, SHOW PROSPECTS

LIVE BROADCAST & BIDDING ONLINE

on the science and practices of the beef industry. Educational opportunities provide a unique learning experience based on its location in the Blue Grass Regional Stockyards Marketplace. This environment fosters complex thinking, experiential learning, and life skill application.

Host Hotel: Choice Hotels - Somerset KY- 606-667-1500. www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/KL02V2 Mention the Black is the Color Sale for a special rate.

BBURKS@KYCATTLE.ORG

TRIPLE T FARMS

Tim & Teresa Tarter 606-305-2289 2616 Hwy 1664 Nancy, KY 42544 tripletblackherefords@gmail.com go to www.tripletblackcattle.com to view online catalog and videos 62 • Cow Country • March

(859) 382-4303

Gwinnup Crazy K Ranch th 11 Annual Production Sale Saturday April 13, 2024

New

e Tim

10:30 a.m. • Michie, Tennessee

Selling 45 Lots of Angus Females Make it a Tennessee Weekend Friday 4.12 Ingram Angus Southern Select Sale (evening) Saturday 4.13 Gwinnup Crazy K Ranch AAA Farms (3p.m.) Shady Brook Angus (evening)

SALE MANAGERS • COTTON & ASSOCIATES

Gwinnup Crazy K Ranch

Steve and Linda Gwinnup, Owners Charlie Adkins, Ranch Manager 833 N Prather Road Michie, Tenessee 38357 731-439-7350, Charlie Cell gwinnupcrazykranch@gmail.com 517.546.6374

MEMBERSHIP

Congratulations to McCreary County Cattlemen's Association on winning this year's Priefert Squeeze Chute! L to R: Vernon Gilreath, Jeff Kidd (president), Jason Stephens, Marion Gilreath (VP), Josh Neal, Rick Shelton, Tracie Goodman (Extension Agent) DIVISION 3

2024

2023

Russell

Out of State

-5

Woodford

-5

Campbell

-21

Taylor

-11

Whitley

-5

Rockcastle

-15 -23

(UP TO 75 MEMBERS)

DIVISION 1

2024

203

Diff

Barren

334

482

-148

Adair

289

326

-37

(151+ MEMBERS)

DIVISION 2

Grant

Montgomery

-10

-46

Oldham

-15

-28

Estill

-11

Mason

-25

Ohio

-15

McCreary

-4

Wayne

-7

Todd

-23 -15

2024

2023

Diff

Pulaski

100

146

Monroe

100

128

(76-150 MEMBERS)

Diff

Shelby

308

378

-70

Garrard

109

-13

Marion

280

301

-21

Northeast Area

103

-4

Daviess

121

-28

Fleming

127

-32

Trigg

104

-6

Carroll

Anderson

109

-25

Hancock

-5

-14 -33

Christian Breckinridge

264 246

333 269

-69 -23

Lincoln

238

227

Madison

239

307

-68

Hart

208

244

-36

Grayson

193

237

-44

Washington

205

221

-16

Scott

105

121

-16

Nicholas

Webster

-4

Union

118

-41

Highlands

-9

Simpson

-16

Calloway

-28

Butler

-11

Hopkins

-2

Bath

258

348

-90

Jackson

Edmonson

167

204

-37

Caldwell/Lyon

119

-30

110

-39

Franklin

165

167

-2

Trimble

Henry

169

192

-23

Owen

-18

Metcalfe

151

Lewis

-7

Clay

-9

Mercer

159

192

-33

Boyle

101

-32

McLean

-2

Logan

178

206

-28

Robertson

-14

Crittenden

-6

Meade

147

167

-20

Mountain

-25

Livingston

Larue

150

157

-7

Knox

-13

Green

131

160

-29

Bullitt

-14

Jessamine

129

218

-89

Menifee

-9

Bracken

140

188

-48

Henderson

Clark

127

185

-58

Gallatin

-1

Hardin

124

160

-36

Powell

-2

Casey

122

172

-50

Magoffin

Northern Kentucky

120

168

Pike

-2

Laurel

120

Warren

115

Harrison

153

Purchase Area

-17

Louisville Area

-15

Bourbon

-40

Muhlenberg

-21

Fayette

-27

Clinton-Cumberland

-11

-48

Nelson

-30

151

-31

Pendleton

-52

Eastern Foothills

-3

159

-44

Allen

112

-78

Harlan

-1

-88

Twin Lakes

-29

Bell

If you need anything for membership, please contact

Rachel Cain at (859) 278-0899 or rcain@kycattle.org 64 • Cow Country • March

Totals as of: February 13, 2024

2024

2023

Difference

8,719

11,114

-2,395

2023-24 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION * MEMBERSHIP YEAR 10/1/23– 9/30/24

NAME

SPOUSE NAME

FARM NAME

ADDRESS

CITY

STATE

ZIP

COUNTY

RECRUITED BY

PHONE

FAX

*Payments of KCA membership dues are tax deductible for most members as an ordinary and necessary business expense. However, charitable contributions of gifts to KCA are not tax deductible for Federal Income Tax purposes. Due to new IRS regulations, $2.24 of your dues would not be deductible. Approximately $12 of your dues will go towards the monthly publication Cow Country. PLEASE CHECK THE MEMBERSHIP(S) YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN: KCA MEMBERSHIP ($30/YR) Membership dues are $30 unless otherwise listed below

NEW

RENEWAL

KCA COUPLE MEMBERSHIP To add your spouse, please add $15 to your KCA Membership KENTUCKY JUNIOR CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION ($10/YR)

NEW

RENEWAL

I WOULD LIKE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE YOUNG PRODUCER’S COUNCIL

COUNTY DUES Dues are $30 except for the counties listed below. Allen...............................$40 Anderson........................$25 Bourbon.........................$20 Boyle ..............................$35 Bullitt..............................$20 Butler..............................$25 Franklin ..........................$25 Highlands .......................$20 (Boyd, Floyd, Johnson, Lawrence, & Martin)

Hopkins ..........................$35 Laurel.............................$35 Louisville Area ................$20 (Jefferson, & Spencer)

Magoffin .........................$20 Menifee ..........................$25 Mountain........................$25 (Breathitt, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Morgan, Owsley, Perry & Wolfe)

Oldham ..........................$35 Taylor..............................$20 Twin Lakes ......................$20 Warren ...........................$40 Wayne ............................$25 Whitley ...........................$25 Woodford......................$25

TOTAL MEMBERSHIP: KCA

KJCA

TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS: CATTLEMEN’S FOUNDATION DONATION (voluntary)

TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED: ALL DONATIONS TO KCF ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE

IF YOU WOULD ALSO LIKE TO JOIN THE NATIONAL CATTLEMEN’S BEEF ASSOCIATION The NCBA is now a State Marketing Partner with the KCA. You can pay your dues to both organizations with one check, at the same time. # HEAD

DUES

1-100

$160

1,001-1,250

$1,227

101-250

$320

1,251-1,500

$1,493

251-500

$480

1,501-1,750

$1,760

501-750

$693

1,751-2,000

$2,027

751-1000

$960

> 2,000

$2,027 + $0.4053/HD

# HEAD

DUES

Complete and return to: Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association 176 Pasadena Drive • Suite 4 • Lexington, KY 40503 Join online at www.kycattle.org or call (859) 278-0899

March • Cow Country • 65

Alex Scott MS, RD, LD, Southeast Regional Director of Nutrition

CELEBRATE NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH® BY LOOKING BEYOND THE TABLE

plate for your meals or a plate with a lip or design around the edge that creates a natural border for filling your plate.

March is National Nutrition Month®, and the theme of this year’s Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics National Nutrition Month® is “Beyond the Table.” This theme addresses the farm-to-fork aspect of nutrition to get us thinking about how we can go Beyond the Table to improve our health and the planet’s.

More tips for overcoming portion distortion include:1

The weekly messages in March around this theme include: •

Stay nourished on any budget: plan meals and snacks, use a grocery list and shop sales, and learn about community resources including SNAP, WIC and local food banks.

•

See a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN): get referred to a registered dietitian who specializes in your unique needs and learn how to meet your health goals.

•

Eat a variety of foods from all food groups: include your favorite cultural foods and traditions, eat foods in various forms including fresh, frozen, canned and dried, and experiment with recipes using different ingredients.

•

Eat with the environment in mind: buy foods in season; shop local, when possible; grow food at home, and get creative with leftovers to reduce food waste.

Our current spring health professional outreach activities lend well to this theme: •

NCBA reached out to us at the beginning of the year and offered to send extra heart health and adolescent mailers to the members of the Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians as we have a great partnership with them.

•

On Feb. 29, registered dietitians, Janine Faber and Alex Scott, will be exhibiting at the Cardiopulmonary Rehab Association Conference at the Embassy Suites Lexington. This is our first time sponsoring and exhibiting at this conference, and we are excited to reach a variety of health professionals. We are looking forward to sharing our resources and developing partnerships.

•

On March 5, Faber and Scott, will be

66 • Cow Country • March

exhibiting at the Kentucky Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics annual conference at the Louisville Marriott East. We are partnering with NCBA and are excited to host nutrition communications consultant, Neva Cochran, MS, RDN, LD, FAND, from Dallas. Her presentation is titled, “Nutrition Starts at the Farm: Healthy Meals from the Ground Up.” Faber will also present briefly at the conference about our co-hosted Fall KAND handson networking event with The Dairy Alliance where we hosted 11 dietitians and dietetic students at Pleasant Hill Farms in Rockfield and Chaney’s Dairy Barn in Bowling Green. The dietitians and dietetic students learned about sustainable farming, grass-finished vs. grain-finished, label reading, farm operations of breeding, and a ruminant nutritionist discussed the diet of cattle. •

On March 6-7, Faber and Scott will be exhibiting at the Kentucky Public Health Association annual conference at the Louisville East Marriot for the second year in a row. At this conference, we are able to reach a variety of health professionals including health department employees, registered dietitians, diet techs, health coaches and more.

TOOLS FOR OVERCOMING PORTION DISTORTION An easy way to insure we eat the right portions is by using a smaller plate. The size of our plate can determine the size of our portions. The standard plate size these days is about 11-inches, but a 9-inch plate is a better representation of recommended portion sizes. If your dinner plates are larger than 9 inches, try using a salad or dessert

1. Read the label. Looking at the Nutrition Facts label can help us identify the appropriate serving size or the quantities that people typically consume of that item. Pay attention to how many servings are in a food package and keep in mind that the recommended portion size may be bigger or smaller than the standard serving size listed on the label. 2. Eat from a plate, not a package. Portioning out your food into a container instead of eating straight from the box or bag can help us keep our portion size in check. 3. Use the right tools. Portioning out foods with measuring cups and spoons can allows us to visualize what the recommended serving size looks like. Use smaller plates and bowls at mealtime or tall, skinny glasses for drinks to help make the recommended portion size appear larger. These two plates have the same recommended portion size for this meal. However, the 9-inch plate leaves less room for empty space, making your plate look fuller and helping you feel more satisfied after eating an appropriate portion.

4. Skip the upgrade. Sometimes it can seem like a better value to upgrade to a larger size when dining out. However, unless you can safely transport the extra portion home to eat later, this may not actually be a good deal and could lead to getting too full. Ordering the lunch portion instead of the dinner portion is another option to reduce serving size when eating out.

The Palm = 3 oz. of Protein The palm of your hand measures about 3 ounces of protein. This is an appropriate portion size for beef, chicken, fish and other meats.

1. https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/ nutrition-panels-and-food-labels/serving-size-vsportion-size-is-there-a-difference

ESTIMATING PORTION SIZES USING YOUR HANDS A key part of healthful eating is being able to understand what an appropriate portion of certain foods looks like. The terms serving size and portion size are often used interchangeably when discussing how much to eat. But they don’t actually mean the same thing. Serving size is a standardized amount of food that represents the quantity of a specific food or drink that people typically consume.1 Portion size is the amount of food that we choose to eat or drink which may be bigger or smaller than the suggested serving size.1 Tools, such as measuring cups and spoons, are great for making sure a portion size is the same as a serving size, however, they aren’t always available. Another way to estimate portion sizes is by using our hands. Here are some tips on how you can use your hands to portion out different foods at your next meal. When we begin portioning our food, it is helpful to measure foods regularly to get an idea of what the serving sizes look like. Overtime, it will become easier to choose appropriate portion sizes without these tools. Keep in mind that it is also important to listen to your bodies hunger and fullness cues. Just like how our hands are different sizes, our bodies require different amounts of energy. If we are still hungry after eating one serving, that is our body’s way of communicating with us that it needs more. Additionally, if we become full before finishing one serving, it is okay to not eat the entire portion. 1. https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/ nutrition-panels-and-food-labels/serving-size-vsportion-size-is-there-a-difference

A Cupped Hand = ½ cup of Grain or Fruit One cupped hand measures about ½ cup. This is equivalent to a 1 ounce serving size for grains, such as pasta, rice and oatmeal. This is also an appropriate portion size for frozen, fresh or canned fruits.

Two Cupped Hands = 1 cup of Vegetables Two cupped hands, or one fist, measures about 1 cup. This is an appropriate portion size for raw or cooked vegetables, 100% fruit juice, and whole fruits such as apples or oranges.

The Thumb = 1 tbsp of Fats The whole thumb is equivalent to about 1 tablespoon of fat. Two thumbs together are equivalent to a 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter, or other nut spreads, and salad dressing or a 1.5 ounce serving of cheese. Additionally, the tip of the thumb can be used to measure 1 teaspoon. This is an appropriate serving for oils, margarine or butter and mayonnaise. March • Cow Country • 67

Understanding My Why Becky Thompson Director, Kentucky Beef Network January flew by this year; I think as my girls get older and involved in more activities time speeds up faster to keep up with them. I hope you enjoyed our convention this year. There is a lot of planning and behind-the-scenes work that goes into it, and I’m so proud be apart of a team that can all come together to make a successful event. During the convention this year, I was recognized with a service award for being with the association for 20 years. As I look back on my 20 years with the Kentucky Cattlemen it causes me to reflect on my why. My why started with my family’s “roots”. My mom grew up in a small farming community of 4,000 in Southeast Nebraska on a grain farm with a small herd of cows and chickens. This farm was purchased by my great-great-great grandfather Gustav Christian Duerfeldt in 1858 when his family migrated from Prussia. I remember visiting their farm in the summer and helping Grandma in her very large garden, collecting chicken eggs, and processing broiler chickens, and Grandpa always had a corn knife ready for us to use when we walked the bean fields looking for weeds. My grandparents were both known for having the best garden produce and cleanest fields in the county, which they were proud of. In 2015, Grandma and Grandpa were awarded the Heritage Farm Award which recognizes families who have consecutively held ownership of land within the same family for 150 years. When my dad was a young boy, Grandpa Bennett purchased a small farm outside Cedar Rapids, Nebraska. Cedar Rapids is 138 miles west of Omaha and 210 miles northeast of North Platte and has a population of 300 people. This farm doesn’t carry the deep historical story that my mom’s farm does, but it is where I grew up, learning about cattle. Doing the chores developed my passion for agriculture and the people. Growing up, we had a big garden (not as big as Grandma Duerfeldt’s), grew corn as silage, dryland and wet corn to use as feed for the 3,000-5,000 steers we finished. Unfortunately, the location of 68 • Cow Country • March

Marvin Duerfeldt & Russell Bennett

our feedyard was along a creek that could flood, which flowed into the river. As you know EPA frowns on this and sent us a cease-and-desist letter asking us to develop lagoons to hold the potential runoff from rain events or find a new location for our feedyard. We were able to move the feedyard to a new location, enabling us to increase our capacity. I spent many hours in sale barns while my dad and grandpa purchased the calves for the feedyard, which resulted in one of my first jobs in high school working as a pen recorder in our local barn. One of the first programs I implemented when I started at KBN in 2004 was a recordkeeping service. Producers could mail me their records, and I would enter them into an excel spreadsheet and provide them with production reports and an electronic file of their records. This program led us to realize records were only good if you could read the handwriting, and the cows were identified with a unique visual identification. I met several people who would purchase their visual ids from the farm store each year and buy the number series that was available resulting in multiple cow 3’s or 10’s, etc. When I asked producers about how they know which number 3 is which they always knew from a physical appearance or a story about the cow. But

they began to realize those were hard to communicate on paper to someone else who was entering their records. In 2005, the beef industry began resuming exports for animals under 18 months of age after the 2003 BSE event that closed our export markets. Age of a bovine is determined through bone ossification at the processing plant, however for younger animals, age can could only be determined through third party verified records from the farm of origin, leading Kentucky to manage a USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) for Age and Source Verification for Southeast cattlemen. I helped cattlemen use EID tags that were uniquely numbered and develop records that fit their management style while accommodating the requirements of the PVP program to ensure everyone that wanted to participate had an opportunity. This program ran for three years and verified over 500,000 head of cattle from the Southeast. I am proud we verified as few as one animal to hundreds for producers. This program was not limited to the size of the operation. Our markets and order buyers also rose to the opportunity and began installing readers in their markets to read the cattle coming in and leaving the barn,

enabling us to communicate EID and oldest animal’s birthdate (no personal information was shared) with the buyer to provide the feedyard. In 2008, Japan lifted their export restrictions on the United States thus sunsetting our PVP program. This announcement was met with frustration that use of EIDs and recordkeeping progress would regress. Looking back now, in ways I think they were right, so soon have we forgotten the estimated $15 billion loss the beef industry experienced with one foreign animal disease. With the

value of cattle now, what would that loss be today? Recently, KCA received pushback on a NCBA proposed policy resolution that was taken out of context and resulted in hundreds of phone calls to our office. One caller I spoke with was very angry, so I listened. At the conclusion of their comments, they advised me to go home and pray for my soul that night as KCA’s support was going to put their small operation out of business, and they hoped I could live with myself and hung up on me without me saying anything.

Growing up in rural agriculture and influence from family and neighbors helped shape my why. Experiencing the introduction of computers, influence of government agencies, inclusion of the next generation, farming equipment improvements, weather impacts etc. on our rural communities deepens my why. However, seeing people overcome challenges and adapt to change while seeing their love for agriculture, land, cattle, and family continues to be my motivation to ensure there is a place for my children and my grandchildren.

Eden Shale Update Dan Miller Industry Coordinator, Kentucky Beef Network The slowest time of year for myself at Eden Shale Farm is the roughly 30 days between the end of the KCA Convention and the start of calving season in mid-February. This year, that timeframe was overtaken by a severe cold spell. Our Mesonet weather station recorded 10 straight days with a wind chill measuring 6 degrees F or less (Jan. 20 bottomed out at -16.8° F). During this time, there was lots of ice to chop and plenty of hay to set out. When it is that cold, just taking care of the basic chores takes all day! I want to give a big “Thank You” to our Farm Manager, Greg Cole for the long, cold days that he put in at farm when I couldn’t get there. I also want to thank our current intern, Joel Olivas, who came to help Greg every day that school was canceled during the bad weather. These two men carried the load during the harshest weather, and I appreciate them for it. 2023 was another successful forage year at Eden Shale. We were among some of the lucky few who received moisture at critical times throughout the summer

and fall months. This allowed us to graze cattle until after the first of the year. This year, we started feeding hay to the cowherd on Jan. 3. This is on par with our average hay feeding start date, which typically ranges anywhere from Christmas to the second week of January. Dr. Steve Higgins has also had projects going on the past couple of months. There are two separate ponds on the farm that he has developed in which the water will be filtered and stored in above ground tanks. Water flows through concrete tanks to the cattle, and then back into the pond. These systems are summer-only systems, as they will freeze in the wintertime. I will elaborate more on these systems as it warms up and we get them up and running. As I write this column, calving season is quickly approaching. We should start calving somewhere around Feb. 20, plus/minus a few days. And once it starts, we typically get approximately 90% of our calf crop on the ground in 45 days. So, if you need us in March, we will be in the calving barn…

K E N T U C K Y B E E F N E T W O R K F I E L D A S S O C I AT E S

Ben Lloyd

Whitesville, KY (270) 993-1074 benlloyd0223@gmail.com

Ron Shrout

Winchester, KY (606) 205-6143 ronshrout@bellsouth.net

Charles Embry

Cave City, KY (270) 646-5939 dale.embry@yahoo.com

Jacob Settles

Springfield, KY (859) 805-0724 jacob.settles4@yahoo.com March • Cow Country • 69

70 • Cow Country • March

W W W. C P H 45. COM

The right time is now. The right way is BQCA. Thanks to the partnership between Kentucky Beef Network and University of Kentucky

get FREE BQCA CERTIFICATION online or through your county extension ofﬁce April 1st through April 30th, 2024.

March • Cow Country • 71

NCBA Releases 2024 Policy Priorities ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 31, 2024) – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) Executive Committee approved the organization’s policy priorities at the 2024 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show. This year’s priorities focus on advocating for the reauthorization of the Farm Bill, protecting cattle producers from federal regulatory overreach and defending the U.S. cattle industry against external attacks. “NCBA will continue pushing for passage of a Farm Bill that includes key animal health and voluntary conservation provisions, as well as hold the line against all federal policies that could damage the livelihoods of U.S. cattle producers,” said NCBA President-Elect and Wyoming cattle rancher Mark Eisele. “In the past year we have

seen radical animal activists ramp up their attacks on our industry and our producer-funded Beef Checkoff that drives consumer demand and funds critical research. We will never let the same people that want to shut down family cattle operations, dictate how we promote our products.” NCBA’s policy priorities include: • Secure reauthorization of the animal health provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill and advocate for expanded funding of the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB) to protect against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). • Defend the U.S. cattle industry against radical animal activist groups that want to end cattle production, including the Beef Checkoff.

• Fight against misguided Endangered Species Act rules and any expansion of bureaucratic red tape under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). • Preserve family farms and ranches for future generations by advocating for essential tax relief for cattle producers. “Despite our success last year in finally reducing the size and scope of the onerous Waters of the U.S. rule, many more misguided regulations have been proposed that undermine the voluntary conservation work of cattle producers. NCBA will stand strong against these rulemakings – setting the record straight on regulations that are not backed by science and would leave America’s rangelands in total disorder,” Eisele added.

Please scan the QR code to join our mailing list.

72 • Cow Country • March

CowCountry7.5_4.9375.indd 1

1/7/24 2:25 PM

Seedstock Plus Spring Sale Dates! Red Reward Bull & Female Sale March 9, 2024 Wheeler Livestock, Osceola, MO Selling 50 RED Balancer & Gelbvieh Bulls & RED females! Registered & Commercial!

South Missouri Bull & Female Sale March 23, 2024 Joplin Regional Stockyards, Carthage, MO Selling 125 BLACK Angus, Balancer & Gelbvieh Bulls! 18 months & yearlings! Also BLACK females! Registered & Commercial!

On-Line Female Sale

Friday May 3, 2024 * soft closes @ 7 p.m. Selling 50 LOTS of Commercial & Registered Females! Spring Pairs, Fall Breds & Pairs! Details at Seedstock Plus & DV Auction websites closer to sale date! • • • • • • •

Guaranteed Sight-Unseen Purchases! Free Trucking on every bull! No fine print! The best disposition & soundness sort! Extensive Data & Genomic EPDs! All Bulls Are Semen & Trich Tested! Over 200 RFI tested bulls sell in these sales! Videos of sale bulls on website the week before the sale! www. dvauction.com or www.seedstockplus.com

Bid & Buy at:

DVAuction DV REQUEST YOUR CATALOGS TODAY 877-486-1160 john@seedstockplus.com

March • Cow Country • 73

NEWS R ELEAS E S

UK EXTENSION AND KENTUCKY BEEF NETWORK TO OFFER FREE BQCA CERTIFICATIONS IN APRIL AND SEPTEMBER

Producers interested in taking advantage of this opportunity can visit www.kybeefnetwork. com to access the online training platform or contact their county extension office for training opportunities.

The Kentucky Beef Network and University of Kentucky Extension are pleased to announce that they will offer free Beef Quality and Care Assurance (BQCA) certifications in April and September 2024.

“We are very excited for this partnership for our Kentucky cattlemen to continue to tell their story to consumers through sound management practices,” said Kevin Laurent, UK co-BQCA coordinator.

The Kentucky BQCA program takes national BQA practices one step further to provide a holistic program for Kentucky producers by adding cattle handling and animal care components to the training modules. Educational modules provide the best management practices for handling cattle and providing for their well-being, in addition to training on the core principles of BQA. The cost of BQCA enrollment is typically $5 for in-person training through local county extension offices and $10 for online training. However, from April 1- 30 and Sept. 1-30 the Kentucky Beef Network and University of Kentucky Extension will sponsor the enrollment costs and make the trainings free for producers.

U.S. CATTLETRACE AND IMI GLOBAL ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE In a move to unify the industry behind one effort to accomplish a nationally significant, voluntary animal disease traceability system, U.S. CattleTrace has entered into a strategic alliance with IMI Global, the nation’s largest third-party cattle verification company. This move bolsters U.S. CattleTrace's mission to build a rapid contact tracing database along with IMI Global’s mission to continue adding value for American beef producers. “The need for the industry to unite around

one effort to accomplish animal disease traceability is paramount to accomplishing our goal of a nationally significant contact tracing program,” said Mark Gardiner, chairman of the U.S. CattleTrace board of directors. “With IMI Global’s long history as the industry leader in value-add traceability, I’m excited to see the progress we can make as an industry in accomplishing this important goal.” John Saunders, CEO of IMI Global, added, “The U.S. cattle industry is unique in terms of animal disease traceability being voluntary across certain sectors, so it is important that leading industry players takes steps to prepare for and effectively mitigate the impact of any future animal disease outbreak.” The strategic alliance will allow producers to leverage the benefits of value-add traceability opportunities through IMI Global, while also uniquely positioning their operations with the added disease traceability and enhanced biosecurity requirements that will be paramount to business continuity in the face of a disease outbreak. For more information on U.S. CattleTrace visit uscattletrace.org. For more information on IMI Global visit imiglobal.com.

presents

APRIL 27, 2024  1 PM

LAUREL COUNTY CATTLEMEN SALE FACILITIES 3610 SLATE LICK CHURCH ROAD  LONDON, KY

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Laurel County Extension Office............................................. 606.864.4167 Mike Calebs, Association President ...................................... 606.813.4490 Glenn Williams, Ag Agent...................................................... 606.682.0665 74 • Cow Country • March

Grassy Valley Angus 31st Annual Production Sale

Saturday, April 6, 2024 • Greeneville, TN • 1:00 p.m. Breeding for Balance for Over 50 Years

GVF Surpass 3157

Selling

CED +14

WW +77

YW +137

$M +81

$C +285

GVF Iconic 3177

70 Angus and SimAngus Bulls 70 Females WHEN PERFORMANCE MATTERS - Most cattle are sold by the pound - performance you can measure matters. WHEN MATERNAL MATTERS - Breeding early and raising a big calf year after year is #1 factor for profitability

CED +9

WW +82

YW +140

$M +82

$C +354

GVF Iconic 3182

WHEN CARCASS MATTERS - A positive eating experience for the consumer influences our industry. End product value matters directly and indirectly. WHEN PRODUCTION MATTERS - Grassy Valley - Backed by over 50 years of selection for what matters!!!

CED +9

WW +75

YW +126

$M +67

$C +281

GVF Endurance 3141

CED +15

WW +72

YW +126

$M +65

Grassy Valley Angus

$C +238

Lee, Lori, Ashley, Andrew & Alexandra Duckworth III, DVM

103 McCall Street, Greeneville, TN 37745 Office: 423.638.5382 • Mobile: 423.552.5404 • Mobile: 423.552.5405 Email: dwanimalhospital@comcast.net www.GrassyValleyAngus.com

Family owned and operated for more than 50 years!

ANGUS LOT 10: Boyd 8005 Lady 0004, 3-year-old by Boyd 31Z Blueprint 6153. Mated A.I. April 30 to Birdwell Dynamic 5022 1673 ET.

BOYD BEEF CATTLE 6077 Helena Road Mayslick, KY 41055 Charlie Boyd II: (606) 584-5194 Blake Boyd: (606) 375-3718 www.boydbeef.com cboyd2@maysvilleky.net

FALL CREEK ANGUS 448 Corder Farm Road Monticello, KY 42633 Ronnie Corder (606) 348-6588

THE BUSINESS BREED

President: Henry B. Smith Vice President: Anne Patton Schubert Secretary/Treasurer: Shayna Gibson

LOT 57: ASM 876A Kristen 847F ET, 5-year-old by CRR 109 Catapult 322. Mated A.I. April 20 to SHF Houston D287 H086.

BURTON & SONS ANGUS

BURKS CATTLE CO. 531 Rick Rd. Park City, KY 42160 Eddie Burks • (270) 991-6398 www.burkscattle.com

GREAT MEADOWS ANGUS ASSOCIATION Dale Brown, President 292 Pea Ridge Road Stamping Ground, KY 40439 859-940-8437 www.greatmeadowsangus.com

LYNN CREEK FARMS Kris and Sara Lynn 2184 Bardstown Rd Springfield KY 40069 573-721-6663

MT. MORIAH ANGUS FARMS Bob, Kathy, Rob, and Janna Clark (859) 748-5558 1446 Kennedy Bridge Rd. Harrodsburg, KY 40330 Bob: (859)339-2610 Rob: (859)612-1594 mtmoriahfarms1@gmail.com www.mtmoriahangus.com

SMITHLAND ANGUS FARM 4437 East Hwy 80 Russell Springs, KY 42642 Henry Bryan, Melissa, Bryanna and Blane Smith 606-271-7520 bmsmith@duo-county.com

ST. CLAIR FARMS REGISTERED ANGUS Eric & Sherry St. Clair 13433 Falls of Rough Road Falls of Rough, KY 40119 Home: (270) 257-2965 • Cell: (270) 617-1079 www.stclairangus.com Performance Tested Bull & Female Sale April 2020

Joe D. or Karen Burton 480 Hominy Hill Rd. Nancy, KY 42544 Joe: (606) 305-3081 Located 15 miles West of Somerset • klburton01@ windstream.net Bulls & females sold private treaty. Inquiries Welcome. Sell only what we would buy. Data driven since 1981.

COFFEY ANGUS FARMS 661 Hopewell Road Liberty, KY 42539 Matt Coffey: (270) 799-6288 Dewey Coffey: (606) 706-2699 Genetics for Maximum Profitability since 1984

HERITAGE FARM Tom McGinnis 1024 Hinkle Lane • Shelbyville, KY (502) 633-1634, home • (502) 633-5100, work (502) 655-0164, cell

HILL VIEW FARMS Jimmy Gilles 5160 Lee Rudy Road Owensboro, KY 42301 (270) 929-5370 jcgilles86@gmail.com

OLD BARK FARM 370 Ferrill Hill, Buffalo, KY 42716 Kenley Conner (502) 905-7825 Registered Angus Cattle

4040 Taylorsville Rd Taylorsville, KY 40071 Gordon Schubert 502-477-2637 • 502-548-8440 Anne Patton Schubert 502-477-2663 • 502-548-2359

TRIPLE D ANGUS Nathaniel & Darla Denham Nathaniel(Bub), Sarah, Ashley Denham (606) 423-2457 • (606) 875-0780 tripledangus.com

WHITE FARM Tim and Amy White 3664 Military Pike Lexington, KY 40513 Home: (859)223-0326 Tim: (859) 509-5401 Amy (859)227-2552 whitefarm4@twc.com

KENTUCKY ANGUS ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Return to: Shayna Gibson 1535 Fallen Timber Road New Castle, KY 40050 • Annual Dues $35 YOUR NAME

FARM NAME

ADDRESS

76 • Cow Country • March

PHONE

KENTUCKY ANGUS ASSOCIATION NEWS Shayna Gibson, Secretary/Treasurer

FEB

Skean Angus Bull Sale

FEB

Woodall Angus Farm

MAR

Kentucky Angus Ass’n Annual Meeting

MAR

Kentucky Angus Breeders Sweepstakes

MAR

Stone Gate Farms

MAR

Smithland Angus

MAR

Boyd/Meyers Bull Sale

MAR

Cannon Angus

Angus exhibitors led 13 entries at the 2024 Cattlemen’s Congress Angus Pen & Carload Show, January 5 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Matt Perrier, Eureka, Kan.; David Dal Porto, Anselmo, Neb.; and Brian McCulloh, Viroqua, Wis., evaluated the entries before naming champions.

09 14

Farmers Stockyards, Flemingsburg, KY

MAR

Oak Hollow First Choice Bull Sale

Boyd Beef Cattle, May’s Lick, Ky., won grand champion pen of three bulls at the 2024 Cattlemen’s Congress Angus Pen & Carload Show, Jan. 5 in Oklahoma City, Okla. The January 2023 bulls posted an average weight of 1,334 pounds and posted an average scrotal circumference of 35.7 centimeters. They are sired by SG Salvation. This pen first won early calf champion. Matt Perrier, Eureka, Kan.; David Dal Porto, Anselmo, Neb.; and Brian McCulloh, Viroqua, Wis., evaluated the four carloads and nine pens. Photo by Next Level Images.

APR

St. Clair Farms

APR

Angus Opportunity Sale

APR

Raised with Respect, BQA Training

APR

Branch View Angus

APR

Grass Time Partners

APR

Limestone Genetics/Legacy Farms Female Sale Hardyville, KY

APR

Central Kentucky Angus Association

APR

Great Meadows Angus Association

MAY

Bridge View Angus

MAY

Frontier/Lakeview Online Sale

MAY

4 Sons Mature Cow Herd Dispersal

JUN

Kentucky Angus Preview

JUN

All- American Angus Breeders’ Futurity

SEP

Boyd Beef Female Sale

OCT

Oak Hollow Bull Sale

Owned Junior Heifer Calf - Div 3 (2) BCII Henning Sandy 0223 won owned junior heifer calf champion--division 3 at the 2024 Cattlemen’s Congress Show’s Junior Angus Show, Jan. 4 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Josie Phillips, Maysville, Ky., owns the winning heifer. Photo by Next Level Images.

20 27

Owned Reserve Junior Heifer Calf - Div 2 (3)

2024 Cattlemen’s Congress Super Point Roll of Victory (ROV) Angus Show (4) Angus exhibitors led 239 entries at the 2024 Cattlemen’s Congress Super Point Roll of Victory (ROV) Angus Show, January 6 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Bruce and Amie Stertzbach, Louisville, Ohio, evaluated the entries before naming champions. Senior Heifer Calf Champion - Div 2 Seldom Rest Sandy 2210 won senior heifer calf champion--division 2 at the 2024 Cattlemen’s Congress Super Point Roll of Victory (ROV) Angus Show, Jan. 6 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Josie Phillips, Maysville, Ky., owns the winning heifer. Photo by Next Level Images.

16 18 14 16 28 28

SALE SALE SALE

Hardin County Extension Office, Elizabethtown, KY

SALE

Hustonville, KY

Paris Stockyards, Paris, KY

Central KY Sale Facility, Danville, KY

Campbellsburg, KY

SALE

Angus exhibitors led 241 entries at the 2024 Cattlemen’s Congress Show’s Junior Angus Show, January 4 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Dave Allen, Schulenburg, Texas, evaluated the entries before naming champions.

SULL Ellie 3491L won owned reserve junior heifer calf champion--division 2 at the 2024 Cattlemen’s Congress Show’s Junior Angus Show, Jan. 4 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Josie Phillips, Maysville, Ky., owns the winning heifer. Photo by Next Level Images.

Canmer, KY

Stamping Ground, KY

Paris, KY

Cythiana, KY

SHOW

Falls of Rough, KY

Louisville, KY

Mays Lick, KY

Smiths Grove, KY

SALE

Smiths Grove, KY

SALE

2024 Cattlemen’s Congress Show’s Junior Angus Show

MEETING

SALE

Mays Lick, KY

Grand Champion Pen of Three Bulls (1)

SALE SALE SALE

Russell Springs, KY

SALE

Flemingsburg, KY

SALE

Louisville, KY

SALE

Louisville, KY

MEETING

Quality, KY

SALE

Farmers Regional Livestock Market, Glasgow, KY

SALE

Rockfield, KY

SALE

Pleasant Hill Farm Early March Madness

SALE

FEB

SALE

@kyangusassociation

SALE

2024 CATTLEMEN’S CONGRESS ANGUS PEN & CARLOAD SHOW

@kyangusassoc •

SALE

@kyangusassoc •

SHOW

www.kentuckyangus.org • kyangusassociation@gmail.com •

March • Cow Country • 77

KENTUCKY

GELBVIEH GELBVIEH KENTUCKY

A S S O C I AT I O N

David Slaughter, President.......................(270) 556-4259 Joe Piles, 507-3845 A S Vice S OPresident...........................(502) C I AT I O N PatTilghman,Secretary/Treasurer..............(270) 670-8449

AAJoe LAND & CATTLE Piles, President............................................................................................................................(502) 507-3845 LARRY CLARK & SONS LLC Registered Gelbvieh & Balancers Registered Gelbvieh Cattle Johnnie Moore, Vice President...........................................................................................................(270) 670-7814 Cynthiana, KY 106 Clark Houk Road • Greensburg, KY 42743 PatArthur Tilghman, Secretary/Treasurer.......................................................................................................(270) 670-8449 Luke (859) 298-8323 luke.arthur93@gmail.com Bulls • Show Prospects • Embryos Bulls sell with GE EPD’s • Show Prospects

BAR IV LIVESTOCK

Larry Clark, Owner & Operator (270) 299-5167 • (270) 405-6848 Lpclarkandsons@msn.com

Barry, Beth & Ben Racke • Brad Racke • 7416 Tippenhauer Rd. • Cold Spring, KY 41076

Phone (859) 635-3832 • Barry cell (859) 991-1992 • Brad CLIFFORD cell (859) 393-3677 BAR IV LIVESTOCK FARMS • Ben cell (859) 393-3730 FaxBeth (859) 635-3832 • bar4@twc.com Barry, & Ben Racke • Brad Racke 7416 Tippenhauer Rd. • Cold Spring, KY 41076 Phone (859) 635-3832 • Barry cell (859) 991-1992 Brad cell (859) 393-3677 • Ben cell (859) 393-3730 Fax (859) 635-3832 • bar4@twc.com

BRAY’S GELBVIEH CATTLE

Niles & Betty K Bray • 1568 Bray Ridge Road

Bedford, KY 40006 • (502) 255-3584 BEE LICK GELBVIEHS Eddie Reynolds 277 Old Bee Lick Rd. Crab Orchard, KY 40419 606-379-2281(H) 606-305-1972(C) Clayton & Debbie Bulls & Females for saleCash

CD FARMS

3459 KY HWY 1284E Cynthiana, KY 41031 Since 1937 (859) 234-6956

Cattle for sale at all times.

BRIAN W. DYER, DVM

Owner/Manager GELBVIEH/BALANCERS 2050 Glasgow Road Burkesville, KY 42717 Brian, Lauren, Kristen Barry, Emily & Julia (270) 864-5909

1214 Ottawa School Road • Brodhead, KY 40409 (606)-308-3247 • (606)-758-8994 Gelbvieh-Balancer Bulls & Heifers For Sale by Private Treaty FULL CIRCLE FARMS

BRIAN W. DYER, DVM Owner/Manager

Registered Gelbvieh Cattle Brad Burke 989 Metcalf Mill Road • Ewing KY 41039 (H) 606-267-5609 • (C) 606-782-1367 gbb789@windstream.net

GELBVIEH/BALANCERS 2050 Glasgow Road • Burkesville, KY 42717 Brian, Lauren, Kristen Barry, Emily & Julia • (270) 864-5909 CD FARMS KILBOURNE GELBVIEH Clayton & Debbie Cash 1214 Ottawa School Road Brodhead, KY 40409 (606)-308-3247 • (606)-758-8994 REGISTERED GELBVIEH & BALANCER CATTLE

MURLEY FARMS

Gelbvieh-Balancer Bulls & Heifers in Red Genetics For Specializing Sale by Private Treaty

Jonathon & Breanna Murley • (270) 427-7727

East Bernstadt, KY 606-843-6583 cell 606-309-4662 Black Replacement Heifers & Bulls Available Embryo transplant & AI sired calves

MOCKINGBIRD HILL FARMS

PADON FARMS UPCOMING EVENTS GELBVIEH BULLS & FEMALES FOR SALE

15 • Salem,May KY 24078 1012 Shelby RoadSaturday Thad PadonJunior (270)Gelbvieh 836-5518 Kentucky Show & Learning Clinic

Registered Gelbvieh Cattle Shane Wells 10172 Provo Rd. Rochester, KY H: 270-934-2198 C: 270-791-8196 swells@logantele.com

Meeting modern industry demands: • Added Fertility • Increased Efficiency • More pounds of calf weaned American Gelbvieh Association 303-465-2333 | www.gelbvieh.org JOIN KENTUCKY GELBVIEH ASSOCIATION Mail to: 690 Lick Branch Road, Glasgow, Kentucky 42141 FARM NAME

YOUR NAME

McIntosh Brothers Farm • 3348 Frankfort Road • Georgetown 10AM Learning Clinic • 12:30PM Show

PLEASANT MEADOWS FARM Call William McIntosh for more information. (502) 867-3132

Gary & Pat Tilghman • Carrie & Daryl Derossett Family • Lindsey & Garland Gilliam Family 690 Lick Branch Road Glasgow, KY 42141 Friday May 28 - May 30 270.646.7024 • pleasantmeadowsfarm@hotmail.com Cattle for sale AGJA Eastern Regional Junior Show “Run foratthe allRoses” times.

ADRESS

CITY, STATE

ZIP

Burley Fields Livestock Center • 709 Oil Fields Road • Horse Cave Call Carrie Derossett for more information. (270) 404-0828 R&D OWEN FARMS

PLEASANT MEADOWS FARM

Gary & Pat Tilghman

Entry and room information available at www.gelbvieh.org GELBVIEH & BALANCERS Lindsey Tilghman Jones Family (Juniors/Regional Shows/AGJA Eastern Regional) PO Box 781 • Eddyville, KY 42038 Carrie & Daryl Derossett Family (270) 601-6830 • rdowenfarms.com • sales@rdowenfarms.com 690 Lick Branch Road Glasgow, KY 42141

270.646.7024 • pleasantmeadowsfarm@hotmail.com

PHONE

Dues are $25/year, payable to Kentucky Gelbvieh Association

DONE WRIGHT CATTLE FARMS

Casey Wright, Owner 2665 Poplar Corner Road • Lebanon, Kentucky 40033 270-692-7496 * donewrightcattle@hotmail.com

KENTUCKY FARM BUREAU BEEF EXPO Kentucky State Fair and Expo Center Louisville, Kentucky March 1-3, 2024 Schedule: Show-Friday, March 1 @ 1:00 pm Eastern-Ring A • Sale-Saturday, March 2 @ 11:30 am Eastern- Scales Kentucky Junior Show-Saturday, March 2 @ 4:30 pm Eastern (order TBD) • Open Junior Show-Sunday, March 3 @ 8:00 am Eastern (order TBD)

78 • Cow Country • March

For information on joining the Kentucky Gelbvieh Association or to advertise in this ad, please contact Pat Tilghman at 270-670-8449 or send an email to Dues arepleasantmeadowsfarm@hotmail.com $25/year, payable to Kentucky Gelbvieh Association

Kentucky Association Kentucky Hereford Hereford Association Kentucky Beef Expo Schedule

2024 Membership Dues: KHA $25 Friday March 1st - Hereford Showand - 1pmKJHA $10 ContactSaturday MelindaMarch Watson information 2ndfor - Hereford Sale 859-625-8660 - 1pm Sunday March 3rd - Open Junior Show - 8am

WELLS WELLS FARM FARM Polled Herefords Polled Herefords 439 Flatwoods Frozen Camp Rd,

Toby & & Debby Debby Dulworth Toby Dulworth 2492 S. Kirkman Road

2492 S. Kirkman Road LaCenter, KY 42056 LaCenter, KY 42056 (270) 224-2993 (270) 224-2993 dogwood@brtc.net dogwood@brtc.net Herefords that thrive on forages. Herefords that thrive on forages. www.dogwoodherefords.com www.dogwoodherefords.com

6077 6077 Helena Helena Road Road Mayslick, Mayslick, KY KY 41055 41055 Charlie Charlie Boyd Boyd IIII 606-584-5194 606-584-5194

Annual Bull Sale second Annual Bull Sale second Saturday in March Saturday in March Hereford and Angus Bulls Hereford and Angus Bulls

439 Flatwoods Frozen Camp Rd, Corbin KY 40701 Corbin KY 40701 Bobby & Brenda Wells Bobby & Brenda Wells (606) 523-0569 (606) 523-0569 or (606) 344-0417 or (606) 344-0417 wells_farm@yahoo.com wells_farm@yahoo.com Kevin, Angela, Kenlea & Kyler Murray Kevin, Angela, Kenlea & Kyler Murray (606) 528-1691 or (606) 682-8413 (606) 528-1691 or (606) 682-8413

MPH MPH Farms Farms

Registered Polled Herefords Registered Polled Herefords PAUL L. HANCOCK PAUL L. HANCOCK 8559 KY 56 8559 KY 56 Owensboro, KY 42301 Owensboro, KY 42301 270-771-4194 270-771-4194

Chambliss Chambliss Hereford Hereford Farms Farms

Brad, Carla, Clay & Clint Chambliss Brad, Carla, Clay & Clint Chambliss

1101 Driftwood Lane 1101 Driftwood Lane Elizabethtown, KY 42701 Elizabethtown, KY 42701 Home (270) 982-3905 Home (270) 982-3905 Cell (270) 668-7126 Cell (270) 668-7126 fax 270-735-9922 fax 270-735-9922

www.chamblissherefordfarms.com www.chamblissherefordfarms.com

Since 1961 Bill Norris Bill Norris

2220 Celina Road 2220 Celina Road Burkesville, KY 42717 Burkesville, KY 42717

Phone (270) 433-7256 Phone (270) 433-7256 Cell (270) 433-1525 Cell (270) 433-1525 “Every calf needs a white face” “Every calf needs a white face”

melindawatson8660@gmail.com melindawatson8660@gmail.com

K3 K3 CATTLE CATTLE REGISTERED REGISTERED HEREFORDS HEREFORDS KYLE BUSH KYLE BUSH K3CATTLE@YAHOO.COM K3CATTLE@YAHOO.COM 859-588-4531 859-588-4531 198 198 HICKS HICKS PIKE PIKE CYNTHIANA, CYNTHIANA, KY KY 41031 41031

THOMAS FARM THOMAS FARM Eric & Ronnie Thomas

Jackson Jackson Farms Farms Registered Polled Herefords

Registered Polled Herefords PO Box 215 Cross Plains, TN 37049 PO Box 215 Cross Plains, TN 37049 615-478-4483 615-478-4483 billymjackson@aol.com billymjackson@aol.com “Farming the Same Land Since 1834” “Farming the Same Land Since 1834”

WOLF WOLF FARM FARM

WCN Polled Polled Herefords WCN Herefords Since 1961

KHA KHA OFFICERS OFFICERS

President: President: Chris Chris Hopper Hopper 606-584-7842 606-584-7842 Secretary/ Secretary/ Treasurer: Treasurer: Melinda Melinda Watson Watson 859-625-8660 859-625-8660

Registered Polled Herefords Registered Polled Herefords

Bulls & Females for sale Bulls & Females for sale Tim & Peggy Wolf Tim & Peggy Wolf 12939 Peach Grove Road 12939 Peach Grove Road Alexandria, KY 41001 Alexandria, KY 41001 Home: 859-635-0899 Home: 859-635-0899 Cell: 859-991-3484 Cell: 859-991-3484

Eric & Ronnie Thomas 2396 Union City Rd. 2396 Union City Rd. Richmond, KY 40475 Richmond, KY 40475 (859) 623-5734 (859) 623-5734 Eric’s Cell (859) 314-8256 Eric’s Cell (859) 314-8256 “Cattle for sale at all times” “Cattle for sale at all times”

NJB NJB Limited Limited Dale Dale Stith Stith

5239 5239 Old Old Sardis Sardis Pike Pike Mays Lick, Mays Lick, KY KY 41055 41055 dalestith@yahoo.com dalestith@yahoo.com (918) (918) 760-1550 760-1550

HEREFORDS HEREFORDS

Codee Guffey • 1815 Grassy Codee Guffey • 1815 Grassy Springs Road Springs Road Versailles, Kentucky 40383 Versailles, Kentucky 40383 (502) 598-6355 (502) 598-6355 rockridgeherefords@gmail.com rockridgeherefords@gmail.com www.rockridgeherefords.com www.rockridgeherefords.com

TK4 TK4 Herefords Herefords Polled Polled Hereford Hereford and and Gelbvieh Gelbvieh Cattle Cattle 3459 KY Hwy. 1284 E. 3459 KY Hwy. 1284 E. Cythiana, KY 41031 Cythiana, KY 41031

(859) (859) 234-6956 234-6956

Ben, Jane, Shelby and Lincoln Ben, Jane, Shelby and Lincoln

Windy Windy Hills Hills Farm Farm Jackie D. Perkins Perkins IIII Jackie D. 367 367 Mt. Mt. Pisgah Pisgah Rd. Rd. Bremen, Bremen,KY KY42325 42325 (270) (270)543-3586 543-3586

Breeding to Breeding toproduce produce goodcows cows since good since1981 1981

Tony Tony & & Kathy Kathy Staples Staples 992 992 Knotts Knotts Road Road Brandenburg, KY Brandenburg, KY 40108 40108 (270) (270) 422-4220 422-4220 tstaples@bbtel.com tstaples@bbtel.com

PILE PILE STOCK STOCK FARM FARM

Registered Registered Polled Polled Herefords Herefords

HANSELL HANSELL PILE, PILE, JR. JR.

12045 12045 St. St. John John Rd. Rd. Cecilia, KY Cecilia, KY 42724 42724 270-735-5192 270-735-5192 270-862-4462 270-862-4462 12 12 miles miles West West of of Elizabethtown Elizabethtown TS T SF F

BECKLEY BECKLEY HEREFORDS HEREFORDS

L. Wayne Beckley • 1420 Fitchburg Rd. L. Wayne Beckley • 1420 Fitchburg Rd. Ravenna, KY 40472 • 606-723-3021 Ravenna, KY 40472 • 606-723-3021 Cell: 859-779-0962 Cell: 859-779-0962 L.W. Beckley D.V.M L.W. Beckley D.V.M 284 Pyrse Lane • Irvine, KY 40336 284 Pyrse Lane • Irvine, KY 40336 Cell: 859-779-1419 • Clinic: 606-726-0000 Cell: 859-779-1419 • Clinic: 606-726-0000

www.beckleyherefords.com www.beckleyherefords.com

TUCKER STOCK Tucker Stock Farms FAR TUCKER STOCK FAR

Tucker Stock Farms “Breeding Polled Herefords Angus and Polled Herefords” “Breeding Polled Herefords “Registered Angus “Registered“Registered Angus and Polled Herefords” for over 58 Years” “Registered Angus for over 58 Years” and Polled Herefords” John A. Tucker II Breeding cattle for and Polled Herefords” John A. Tucker II Breeding cattle for sale at all times. sale at all times.

1790 Hidden Valley Lane 1790 Hidden Valley John Tucker II Lane Hudson, KY 40145

Tucker II 1999 Walnut Hill Rd. Hudson, KY 40145 1790John Hidden Valley Lane (270) 257-8548 1999 Walnut Hill Rd. 1790Hudson, Hidden Valley (270) 257-8548 KY 40145 Lane Lexington, KY 40515 Offi ce (270) 257-8167 Hudson, KY257-8167 40145 Lexington, KY 40515 Offi ce (270) 270-617-0301 (859) 271-9086 (859) 271-908618-month-old Angus270-617-0301 & Polled Hereford Bulls F “Bulls& always for Sale” cell (859)533-3790 18-month-old Angus Polled Hereford Bulls F “Bulls always for Sale” cell (859)533-3790

WATSON WATSON LAND LAND & & CATTLE CATTLE

Peyton’s Well Polled Herefords Peyton’s Well Polled Herefords The Lowell Atwood Family The Lowell Atwood Family

Shannon, Kerry, Emily, Will & Ellie Morgan Shannon, Kerry, Emily, Will & Ellie Morgan

13095 Scottsville Rd, Alvaton, Kentucky 42122 13095 Scottsville Rd, Alvaton, Kentucky 42122 www.morganandmorganpolledherefords.com www.morganandmorganpolledherefords.com

Shannon: (270) 320-2389 Shannon: (270) 320-2389

133 Edgewood Drive • Stanford, KY 133 Edgewood Drive • Stanford, KY (606) 365-2520 home/fax (606) 365-2520 home/fax (606) 669-1455 cell (606) 669-1455 cell

Victor- influenced cattle bred for performance on grass. Victor- influenced cattle bred for performance on grass.

“Black cows need a good Hereford Bull” “Black cows need a good Hereford Bull”

LINEBRED VICTOR DOMINO CATTLE LINEBRED VICTOR DOMINO CATTLE

Multi-Trait Selection Multi-Trait Selection Fertility Calving Ease

Danny Fertility Miller Calving Ability Ease Disposition Milking Danny Miller Disposition Milking Ability jmspolledherefords.com jmspolledherefords.com 4850 Caldwell Ridge Rd. 4850 CaldwellKY Ridge Rd. 270-465-6984 Knifley, 42753 270-465-6984 Knifley, KY 42753 270-465-6984 270-566-2694 270-465-6984 270-566-2694

Matt, Melinda, Harlee, & Wyatt Watson Matt, Melinda, Harlee, & Wyatt Watson 6196 Mount Sterling Rd 6196 Mount Sterling Rd Flemingsburg, Kentucky Flemingsburg, Kentucky melindawatson8660@gmail.com melindawatson8660@gmail.com Matt - 606-748-1600 Matt - 606-748-1600 Melinda - 859-625-8660 Melinda - 859-625-8660

CATTLE FOR SALE AT ALL TIMES CATTLE FOR SALE AT ALL TIMES

March • Cow Country • 79

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REMITTING THE CHECKOFF ASSESSMENT?

pays

SELLER However, both the Buyer and the Seller are responsible for seeing that the Checkoff is collected and paid.

50¢

THROUGHOUT THE CATTLE PRODUCTION CYCLE LIVESTOCK MARKET - When cattle are sold through a livestock market or video market, the Market collects and remits the Beef Checkoff assessment.

or BUYER Generally the Buyer is responsible for collecting the Beef Checkoff assessment from the Seller.

BEEF CHECKOFF COLLECTION

QUALIFIED STATE BEEF COUNCIL

$1.50

Cattlemen’s Beef Board invests in national Checkoff programs, while Kentucky Beef Council invests in state programs. If you are a producer from one of these seven states - Alaska, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island - you will remit directly to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. If you have any questions regarding who is responsible for remitting the Checkoff assessment or how to remit payment, please contact your State Beef Council or the Cattlemen’s Beef Board at (303) 867-6304. 3 Exceptions to Beef Checkoff Collection: 1. Non-producer status: If a person (or company) owns cattle for 10 days or less, purchases the cattle to facilitate the transfer of ownership to a third party, and certifies that any Checkoff dollars due from the previous owner have been collected, then that person qualifies as a “Non-Producer” and the Checkoff assessment is not due when qualified cattle are resold. 2. Organic Exemption: In the 2002 Farm Bill, Congress created a process exemptiing organic producers from paying Checkoff program assessments. 3. Pre-Payment: Producers can also choose to “prepay” the Checkoff assessment when shipping cattle out of state for feeding and still retain ownership on the cattle. This allows the producer to direct half of the $1-per-head national Checkoff assessment to the beef council in the state where the cattle were raised, rather than the state where the cattle will be fed. Note: To claim any of these exemptions, the person selling the cattle must provide the proper ‘document’ to show that the Checkoff assessment is not due at the time of sale. Thus, the rule of thumb for all cattle sales is that the person paying the producer should collect either a “Dollar or a Document.”

CATTLE DEALER/ORDER BUYER - When cattle are sold to a Cattle Dealer or Order Buyer, the Dealer/Order Buyer collects and remits the Beef Checkoff assessment. ANOTHER PRODUCER - Both the Buyer and the Seller are responsible for making sure that the Beef Checkoff assessment is collected and remitted. For clarity and consistency, we encourage the Seller to take on this compliance responsibility. VEAL GROWER - When dairy calves are sold to a Veal Grower, both the Buyer and the Seller are responsible for making sure that the Beef Checkoff assessment is collected and remitted. For clarity and consistency, we encourage the Seller to take on this compliance responsibility. CATTLE SHOWS AND FAIRS - When producers sell their animals at fairs or cattle shows (4H/FFA shows, Purebred cattle shows, etc.), the Organization that runs the sale collects and remits the Beef Checkoff assessment. FEEDLOT - When cattle are sold directy to a feedlot, the Feedlot collects and remits the Beef Checkoff assessment. PACKING PLANT - When cattle are sold to a packing plant, the Packing Plant collects and remits the Beef Checkoff assessment. DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER BEEF SALES - When producers market their cattle as beef, the Producer is responsible for remitting the Beef Checkoff assessment.

PRIVATE TREATY SALES CHECKOFF INVESTMENT FORM State and National Beef Promotion and Research Programs Information is required by 7 CRF 1260.201. Failure to report can result in a fine. Information is held confidential per 7 CRF 1260.203. TODAY’S DATE

ID NUMBER (IF KNOWN)

SELLER’S NAME

BUYER’S NAME

ADDRESS

CITY

STATE

ZIP

CITY

SELLER’S SIGNATURE

STATE

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0093. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average one hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

ZIP

BUYER’S SIGNATURE

Both the seller and the buyer are responsible for making sure that the $1 per head assessment is collected and remitted to the Kentucky Beef Council. DATE OF SALE

TOTAL NUMBER OF CATTLE SOLD

STATE OF ORIGIN*

per X $1.OO Head Feder-

al Checkoff

$1.OO per Head State Checkoff

Total Checkoff Payment for Federal and State

PERSON REMITTING FORM

BUYER

SELLER

PHONE

*If the cattle purchased came from another state within the last 30 days, indicate from which state the cattle were purchased.

Send Report and Remittance to: Kentucky Beef Council 176 Pasadena Drive Lexington, KY 40503 For additional information: call 859-278-0899 or email beef@kycattle.org 80 • Cow Country • March

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

AMERICA’S

COW The Simmental cow can handle any environment.

She’s built to last in heat, fescue or high altitudes. And thanks to the breed’s built-in adaptability, you can match Simmental genetics to your environment – SimAngus,™ SimAngus HT, Simbrah or proven Simmental genetics. Meet America’s all-purpose cow – gentle and consistent, with calves that give the heterosis boost commercial cattlemen need to stay profitable.

STAND STRONG

SIMMENTAL

SIMMENTAL KEVIN AND RACHEL BARRON Crestwood, Ky (502) 905-5851 rkbarron812@gmail.com SWAIN SELECT SIMMENTAL 12113 Green Valley Dr. Louisville, KY 40243 swainselect.com swainselect@gmail.com facebook.com/swainselectsimmental Fred & Phyllis: 502-599-4560 Chi & Angie: 502-287-2116

JUDY AND RONDAL DAWSON 1156 Buzzard Roost Road Shelbyville, KY 40065 502-593-5136 • jrdawson22@outlook.com

ROCKING P LIVESTOCK 8308 Orangeburg Road Maysville, KY 41056 Chan: 606-584-7581 Keith: 606-584-5626 rockingplivestock@maysvilleky.net BRIAN & HEATHER SWAIN 3906 Pottertown Road Murray, KY 42071 • 270-293-4440 wksbswain@murray-ky.net SIMMENTAL AND SIMANGUS BULLS FOR SALE 1939 Huntertown Road Versailles, KY 40383 BULLS FOR SALE Chris Allen 859-351-4486 callenuky@hotmail.com Dr. Henry Allen 859-229-0755

BRET AND LAURA JACKSON 859.533.3718 or 859.707.7200 BILL KAISER • Shelbyville, KY • 502.639.4337

406-587-4531 • simmental.org

JOIN KENTUCKY SIMMENTAL ASSOCIATION Mail to: Laura Jackson 1254 Cynthiana Road Paris, KY 40361 FARM NAME

YOUR NAME

ADRESS

CITY, STATE

ZIP

WORK PHONE

HOME PHONE

Call or visit one of these Simmental breeders for cattle that work!

www.kysimmental.com Membership Fee is $25.00

CALENDAR OF EVENTS DATE

EVENT

LOCATION

MAR 1-9

Owensboro Burger Week

Owensboro, KY

MAR 2

BoPat Farms Bulls and More Sale

Bradford, TN

MAR 2

KY Beef Expo Black Hereford Sale

MAR 2

DATE

EVENT

LOCATION

MAR 23

South Missouri Bull and Female Sale

Carthage, MO

Louisville, KY

MAR 25

Oak Hollow First Choice Bull Sale

Smiths Grove, KY

KY Beef Expo Gelbvieh/Balancer Sale

Louisville, KY

MAR 26

GenePlus Chimney Rock Cattle Company Sale

Concord, AR

MAR 2

KY Beef Expo- Kentucky National Hereford Sale

Louisville, KY

APR 6

The Andras Kind Red Angus Bull Sale

Manchester, IL

MAR 2

KY Beef Expo Pen Heifer Sale

Louisville, KY

APR 6

Adel, GA

MAR 2

KY Beef Expo Simmental Sale

Louisville, KY

Circle G Angus Ranches 2024 Female Sale

MAR 2

Kentucky Angus Sweepstakes Sale

Louisville, KY

APR 6

TJB/3T Kentucky Bull Sale

Upton, KY

MAR 2

Gibbs Farms Inaugural Spring Sale

Ranburne, AL

APR 6

Belles and Bulls of the Bluegrass

Lexington, KY

MAR 2

Arkansas Bull Sale

Hope, AR

APR 6

Southern Eagle Ranch Generations of Genetics Sale

Evington, VA

MAR 2

Judd 46th Gelbvieh, Balancer &Red Angus Bull Sale

Pomona, KS

APR 6

St. Clair Farms Angus Bull and Female Sale

Falls of the Rough, KY

MAR 4

Stone Gate Farms Annual Spring Sale

Flemingsburg, KY

APR 8-11

Beyond the Bluegrass Ag Industry Tour

Kansas

MAR 8

Smithland Angus Bull and Female Sale

Russell Springs, KY

APR 12-13

Hudson Valentine Longhorn Sale

Lexington, KY

MAR 9

Paternal Power Bull Sale

Paris, KY

APR 13

Gwinnup Crazy K Ranch 11th Production Sale

Michie, TN

MAR 9

Red Reward Bull and Female Sale

Osceola, MO

MAR 9

Spring Horse Sale

Mt. Sterling, KY

APR 13

Inaugural AAA Farms Production Sale

Lavinia, TN

MAR 10

Flickerwood Angus Production Sale

Jackson, MO

APR 13

Red House, VA

MAR 14

Cannon Angus Annual Production Sale

Knoll Crest Farm Spring Bull and Female Sale

Flemingsburg, KY

APR 13

Branch View Angus Sale

Hustonville, KY

MAR 16-23

Frankfort Burger Week

Frankfort, KY

APR 15

Grass Time Partners Sale

Paris, KY

MAR 16

Red Hill Farms More than a Bull Sale

LaFayette, TN

APR 20

CKAA 58th Annual Spring Production Sale

Danville, KY

MAR 16

White Farm Production Sale

Lexington, KY

APR 20

Nancy, KY

Clifford Farms Hereford Production Sale

Lexington, KY

MAR 16

Black is the Color 9th Annual Production Sale

MAR 23

Bluegrass Gelbvieh Alliance Sale

Lexington, KY

APR 27

Laurel Co. Cattlemen's Association Open Heifer Sale

London, KY

MAR 23

Clear Choice Bull Sale

Milan, IN

Lexington, TN

31st Pasture Perfromance Tested Angus Sale

Aldie, VA

MAR 23

The Cowman's Kind XXVII Bull and Female Sale

MAY 4

MAR 23

Elite Breeder's Showcase Sale

Bowling Green, KY

MAY 5

Bridgeview Angus Spring Production Sale

Stamping Ground, KY

MAR 23

Stephens Genetic Advantage Bull Sale

Paris, KY

MAY 16

Charolais Influenced Feeder Calf Alliance Sale

Stanford, KY

SALERS T H E

B A L A N C E D

82 • Cow Country • March

B R E E D

DIAMOND J SALERS Donald Johnson • 11660 N. Hwy 1247 • Eubank, KY 42564 606-379-1558

WILLIS FARMS Danny Willis • 964 Johnson Rd • Frankfort, KY 40601 502-803-5011 • drwc21@aol.com

CLA SSI FI ED S

AD INDEX

REGISTERED RED ANGUS BULLS FOR SALE * FREE DELIVERY* FOUR WINDS FARM New Castle, Kentucky

(502) 296-1044

COMPLETE BOVINE HOOF TRIMMING & AI EQUINE BAREFOOT TRIMMING

RED FULLBLOOD LIMOUSIN BLACK PUREBRED LIMOUSIN For sale year-round at farms. Cows, bulls, heifers and semen. A C H Holdings, Bowling Green, KY. Stephen Haynes 270-799-8685 REGISTERED BLACK SIMMENTAL BULLS Many blaze faced. Excellent EPD’s. Semen Tested. Delivery Available. Maximize your profit with proven performance. All bulls qualify for new CAIP cost-share. Adam Wheatley 502-349-2665 BREEDING AGE HEREFORD BULLS FOR SALE AT ALL TIMES Over 60 years of Line 1 Hereford Genetics. Groups of open and bred heifers available for sale at all times. Chambliss Hereford Farms. 270-668-7126 RED ANGUS, SIMANGUS, CHAROLAIS, ANGUS FOR SALE Red Hill Farms, Lafayette, TN, 615-666-3098 Bart, Sarah and Ty Jones, Gordon and Susan Jones, 270-991-2663. Visit us online - www.RedHillFarms.net Contact us for cattle and semen availability. Annual Production Sales: More Than a Bull Sale – 3rd Saturday in March, Maternal Monday – 3rd Monday in May, Bulls & Females of Fall Sale – Last Saturday in October REGISTERED ANGUS BULLS Performance Tested. Prosperity, Growth Fund and Sure Fire. 606-787-7307

Alligare

Allison Charolais

American Angus Association

Andras Stock Farm

Arrow Farm Equipment

Belles of the Bluegrass

Blue Grass Stockyards

Bluegrass Gelbvieh Alliance

Branch View Angus

Bridgeview Angus Farm

31, 45

606-423-1932 315-730-1175

Candy Meadow Farms

Cannon Angus

Cargill Animal Nutrition

EST 2003

Certified Angus Beef

Circle G Angus Ranches

CKAA Annual Spring Sale

Clear Choice Sale

Clifford Farms

Dura Cast

Elite Breeders Showcase

GENEPLUS

Gerber Land and Cattle

PERFORMANCE TESTED PUREBRED ANGUS BULLS FOR SALE Call 270-202-7186 for more info or check out www.oakhollowangus.com for current availability. POLLED HERFORD BULLS FOR SALE 19–20-month-old Polled Hereford bulls. Good selection. Low birthweight, medium frame. Free Delivery Available. JMS Polled Herefords, Knifley, KY Danny 270-566-2694 Trent 270-5662000

AAA Farms

CHAROLAIS BULL SALE

Saturday April 6, 2024, 12:30 p.m. Farmers Stockyards, Flemingsburg

Selling 15 Polled Charolais Bulls Bloodlines out of Ledger and Boy Outlier 2023 Show Bull of the Year For more information

Rick Hord 606-202-1625 or Corey Story, 606-209-1543

Grass Time Partners Sale

Grassy Valley Farm

Gray Lane Angus

Gwinnup Crazy K Ranch

Hampton Premium Meats

International Brangus Breeders Assn. Kentucky Angus

61 76, 77

Kentucky Cattlemen's Ground Beef

Kentucky Gelbvieh Association

Kentucky Hereford Association

Kentucky Salers Association

Cloverdale 500 T- tandem - right front incline Meyer 510 t m r mixer- right front incline Cloverdale 420 used right drop discharge $23,500 • Need a mixing Tractor? • IH machines in stock- reliable HP- 766/986/1086/1066 • New Idea- single axle spreaders for sale • John Deere 35 mini ex • Kubota 90- open station track loader-$29,000 • Horning 1403-used option on j d or new holland mounts • New Holland 790- choppers- base units-3 • Artex SB 200/500/600 spreader • Farmco feeder wagons- TMR style • Used Dion-3 row corn header • 2014-NH 240 CHOPPER- HORNING PROCESSOR • John Deere 8300 Drill - two innstock • ESCH 5612-$48,000 no till drill • Used Dion-3 row corn header • John Deere 6300-2 wd- cab and loader • John Deere 64004wd- loader • John Deere- 3975 chopper- with deere processor • HORNING CORN 1402/03 headers - ready to load • Horning Processorsorder yours today • 18-22 ft Esch tedders in stock • Tye 7 seeder- 800 acres • John Deere4020- 3 to select from • 15 silage wagons to select from • Call Charlie today • 859-608-9745 WWW.REDBARNANDASSOCIATES.COM

Kentucky Simmental Association

10 OPEN HEIFERS Born Spring 2023, Sired by Sixth Sense, A powerful maternal Judd Ranch Balancer bull 270-786-1260

Knoll Crest Farms

Kuhn North America

Laurel County Cattlemen's Association

McBurney's Livestock & Equipment

McIntosh Brothers

Mid South Ag

Oak Hollow

Pogue Chevrolet

Premium Supplements

Red Barn and Associates

Red Hill Farms

Rocking P Livestock

Seedstock Plus

Smithland Angus Farm

Southern Eagle Ranch

St. Clair Farms

Stephens Beef Cattle

Stone Gate Farms

TJB Gelbvieh

Triple T Cattle Company

United Producers

Vitalix

W/W Cattle Company

West Kentucky Select Bred Heifer Sale

White Farm

Whitestone Farms

55 March • Cow Country • 83

Forages Have A Fundamental Role To Play In The Beef Industry Katie VanValin Assistant Extension Professor, University of Kentucky Besides the feedlot sector, forage is the single largest component of cattle diets. Cattle, being ruminants, can capture energy from forages in a way that humans or other non-ruminant livestock cannot. This ability has allowed cattle to be labeled as "protein up-cyclers," creating human edible protein out of human non-edible sources. With forages playing such a critical and arguably fundamental role in the beef industry, it's a part of the operation that deserves attention and consideration. The Southeast is predominately made up of forage-based, cow-calf operations. However, the cow-calf sector overwhelmingly accounts for the largest amount of feed inputs compared to

other sectors of the beef industry. At the same time, when evaluating the beef industries' greenhouse gas contributions by region, the Southeast has the greatest weighted average. The conversation around greenhouse gas emissions, climate change and beef 's environmental footprint is complex and nuanced and not something I could claim to be an expert on. However, through my lens as a ruminant nutritionist working in the Southeast, improving the efficiency of the feeding program would seem to be a good starting point for improving both the economic and environmental sustainability of our quintessential cattle operations. Narrowing this down even further, perhaps the solution to

T I M E LY

T I P S

Spring-Calving Cow Herd • Observe spring-calving cows closely. Check cows at least twice daily and first-calf heifers more frequently than that. Be ready to assist those not making progress after 1-2 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 colostrum replacement) with an esophageal feeder, if needed. • Identify calves with ear tags and/or tattoos while calves are young and easy to handle and record birthdate and Dam ID. Commercial male calves should be castrated 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 example, a 1,250 lb. cow giving 25 lbs./day of milk would need about 25 pounds of fescue hay and 5 pounds of concentrate daily to maintain condition. If you need to go from a condition score of 4 to 5, you will need to add about 2 more pounds of concentrate. 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 that have not calved to a clean pasture. Be prepared to give fluids to scouring calves that become dehydrated. Consult your veterinarian for advice and send fecal samples to diagnostic lab to determine 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 mineral mix contains high levels (~15%) of magnesium and that cows consume adequate amounts. You can feed the UK Beef IRM High Magnesium mineral. • Plan to vaccinate calves for clostridial diseases (Blackleg, Malignant Edema) as soon as possible. You might choose to do this at the pre-breeding working in late April or early May. • Obtain yearling measurements on bulls and heifers this month 84 • Cow Country • March

F O R

improvement lies in focusing on the strength of our foundation, our forage base. While it can be inspiring to dream big and shoot for the stars, real change often occurs slowly and little by little. I think this is especially true in our industry. What are some management practices that could be implemented to start moving the needle on your operation toward a more sustainable future? While not a new practice, it is still one with relatively low adoption; I'm talking about recordkeeping and not just writing them down on a scrap of paper to be forgotten on the dash of a farm truck. Instead, I'm talking about recording

M A R C H

(weight, height, pelvic area, scrotal circumference, ultrasound data, etc.) if needed for special sales. Heifers should be on target to be cycling by the start of the breeding season. • Prepare bulls for the breeding season. Increase feed if necessary to have bulls in adequate condition for breeding. Obtain Breeding Soundness Evaluation (BSE) on bulls, even if they were checked last breeding season. Only use bulls that pass the BSE. • Finalize plans for your spring breeding program. Purchase new bulls at least 30 days before the breeding. Order semen now if using artificial insemination Fall-Calving Herd • Bull(s) should be away from the cows now! • Plan to pregnancy check cows soon. You can also blood test for pregnancy as early as 30 days after bull removal. • Creep feed calves with grain, by-products or high-quality forage. Calves will not make satisfactory gains on the dam’s milk alone after about 4 months of age – since there isn’t much pasture in March, fall calves need supplemental nutrition. Consider creep grazing on wheat pasture, if available. Calves can also be early weaned. Be sure that feed bunks are low enough that calves can eat with the cows. • Calves intended for feeders should be implanted. • Consider adding weight and selling your fall calves as “heavy” feeder calves. Keep them gaining! General • Repair fences, equipment, and handling facilities. • If you have a dry, sunny day, use chain-link harrow to spread manure in areas where cattle have overwintered. This may be done in conjunction with renovation. • Complete renovation and fertilization of pastures. • Start thistle control. They can be a severe problem in Kentucky pastures. Chemical control must be done early to be effective. • Watch for lice and treat if needed.

and using data from your farm to make critical management decisions that can improve the efficiency of the operation. If we are going to implement a management change, recordkeeping becomes a crucial component of evaluating the effectiveness of that change. Two simple data points that can give us a glimpse into the overall efficiency of a cow-calf operation are hay feeding days and pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed. Hay feeding days can be a great indicator of how well our grazing program is performing. Can we shave off 10, 15 or 30 days of hay feeding by managing stocking rates to prevent overgrazing, or can we better utilize stockpiled fescue? Pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed is another very simple or basic indicator of the efficiency of the cow herd. If this value is significantly lower than our average weaning weight, it can indicate issues related to the performance of the cow herd. So many times, we focus on weaning weight, but this doesn't tell the entire story. An average weaning weight of 550 pounds doesn't sound too bad, but if I tell you that only 26 out of 30 cows weaned a calf, now the average pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed might look more like 470 pounds. Switching gears to thinking specifically about the forage program, it often seems like we get stuck on forage quantity, but remember that forage quality can be just as important. Improving forage quality can certainly lessen expenses associated with supplemental feed costs. Submitting samples of hay to be tested can give us valuable information regarding the quality of our stored forages. This practice can help us determine which hay to feed to cattle throughout the year to match nutrient supply with the cattle's nutrient demands. Taking this more strategic approach to hay feeding can improve the efficiency of the feeding program without even changing how the forage is harvested. We know that the stage of maturity at harvest has the most significant influence on hay quality, but with our often wet springs, it can be difficult to get hay harvested and put up at the right time. In addition to the hay field, we can also improve forage quality in our grazing acres. A couple of months ago at the Beef Efficiency Conference, Matt Poore, an extension specialist from North Carolina State University, shared the positive impacts that renovating just 25% of a farm's grazing acres to

novel-endophyte fescue can have on an operation. Pasture renovation can be daunting, but start with identifying key locations on the farm that could benefit from renovation. If we are going through the trouble of renovating, why not consider renovating with something like novel endophyte fescue on at least some of those acres? By strategically grazing the 25% of acres renovated, we can help overcome some of the performance losses and inefficiencies due to fescue toxicosis.

Allison Charo Charolais Breeder Sinc AllisonAllison Charolais • Charolais

Bulls Availa

Charolais Breeder CharolaisSince Breeder1962 Since 1962

• •

Ø Bull calvesAvailable out of HCR Answe Bulls

Bulls CHAROLAIS Available

Moving from a continuous to a simple rotational grazing system can improve SPIRIT Ø Bull calvesHCR out of HCR Answer4007. 2042 and the efficiency of the forage or grazing Øthat Bull Answer 2042ease andand grow SPIRIT program. The picture maycalves come to out ofHCR ØHCR Bred for4007. calving mind when you hear the term "rotational Ø Bred for calving ease and growth. HCRlayout SPIRITØ4007. grazing" may look like an elaborate Bulls for bothandpurebred com Ø Bulls for both purebred commercialand breeders. of many perfectly square, equal-sized Ø source Bredcentrally for calving and growth. paddocks with a water Ø Yearlings and two-year-olds available. Øease Yearlings and two-year-olds ava located that requires daily or twice daily Ø Bred heifers to calve in fall available. Ø Bulls for both purebred commercial moves of cattle to make the system Ø Bredand heifers to calvebreeders. in fall ava John Allison work. While those systems exist, I like to John Allison,John Owner Allison, David Carter, Farm Manager Owner Ø Yearlings and two-year-olds available. consider grazing systems as a spectrum. 545 Eminence Road 545 Eminence Road 502-706-0075 John Allison, Owner David C On one end, we may have an overstocked, New Castle, 545 Eminence Road New Castle, KY 40050 KY 40050 Bredand heifers in fall available. continuously grazedØ pasture, on the to calve 545New Eminence 502-220-3170 Castle, Road KY 40050 other end, the elaborate, almost textbook (502) New Castle, 220-3170 KY 40050 system I described earlier. TheAllison, fact of Owner (502) John David220-3170 Carter, Farm Manager 502-220-3170 the matter is that the system that will 545 Eminence 502-706-0075 work best for your operation likely lies Road Newtwo Castle, KY 40050 somewhere between those extremes. Consider making small changes. Can 502-220-3170 we divide that 40-acre pasture into two, three or four paddocks, perhaps utilizing temporary fencing and watering systems? Alex Tolbert, Can I commit to moving cattle once or Regional Manager twice a week through existing pastures? Kentucky Our forage resources are valuable and Ohio critical to making our beef operations Tennessee successful. Identifying ways to improve the efficiency and utilization of this resource will be paramount as we think A reliable business partner is difficult to come by. Contact Alex about raising cattle in the next 20, 30 or Tolbert to locate Angus genetics, select marketing options tailored 50 years. So many times, we get stuck in to your needs, and to access American Angus Association® how we have always done things, and a programs and services. Put the business breed to work for you. certain comfort comes with doing things the way "grandpa" did them. But if we Contact Regional Manager Alex Tolbert: take a step back and think about all of Cell: 706-338-8733 the progress that has been made in the atolbert@angus.org cattle industry in the last 100 years, none of that would be possible without the implementation of small changes over time, resulting in producers breaking from tradition and moving the needle in the right direction. What can we do today to make sure that our grandkids 3201 Frederick Ave. | St. Joseph, MO 64506 have an opportunity to raise cattle on the 816.383.5100 | www.ANGUS.org operations we call home like grandma and grandpa did? © 2023-2024 American Angus Association

CHAROLAIS BULLSBULLS & ANDHEIFERS BRED HEIFERS

AVAILABLE

Power of Angus.

March • Cow Country • 85

bull sale

Simmental & SimAngus breeding-Age Bulls

Ma r ch 9, 2 02 4

PARIS STOCKYARDS @ 4:00 P.M.

K003 // SIRED BY Quantum Leap // pb sm

K027 // SIRED BY Exit 44 // ¾ sm

K041 // SIRED BY Something About Mary // ¾ sm

K087 // SIRED BY Quantum Leap // pb sm

K095 // SIRED BY Bold Venture // pb sm

K136 // SIRED BY Pay The Price // pb sm

ROCKING P LIVESTOCK K ei t h P h i lli p s 6 0 6 - 5 8 4 - 5 6 2 6 sam l aw s o n 8 5 9 - 5 8 3 - 6 9 3 3

RED RIVER FARMS AK P h i l l i p s 6 0 6 - 5 8 4 - 1 0 4 6

CIRCLE M FARMS Ch an P h i lli p s 6 0 6 - 5 8 4 - 7 5 8 1 t roy K e i t h 8 5 9 - 5 5 9 - 7 0 6 6 86 • Cow Country • March

Sa l e ma nag ed by: Ha efner Ma r ket ing 815-499-0 522

GENEPLUS GENEPLUS

March • Cow Country • 87

ANNUAL SALE APRIL 13 | NOON | HUSTONVILLE, KY

Add pounds and dollars to your calf crop! BV Growth Fund 2509 | Reg# 20616663

EPD % Rank

CED

4.2

97 1

178 1

BV Wildcat 2517 | Reg# 20616365

EPD % Rank

CED

0.1

80 10

• High performance bull out of one of the best cows we have owned. 2509 checked all the performance boxes: 884 WW, 1,377 YW, with ratios of ADG 115, IMF 124, RE 114. • Dam produced until she was twelve and maintained a calving interval of 10/366 with progeny ratios of WW 13/105, YW 13/108, IMF 20/103, RE 20/105 $F

143 1

317 10

• Son of the highly sought after Genex sire, E&B Wildcat 9402. Calving ease bull that checks all the performance boxes. Top 1% $F, 2% $C, $B, CW, 10% WW, YW, RE. Ratios of WW 107, YW 108, ADG 106, and RE 115. • Second dam produced until she was twelve and maintained a calving interval of 10/366 with progeny ratios of WW 13/105, BW 13/108, IMF 20/103, RE 20/105. YW

136 15

80 5

322 5

BV Geddes 2541 | Reg# 20616397

• Calving ease, high performance bull that checked all the performance boxes. 2541 achieved ratios of WW 114, YW 112, ADG 106, IMF 112, RE 107. • Excellent producing cow family. Dam, 7504 maintains a calving interval of 5/362 with progeny ratios of WW 4/108, YW 3/105, IMF 3/100, RE 3/104. Second dam, 3049, is still producing at ten years old with progeny ratios of WW 8/105, YW 8/108, IMF 8/101, RE 8/107.

EPD % Rank

CED

-2.2

68 40

116 45

BV Jameson 3060 | Reg#20745457

EPD % Rank

CED

1.9

100 1

161 2

76 20

74 15

• One of the first Basin Jameson bulls to sell in the East. 3060 recorded a WW of 869 to ratio 124. From a BW of 1.9 to WW 100. Top 1% WW, $W, 2% YW, 5% $M, 15% $C. • From an outstanding dam that maintains a calving interval of 4/357 with progeny ratios of BW 4/99, WW 3/111, YW 2/108, IMF 2/112, RE 2/108. Second dam showed progeny ratios of WW 3/110, YW 3/108, RE 3/104. $W

96 1

300 15

100 Bulls & 310 Females sell branchviewangus.com For sale book, call or text 573-721-6660 • 606-706-0355 • 859-619-0342 • james@branchviewangus.com James S. Coffey • Danny Smith • Donald S. Coffey • Danny Lynn • Tim Dietrich

88 • Cow Country • March