Cow Country News May 2019

WEED CONTROL IN PASTURES PAGE 20

2019 FARM INCOME FORECAST PAGE 28

KCA LEADERSHIP CLASS SELECTED PAGE 39

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COW COUNTRY •

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• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

4/3/19 3:30 AM

1 PM • Saturday

Spring Production Sale Over 100 Head Sell!

CED BW WW YW MILK CW Marb RE $W $F $G $B

3/1/18 • Reg 19082313 An exciting set of spring yearling heifers sell r including this daughte of Denver from a productive daughter of GAR Prophet – maternal excellence in this pedigree and EPD profile.

+9 +.5 +65 +101 +37 +38 +.73 +.59 +84.31 +42.31 +41.05 +118.17

Heritage 7B Eileen 808

CED BW WW YW MILK CW Marb RE $W $F $G $B

+3 +.7 +70 +124 +26 +50 +.56 +.69 +69.13 +99.43 +37.30 +160.94

Heritage 631 Georgina 828

CED BW WW YW MILK CW Marb RE $W $F $G $B

+4 +1.8 +74 +130 +28 I+34 I+.57 I+.57 +67.97 +109.22 +39.05 +137.00

M AY 2 0 1 9

Held at the Farm in Shelbyville, KY ifers Heifers • Fall Bred He Yearling Replacement ng Age Bulls Spring Pairs • Breedi Fall Cow-Calf Pairs •

3/4/18 • Reg 19082318 Three generations of elite Select Sires AI sires in the pedigree of this female blending Playbook, All In, and Weigh Up – Breed-leading growth traits with strong maternal values.

4/7/18 • Reg 19232874 of A tremendous amount an h wit al pe ap eye d an le sty this excellent EPD profile in m a fro ck itlo Wh of daughter great productive dam by the Up. curve-bender Weigh

32 3/14/18 • Reg 190823 ractive Extremely well made att ed bre the ing nd ble female sin Ba d an ss leaders Fortre pedigree.

Payweight 1682 in her

9/9/17 • Reg 18959998 ifer by An excellent fall bred he avily he lar pu po ely rem the ext rner We sire AI es used Select Sir same the by d cke ba 36 41 Flat Top V SA ced du pro t cow family tha ls sel she – 35 00 er sw An Final Southern due 9/16/19 to BUBS .

Charm

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COW COUNTRY •

May 25, 2019

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

CED BW WW YW MILK CW Marb RE $W $F $G $B

+2 +3.1 +77 +135 +42 +65 +.49 +.71 +90.36 +97.49 +34.29 +164.41

Heritage 12D Erica Lass 813

CED BW WW YW MILK CW Marb RE $W $F $G $B

+4 +1.1 +72 +127 +28 +60 +.46 +.59 +74.97 +83.20 +29.25 +147.79

Heritage 430 Blackcap 839

Tom McGinnis 1024 Hinkle Lane Shelbyville, KY 40065 (502) 633-5100 Cell (502) 655–0164 tom@heritage111.com

3

Steve Downs Lebanon 270-402-3672

Todd Harned Boston 502-249-2354

David Sandusky Lebanon 270-692-7793

Central Kentucky Premier Heifer Sale

TABLE OF CONTENTS

June 1st, 2019 • 1:00 PM EST

COLUMNISTS 7 Tim White: President’s Thoughts 8 Ryan Quarles: Growing Our Beef Market 10 Dave Maples: From Dave’s Desk 12 Baxter Black: Backwoods Wisdom 20 Chris Teutsch: Weed Control in Pastures: It Is More Than

Just Herbicide!

30 Dr. Michelle Arnold: Does Udder Quality in Beef Cows Matter?

FEATURE STORIES 16

UK Meat Cutting School to Offer Beef Processing Workshop

18

Quarles Congratulates H.H. Barlow on Dairy Development Council

Marion County Fairgrounds • Lebanon, KY

• Approximately 125 heifers will sell from producers in Marion, Nelson and Washington Counties.

• Bred to calve in fall starting September 1st .

• Guaranteed bred to bulls with known EPDs and have met stringent requirements for health, quality and pelvic measurements.

• Guaranteed pregnant 30 days past sale.

• Some heifers are synchronized and artificially bred.

• All consignors are certified Master Cattlemen.

• Free delivery of 10 head or more up to 100 miles.

For More Information Visit www.heifersales.com or Contact:

Post 22

Mineral Supplementation: The Benefits You May Not See

24

Red Meat Export Volume Fairly Steady in January; Pork Value Still

Reflects Tariff Impact

29

Cattlemen’s Beef Board Names Hanes As New CEO

32

NCBA OpEd: The Real Whopper

39

Kentucky Cattlemen’s Leadership Development Program Class IX

Todd Harned Boston 502-249-2354

Terry Geoghegan Bardstown 502-827-0771

David Sandusky Lebanon 270-692-7793

Selected 46

The Impact of Fixed Costs on Hay Enterprise Profitability

48

KCA Attends 2019 NCBA Legislastive Conference

54

What is High Stock Density Grazing?

70

I Normally Like Ribs...

14-15

4

County News

26-28

Economic & Policy Update

52-53

Membership

34-36

Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef

42-45

Kentucky Beef Council

56-57

Kentucky Beef Network

85

News Releases

64-65

Kentucky Angus Association News

67

Market Report

68

Calendar of Events

68

Advertisers Index

69

Classifieds

COW COUNTRY •

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• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

OAK HOLLOW PERFORMANCE TESTED PUREBRED ANGUS CATTLE

Do you wean calves like this?

Oak Hollow takes an approach to the cow calf sector that no one else is willing to use. We use data driven selection with an emphasis on commercial cow-calf sector profitability. There have been minimal advancements in the selection tools for developing maternal sire lines regardless of breed. This is largely due to the unwillingness of most seedstock producers to collect maternal cow herd data necessary to create accurate maternal EPDs. Oak Hollow has collected data for maternal traits for nearly 40 years and was one of the first seedstock producers to enroll in MaternalPlus for whole herd reporting.

Our commitment to creating sound bulls that leave profitable, durable commercial females is second to none. By putting maternal selection criteria first with every breeding decision, we have been able to increase heifer fertility and demand consistent 365day calving intervals while weaning highly marketable calves like these.

OAK HOLLOW CALVES AT 6 MONTHS OLD

Private Treaty Bulls Available Today Fall Bred Cows Available Today Kenneth D. Lowe (270) 202-7186 - Joe K. Lowe II (270) 202-4399 www.OakHollowAngus.com - Smiths Grove, KEntucky

COW COUNTRY •

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KENTUCKY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION 2019 LEADERSHIP KCA REGIONAL DIRECTORS: REGION 1

Daniel Hayden, Vice President*(270) 570-2815 Bobby Bell................................(270) 547-8547 Gary Woodall...........................(270) 725-0819 Ricky Haynes............................(270) 945-9057 Don Pemberton........................(270) 889-3885 Wayne Johnson.......................(270) 303-6354 John Walpole..........................(270) 542-7534 Martin Hayden........................(270) 281-4076 John (JJ) Tucker....................(270) 617-0301 Dennis Wilson.........................(270) 952-1714 Caleb Jenkin...........................(270) 952-0767

REGION 2

KCA 2018 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS: PRESIDENT

TREASURER

Tim White 3664 Military Pike Lexington, KY 40513 (859) 509-5401

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

PRESIDENT ELECT

PAST PRESIDENT

Steve Dunning 8200 Antioch Road Hopkinsville, KY 42240 (270) 498-8180

Bobby Foree 2440 Eminence Road Eminence, KY 40019 (502) 939-4607

VICE PRESIDENT Chris Cooper 2140 Tates Creek Road Richmond, KY 40475 (859) 200-7711

KCA PROGRAM CHAIRMAN Jeff Pettit 5745 US Highway 41 S Seebree, KY 42455

(270) 836-2963

KBC CHAIRMAN

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

KBN CHAIRMAN

Cary King 250 Bright Leaf Drive Harrodsburg, KY 40330 (859) 734-2173

KCA’S PAST PRESIDENTS: 1972-73

Jere Caldwell† - Boyle

2001

Larry Clay - Perry

1974-77

Smith T. Powell† - Lincoln

2002

Jack Kimbrough† - Shelby

1978-79

Larry Lovell - Union

2003

Mark Williams - Crittenden

1980-82

John Masters† - Mason

2004

Paul Napier - Lincoln

1983-85

Seldon Hail† - Laurel

2005

Eddie Young - Washington

1986-87

Bob Vickery† - Wayne

2006

Greg Ritter† - Barren

1988

Glenn Mackie - Bourbon

2007

Don Pemberton - Christian

1989

Dale Lovell - Muhlenberg

2008

Billy Glenn Turpin - Madison

1990

Steve Henshaw† - Union

2009

Scotty Parsons - Christian

1991

Jerry Fraim - Grayson

2010

Corinne Kephart - Shelby

1992

Glen Massengale† - Wayne

2011

Greg Robey - Mercer

1993

Dell King - Christian

2012

Mike Bach - Bath

1994

Kenneth Lowe - Warren

2013

Don Reynolds - Hart

1995

Dr. J.L.Cole - Monroe

2014

Steve Downs - Marion

1996

Harvey Mitchell - Mercer

2015

Gary Woodall - Logan

1997

Jim Naive† - Spencer

2016

David Lemaster - Clark

1998

Shelby Hughes - Logan

2017

Chuck Crutcher - Hardin

1999

Hoppy Lovell - Barren

2018

Bobby Foree - Henry

2000

Charles Miller - Jessamine

†(Deceased)

6

COW COUNTRY •

Joe Lowe, Vice President*......(270) 202-4399 Craig Thompson......................(270) 590-5174 Trent Jones.............................(270) 590-5266 Chuck Crutcher.......................(270) 272-6269 Alison Brockman....................(270) 403-3205 Steven Green..........................(270) 528-1720 Reva Richardson.....................(270) 735-2959 Mike Bullock..........................(270) 563-5012 Dr. Kenneth Green...............(270) 589-7175 Adam Maulden.......................(270) 590-1005 Kirk Cecil.................................(270) 692-7698 Hunter Galloway....................(270) 745-5972 Rayetta Boone........................(270) 230-5488 Gerry Bowman........................(270) 427-6922 Adam Estes..............................(270) 537-3761 Phyllis Gentry..........................(502) 331-1146

REGION 3

Nathan Lawson, Vice President*(502) 836-3879 Danny Cooper..........................(606) 782-4809 Wanda Hawkins......................(502) 321-5602 Irvin Kupper.............................(502) 807-5617

Allan Bryant..............................(502) 548-1379 Kevin Perkins............................(502) 269-7189 Larry Bryant.............................(502) 706-1777 Maynard Stetten......................(502) 609-4986 Jerry Oak.................................(502) 525-7248 John Allison.............................(502) 220-3170 Lincoln Clifford........................(859) 954-0102

REGION 4

Jeremy Jones*.........................(859) 749-2233 Lisa Baesler.............................(859) 509-5020 David Lemaster.......................(859) 749-0258 Ron Ray...................................(859) 825-8516 Bo Tate....................................(859) 661-2325 Donovan Pigg..........................(859) 749-9675 Randy Werner........................(859) 771-5280 Danielle Harmon.....................(606) 748-8059 Ronnie Lowe...........................(606) 782-5058 Clay Wills.................................(859) 749-8248 Jason Crowe............................(859) 582-0761

REGION 5

Phillip Reese, Vice President*(859) 339-0450 Herman Benge.........................(606) 862-6451 Steve Downs...........................(859) 805-1278 Brent Woodrum......................(859) 397-1078 Ian Thomas..............................(859) 613-2453 Anne Bays................................(615) 478-8450 Danny Ray Spalding................(859) 336-0444 Greg Robey...............................(859) 734-0067 Eddie Young.............................(859) 262-5682 Adam Chunglo.........................(859) 613-2985 C. Mike Spalding....................(270) 669-6587 Tommy Glasscock....................(270) 692-4336 * Denotes member of Executive committee

VOLUME 32 • ISSUE 5 176 PASADENA DRIVE • LEXINGTON, KY 40503 • PHONE: (859) 278-0899 FAX: (859) 260-2060 • WWW.KYCATTLE.ORG • INFO@KYCATTLE.ORG Executive Vice President Dave Maples

Membership Coordinator Nikki Whitaker

Staff Accountant Kelly Tucker

Communications Manager Jacob Redway

Director of Kentucky Beef Network Becky Thompson

Publication Coordinator Carey Brown

KBN Industry Coordinator Dan Miller

Graphic Designer Todd Brown

KBC Director of Education Niki Ellis

Office Manager Mackenzie Miller

KBC Director of Product Development Katelyn Hawkins

National Advertising Sales, Livestock Advertising Network, Debby Nichols (859) 321-8770, Bernie Scheer (859) 421-5783, Cathy Campbell (609) 581-7644

KBC Director of Consumer Affairs Anna Hawkins

COW COUNTRY NEWS 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.

M AY 2 0 1 9

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

PRESIDENT’S THOUGHTS

Campbellsville, KY

TIM WHITE

PolyDome Bulk Bins

Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association President The month of April has been full of traveling, meetings, and marking more tasks off the to do list. The staff and I have been on a nonstop schedule, but feel that we have accomplished many things successfully. Our trip to Washington D.C. to the NCBA Legislative Conference was one for the books.

With 11 KCA members and staff present, this was our largest group to date. I am always amazed by how well the KCA as a whole is received by our Congressmen and Senators.

They are always very receptive and supportive of our organization and our passion for excellence. Some topics we covered with them are the Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) and the hours of service. We are working closely with the NCBA to advocate for an exemption or even an extension to avoid these new regulations that would hinder our efficiency of shipping cattle out West to the finishing facilities. We covered the issue of foreign trade, advocating for increased beef trade with China and Japan. This is something that will take time and lots of legislation but we are in high hopes that these trade agreements will become easier, negotiable and more transparent. The other major controversial topic we covered is the emergence of cell cultured meat. They are aware of our unease at these new products and are supportive of our goal to protect our traditional products and market.

Talking over these issues with our State Representatives and Senators really displays the importance of being strong advocates, and I believe the larger group we took this year played a large role in our success. My hopes for the future is to make this trip to D.C. an annual trip that keeps growing. I encourage all members to reveal your passion by getting involved and helping us better the future of beef producers here in the Bluegrass. With that being said, I also encourage everyone to not be the one that stands on the other side of the fence speaking on issues without clear judgement. We work hard to represent the Kentucky Cattlemen’s

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

Green River Livestock

with ripened, rational knowledge and are grateful for input from all members and hope it is portrayed in an appropriate manner. We all share the same goal of creating a sustainable environment for our beef operations, and I hope that we can all work together to discuss our ideas as we plan for the future.

As I mentioned earlier, April has been a very busy month for KCA. We held our first CPH Sale State Committee Meeting, something we have not done as often lately. We had exceptional attendance and representation of producers, sale barn management, and university staff from all over the state. I feel that our meeting was very productive and well-organized. Another event from April was the celebration of the Fake Meat Legislation that was passed. We were joined by Governor Matt Bevin and the Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles and their respective staffs. We are very appreciative of all their support in our pursuit to fight back against fake meat, as well as in all our other missions as an organization. They play a large role in many goals we accomplish, and I encourage you all to personally thank them for the support and understanding of the importance of agriculture and beef production.

As we turn the page on cold weather, and head into the warmer climate, I hope that we continue to be adaptable in our doings. Warmer weather means longer days which can be interpreted to more stuff getting done, in my household at least. Take advantage of the weather and utilize it to your advantage by continuing to improve your operation. I will stand by my statement that farming in the Bluegrass is at obstacle and times, but there’s nothing better in my opinion. We are blessed with agriculture and I hope that we keep igniting our passions and being an advocate for the betterment of our livelihoods. I am looking forward to many more successful months to come, and as always, I am honored to serve as your 2019 KCA President.

Thank you.

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COMMISSIONER’S CORNER

GROWING OUR BEEF MARKET RYAN QUARLES Commissioner of Agriculture Happy Beef Month! Every May, we take time to celebrate Kentucky’s beef cattle industry, the largest of any state east of the Mississippi River. It’s been an eventful year since we served burgers hot off the grill on the Capitol grounds last May. In this space, I want to focus on one of our industry’s great success stories of recent years.

A little more than a year ago, I had the pleasure of joining industry leaders, Kroger officials, and our friend Warren Beeler from the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy to introduce Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef. In its first year, farmers received nearly $510,000 on almost 296,000 pounds of ground beef produced by 66 Kentucky farms. Talk about farm impact! And that doesn’t take into account new business generated all along the supply chain.

A product of Beef Solutions LLC, Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef is the result of nearly two decades of discussions among Kentucky agriculture leaders, Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) marketing specialists, distributors, retailers, processors, and farmers. They never gave up on the idea of a beef product that’s all Kentucky from the farm gate to the dinner plate, and after years of frustration and a false start or two, they finally hit upon the right combination of partners to make it work.

This is a great start, but there is plenty of room for this product to grow. Kentucky consumers want beef, and they want to support Kentucky farmers and businesses.

You can “beef up” sales of Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef by buying it at your local Kroger supermarket. You also can tell your friends and neighbors about this delicious, nutritious Kentucky Proud product. And if you’re a beef cattle producer who would like a piece of the action, contact the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association for more information.

The KDA is dedicated to helping Kentucky cattle producers – all Kentucky farmers – increase their sales by capturing more of the consumer’s dollars and finding new markets for your products. Toward that end, earlier this year I appointed Tim Hughes, a longtime agriculture leader who was serving as deputy executive director of the KDA’s marketing office, to the position of senior trade advisor in my office to assist in identifying new market opportunities. Last year, Kentucky beef exports jumped up 2,100 percent from $30,000 in 2017 to $670,000. That’s a big increase, but there’s more work to be done. This summer, I will lead a series of seven meetings of agricultural and manufacturing interests across the Commonwealth to look for ways we can work together. Please don’t hesitate to contact my office if we can help you in any other way.

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COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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COW COUNTRY •

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• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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FROM DAVE’S DESK DAVE MAPLES Executive Vice President This has been an interesting and busy month. We have been involved with a wide range of issues. This is not uncommon but the issues are from one end of the spectrum to the other. I just happened to be flipping through the different T.V. stations in hopes of finding something that would interest me when I landed on KET and the debate with the Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture candidates. First, I didn’t realize that there were four candidates in the upcoming May primaries. As I watched the hour long show the only issue that was discussed was hemp and the need to increase the THC levels from the current levels. Commissioner Quarles tried to interject other agriculture issues into the conversation but it always went back to hemp. My takeaway was that in the future the Commissioner of Agriculture race could be very different from what we know today.

10

As we look to the future of Kentucky agriculture there is a very big hiring process going on as I write this article. The University of Kentucky is in the process of selecting the Director of the Cooperative Extension System. As a member of the advisory committee to the Dean for this project I will say they have gone through a thorough process. I would assume most of you have relied on extension over the years. I grew up with extension from a 4-H’er to a producer who relies on recommendations from the specialists to now working with an organization that relies on the county offices and networks to maintain the KCA county structure.

Extension nationwide has had a tough time but in Kentucky with the county tax system in place we are very fortunate to have really nice offices in each county staffed with nice people.

COW COUNTRY •

There have been some internal issues that the Dean has to deal with along with budget questions but the big question is direction. Where will extension focus?

Will it be Agriculture, health, 4-H or family and consumer sciences? I think the answer will be revealed with the naming of the new Director. Whoever gets the job, and to say the least this is a big job, the person will have to have some tough skin because some hard changes are going to have to take place and everyone will not agree with the decisions.

KCA has embarked on the long range planning process. I am so glad the leadership of the organization has taken it upon themself to go through this process. Planning is never fun but I think it is very necessary. The Kentucky beef industry has not gone through this process in over twenty years. The last time was before there was anything like the tobacco settlement funds. The last plan addressed several things that have been accomplished because of the tobacco funds. KCA has grown over the years and

M AY 2 0 1 9

I think you can tie a lot of the growth to projects and excitement that the funds have generated. However after twenty years it is time for KCA to slow down and evaluate just where we are. What is in scope and what is out of scope? One would assume that after nearly twenty years Kentucky Agriculture will do the same with these funds.

We had a very good trip to Washington D.C. this month. Things were a little different this time in that a larger group did a fly in on Wednesday of the trip where we met with Congressman, Barr, Guthrie, Comer, Senator Paul and the staff with Senator McConnell and Congressman Yarmuth. For the most part we are on the same page with our delegation with the exception of a few issues.

I can’t say thank you enough to everyone that has donated to the Nebraska flood relief effort. I know our county leaders have worked hard on this effort and the cattlemen in Nebraska are very grateful.

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

Dennis Craig • Randy Sparks 2661 Clintonville Road • Winchester, KY 40391 Sammy Ayres, Manager 859-983-9488 11

ON THE EDGE OF COMMON SENSE

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QUALITY FORAGE DOESN’T COST. IT PAYS.

• Boost cattle performance by switching to Novel Endophyte Fescue

On the Edge of Common Sense “Age-in’ a cow is ‘bout the thing I hate most. Seems like they can tell the instant you cross the line into the strike zone.”

We all nodded sympathetically with Jeff’s pronouncement. Each cowman in the circle of chairs could remember a blow to the ribs that ruined his day.

“Well your doin’ it all wrong,” spoke Gary, “Mouthin’em is easy. Just check ‘em after you feed in the evenin’. Timing is critical. Wait till the sun is setting low and drive along the west side of the fence or feedbunk. They’ll look up to check you out, all of ‘em chompin’ and chewin’ and curious. If you’ve planned it right the sun will light up their dentures like you had a spotlight!”

‘Such wisdom,’ I thought as I sat in this group of Missouri cowmen. It was like sittin’ in with the Supreme Court justices, Solomon on one side, Ginsburg on the other.

“How ‘bout preg checkin’,” I asked. Is there an easy way to do that?”

“Sure,” Gary continued, “When I get an arm inside first thing I do is sort according to how big the calf is.”

“You mean like 30 days along, 90 days along and so forth?” I said.

“No,” he answered, “Like squirrel, cat,

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I could see myself as a vet out at some cowman’s place saying, “I won’t be using a plastic sleeve today Mr. Henry. I’ll just be thumpin’em.”

I admit workin’ cows would be easier if you could age and preg check them without grabbin’ their head or plunging up to the armpit. Then Gary told me he could sex the calves before they were born. I realized my vet training had been sorely lacking. Did he sex ’em somehow by smelling the cow’s breath? By tailhead elevation? By bag development, or sonar?

“No,” he said, “Just a lot of feelin’ around.

Under the tail, between the legs. ‘Course it helps if the calf is pretty far along.”

“How far along?” I asked like the student I was.

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COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

12th Annual Production Sale

Sunday • 1:30 pm • At the Farm

May 5, 2019

Selling: Fall Open Heifers, Bred Heifers, Spring Pairs, Fall Pairs, Bulls and Commercial Spring Pairs and Bred Females.

www.bridgeviewangus.com Lawsons Donna C783 Dam: AAA 18389509 She sells along with her Baldridge Challenger daughter and Mead Magnitude daughter that is sure to impress!

on Toll

te Fair 2018

Bridgeview Lucy 1761 AAA 19179536

Exar Elba 2864 Dam: AAA 17327821

Lawsons Lucy Z376 Grandam: AAA 17574913

A striking daughter of Weigh Up. Top 1%, WW-YW-$W

Selling a fall Cowboy Up and a spring Black Onyx. 2864 is the maternal sister to the REA leader, Summitcrest Complete IP55.

Headlining the Lucy family will be an elegant granddaughter sired by TEX Playbook from an RB Tour of Duty X Lawsons Lucy V376 dam.

The Sparrow Family Matt Jackson • Mobile 502-667-0142 matt@jacksonmarketingsolutions.com www.jacksonmarketingsolutions.com

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

Cory – 859.338.5826 sparrowcc@hotmail.com

Kyle – 502.330.8914 kylesparrow041@gmail.com

Kip – 859.608.7798 kcspar2@uky.edu

Roger – 859.333.2707 rsparrow@uky.edu

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• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

13

LARUE COUNTY

BARREN COUNTY

Submitted by James A. Bailey Submitted by Brenda Gaddie Larue County Cattlemen participated in Larue County’s Extension Expo held on March 16th. Shown here is Phyllis Gentry who shared nutrition info, recipes, pot holders, cutting boards, gloves, grilling spices and more with the public.

JACKSON COUNTY

The Barren County Cattlemen’s meeting was held Thursday evening, March 21st, at the Barren County High School Trojan Academy. During the meeting Chris Schalk, County Extension Agent, presented a program on managing soil and existing forages for maximum forage production. Pictured from left to right is Jon Keightly, representing C&F Farm Supply, Chris Schalk, Barren County Cattlemen’s Program Coordinator. A delicious steak dinner was served which was sponsored by C&F Farm Supply of Hiseville, KY.

PASTURE SEEN BETTER DAYS?

Bobby Hornsby presenting member Eddy Neeley with a Yeti Tumbler, given away at the event.

A Datamars brand

Submitted by Sarah McQueen On Thursday, March 14th, 2019, Jackson County Cattlemens Association hosted their monthly meeting at the Gray Hawk Reformed Church fellowship hall. Over 50 members were in attendance to hear from Eric Dickerson and Greg Aston speak on the benefits of reseeding trampled pastures, grazing management, and enhancing soil fertility. Steve Gray with Nutrien Solutions also demonstrated the benefits of spraying pastures and hayfields for weed control using GrazonNext HL Herbicide.

Special thanks to Southern States of London for coordinating this event, and all the hard work and participation from the members. Thank you!

14

COW COUNTRY •

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• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

ROBERTSON COUNTY Submitted by Delilah E. Poe The Robertson County Beef Association held their annual Field Day October 1, 2018 at the Poe’s Triple P Angus Farm in Robertson County Kentucky. The Poe’s raise Registered Black Angus Seedstock, offering a line of calving ease, high productivity cattle. The event was also sponsored by the Robertson County Extension Service , Peoples Bank, Robertson County Conservation District, Southern States, Farm Credit Services, and Hinton Mills. Educational programs included Forage and Hay testing, artificial breeding with Select Sires, pregnancy ultrasound and bull selection.

The event was attend by participants from multiple adjoining counties. Thank you to everyone who attended the event.

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

15

FEATURE

Join or Renew your Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association Membership

UK MEAT CUTTING SCHOOL TO OFFER BEEF PROCESSING WORKSHOP Aimee Nielson

As the largest cattle producing state east of the Mississippi River, Kentucky is home to over 1.1 million beef cows and ranks 5th nationally in total number of farms.

KCA’s mission is to provide a strong, proactive voice for all of Kentucky’s Beef Farm Families, serve as a resource for information and education for producers, consumers and the industry and be a catalyst for enhancing producer profitability.

NOW IS THE TIME to join or renew your Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association. Unite and become a unified voice for all cattle producers.

Contact: Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association 176 Pasadena Dr. Lexington, KY 40503

(859) 278-0899 16

Gregg Rentfrow teaches meat cutting class. Photo by Aimee Nielson Meat cutting and general butchering is becoming a lost art, but the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment’s Meat Cutting School is working to preserve it. The school will offer a Beef Processing Workshop May 9-11 on the Lexington campus.

“Meat processors are always looking to hire good, experienced meat cutters,” said Gregg Rentfrow, UK extension meat science professor. “We want to offer hands-on instruction and provide COW COUNTRY •

a way to get some basic education and experience for people wanting a career in this lost art.”

The workshop will offer formal lectures on meats and livestock industries, basic slaughter techniques, beef fabrication and ground beef skills. The workshop begins May 9 at 3 p.m. with a tour of the UK Meats Lab at 325 Cooper Drive. May 10 and 11, instruction begins at 8 a.m. and includes hands-on beef slaughter, classroom lectures, hands-on beef M AY 2 0 1 9

carcass fabrication, ground beef skills, discussion and workshop evaluation.

Registration is limited to the first eight paid participants. The cost is $500 and includes a hat, frock and a 6-inch boning knife. To register, make checks payable to UK Meat Science and mail to Gregg Rentfrow, 205 W.P. Garrigus Bldg., Lexington, KY 40546. For questions contact Rentfrow at 859-257-7550 or send email to Gregg.rentfrow@uky.edu.

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

SYNOVEX® C BOOSTS GAIN IN CALVES.

For more than 30 years, growth-promoting implant SYNOVEX® C has demonstrated increased average daily gain (ADG) in suckling beef calves. It is the ideal implant choice for steers and heifers more than 45 days of age and up to 400 pounds in body weight.

Calves implanted with SYNOVEX C pack on more pounds before weaning, averaging 19 extra pounds of gain.

SYNOVEX C also is safe when used in suckling heifer calves, allowing you the flexibility to increase gain and profit for your operation without affecting reproduction.1

HOW MUCH IS 19 EXTRA POUNDS PER WEANED CALF WORTH TO YOU? Calves implanted with SYNOVEX C gained an average of 19 pounds more than nonimplanted calves at weaning.1 At $1.77 per pound for weaned calves, that’s an extra $33 per head at sale time and a 30-to-1 return on your investment.* That’s comparable to selling one extra calf for every 25-head implanted.

*ROI calculation is based on 450-pound steer price from CattleFax Update, March 24, 2017, and assuming $1.15 price per implant.

Neal Branscum Beef Cattle, TBM Zoetis (606) 872-5395

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

17

FEATURE

QUARLES CONGRATULATES H.H. BARLOW ON DAIRY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL POST BARREN COUNTY DAIRYMAN HAS HELD NATIONAL AND STATE POSITIONS Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles congratulated H.H. Barlow III of Barren County on his appointment as executive director of the Kentucky Dairy Development Council (KDDC).

“The KDDC has made a great choice for their new executive director,” Commissioner Quarles said. “Mr. Barlow has served in national and state leadership positions while operating his own dairy farm. We look forward to working with Mr. Barlow to find ways to advance Kentucky’s dairy industry.”

A lifelong dairy farmer, Barlow and his wife, Kathy, own and operate Barlu Dairy

in Cave City and currently milk 120 Jersey cows. Barlow also works in feed sales.

He was chair of the founding committee for the KDDC and has served on the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board, the Kentucky Agricultural Council, the U.S. Board for International Food and Agricultural Development, the Lone Star Milk Cooperative board, and the American Dairy Association of Kentucky/Southeast United Dairy Industry Association board.

Barlow replaces Maury Cox, who retired March 1 after 10 years as the KDDC’s executive director.

The KDDC is an organization of dairy farmers and allied industries that works to promote Kentucky’s dairy industry, help the industry grow, and increase producer profitability. For more information about the KDDC, go to kydairy.org.

Kentucky dairy farmers took in an estimated $195.6 million in farm cash receipts from milk sales in 2017, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported. Kentucky had an estimated 53,000 dairy cows as of Jan. 1, according to NASS. The average dairy cow generates more than $13,700 in economic ripple effect each year, the KDDC says.

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bgstockyards.com 18

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

4/4/19 3:15 PM

19

FORAGES

WEED CONTROL IN PASTURES: IT IS MORE THAN JUST HERBICIDE! CHRIS D. TEUTSCH UK Research and Education Center at Princeton

A weed is often defined as “a plant that is not valued where it is growing.” This broad definition could include almost any plant including common forage and crop species. In pastures, I like to define a weed as a plant that cows wont graze.

We often think of weeds as being low in nutritional value, but work at Virginia Tech shows that this is not always the case (Table 1). In some instances, weeds are more digestible and can contain higher levels of crude than commonly used forage species. It is important to remember that like improved forage species, as weeds mature, nutritive value and palatability decrease. So ragweed in the vegetative stage of maturity can be more than 70% digestible with a crude protein concentration of more than 20%. The same plant at six feet tall may be 50% digestible with a crude protein concentration of less than 10%.

Finding Balance In pastures, eradication of weeds is not a realistic goal. In fact, you will lose your mind and drain your bank account trying to do it! While weeds can in some cases have good nutritional value, it is very important to remember that they are often lower producing than improved forage species. So while some weeds in your pastures may be ok, too many weeds PLANT SPECIES

will reduce productivity and carrying capacity. Your objective as a producer should be to limit weeds in your pastures through good management of a welladapted forage species.

An Integrated Approach to Weed Control in Pastures In many cases, producers and agricultural professional’s base weed control programs for pastures solely on herbicides. While very effective herbicides are available for many weed species commonly found in pastures, programs based solely on herbicide use have little chance of long-term weed control in pastures. In contrast, successful weed control programs will be based on an integrated approach that includes cultural practices that encourage a healthy and vigorous sod, such as choosing well adapted forage species, setting a sustainable stocking rate, proper grazing management, timely clipping, and fertilization and liming, along with the judicial use of herbicides to control difficult weeds (Green et al., 2006).

Selecting well adapted forage species. The first step in establishing a vigorous and healthy sod that will prevent weeds from germinating and IVDMDa

ADFa

CPa

ALFALFAb

72

24

27

REDROOT PIGWEEDc

73

21

25

%

COMMON LAMBSQUARTERS

68

22

25

COMMON RAGWEED

73

25

25

PENNSYLVANIA SMARTWEED

51

22

24

YELLOW FOXTAIL

69

30

20

GIANT FOXTAIL

62

33

18

BARNYARDGRASS

70

33

18

TOLERANCE TO3 LIFE CYCLE

PRODUCTIVE SEASON

SEEDLING VIGOR2

ACID SOIL

POOR DRAINAGE

DROUGHT

GRAZING

KY BLUEGRASS

PN

SPRING/FALL

P

F

F

P

E G

SPECIES ORCHARDGRASS

PN

SPRING/FALL

G

F

F

F

TALL FESCUE (EI)4

PN

SPRING/FALL

F/G

G

G

G

E

TALL FESCUE (EF)5

PN

SPRING/FALL

G

G

G

F

G

TALL FESCUE (NT)6

PN

SPRING/FALL

G

G

G

G

E

TIMOTHY

PN

SPRING/FALL

E

F

F

F

F

RED CLOVER

PN

SPRING/FALL

F

F

F

F

G

WHITE CLOVER

PN

SPRING/FALL

F

F

G

P

E

BERMUDAGRASS

PN

SUMMER

E

E

P

E

E

ANNUAL RYEGRASS

AN

SPRING/FALL

E

G

E

F

E

RYE

AN

SPRING/FALL

E

E

F

F

G

WHEAT

AN

SPRING/FALL

E

P

P

F

G

OATS

AN

SPRING/FALL

E

F

F

F

G

CRABGRASS

AN

SUMMER

G

G

P

G

F/G

TEFF

AN

SUMMER

G

G

G

E

P

PN=PERENNIAL, AN=ANNUAL 2/3 E=EXCELLENT, G=GOOD, F=FAIR, P=POOR 4 EI, INFECTED WITH THE TOXIC ENDOPHYTE 5 EF, NOT INFECTED WITH AN ENDOPHYTE 6 NT, INFECTED WITH THE NON-TOXIC ENDOPHYTE 1

Table 2.

Characteristics of forage species commonly used in Kentucky’s pastures. Adapted from Southern Forages, Fourth Edition.

becoming established is choosing well adapted forage species. Forages selected for grazing systems in Kentucky should be adapted to the region and soils were they are being grown, tolerant of environmental stresses such as high temperatures and drought, persistent under close and frequent grazing, and the seasonal distribution should match animal requirements. Characteristics of forages commonly used in the transition area between the temperate northern and subtropical southern United States can be found in Table 2. In Kentucky and other transition zone states, mixtures of tall fescue and red and white clover are the most common and well adapted forage base.

Table 1. In vitro dry matter digestibility, acid detergent fiber, and crude protein concentrations of alfalfa and various weed species. Adapted from The Nutritive Value of Common Pasture Weeds and Their Relation to Livestock Nutrient Requirements, VCE Pub. 418-150.

Setting a sustainable stocking rate.

Setting the proper stocking rate, defined as animals per acre per year, is a primary determinant in grazing system success.

A stocking rate set too high will result in the degradation of the entire grassland ecosystem. A stocking rate that is set too low will result in wasted forage and decreased profitability. In addition, stocking rate also impacts the amount

20

M AY 2 0 1 9

IN VITRO DRY MATTER DIGESTIBILITY, IVDMD, ACID DETERGENT FIBER, ADF, AND CRUDE PROTEIN, CP. b ADAPTED FROM MARTEN, G. C., AND R. N. ANDERSEN. 1975. FORAGE NUTRITIVE VALUE AND PALATABILITY OF 12 COMMON ANNUAL WEEDS. CROP SCIENCE 15:821-827. c ALFALFA WAS SEEDED ON MAY 14, 1971. d WEED NURSERY WAS SEEDED NATURALLY IN LATE SUMMER AND AUTUMN OF 1970. a

COW COUNTRY •

of conserved forage that will be needed.

A stocking rate set too high will result in less grazing and more hay feeding.

Stocking rate depends on many factors such as forage species, soil type, soil fertility level, and grazing management.

In general, supplying each cow-calf unit with 2 to 3 acres of grazable pasture is a good place to start. In most cases it is better to start with a lighter stocking rate that can be gradually increased as soil fertility increases and grazing management improves.

Grazing management. Controlled grazing or rotational stocking is a management practice that allows producers to determine how closely pastures are grazed and how long they are rested between grazing events. Leaving residual leaf area and resting pastures between grazing events allows pastures to re-grow quicker and produce up to a third more forage in a given grazing season (Sollenberger, et al., 2012). Some forage species are better adapted to close and frequent grazing than other (Table 2). Grazing height and suggested rest periods for commonly used forages are

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

FORAGE SPECIES

START GRAZING

STOP GRAZING

INCHES ALFALFA

10-16

REST PERIODa DAYS

2-4

30-40

BERMUDAGRASS

4-8

1-2

7-15

TALL FESCUE

4-8

2-3

15-30

KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS

8-10

1-3

7-15

ORCHARDGRASS

8-12

3-6

15-30

SWITCHGRASS

18-22

8-12

30-45

PEARL MILLET

20-24

8-12

10-20

LENGTH OF REST PERIODS CAN VARY GREATLY DEPENDING ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND TIME OF THE YEAR. WHEN FORAGE PLANTS ARE ACTIVELY GROWING, REST PERIODS WILL BE SHORTER. IN CONTRAST WHEN GROWING CONDITIONS ARE POOR, REST PERIODS WILL BE LONGER. a

Table 3. Optimal heights for starting and stopping grazing and suggested rest periods. shown in Table 3.

Soil fertility. The soil fertility can have a profound impact on both the productivity and botanical composition of pastures. When fertility is low, improved forage species like tall fescue and orchardgrass and red and white

clover become less productive and weed species that are better adapted to lower fertility fill in the gaps (Figure 1).

Fertilizer and lime applications should ALWAYS be based on a recent soil test.

If funds are limited, apply lime if needed.

Lime not only reduces soil acidity, but also makes nutrients in the soil more

SPECIES AND ESTIMATED YIELD (TONS/ACRE) ALFALFA @ 5

TALL FESCUE @ 3.5

NITROGEN (N)

280

135

150

160

PHOSPHATE (P2O5)

75

65

50

60

POTASH (K2O)

300

185

185

288

CALCIUM (Ca)

155

30

30

35

MAGNESIUM (Mg)

22

12

15

20

SULFUR (S)

25

14

13

14

NUTRIENT

ORCHARDGRASS @3

SORGHUMSUDAN @4

DATA FROM BALL ET AL., 2007, BROWN, 1996, ROBINSON, 1996, AND NRCS ANIMAL WASTE MANAGEMENT, NEH-651, 1999.

Table 4. Approximate nutrient removal in pounds per acre for several commonly grown hay types at specified yield levels.

available to plants.

Hay and silage remove large quantities of nutrients. In contrast to grazing, making hay or silage removes large quantities of nutrients. These nutrients must be replaced to maintain soil fertility, and stand health and productivity. Each ton of hay that is removed from a field takes with it approximately 15 lb of phosphate and 50 lb potash. In a good year a tall fescue-clover mix may yield 4 tons per acre and remove 60 lb phosphate and 200 lb of potash (Table 4).

Clipping pastures. Mowing pastures can help to control some weeds species, but the cost can be significant. It is estimated that clipping can cost between $15 and 20/acre. If timed correctly, clipping can reduce weed seed production. However, if performed after weeds have produced viable seed, it can actually worsen weed problems by spreading seeds. Clipping is also less effective on plants with large underground root systems and plants that have low growth habits.

Herbicide use. There are a number of very effective herbicides that can be used to control difficult pasture weeds.

A good example of a difficult to control weed is horsenettle or sand brier. This weed is commonly found in pastures throughout the mid-south and possesses an extensive underground root and rhizome system that enables it spread vegetatively. In the case of horsenettle, herbicides may provide the only viable means of control. It is important to remember that commonly used pasture herbicides also injure or kill clover and other legumes. Since legumes are an important source of nitrogen in grassland ecosystems, increase forage quality and animal performance, and dilute the toxins contained in endophyte infected tall fescue, the use of broadleaf herbicides should be carefully considered. In some cases, herbicides can be spot applied to smaller areas within pastures or applied with a wicking or wiping device to taller growing weeds and not clover. More information on herbicide use in pastures can be found in Weed Management in Grass Pastures, Hayfields, and Other Farmstead Areas.

Putting it All Together

Figure 1. Broom sedge is often an indication of low soil fertility. In this photo Greg Brann discusses approached to reclaiming broom sedge infested pastures.

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

Successful weed control in pastures requires an integrated approach that involves the soil, plant, and animal.

This means we need to select well adapted forage species and manage them in a manner that creates a healthy and vigorous sod that excludes weeds from our pastures. When we combine this with clipping and the judicial use of herbicides, we will have a winning combination!

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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FEATURED EVENTS 2019 Kentucky Fencing Schools April 9 in Lexington, KY April 11 in Burkesville, KY May 30 in Russellville, KY More information can be found at http://forages.ca.uky.edu/

FORAGE MANAGEMENT TIPS Seed warm season annual grasses once soil temperature reaches 60 F. Clip, graze or make hay to prevent seedhead formation in cool season pastures.

Rotate cool season pastures when residual is 3-4 inches.

Consider temporary electric fencing to sub-divide larger pastures and exclude areas for mechanical harvesting.

Scout pastures for summer annual weeds and control when small.

Make plans to attend the one of the upcoming fencing school in Russellville.

FENCING TIP Use offsets on existing fencing. A good way to protect new fencing or enhance existing fencing is to use an offset strand of electrified fencing.

Installing a single strand of electric fence on the perimeter of pastures allows graziers complete flexibility to quickly and easily subdivide existing pastures with polywire and step in posts. There are a number of different styles of offsets including wire, plastic, pigtail and fiberglass.

All styles can work, but it is important that any plastic or fiberglass materials are UV stabilized and come with a warranty.

21

FEATURE

MINERAL SUPPLEMENTATION: THE BENEFITS YOU MAY NOT SEE CAITLYN HEBBERT Noble Foundation, Livestock Consultant

It’s no secret that good nutritional management is one of the mostvital contributions to a profitable herd.

Within the realm of cattle nutrition, protein and energy tend to receive the most hype due to their direct relationships to growth performance and overall body condition. This hype is rightfully placed since the first step to a good nutrition program is to identify and meet protein and energy requirements. The second step involves the lesser-discussed dark horse of the ruminant nutrition world: minerals.

Much of the discussion surrounding minerals is vague, and information is more often accepted by producers than is understood since the world of minerals is complicated and tedious to navigate. As a result, I often find myself on the receiving end of this conversation: “Mineral is so expensive and consumption seems to be hit-or-miss. What will happen if I stop feeding mineral?”

Mineral consumption does indeed vary — from animal to animal as well as from one month to the next. This is often reflective of changing mineral content in forage, fortified winter supplements and the production phase of cattle (growing, lactating, gestating, etc.).

These fluctuations should not deter you from making mineral an option to your cattle year-round, as other sources of mineral for grazing cattle are neither constant nor consistent.

It is also important to note that the mineral deficiencies of cattle on an otherwise-well-managed nutrition program are often relatively minor.

This may be referred to as a subclinical deficiency, a deficiency that presents itself in obscure ways.

Subclinical symptoms, while not always initially obvious, usually become apparent after they’ve already impacted your bottom line. Most of these subclinical deficiencies make you scratch your head and think “Hmmm, something is a little off,” but rarely would you make the connection between a change in or a lack of mineral with the discrepancies you are observing. That is, unless you were aware of those connections existing.

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Below are a few such connections that I’ve observed anecdotally, encountered in conversations with producers and verified in research.

“My conception rates are a little low this year.”

Most cow herds in the Southern Great Plains are currently in the midst of calving and are rapidly approaching breeding season. The mineral requirements (and nutritional requirements in general) of cows are at their peak when lactation is also at its peak, 30 to 60 days postpartum.

It is critical at this time to make sure your cows are in optimal body condition and that they have all the tools on the cellular level to conceive early in the breeding season.

Some of these tools are minerals that are highly active in various reproductive processes. Selenium, zinc and manganese in particular have been found to have direct effects on reproduction in cattle, significantly affecting processes such as ovarian function, steroidal synthesis, and even testicular development and function in bulls.

It is not uncommon for an extreme mineral deficiency to result in an open cow (as in she doesn’t get bred or, just as likely, she suffers early embryonic loss following conception). However, a subclinical deficiency may yield a bred heifer or cow — but one that conceived during second or third service rather than conceiving upon first AI service or exposure to bull. This could lower pregnancy rates in a short breeding season or extend your calving season.

respiratory illness at the feedlot.

When calves are retained at the ranch and preconditioned, the consequences or benefits of nutrition earlier in their life often come to light. Adequate mineral nutrition may be just as important as, and may enhance, the viability of a vaccination program.

This is not to say that minerals are the magic bullet to end all morbidity problems, but they are an important part of the equation along with genetics, vaccination and overall management.

“My cattle aren’t keeping or gaining condition as well as they have in the past.”

Many metabolic processes in the body are regulated or activated by minerals, including processes vital to sustain physiological systems through periods of high growth.

For example, digestibility can be driven or impeded by availability of minerals.

Digestibility in ruminants is largely impacted by the state of the microbial population in the rumen, making microbes the driving force behind utilization of nutrients. Rumen microbes require a specific environment and substrates in order to thrive and survive, and the availability of certain minerals (depending on the microbe) are part of this specificity.

“I seem to be treating more calves post-weaning than usual.”

While you should not expect the presence or absence of a mineral supplement to behave like an ionophore or a growth implant in terms of feed efficiency or pounds of gain, a mineral supplement is a key player in the digestibility and absorption of all nutrients and their subsequent utilization in the body.

While any major nutrient deficiency will likely be visibly apparent by way of body condition or average daily gain (or lack thereof), a subclinical deficiency may cost you a pound per week, which really adds up come sale time.

Many minerals have dramatic implications in the immune system and its function. Lack of optimal mineral management at the cow-calf level is speculated to be correlated to sickness later on in life — such as incidence of

Most mineral supplements are formulated to be consumed at a rate of 2 to 4 ounces per head per day. If your supplement targets 4 ounces, and a cow is “off” supplement about one-third of the year (due to her needs being met through

It is well-documented that cows and heifers that conceive early in the breeding season sustain a longer, more productive herd life. Doing what you can to ensure early conception can help boost your long-term profitability.

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other sources), then she’s consuming about 60 pounds of mineral per year.

At an estimated $35 for a 50-pound bag of loose mineral, meeting her mineral needs costs you $42 per head per year.

Plus $42 is less expensive than having to replace a cow that fell out of your target calving season. It’s also less expensive than the ¼ pound you may sacrifice in calves every day and the cost of just one treatment for respiratory illness.

Though not always immediately evident, being intentional and consistent about keeping mineral in front of your cattle will benefit both your herd and your bottom line in the long run.

Mineral Benefits The benefits you reap when offering mineral include: • Greater utilization of forage and feed.

• Higher quality colostrum.

• More optimal performance.

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• Fewer incidences of illness.

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FEATURE

R E D M E AT E X P O R T V O L U M E F A I R LY S T E A D Y I N J A N U A R Y ; P O R K V A L U E S T I L L R E F L E C T S TA R I F F I M PA C T January exports of U.S. beef and pork were slightly below last year’s volume levels while export value posted mixed results, according to statistics released

by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Beef exports slipped 1 percent year-overyear to 104,766 metric tons (mt), but value still increased 3 percent to $642.3 million. Export value per head of fed slaughter pulled back from the red-hot pace of 2018, averaging $284.86, down 3 percent from a year ago. January exports accounted for 12.2 percent of total beef production and 9.7 percent for muscle cuts only, down from 12.4 percent and 10.1 percent, respectively, in January 2018.

January pork exports were also down 1 percent from a year ago at 201,835 mt, with value dropping 9 percent to $494.1 million. Export value averaged $44.75 per head slaughtered, down 12 percent year-over-year.

Exports accounted for 23.6 percent of total January pork production, down from 24.7 percent a year ago. For muscle cuts only the ratio was 20.3 percent, down from 21.5 percent.

Results for both beef and pork were bolstered by stronger variety meat volumes. Beef variety meat exports totaled 26,630 in January, up 7 percent from a year ago, valued at $81.8 million (up 19 percent). This was fueled by strong performances in Japan, the ASEAN region and Africa. Pork variety meat exports climbed 5 percent yearover-year to 41,143 mt, led by increases in Mexico, Japan, Central and South America and Taiwan. But value was still down 11 percent to $81 million, because exports to China, the leading market for U.S. pork variety meat, remain subject to China’s 50 percent retaliatory duties.

Japan, Korea set strong early pace for 2019 beef exports January beef exports to leading market Japan increased 8 percent year-over-year to 25,925 mt, valued at $167 million (up 12 percent). Variety meat exports to Japan (mainly tongues) were especially strong, 24

soaring by 36 percent in both volume (4,645 mt) and value ($31.4 million).

January was the first full month in which competitors of U.S. beef received tariff relief in Japan under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TransPacific Partnership (CPTPP) with the import duty rate dropping from 38.5 to 27.5 percent on Dec. 30, 2018. This gap will widen further on April 1, when the rate for CPTPP countries drops to 26.6 percent.

“It’s great to see Japan’s demand for U.S. beef increase in January despite these tariff rate changes for our major competitors,” noted Dan Halstrom, USMEF president and CEO. “But this disadvantage will become more and more pronounced over time, so negotiations toward a U.S.-Japan trade agreement cannot come soon enough. The playing field needs to be leveled as quickly as possible so that the U.S. industry can continue to capitalize on booming meat demand in Japan.”

Following a record-shattering year, beef exports to South Korea increased 4 percent in January to 17,900 mt, with value up 10 percent to $134.3 million. U.S. beef enjoys a tariff rate advantage under the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS), with the import duty rate declining from 40 to 18.7 percent since KORUS was implemented in 2012 (the rates for Australian and Canadian beef are 24 and 26.6 percent, respectively).

U.S. beef is benefiting from several new trends in Korea, including mid-priced steak restaurants (also underway in Japan), inclusion of beef cuts such as chuckeye roll and short plate in meal kits sold at retail and through e-commerce, and demand for a wider range of U.S. beef cuts, such as brisket point, in Korean barbecue establishments.

Other January highlights for U.S. beef include: • Export volume to Mexico was steady with last year at 21,194, but value climbed 14 percent to $101.7 million.

The results for beef muscle cuts were especially strong, increasing 16

COW COUNTRY •

percent in volume (12,532 mt) and 21 percent in value ($78.2 million).

• Led by Indonesia and the Philippines, exports to the ASEAN region jumped 49 percent from a year ago in volume (4,644 mt) and 31 percent in value ($20.7 million). Variety meat exports more than doubled from a year ago to 1,941 mt (up 107 percent), with value up 85 percent to $3.8 million.

• Strong growth in Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras drove beef exports to Central America up 39 percent to 1,508 mt, while value was up 36 percent to $8 million.

• Exports to Taiwan were steady with last January at 4,215 mt, but value was down 12 percent to $36.8 million.

• A slow month in Hong Kong partially offset growth in other markets, as exports fell by 36 percent in volume to 7,047 mt, while value was down 28 percent to $57.4 million.

Amid trade disputes, smaller markets step up demand for U.S. pork

Retaliatory duties continued to pressure U.S. pork exports to Mexico in January, with volume down 9 percent from a year ago to 66,293 mt. Export value absorbed an even harsher blow, dropping 28 percent to $96.1 million. While the U.S. is still Mexico’s main pork supplier, Canada’s January exports to Mexico were up 26 percent to 11,500 mt and EU exports increased 91 percent to 305 mt.

Chile’s volume was steady at 690 mt.

Exports to China/Hong Kong also felt the sting of China’s retaliatory duties, dropping 16 percent from a year ago in volume (26,744 mt) and 32 percent in value ($53.2 million).

While Japan’s import duties on U.S. pork remain unchanged, CPTPP countries received tariff relief at the end of 2018 and will see another rate decrease on April 1. This likely contributed to the January decline in U.S. pork exports to Japan, which were down 6 percent from a year ago in volume (32,910 mt) and 8 percent in value ($135.2 million). Lower duty rates for European pork under the Japan-EU Economic Partnership

“It’s great to see Japan’s demand for U.S. beef increase in January despite these tariff rate changes for our major competitors” M AY 2 0 1 9

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Agreement (EPA) were implemented Feb. 1, so the EPA’s impact was not yet reflected in Japan’s January import data.

“Trade barriers in these large, mainstay markets are very unsettling for major customers of U.S. pork and are hurting the entire U.S. supply chain, so it is essential that they are addressed in a timely manner,” Halstrom explained.

“On a positive note, the U.S. industry’s longstanding efforts to expand and diversify international destinations for U.S. pork have never been more important, and it is gratifying to see impressive growth in many of our emerging and developing markets.”

January highlights for U.S. pork include: • Led by continued record exports to Colombia and a surge in shipments to Chile, pork exports to South America increased 57 percent in volume (12,752 mt) and 61 percent in value ($31.3 million). Exports were also higher year-over-year to Ecuador and Uruguay.

• Strong growth in Panama, Costa Rica and Guatemala moved exports to Central America 18 percent higher year-over-year in volume (7,271 mt) and 15 percent higher in value ($16.6 million).

• Exports to the Dominican Republic remained on a roll, increasing 29 percent from a year ago in both volume (3,289 mt) and value ($7.2 million).

• Growing exports to Canada (16,165 mt, +13 percent) indicate the U.S. is backfilling Canada’s product needs as more Canadian pork is bound for China, Japan and Mexico. Canadian pork production is not increasing, therefore Canada needs to import more U.S. pork to meet domestic demand. This situation will continue until retaliatory tariffs on U.S. pork exports to China and Mexico are removed and could intensify across other markets as China’s buying ramps up due to African swine fever.

• Pork exports to both Australia and New Zealand were higher year-overyear in January, pushing results for Oceania up 22 percent in volume (9,272 mt) and 12 percent in value ($24.8 million).

• Led by excellent growth in the Philippines and Singapore, exports to the ASEAN region were up 28 percent COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

in volume (3,895 mt) and 25 percent in value ($9.9 million).

• Strong demand in Taiwan pushed January exports to 2,561 mt (up 153 percent) valued at $4.9 million (up 70 percent). The results for pork muscle cuts were even more impressive, nearly tripling in volume (1,780 mt, up 196 percent) and climbing 149 percent in value to $3.8 million.

Taiwan is importing less pork from the EU and Canada so U.S. pork is gaining market share, climbing from 9 percent in January 2018 to 19.5 percent this year.

• Pork exports to Korea eased from the record-breaking pace of 2018 but remained strong at 18,491 mt, down 2 percent year-over-year, with value down 8 percent to $50 million.

Lamb exports trend higher in January Muscle cut growth in the Caribbean and the United Arab Emirates, along with continued strong demand for variety meat in Mexico pushed January exports of U.S. lamb to 1,384 mt, up 87 percent from a year ago. Export value was $2.13 million, up 45 percent. For muscle cuts only, exports climbed 94 percent from a year ago in volume (244 mt) and 49 percent in value ($1.17 million).

Complete January export results for U.S. beef, pork and lamb are available from USMEF’s statistics Web page.

Monthly charts for U.S. pork and beef exports are also available online.

If you have questions, please contact Joe Schuele at jschuele@usmef.org or call 303-547-0030.

NOTES:

• Export statistics refer to both muscle cuts and variety meat, unless otherwise noted.

• One metric ton (mt) = 2,204.622 pounds.

• U.S. pork currently faces retaliatory duties

in China and Mexico. China’s duty rate on frozen pork muscle cuts and variety meat increased from 12 to 37 percent in April and from 37 to 62 percent in July.

Mexico’s duty rate on pork muscle cuts increased from zero to 10 percent in June and jumped to 20 percent in July.

Beginning in June, Mexico also imposed a 15 percent duty on sausages and a 20 percent duty on some prepared hams.

• U.S. beef faces retaliatory duties in China

and Canada. China’s duty rate on beef muscle cuts and variety meats increased from 12 to 37 percent in July. Canada’s 10 percent duty, which also took effect in July, applies to HS 160250 cooked/ prepared beef products.

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ECONOMIC & POLICY UPDATE

THE ECONOMICS OF HEMP PRODUCTION IN KENTUCKY Jonathan Shepherd and Tyler Mark HEMP GRAIN

CBD ROW CROP W/GRAIN HARVESTED

HEMP FIBER

CBD ROW CROP ENSIELD NO GRAIN HARVESTED

CDB TOBACCO MODEL PRICE

CBD PLASTICULTURE

QTY

PRICE

TOTAL

QTY

PRICE

TOTAL

QTY

PRICE

TOTAL

QTY

PRICE

TOTAL

QTY

TOTAL

QTY

PRICE

TOTAL

CBD %

-

-

-

-

-

-

3.00%

-

-

3.50%

-

-

6.00%

PRICE PER %

-

-

-

-

-

-

$1.00

-

-

$1.00

-

-

$5.00

-

-

6.00%

-

-

-

-

$5.00

-

-

TOTAL YIELD (lbs)

-

-

-

-

-

-

1,500

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

DRY MATTER YIELD (lbs)

-

-

-

-

-

-

1,300

$3.00

$3,900

1,500

$3.50

$5,250

1,000

$30.00

$30,000

1,200

$30.00

$36,000

HEMP GRAIN (lbs)

1,200

$0.70

$840

-

-

-

1,000

$0.70

$700

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

HEMP FIBER (lbs)

-

-

-

10,000

$0.07

$700

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

GROSS RETURNS PER ACRE

-

TOTAL REVENUE

$840

$700

$4,600

$5,250

$30,000

$36,000

TOTAL VARIABLE COSTS PER ACRE

$898

$1,077

$1,682

$1,489

$15,763

$10,471

RETURN ABOVE VARIABLE COST PER ACRE

-$58

-$377

$2,918

$3,761

$14,237

$25,529

The reintroduction of industrial hemp production in the United States has sparked significant interest. Over 1,000 producers in Kentucky have shown interest in the crop by signing up for over 55,000 plus acres collectively for the 2019 production year through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

However, the infancy of the industry makes it challenging to secure welldocumented revenue and cost projections for potential growers to explore potential profitability. In this article, we would like to bring to your attention the release of the 2019 Industrial Hemp Enterprise Budgets developed by the Tyler Mark and Jonathan Shepherd in the Department of Agricultural Economics. They are available at https://hemp.ca.uky.edu/.

Estimates used in these revenue and cost projections are based on anecdotal prices, yields, and costs. These budgets

26

only address potential gross revenue and cash operating expenses associated with hemp production. These budgets are completely absent of any fixed or economic costs. The inclusion of these missing costs would impact profitability.

operation. Cost and revenue estimates provided in these budgets should be critically evaluated and adjusted for each producer’s scenario. The goal of these budgets are to provide potential growers with a tool they can adjust to their operation. At the very least, potential producers should use the tool to think about the various costs associated with growing industrial hemp.

Current observations of the industry reveal that production methods are highly varied but generally fit into one of six production methods represented in these budgets. Yields are also highly variable between and within each production model. Unlike a traditional crop enterprise budget, where using the default production costs estimates may be a reasonable approximation of given producers actual costs, the lacking publically available empirical research centered around hemp production requires potential producers to adjust each line to fit the specifics of their

Many producers are contracting directly with processors/buyers where production method, seed variety, and planting and harvest dates, among other criteria, are dictated by the contract signed. Contract prices vary significantly between processors/buyers as do expected yields and CBD content. As with any legal document, it is essential to read and understand the contract before signing. It is essential for the producer to

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.

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.

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

understand the risks associated with the contract and the consequences if the crop they are producing becomes impractical or impossible to sell, especially if the FDA chooses to regulate CDB as a scheduled drug. Be sure to understand how CBD content will be evaluated and what crop conditions could result in significantly lower prices or not buying the crop at all.

Also, be aware of who technically owns the crop, is it you as the producer or is it the processor/buyer because they may have supplied you with the seed?

Another important consideration is the lack of federal crop insurance available for the 2019 crop. We think that it is vital for potential producers to understand the financial risk they are potentially exposed to. For example, under the tobacco style model for CBD production, variable costs alone can be over $15,000 per acre (or

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

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ECONOMIC & POLICY UPDATE much higher depending on transplant/ clone costs and number of plants/acre).

In the case of a total crop failure, there would be very little if any of this cost recovered. A potential producer must evaluate this against the profit potential and ultimately their ability to bear this risk. Further, anecdotal evidence suggests that many lending institutions are sitting on the sidelines regarding hemp or at the minimum requiring other (nonhemp) collateral to acquire financing for hemp production. Communication with your lender is critical to determine if industrial hemp production is allowed under your operating notes or if potential revenues will be considered in cash-flow considerations.

Of the six models represented in the budgets, current market and contract conditions are supporting farmers to plant industrial hemp for the production of CDB primarily. Many of these contracts are requiring farmers to produce under the tobacco-style model or plasticulture model. While these two methods are more labor intensive than the others, mechanization is at the forefront of the minds of processors and others. A lot of research is going into mechanizing this process, and it is expected that mechanization will be the future of this type of production. Currently, these models seem to suggest labor requirements will be along the same lines of tobacco or vegetable production on a per acre basis. Having a reliable and available labor source is of paramount importance in these production models.

For producers who have not produced tobacco, the intense labor requirements could be overwhelming to potential producers. Further, producers who do not usually rely on H2A employees must get themselves acquainted with the system, its costs, and understand that there are deadlines and waiting periods to get guest workers to their operations.

Another expensive component of hemp production is seed and/or plant costs.

This is mostly because of the limited certified seed supply. Seed costs vary widely based upon genetics and other attributes. For example, feminized seed is much more costly on a per seed basis than non-feminized seed. Seeding rates also vary greatly from model to model and from processor to processor. Most growers should have already made arrangements with potential seed or COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

plant suppliers for the 2019 crop. Access to seed that is best for CDB production and fits well in Kentucky’s climate may be hard to find at this point. There also is a learning curve associated with producing plants from seed. While we refer to the “tobacco model,” producing transplants from seed is not the same process many tobacco farmers are familiar. Be sure to seek informed counsel before growing your transplants. With the passing of the farm bill, domestic seed production will likely result in cheaper seed costs and better genetics in coming years.

As mentioned before, unlike more traditional commodity row crops such as corn or soybeans, there are no standard management practices that have been established as of yet for industrial hemp.

For example, as a grain farmer, you can get a particular seed rate program and fertility prescription for your given geographical area and soil type. With the aforementioned costs of seed, this can be a significant driver in costs without established yield correlations.

Publically available empirical evidence regarding fertility programs has not been established. Some producers fertilize to more of a corn model, while others would suggest more of a tobacco fertility program.

The harvested hemp crop must also be dried. Dry down in the field is not an option such as it is with traditional grain crops. Further, it cannot be cut and left in the field for some time as is the case with tobacco or hemp for fiber. There is much variance in drying costs depending on the method. Some producers will cut the crop and hang it in a tobacco barn the same day. Others will use new structures or modify existing structures with drying floors that force natural or heated air through the crop.

Even more, elaborate drying structures include automated drying barns that use heat and automatically rotate the crop through are another option. This is one area where harvesting the crop and getting it dry could be a challenge in the production of hemp. The fact that, in most cases, it must be harvested and the drying process started on the same day could cause a choke point in some operations, especially if you do not have adequate drying facilities and are relying on others.

Security costs are another potential

concern for some producers. Most processors/buyers do not require there to be an elaborate security plan in place.

However, the producer must realize that they have a very valuable crop. Common sense must be used when evaluating potential planting sites. Planting in fields close to roads may not be the first choice for potential planting sites.

Unlike other crops, good communication with your neighbors considering their planting intentions of hemp is also essential from the perspective of pollen drift. Research is still being done to determine the “safe zone.” However, anecdotal evidence suggests that pollen may be able to drift 10 miles or more.

If you are planting feminized seed, transplants from feminized seed or clones, a neighbor producing a crop with male plants could partially offset the efforts and costs of your feminized production model.

While it has already been noted, it bears repeating. These enterprise budgets do not cover fixed costs associated with hemp production. Considering the varied production methods, trying to arrive at a reasonable fixed cost approach is nearly impossible at this point.

As producers learn more about the most efficient way to produce this crop, this issue will be readdressed in future years.

Further, many producers are modifying non-hemp specific equipment to be used for this crop. Others are investing in new hemp infrastructure for their operations and need to consider the financial implications of potentially declining hemp farmgate prices as hemp supply increases. Simply stated there are too many variables within a particular production method to even begin to address fixed or economic costs.

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Industrial hemp production for CBD is proving itself to be a great example of risk versus reward.

While the potential to make significant returns above variable costs exists, it is not without risks of the same magnitude.

Given the profit potential, some farmers may be inclined to grow significant acres with no prior hemp production experience. It may be wise not to bite off more than you can chew the first year.

Growing this crop successfully requires experience that is not necessarily lent by experience with more traditional crops.

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ECONOMIC & POLICY UPDATE

2019 FARM INCOME FORECAST Jerry Pierce USDA released its early forecast of 2019 US farm income on March 7. “Net farm income, a broad measure of profits, is forecast to increase 10.0 percent from 2018 levels.” This is a first-of-the-year projection, before planting, weather, politics, and international markets come into play. But it gives a few hints as to what to expect, and how to plan for the year ahead.

First, take the increase in historical perspective. The projected 2019 net farm income (NFI) is lower than that of 11 of the 19 years on the USDA graph. It is 49 percent below the 2013 peak and is below the average for 2000-2018. Not a stellar year.

Now look at the forecast increase when applied to actual numbers from farms participating in the Kentucky Farm Business Management (KFBM) program.

The blue line represents historical averages for KFBM farms. The red line illustrates USDA’s projected percentage changes in NFI for these farms. Projected 2019 NFI is $198,288. This is 39 percent below the 2013 peak $514,219, and 22 percent below the 2010-2018 average $253,329.

KFBM data represents average NFI for farms participating in each year.

These are commercial farms. For 2017, 83 percent were primarily cropfarms,

the average number of tillable acres was 2041, and total gross farm returns averaged $1.7 million. NFI has been adjusted for inflation to 2019 dollars.

Net farm income (NFI) differs from net cash income. NFI includes the value of crops and livestock produced during the year, whether sold or kept in inventory.

It does not include sales of production from previous years. Only the costs of production for the year are included, whether paid in cash, prepaid the year before, or owed at the end of the year.

NFI does not include the depreciation taken on tax returns, but a longer-term “economic” depreciation.

Why USDA projects revenue will be up “Total crop receipts are expected to increase 2.0 percent from 2018 forecast levels.” This is based on increases in corn prices and increases in both quantity and price of wheat. Soybean receipts are expected to decline in both price and quantity sold.

“Total livestock receipts are expected to increase 2.6 percent.” This includes an increase in price and quantity of milk sales and beef cattle. Poultry remains the same, and hog income declines.

“Direct government farm payments are forecast to decrease 16.8 percent.” This includes payments from ARC and PLC

because of better crop prices, and the Market Facilitation Program.

“Total production expenses are forecast to be largely unchanged from 2018 forecast levels.” Costs are unchanged because USDA projects farmers will use less. Fuel is the only cost forecast to decline. Labor, interest, and feed costs are expected to increase.

What will this do to balance sheets?

USDA forecasts liquidity measures to worsen. “Working capital, which measures the amount of cash that would be available to fund operating expenses after paying off debt due within 12 months, is forecast to decline almost 25 percent from 2018.” Lenders look closely at the ratio of working capital to debt due in 12 months. USDA forecasts would push the working capital ratio down to 1.36 for the average KFBM farm at the end of 2019. At that point, most farms will begin to have difficulty obtaining financing for 2020.

What to do with this information When rain is in the forecast we make plans. When farm revenue is not projected to make up for 2018 performance, and the financial condition is supposed to worsen, we can make plans. Here are some things to consider:

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COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

Can you farm this year?

Can you obtain enough financing to farm? If not, consider cashing out while there is still equity in the assets.

Can you project a profit on your farm? A breakeven?

Run the numbers. See the Crop Budgets at http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AgEcon/ extbudgets.php and Dr. Greg Halich’s article on High-Input Grain in last month’s issue.

Is your working capital at risk of becoming critically low? If so, consider increasing crop insurance coverage. See Dr. Todd Davis’ February and March Marketing and Management Updates http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AgEcon/ extmkt.php Carefully consider the choices of ARC or PLC for 2018-19.

Look to reduce cost. But be careful not to reduce dollars of productivity more than dollars of saved cost.

Market what you produce. Know what price you need to cover cost, and to make a profit. Seek pricing opportunities.

Work hard. Produce the heck out of crops and livestock. But work with a plan in mind.

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

FEATURE

C AT T L E M E N ’ S B E E F B O A R D N A M E S H A N E S A S N E W C E O this role,” notes Chuck Coffey, CBB chairman from Davis, Oklahoma. “Greg is well-regarded – both here in the U.S. and abroad – for his background and understanding of promoting beef and building industry relationships.”

The Beef Board is a body which oversees the Beef Checkoff and works very closely with the USDA, state beef councils, contractors, beef industry leaders and cattle producers. As a result, the person who serves as the Beef Board’s operational leader needs to function in many different roles and in many environments. According to Coffey, Hanes fits that description very well.

The Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board (CBB) has named Gregory Hanes of Colorado as their new chief executive officer, effective June 17, 2019.

“Knowledge of beef producers and the overall beef industry is a must in

“Greg is extremely talented with a diversified skillset,” said Coffey. “He already has knowledge of the Beef Checkoff, and he’s an outstanding public speaker who clearly articulates his message, has a great work ethic and is a team builder at all levels. Most importantly, he is passionate about the

beef industry. The Cattlemen’s Beef Board is elated to have him as part of the team.”

Hanes comes to the CBB from the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) in Denver, Colorado, where he most recently was vice president of international marketing programs, and he led the marketing team through global strategic planning processes. Hanes also served as the USMEF liaison to the beef industry and worked closed with a variety of national and state beef organizations.

From 2006 to 2009, he was the director of the USMEF’s Tokyo-based office, where he was responsible for all activities occurring in Japan. During his time as the USMEF Japan director, Hanes lived in Japan for nearly 11 years. Throughout his time overseas, he was the only foreigner in a Japanese company, and he held an additional position with responsibilities across Asia.

U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council (USAEDC), a group comprised of 80 U.S. commodity trade associations, farmer cooperatives and state regional trade groups from around the country, representing the interests of growers and processors of U.S. agricultural products.

In addition to a master’s degree in international management with an emphasis in marketing from the Thunderbird School of Management at Arizona State University in Phoenix, Arizona, Hanes also holds a B.A. in economics from Colorado College.

Hanes was born and raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

For more information about the Beef Checkoff and its programs, including promotion, research, foreign marketing, industry information, consumer information and safety, visit DrivingDemandforBeef.com.

Hanes currently serves as the chair of the

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• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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FEATURE

DOES UDDER QUALITY IN BEEF COWS MATTER? MICHELLE ARNOLD DVM-Ruminant Extension Veterinarian, University of Kentucky

Udder and teat quality are two of the most important functional traits for a beef cow. Although much of the focus in selection of female replacements is on milk production, the milk delivery system (udder and teats) is equally important. It is easy to see that newborn calves have a difficult time nursing oversized teats, especially if hanging very close to the ground, which often results in inadequate colostrum intake. However, there is limited research regarding the occurrence of mastitis in beef cattle and its associated effects. “Mastitis” is infection (usually bacterial) of the milk-producing tissue or “mammary gland”. A cow with a case of mastitis will typically have one or more affected quarters that are swollen and produce abnormal milk. The milk may be thick with clots, thin and watery, or may not look unusual depending on the infecting bacteria. Some cows exhibit signs of illness such as fever and anorexia (off feed) while others show no outward signs. Her calf may become weak and lethargic because of hunger since cows with mastitis do not produce much milk in the unaffected quarters. Once the infection is over, the quarter is usually damaged and produces much less milk (a light quarter) or dries up completely (a blind or dry quarter-see photo 1) for the rest of the cow’s life. Milk production in beef cows is the most important factor affecting calf pre-weaning growth and subsequent body weight at weaning.

In fact, each additional pound of milk produced per day may increase calf preweaning weight 15 to 30 pounds. At a current market price of $1.60 per pound for 400- to 500-lb beef calves, producers

Picture 1: The two front quarters are blind (dry) 30

system for evaluating udders (see Figure 2). With this system, producers score both teat size and udder suspension and scores for both characteristics range from 1 to 9. The best time to score is within 24 hours of calving and should be performed by the same person throughout the calving season for consistency.

Figure 1: Average 205-day weaning weight (in pounds) by dam mastitis status. Blue-uninfected; Red-Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS); GreenStaphylococcus aureus mastitis. Graphic courtesy of Dr. Stephen Nickerson, University of Georgia may be losing $25-$40 or more per head due to the presence of mastitis in their dams, which reduces milk production and milk quality (Figure 1).

While beef heifers are most susceptible to mastitis in the summer due to horn flies biting the teat ends and introducing bacteria, adult beef cows are prone to mastitis infections when milk remains in the quarter that a calf is unable to suckle, either because the teat is too large or the teats are too close to the ground. A recent study found cows with large funnelshaped teats, pendulous (low-hanging) udders, and cows with blind quarters are at highest risk for mastitis, especially in dirty environmental conditions. One of the most effective methods to reduce the risk of udder health problems within a herd is by culling cows with poor teat and udder conformation. On the positive side, udder and teat characteristics are heritable so improvements can be made through proper genetic selection.

Udder scores in beef cattle are considered to be moderately heritable. Two scores are typically taken on beef cows, suspension and teat size. The heritability for suspension is .32 and .28 for teat size.

What these values tell us is that females with good, or bad, udders tend to pass that trait to their daughters. From a COW COUNTRY •

practical standpoint in your herd, if you have a cow that has an undesirable udder it might not be economically feasible to cull her, but you would definitely want to avoid retaining her daughters as replacements. However, if the udder quality is so poor that it affects the calf’s ability to nurse resulting in reduced performance, culling may be your best option. Also, when purchasing your herd bulls that you intend to retain daughters from, it is a good idea to take a look at his dam and assess her udder quality. In this case it is not necessary to be too selective, but you want to avoid a bull from a dam that has extremely poor udder quality. Of course there is less relationship between a replacement heifer and her grand-dam than between her and her dam.

To date, the American Hereford Association is the only breed to provide Expected Progeny Differences for udder scores which enhances a commercial cattleman’s ability to select bulls that will pass on these qualities to his daughters.

For more information on Hereford’s udder quality EPDs please see their fact sheet “Udder Scoring“: http://bit. ly/2IOLitV. Other breeds will likely follow with udder EPDs in the future.

In July 2008, the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) adopted a two-score M AY 2 0 1 9

Teat size is scored from 9 (Very Small) to 1 (Very Large, balloon shaped) on the worst teat and size includes both teat length and circumference. Generally, teats of intermediate length, symmetrical and more centrally located on the quarter are desired. The teats that score from 1 to 3 are long, appear thick, are usually large and funnel or pear-shaped and often hang below the hock. These low scoring teats are difficult for a newborn calf to find, attach, and suckle. Intervention is usually required at calving for the calf to receive colostrum and the cow is at high risk for mastitis.

Udder suspension- Scores range from 9 (Very Tight) to 1 (Very Pendulous) and are actually assessments of her udder support. An udder suspension score of 9 means the udder is high and tight to the body, well above the hocks, with quarters mostly level from the side and rear views. On the other extreme, an udder suspension score of 1 is given when the floor of the udder is below the hocks, the quarters are not level and teats are not perpendicular to the ground when filled with milk. Again, intervention is required at calving for the calf to receive colostrum because of the difficulty of nursing.

Weak udder suspension is due to lack of support from the median suspensory ligament that “ties” the udder to the cow’s body. Over time and with increasing age, weakness in this ligament will allow the udder to hang down too far from the body, allowing teats to drag in the mud and increase the potential for mastitis and/or teat injury. Figure 3 consists of drawings of different median suspensory ligaments, shown as a line in the center of the udder from the rear view. The median suspensory ligament (line) in Drawing 1 is easy to recognize and would be

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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Figure 2: Illustration from the Guidelines for Uniform Beef Improvement Programs Ninth Edition considered ideal. This type of attachment should allow for the udder to be carried above the hock for many years and teats suspended perpendicular to the ground when filled with milk. As the median suspensory ligament becomes weaker, the udder begins to ‘sag’ below the hock, the teats hang closer to the ground and splay outwardly as seen in Drawing 4.

Milk production in beef cows is one of the most important factors affecting calf preweaning growth and subsequent body weight at weaning. Mastitis will result in decreased milk production, reduced calf weaning weights, and lifelong damage to the quarter. Adult beef cows with large funnel-shaped teats, pendulous (lowhanging) udders, and cows with blind quarters are at highest risk for mastitis,

especially in wet and muddy conditions.

Culling these cows with poor teat and udder conformation and selecting replacements with better udder traits will make a noticeable difference in calf performance.

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For further information, the BIF scoring system is described in a fact sheet written

by Dr. Rick Rasby at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln entitled “A Guide to Udder and Teat Scoring Beef Cows” available at the following website: https://beef.unl.edu/learning/udder_ score.shtml.

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Figure 3: Udder suspension viewed from the rear. Drawing courtesy of Dr. Rick Rasby COW COUNTRY •

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APPAREL AND MERCHANDISE

31

FEATURE

NCBA OpEd: THE REAL WHOPPER Jennifer Houston, NCBA President We’re not even a third of the way through 2019, but we already have a frontrunner for a political fact-checker’s annual “Lie of the Year” award: the trendy yet incorrect political/media narrative that if we all just cut back on eating delicious real beef hamburgers, we’re going to stop or significantly slow climate change.

You’ve heard the drumbeat all year.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez unveiled her so-called “Green New Deal” in January, lamenting that we probably can’t “get rid of all the farting cows” in just ten years. Vegan U.S. Sen. Cory Booker claimed that our planet “can’t sustain billions of people consuming industrially produced animal agriculture.”

And then (appropriately) on April Fools Day, Burger King announced that it would start selling beefless “Impossible Whoppers” — and the big-city media fell right into line extolling the supposed Earth-saving opportunity represented by

the heme and soy-based product.

On April 9, Wall Street Journal columnist Walter Russell Mead praised the alleged environmental benefits of fake meat, while complaining that “Nine percent of U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions come from agriculture, and almost one-third of that comes from cattle-based methane.”

Not to be outdone, the Washington Post on April 16 ran not one - but two long, nearly identical articles about the Impossible Whopper - combining for a “whopping” 2,158 words in that day’s print edition.

While one Post article lauded the product’s supposedly “environmentally friendly message” and “environmental appeal,” the second went a step further, claiming that eating less beef “could help reduce the many environmental impacts that raising cattle has on our vulnerable planet” and possibly even “save (planet) Earth.”

Predictably, none of these politicians or journalists included any sourced data to support their assumptions, so I’ll do that here.

Here are the facts. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, direct emissions from beef cattle in the United States account for only two percent of our nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

Moreover, USDA recently reported that U.S. beef cattle production is “not a significant contributor to long-term global warming.”

Compare U.S. cattle’s two percent to the transportation and electricity sectors, which account for a combined 55% of our nation’s emissions, with another 41% coming from other sources.

The truth is beef production in the United States has become much more efficient and environmentally sustainable over the past few decades. Compared to 1977, today’s American beef farmers and ranchers

produce the same amount of beef with 33 percent fewer cattle. Improved efficiency and animal well-being mean a 16 percent lower carbon footprint and fewer natural resources used for every pound of beef produced.

And contrary to Sen. Booker’s vegan utopia, research shows that if every American went vegan, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions would only drop 2.6%. At the same time, our national diet would provide insufficient nutrients to feed the U.S. population and result in increased use of synthetic fertilizer, as well as increased soil erosion.

If all these politicians and elite journalists want to replace delicious and nutritious American-produced beef in their diets with heme and soy, we wish them the best (along with our sympathies.) But to claim that doing so will have any significant impact on global climate is ultimately the real whopper in this debate.

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COW COUNTRY •

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•

Bulls Available

Tuesday, May 21, 2019 7:00 pm Central Time Kentucky-Tennessee Livestock Market Guthrie, Kentucky

For more information contact: Kevin Laurent, University of Kentucky (270) 365-7541 ext. 226 Mark Barnett, KY-TN Livestock Market (270) 483-2504 All heifers are guaranteed bred to bulls with known EPDs and have met stringent requirements for health, quality and pelvic measurements.

See these heifers at: www.kyheifersale.com All heifers qualify for KY Cost Share (CAIP) Most qualify for TN Cost Share (TAEP)

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• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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FEATURE

C E L E B R AT I N G O U R

FIRST YEAR!

In March 2018, Beef Solutions began production of Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef bringing a truly Kentucky ground beef product to retail shelves in 85 Kroger locations across the Bluegrass state, including 3 locations in southern Indiana. Since its initial launch, Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef is now available for purchase in 89 Kroger locations, at the KFC Yum Center in downtown Louisville, and at the Kentucky Exposition Center at the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association cooking booths. Over the course of one year Beef Solutions packaged 295,995 lbs. of ground beef, sourcing cows from 66 farms in 36 counties across Kentucky maintaining our mission to provide a pathway for Kentucky’s cattle farmers to enter the market for a locally produced, packaged and marketed ground beef.

34

The establishment of a Kentucky beef supply chain was key in the development of Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef.

Producers begin our supply chain process with the delivery of their cows to JSW Farm the Chop Shop for processing into beef trim. The beef trim is delivered to Creation Gardens to be packaged into 80% lean, 20% fat 1 lb. packages of ground beef or 2 lb., 4 patty packages of 8 oz. patties. As indicated in our supply chain diagram, Beef Solutions maintains all communication between each component of the supply chain.

Throughout 2018, Beef Solutions utilized various marketing platforms and opportunities to spread the word about Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef.

Billboards were strategically placed around COW COUNTRY •

the Lexington area debuting this new ground beef product. In-store samplings and demonstrations conducted by Beef Solutions staff and county cattlemen’s associations offered an opportunity for consumers to try Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef as well as ask questions about the product and beef production.

Posts on Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef (@kycattlemensbeef) Facebook and Instagram accounts offer consumers recipe inspiration, food preparation, storage, and food safety information.

Producer spotlight videos and interviews are utilized in various marketing campaigns to give consumers an inside look at beef production and let them get to know Kentucky’s farm families. Look for more to come from Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef as we begin 2019.

M AY 2 0 1 9

654

Total Number of Cows Total Pounds Packaged

295,995 lbs

Average Hot Carcass Weight Price

$1.17

Hot Carcass Weight Price Range

$0.92$1.37

Total Farm Gate Sales

$509,800

Farms Impacted

66

Counties Impacted

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All numbers represent data from March 2, 2018 to February 28, 2019.

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Cary King

FEATURE

CARY KING Tucked behind the Bright Leaf Golf Resort in Mercer County you’ll find Four Kings Ranch, the home to 60 cows under the care of Cary King and his wife, Kim. Situated across 240 acres, you’ll find King caring for his herd, consisting of seedstock bulls, cows and calves.

Both active in legislature and policies concerning agriculture and the cattle industry, King is involved with the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association, while his wife is a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives. The Kings value caring for their livestock, as well as caring for the agriculture industry as a whole. Seeing the bigger picture is what led King to building his registered angus herd.

Not only will you hear King promoting the ground beef, but you’ll often see his family buying it at the grocery store, swearing by the fact that all you need to do is try Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef once and you’ll never buy any other ground beef in the store again.

A unique perspective on Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef, King is a member of the executive committee with the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association that created and evolved the program to where it is today. Not only is King proud to see his product in grocery stores across the state, feeding Kentucky families, but to also see the growth of Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef to where it is today and the future that it holds.

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JERE CANNON Driving through Fleming County, you might come across a black barn with the Certified Angus Beef logo across it. Stone Gate Farms sprawls across 600 acres, including the land that this proud barn stands on. Owned and operated by the Cannon family, Stone Gate Farms is the

The Cannons

A strong supporter of agriculture, but more specifically Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef, the King’s want Kentuckians to know the hard work that goes into raising the cattle, and the quality behind what makes Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef so good. King partnered with several other producers in his area to gather a load of cattle. The combining of forces led to a great return for the group

and the choice to continue on with the program.

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COW COUNTRY •

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FEATURE

This beautiful farm in Fleming County is ran by Jere and his wife Mary Jayne, as well as their daughter, Victoria, and Jere’s brother, Charles. It is here that they raise some of the cattle that are utilized in Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef.

The chance to participate in a program that not only supports Kentucky cattle producers but provides safe and quality local beef is one that the Cannons couldn’t resist. Just an hour and a half drive from the processing plant, the cards lined up just right for the Cannons and Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef.

What drew the Cannons into the program other than the possible return, was the chance to provide Kentuckians with a flavorful and safe ground beef that is still local to them. Educating consumers on the benefits of buying local beef, both economically and nutritionally, is another key focus of the Cannons.

This registered seedstock operation jumped at the chance to take advantage of the less-than-desirable current cattle market, by taking a chance on Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef. With a keen eye for detail for market trends, the Cannons weighed the costs and took the jump.

Ecstatic with the return, the Cannons have taken two loads of cattle to the processing plant. “Any time you can help the farmers market their product, it’s a huge plus,” said Jere Cannon “they’ve executed it very well.”

Ideal growth for the program for the Cannons would be for Kentuckians across the state to be enjoying the ground beef in every county. The program comes highly recommended from the Cannons, “The application process is very easy, the people are easy to work with and we

would recommend it to anyone who was interested” said Victoria Cannon.

JOEL SMITH For a life-long farmer, nothing beats having local consumers enjoying a product that you put so much work into. As cattle farmers and producers for Perdue Farms, Joel and Cindy Smith are no stranger to having their product proudly displayed in your local grocery store. The chance to be able to participate in Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef has given the Smith family another way to provide for Kentuckians across the state, helping them to provide safe and healthy food for their families.

You can find Joel and Cindy Smith and their family farm, JWS Farms, in Ohio County in the heart of Western Kentucky.

With his earliest memories being on the family farm with his parents, Jerry and Mildred Smith, Joel and his family have dedicated their lives to raising quality products. The quality of the Smith family’s character speaks for itself in not only how they care for their livestock and how they conduct business but how they care for their family.

On any given day, you might find Smith in his truck with his two grandsons riding along, taking the opportunity to show young children how important it is to work in agriculture. For someone who has been involved in agriculture their entire life, Smith has seen a change in not only the interest of agriculture but how it is practiced. The cattle industry and how it has changed in Kentucky has led to this opportunity growth with Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef.

This opportunity has given producers, like Smith, the chance to diversify how they sell and market their cattle and give them a different perspective on the cattle

The Grahams

home to 450 registered Angus cows.

market as a whole.

and local products.

The farthest away of any producer selling into the program, JWS Farms sits 240 miles away from The Chop Shop, the USDA-inspected processing plant that is partnered with Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef. While this is a long journey, Smith joined forces with neighboring producers to gather a load of cattle to make the trip worth it economically.

Even with the distance, the trip proved to be successful. “It’s a Kentucky driven program that I would like to grow. It’s very beneficial for all producers” said Smith.

To the Graham’s, farming is more than just a check. “While we may have fewer numbers right now, quality is our main concern” said Heather.

REED & HEATHER GRAHAM On a stretch of gravel road in Wolfe County, you’ll find Reed and Heather Graham along with their one-year old son, John Henry. College sweethearts, the Grahams have grown not just their family, but a farm together.

Married since 2013, the Grahams have come a long way since they met in their chemistry course at Morehead State University. Now, Reed and Heather both work in extension and have developed a bond with many of the surrounding businesses in Eastern Kentucky, in hopes of increasing the support of local farmers

Knowing the product from beginning to end and what type of work goes into producing their cattle is what makes the Graham’s proud to have their cattle in the program. Being proud of local farmers and supporting Kentucky agriculture is one of their favorite parts of Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef, but they would love for consumers to take the initiative to learn more about cattle farming and the impact that quality can make.

Farming in Eastern Kentucky can have its difficulties, from the type of land to the available markets but Reed and Heather make the most of it. From working in the agriculture industry to being involved as producers themselves, the Graham Family has a deep perspective at not only what it takes to be a farmer but how important it is. Young farming families like the Graham’s show how important it is to instill not only passion for agriculture in youth but pride, just as they are with their son.

Joel Smith

DON’T FALL BEHIND THE HERD!

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COW COUNTRY •

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Meade County Cattlemen’s

BEEF COOK OFF Meade County Fairgrounds

JULY 20TH $400 for BEST SIRLOIN $100 for BEST SIDE

$100 for BEST DECORATED/MOST ENTERTAINING TEAM $100 for PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

Entry deadline is JULY 12th. Applications can be picked up at the Meade County extension office (1041 Old Ekron Road, Brandenburg) or online at meade.ca.uky.edu Kevin Stith (270) 945-6702 Meade County Cattlemen’s Association Jennifer Bridge (270) 422-4958 Meade County Extension Service

COW COUNTRY •

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FEATURE

H O W Y O U M AY N E E D L E S S F E R T I L I Z E R I N T H E F U T U R E Wolf Scheible, Ph.D., Michael Udvardi, Ph.D. Most Oklahoma soils are limited in major plant nutrients like nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Therefore, many farmers rely on synthetic fertilizers for crop and forage production. Generally speaking, fertilizer is one of the biggest items, other than land, in an annual budget for many farmers and ranchers.

Fertilizer Is Necessary but Costly The use of fertilizer chemicals is indispensable in a world with

a continuously growing human population, but it comes at a monetary and environmental price. $200 Billion per year estimated health and environmental damage from manmade N pollution in the United States.

Only about one-third of the applied N and P fertilizers can be found in crops at harvest. The other two-thirds become unavailable to plants through processes in the soil or are lost to the environment

through runoff, leaching, eluviation or erosion. This causes problems such as pollution of drinking water, eutrophication and tipping of freshwater and marine ecosystems, toxic algal blooms, and fish kills. For example, there are 6,000 to 7,000 square miles of dead zone in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Mississippi River (learn more). In the United States alone, health and environmental damages of man-made N pollution are estimated to be over $200 billion a year.

Phosphorus Reserves Are Limited Production of N fertilizers is theoretically almost unlimited, as 78 percent of the atmosphere is nitrogen gas that can be chemically or biologically converted to ammonia. However, the future availability of rock phosphates for production of P fertilizers is a potential threat for food security. This is even more so for countries that rely on rock phosphate imports.

It has been estimated that, at the current and projected future use, the known highquality rock phosphate deposits (found mainly in Northern Africa or China) will only last for several more generations.

Each ton of P that reaches and is diluted in the oceans is ultimately lost to mankind, as it takes millions of years for new, minable P deposits to form. In the light of such situations, fertilizer savings and higher fertilizer efficiency are needed especially in agriculture, where more than 90 percent of the produced N and P chemicals are used (Figure 1).

How Science Is Working to Help You Reduce Fertilizer Needs

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COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

Scientific research and better management practices are our best bets to deliver much needed solutions to these issues. Plant scientists at the Noble Research Institute pursue different approaches in this regard, including: • The study and application of specific plant-associated microbes (bacteria and fungi) for better soil nutrient absorption and nitrogen fixation.

• The transfer of biological nitrogen fixation to crop species that are usually not capable to perform this process (“synthetic N fixation”).

• The study of naturally existing genetic variation in major crop and forage species to identify lines with higher nutrient efficiency.

• The study and use of specific genes to improve plant nutrient acquisition from the soil.

Through these efforts, farmers and ranchers will someday be able to use plants with improved nutrient efficiency due to selection, plants with inherent mechanisms that allow them to perform nitrogen fixation, and/or plants that work in association with soil microbes to enhance nutrient absorption and provide nitrogen fixation.

Integrated with improved management practices that enhance soil health and ecosystem function, successes from this work will ultimately reduce farmer and rancher reliance on synthetic fertilizers and mitigate the negative effects of fertilizers on the environment. This would benefit both producers and consumers in the United States and beyond.

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

FEATURE

GLENVIEW FARMS ANGUS BULLS FOR SALE

by Private Treaty

 12 to 18 Months Old  Breeding Soundness Examined  Complete Herd Health Program  DNA Tested  Cost-share Qualified  FREE delivery in Kentucky  Come at your convenience A.I. Sires Include:

Connealy Power Surge 3115 · KCF Bennett Fortress PA Power Tool 9108 · Baldridge Command C036 VAR Generation 2100 · Yon Future Force Z77

Danny Rankin • Cell: 502 693-4803 • Email: drankin@glenviewfarms.com

2923 Port Royal Road | Campbellsburg, KY 40011

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

KENTUCKY CATTLEMEN’S FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM CLASS IX SELECTED Nikki Whitaker The Kentucky Cattlemen’s Foundation is pleased to announce the participants of the Leadership Development Program, Class IX. The Leadership Development Program, initiated in 1992 has helped leaders in the beef industry become more aware of all segments of the industry, make informed decisions on agricultural policy and public issues, and represent the beef industry to the public by becoming active at the local, state, and national levels. Eight classes have completed the Leadership Development Program with over 200 alumni across Kentucky. Alltech, a leader in optimal animal health, nutrition and performance will sponsor the two-year program which consists of four in-state and two out of state sessions. “This partnership is a great opportunity for both parties,” said Leadership Program Chair, Jacob Settles. “Alltech gets the opportunity to showcase their products to the Kentucky beef farmers that are right in their backdoor and Kentucky cattlemen receive the opportunity to create, yet again, more connections on the global spectrum.”

Class IX’s participants are: •

Michael Furnish – Harrison County

•

Chad Anglin – Madison County

•

Reed Graham – Breathitt County

•

Laura Sue Barber – Fayette County

•

Matthew Dowdy – Graves County

•

Zach Heibert – Hardin County

•

Erik Holbrook – Breathitt County

•

Brian Reynolds – Hart County

•

Caleb Schaeffer – Fayette County

•

Ben Crites – Fayette County

•

Jackson Tolle – Mason County

•

Griffin Huelsman – Shelby County

•

Kellie Samuels – Hardin County

•

Lisa K. Baesler – Fayette County

•

Weston Boone – Grayson County

•

Lauralee Estill – Fayette County

•

Lindsay Phillips – Mason County

•

Dylan Smith – Washington County

•

Zach Postin - Alltech

•

Katelyn Hawkins – Kentucky Beef Council

•

Mackenzie Miller – Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association

•

John Pedigo - Allen County

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39

FEATURE

FA C T S T O U R P L A N S F O R K A N S A S V I S I T Carey Brown The 2019 FACTS (Feedlot And Carcass TestS) Tour is making plans to visit Kansas this fall. The FACTS Tour is open to any beef producer and provides a great opportunity to see what happens to cattle once they leave the farm and to see farming in other parts of the country.

Plans have been made and the dates for the trip are August 25- 29. The trip will take around 50 cattlemen from across the state and they will visit ranches, educational facilities, feedlots as well as industry visits.

This is a tentative agenda and there will be things added to the agenda and it is possible for things listed to change as well.

The cost for the trip is $1000 and includes the flight, charter bus, hotels,

snacks and meals. We are very lucky to have industry support on the trip, so many meals are also sponsored, helping to keep the cost of the trip minimal.

The deposit for the trip is $500 and is due by June 14, with the remainder due July 26. The trip usually fills up within a few days of being announced so if you are interested, please keep this in mind.

Spots are reserved only after we have received down payment. Registration is NOT open yet, but please let us know if you have not been before and we can add you to our mailing list to receive the registration form. Registration will open May 1. If you have questions, please contact Becky Thompson (bthompson@ kycattle.org), Kelly Tucker (ktucker@ kycattle.org) or Carey Brown (cbrown@ kycattle.org) at 859-278-0899.

TENTATIVE AGENDA AUGUST 25 TALLGRASS PRARIE RESERVE

AUGUST 26

AUGUST 28

SAND HILLS RANCH

FEEDLOTS

GARDINER ANGUS RANCH

POSSIBLE PACKING PLANT

AUGUST 29

AUGUST 30

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

BREED ASSOCIATION

DOWNEY RANCH

St. Catharine Farm

Danny Ray Spalding, Farm Manager 2645 Bardstown Road St. Catharine, KY 40061

Farming in the Bluegrass State since 1822 Other Beef Boxes Available

MAY SPECIAL 2019 — $99.00 2 Packs Ribeye Steaks (2/pk.)

2 Packs New York Strip Steaks (2/pk.)

3 Packs Beef Hot Dogs 8 Packs Ground Beef 2 Packs Pork Chops (2/pk.)

2 Packs Bacon

Individual cuts of steaks, roasts, ground beef or patties are available for purchase. Whole or half beef sold at hanging weight.

12 lb. Box

$ 69.99

20 lb. Box

$ 110.00

50 lb. Box

$ 300.00

100 lb. Box

$ 500.00

St. Catharine Beef is preservative, antibiotic, steroid and hormone free; USDA inspected and graded Choice.

Calves are pasture raised and supplemented with grain grown on the Farm. The Farm partners with local Amish farmers to provide natural grown pork products.

To place an order call 859-805-1278; email stcatharinefarm@att.net or visit the webpage at www.scfarmkentucky.org.

Cash, checks, credit cards and SNAP are accepted. Gifts certificates are available. Follow us on Facebook.

40

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

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FEATURE

T H E VA L U E O F C U T T I N G H AY E A R L I E R Dr. Jimmy Henning, Farmers Pride We all know that cutting hay earlier is almost always better. That is, as long as you can cut it without it getting rained on. The following is taken from a recent article by Dr. Jimmy Henning summarizing the value of earlier hay cutting. His justification comes from the UK College of Ag publication ‘Quality Hay Production’ (AGR-62) that shows the impact that stage of harvest has on fescue hay forage quality and animal gain (Table 1).

Tennessee research compared three fescue hays cut May 3, May 14 and May 25 (these dates would be slightly later in KY). The dates corresponded to late boot/ early head, early bloom, and early milk stage/seed forming, respectively. These hays were then fed to 500 lb. holstein heifers. The heifers ate more of the early cut hay, 13 lb/day compared to 11.7 and 8.6 for later cut hay.

Early cut hay had the highest digestibility and crude protein. The drop in digestibility was small between May 2 and May 14, but much larger over the next 11 day period. Crude protein dropped about the same (about 3 percentage units) for each 11 day delay.

Gain per day ranged from 1.39 to 0.42 COW COUNTRY •

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TABLE 1. EFFECT OF STAGE OF HARVEST OF FESCUE HAY ON FORAGE QUALITY AND ANIMAL GAIN.* STAGE OF HARVEST, DATE OF CUTTING

DRY MATTER INTAKE LB/DAY

PERCENT DIGESTIBILITY

PERCENT PROTEIN

FEED EFFICIENCY, LB HAY FED PER LB OF GAIN

YIELD, LB PER ACRE

GAIN, LB PER DAY

LATE BOOT TO HEAD, MAY 3

13.0

68

13.8

10.1

1334

1.39

EARLY BLOOM STAGE, MAY 14

11.7

66

10.2

13.5

1838

0.97

EARLY MILK STAGE – SEED FORMING, MAY 25

8.6

56

7.6

22.5

2823

0.42

*HOLSTEIN HEIFERS WERE USED, AVERAGE WEIGHT – 500 LB. SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, REPORTED IN AGR-62, QUALITY HAY PRODUCTION, UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE.

lb/day for the three hays. The earliest cut hay supported the best gains, as expected. The decline in average daily gain was about the same for each 11 day delay in cutting.

Maturity decreased average daily gain much more than forage digestibility. A

delay of 22 days dropped digestibility by 17% (68 to 56%). Over this same period, daily gain dropped by 70% (1.39 to 0.42 lb/day). Small changes in quality made big differences in gain. Although the forage yield was lower in the early cut hay, there were 22 extra days of forage growth compared to the May 25 cutting.

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Enough growth to virtually guarantee a high quality second cutting or grazing before the heat of summer. Cutting hay early pays, especially for growing cattle.

And small differences in maturity can make big differences in gain and your bottom line.

41

KENTUCKY BEEF COUNCIL KATELYN HAWKINS KBC Director of Product Marketing Fast horses, big hats, and mint julips are among the top three things listed when people near and far think of the time honored tradition of the Kentucky Derby. For me however Derby season brings to mind tons of festival events (such as Thunder Over Louisville and the Pegasus Parade), great sales at my local Kroger the two weeks leading up to Derby (if you know me you know I can’t resist great savings) and burgers (lots and lots of burger related conversations). Now the last item on my list may seem a little strange to some of you as all eyes are on our great state for the fastest two minutes in sports, but if you have been a regular of the May issue of Cow Country News for the last eight years then you may know where this is headed: the Derby Burger Challenge.

In partnership with the Kentucky Derby Festival and Kroger, the 2019 Derby Burger Challenge began in January with a call for recipe submissions. Culinary enthusiasts (both home chefs and certified chefs) upload their prized burger recipes to www.kdf.org/beef for a chance to be crowned the winner in March. Kentucky Beef Council staff filters through the recipe submissions ensuring they meet the rules and regulations of the contest and begin to narrow the pack down to the top 8 with two alternates. Once the top 8 are chosen online voting begins for votes to choose 4 finalists for an on-air cook-off with WRDB Fox 41 at a Louisville area Kroger location. During the cook-off the final contestants showcase the preparation of their burgers to morning WDRB viewers as well as a panel of judges who ultimately crown a winner.

Keith Kiser of WDRB Fox 41 interviews Lori Poe during the live Derby Burger Cook-off

Lori Poe of Montgomery County, KY was chosen as the 2019 Derby Burger Challenge winner with her Chimichurri Churchill Burger pairing her creamy Salsa Golf sauce with the freshness of a parsley based chimichurri and the richness of a Mexican cheese blend all wrapped up in a warm, toasted tortilla. The Chimichurri Churchill Burger will be featured at concession stands during Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville and sampled at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville preview, Taste of Derby event, and Kentucky Derby Festival’s BeefFest. Additionally the winning recipe will be featured in 20 Louisville Kroger locations with all the ingredients and recipe conveniently featured in a display case in each location.

Each year it is exciting to see what ingredients people choose to pair with beef to create their burger masterpiece. As a staff member with the Kentucky Beef Council I am thankful to be able to share my love and passion for cooking with consumers to encourage them to be more comfortable in the kitchen with beef. Going into the start of summer grilling season I encourage each of you to share with others your favorite burger recipe. You never know, you might completely change a person’s outlook on cooking and cooking with beef in the process.

Happy Grilling!

42

Derby Burger Challenge Finalists COW COUNTRY •

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• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

KENTUCKY BEEF COUNCIL

2019 DERBY BURGER® CHALLENGE WINNER:

CHIMICHURRI CHURCHILL BURGER Created by: Lori Poe

Montgomery County, Kentucky INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs Kentucky Cattlemen’s ground beef 1 ripe avocado, sliced 1 - 1/4 cups shredded Mexican cheese 6 flour tortillas, burrito size 1 tbsp salted butter, divided

DIRECTIONS: Shape beef into 1/3 lb round patties. Place 3 patties in a

skillet over medium heat, cooking for 10-12 minutes, or until 160o F. Warm tortillas 20-30 seconds or so individually in skillet.

Add 1/2 tbsp of butter to skillet on medium to melt and spread around pan. Spread 2 tsp of SALSA GOLF in center of tortilla and top with 2 tbsp of shredded cheese blend.

Top this with the burger. Spread 1 tbsp of CHIMICHURRI SAUCE on burger and add sliced avocado. Top with 1 tbsp of shredded cheese blend, then fold tortilla over the top of the burger and fold it over until it is completely covered with the tortilla.

Place the tortilla folded side down in the buttered skillet until it is lightly browned. Flip and brown second side. Enjoy!

Combine the following ingredients for each sauce in separate bowls CHIMICHURRI SAUCE:

(best if made day in advance) 4 cloves of garlic 1 bunches of parsley 1/3 cup olive oil 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp pepper 3 tbsp red wine vinegar

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

SALSA GOLF:

2 tbsp of pimentos, drained and patted dry 1/4 cup mayo 1 - 1/2 tbsp ketchup

Lori Poe with her winning Chimichurri Churchill Burger

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43

| LEAN

BRISKET Petite Sirloin Steak

Brisket Flat

Brisket Point

| LEAN

Eye of Round Steak*

Eye of Round Roast

Skirt Steak*

Flank Steak*

| LEAN

Short Ribs, Bone-In*

* MARINATE BEFORE COOKING FOR BEST RESULTS | LEAN

These cuts meet the government guidelines for lean, based on cooked servings, visible fat trimmed.

All lean beef cuts have less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3½-oz serving. Based on cooked servings, visible fat trimmed.

44

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

| LEAN

Tenderloin Roast

| LEAN

PLATE & FLANK | LEAN

Tri-Tip Steak

| LEAN

| LEAN

Ribeye Petite Roast

| LEAN

| LEAN

Shank Cross-Cut

For more beef cuts information, visit BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com © 2018 Federation of State Beef Councils

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

| LEAN

Eye of Round Steak*

Shank Cross-Cut

| LEAN | LEAN

Eye of Round Roast

Shoulder Petite Tender

| LEAN

Ground Beef and Ground Beef Patties | LEAN

| LEAN

Cubed Steak

Tri-Tip Roast

| LEAN

Strips

Strip Filet

Ground Beef and Ground Beef Patties

| LEAN

Bottom Round Rump Roast

| LEAN

| LEAN

| LEAN | LEAN

Sirloin Bavette Steak

KEY TO RECOMMENDED COOKING METHODS

Bottom Round Rump Roast

Stew Meat

Denver Steak

Tenderloin Steak (Filet Mignon)

Tri-Tip Steak

| LEAN

| LEAN

| LEAN

Ribeye Cap Steak

| LEAN

Tenderloin Roast

Tri-Tip Roast

Ranch Steak

Short Ribs, Bone-In

| LEAN

Kabobs*

Top Blade Steak

| LEAN

Back Ribs Ribeye Filet

| LEAN

Shoulder Petite Tender Medallions

| LEAN

Shoulder Steak*

| LEAN

Bottom Round Steak*

| LEAN

Strip Filet

Bottom Round Roast

7-Bone Chuck Roast

| LEAN

Ribeye Petite Roast

Coulotte Steak

Strip Steak, Boneless

Strip Steak, Bone-In

T-Bone Steak | LEAN

| LEAN

Coulotte Roast

Blade Chuck Steak*

Country-Style Ribs

Ribeye Cap Steak

Top Round Steak*

INGREDIENT CUTS | LEAN

Chuck Center Roast

| LEAN

Top Round Roast*

Coulotte Steak

| LEAN

ROUND

Ribeye Steak, Boneless Strip Petite Roast

Ribeye Steak, Boneless Strip Petite Roast

Top Sirloin Filet

Coulotte Roast

Strip Steak, Boneless

Bottom Round Steak*

| LEAN | LEAN

Top Sirloin Filet

Ribeye Roast, Boneless

| LEAN

Strip Steak, Bone-In

| LEAN

Top Sirloin Petite Roast

| LEAN

Back Ribs

| LEAN

| LEAN

Top Sirloin Petite Roast

| LEAN

Flat Iron Steak

T-Bone Steak

Top Sirloin Steak

Cubed Steak

Ribeye Steak, Bone-In

Strips

Porterhouse Steak

Bottom Round Roast

Stew Meat

SIRLOIN

Blade Chuck Roast

Chuck Eye Steak

Arm Chuck Roast

LOIN

Ribeye Roast, Bone-In

Shoulder Roast

| LEAN

| LEAN

Shoulder Petite Tender

Arm Chuck Steak

Cross Rib Chuck Roast

CHUCK

| LEAN

Top Blade Steak

Ribeye Steak, Bone-In

Porterhouse Steak Ribeye Roast, Bone-In

RIB

PLATE

Chuck Center Roast

Chuck Eye Roast

| LEAN

Top Round Steak*

Top Round Roast*

Flat Iron Steak

Top Sirloin Steak

7-Bone Chuck Roast

LOIN FLANK

| LEAN

Ranch Steak

SHANK

BRISKET

Shoulder Steak*

Blade Chuck Steak*

SIRLOIN

SHANK ROUND SIRLOIN

Shoulder Roast

| LEAN

| LEAN

ROUND

Blade Chuck Roast

Denver Steak CHUCK

Cross Rib Chuck Roast

| LEAN

Arm Chuck Steak

LOIN RIB

Kabobs*

INGREDIENT CUTS

AND RECOMMENDED COOKING METHODS

BEEF CUTS

Arm Chuck Roast

RIB

Ribeye Roast, Boneless

CHUCK

KENTUCKY BEEF COUNCIL

MAY IS BEEF MONTH IN KENTUCKY We are celebrating Kentucky’s beef farmers this year with our “Raising the Steaks” theme. Beef is a Kentucky tradition dating back to the 1700s and we are proud to celebrate Kentucky as the largest cattle state east of the Mississippi River with over 38,000 beef farmers raising 2.1 million cows and calves. We believe the hard work and dedication Kentucky’s cattlemen and women put into raising flavorful, delicious beef options for all to enjoy this summer grilling season is something to be celebrated over and over again.

The Kentucky Beef Council will be traveling throughout the month of May to celebrate Kentucky Raising the Steaks in today’s beef industry.

Help us celebrate the kick off to summer grilling season this May by trying one of our featured beef month recipes. From ribeye steaks to tacos to a refreshing beefy appetizer, these recipes are sure to be a crowd pleaser at any event.

Visit www.kybeef.com for our featured recipe videos, grilling tips, and much more.

While we celebrate beef month with sampling events and cookouts, we recognize some of our community members are not as fortunate to know where they will be getting their next meal. Following the success of our 2019 Beef Month Gives Back campaign with over 41,000 meals donated to Feeding Kentucky and local food banks, Kentucky Beef Council will be partnering with Wildcat Warehouse for the sale of “Raising the Steaks” t-shirts with 50% of the proceeds going to benefit Feeding Kentucky.

Shirts can be purchased online at www.wildcatwearhouse.com.

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

How can county cattlemen’s associations get involved?

• • • • • •

Host a community cook-out Schedule a tv or radio interview with your local media groups Purchase a Raising the Steaks t-shirt for the cause, www.wildcatwarehouse.com Donate beef to your local food bank Volunteer at your local food bank Share about Beef Month on social media using the hashtags #BeefMonthGivesBack #RaisingtheSteaks

For more information and resources, contact Katelyn Hawkins at khawkins@kycattle.org or 859-278-0899.

APRIL 30

MAY 1

BEEF MONTH PROCLAMATION SIGNING

KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL’S BEERFEST, WATERFRONT PARK LOUISVILLE 6 PM – 9 PM

MAY 3

MAY 10

DERBY BURGER SAMPLING, KROGER MIDDLETOWN LOUISVILLE 4 PM – 7 PM

HINTON MILLS MOTHER’S DAY GRILL OUT, HINTON MILLS FLEMINGSBURG, 9 AM – 12 PM

MAY 11

MAY 16

EDMONSON COUNTY FIELD DAY

BLUE GRASS STOCKYARDS BEEF DINNER, BLUE GRASS LEXINGTON

MAY 17

MAY 23

BATH COUNTY BEEF DAY 11 AM – 2 PM

MADISON COUNTY BEEF DAY, AG CREDIT RICHMOND OFFICE 11 AM – 2 PM

FEATURED RECIPES

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

Ribeye Steaks with Blue Cheese Butter and Mushrooms Jazz up your steak night in style. Ribeye steaks and Portobello mushrooms are grilled and served with a compound butter. As a bonus these leftovers work wonders as a sandwich when added to your favorite bread choice and arugula.

Spicy Korean Beef & Cucumber Appetizer Slices of cucumber are topped with beef strip steaks, herbed cream cheese and a spicy Asian sauce bringing freshness and a kick to any event. Perfect for graduation parties or your local community event, this recipe has been certified by the American Heart Association.

Grilled Adobo Beef Steak Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Salsa and Tequila Pickled Red Onions Taco Tuesday? These grilled steak tacos get a spicy salsa marinade and are topped with tequila-kissed pickled red onions leaving you craving tacos every night of the week. Utilize avocado, cilantro, and queso fresco to freshen up your standard taco bar.

45

FEATURE

THE IMPACT OF FIXED COSTS ON HAY ENTERPRISE PROFITABILITY Greg Halich, University of Kentucky When hay producers estimate cost of production they often focus exclusively on “cash costs” or variable cost of production such as fuel, repairs, supplies, fertilizer, labor (if hired), and rent (if leased). They all too often ignore their “fixed costs” of production such as depreciation, interest, insurance, and certain taxes. Although there are legitimate reasons to concentrate on cash costs in the short-run, it is a mistake in the long-run to ignore fixed costs as they are real costs. Fixed costs for equipment are often ignored because they are generally paid in lump sums, and thus there is a disconnect between equipment use and these costs. For example, each time you fill up the fuel tank you have a good estimate on the fuel cost for the running the tractor for the last ten hours.

The same is not true for depreciation or interest on that tractor. You probably have no idea what that cost you.

These fixed costs add up. For hay operations that are overcapitalized (too much equipment for their level of production), the combined depreciation and interest cost for equipment are sometimes as high as all their cash costs combined. These hay operations will never be profitable and unfortunately, it may take them years to realize this. The high fixed costs will be a drag on the hay enterprise regardless of how efficient they are with the rest of the operation.

Determining how much equipment you can afford to have based on the size of 46

your hay operation may be the most important decision you make regarding the profitability of your operation.

Depreciation There are two common misconceptions related to depreciation. The first misconception is that IRS depreciation is real depreciation. Real depreciation is the how much a piece of equipment loses value each year. It is rarely the same as IRS depreciation formulas, which are there for tax purposes only. According to the IRS, a tractor is fully depreciated after seven years. Real depreciation is the difference between what you bought that tractor for and what you could sell it for today. Hopefully that tractor is still worth more than half of its original value after seven years. The rest of this article deals with real depreciation.

ran for 500 hours. Will this tractor bring as much as the one you parked in the barn? Again, in a normal situation the answer is a definite no. The difference in value between these two tractors is the “variable” depreciation: the more equipment is used, the steeper the drop in value.

Interest Interest on equipment is the other major fixed cost we will examine. If you have a loan on your equipment, interest is an obvious cost (although one you are still likely to forget about in the short-run).

If however, you self-financed a piece of equipment, it probably isn’t an obvious cost, but I will argue it is still real a cost.

For example, if you have a loan on your farm for 6%, with a balance of $100,000 and you self-finance a piece of equipment

for $25,000, you could have taken that $25,000 and paid off part of your farm mortgage. In general, the cost you allocate for self-financed capital should be the highest interest rate you have outstanding on your farming enterprise.

If you are one of the fortunate few that have no loans on their farming operation you should charge yourself a reasonable interest rate based on what you could earn on that capital in a relatively risk free investment elsewhere. This will likely be a lower rate compared to the rate for borrowed money. Technically, the interest rate should be adjusted by the inflation rate to come up with a real interest rate. If the inflation rate was 2%, we would adjust that 6% mortgage down to a 4% real rate.

Examples

The second misconception is that all depreciation is a “fixed” cost, when in fact part of it is a “variable” cost. For example, let’s say you buy two identical new tractors. One you put 500 hours on the tachometer in one year and the other you park in the barn and never use. At the end of the first year you sell both tractors. Even though you didn’t use the second tractor, will it bring as much as you paid for it one year ago? Definitely not in a normal situation. This drop in value is the fixed deprecation. It doesn’t matter if you use that piece of equipment or not, it will drop in value. On the other hand, you now sell the tractor that you COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

Now that you have a basic understanding of depreciation and interest, we can look at some examples to help understand the true extent of these fixed costs. Table 1 shows two capital investment scenarios for a hay operation, one with a total capital investment of $100,000, and one with $50,000 investment. Note that for the tractors, it is assumed that they are also used for other farming enterprises (e.g. the main cattle operation for feeding hay, clipping pastures, etc.), and thus we will pro-rate this capital by the relative amount of time they are used for each enterprise. In these examples, we are assuming they are used 70% of the time for the hay operation. The rest of the equipment is used only for the hay operation and thus we allocate the full value of that equipment to the hay operation. Some of this equipment may be purchased new, and some used.

Obviously, most or all of the equipment in the $50K scenarios would have been purchased used. There are many ways we could have come up with both of these two scenarios to reach the same total dollar figures.

The actual rate at which equipment loses value is highly variable based on the original value of the equipment, age, type of equipment, brand of equipment, and specific market conditions. For example, newer equipment will lose value quicker than older equipment, and balers will lose value quicker than tractors.

The fixed portion of depreciation was assumed to be 2 percent per year from the initial value, for a period of five years. Thus with the $100K initial hay capital scenario, the final value after 5 years if this equipment was parked in the

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

barn without any production would be $90K. With the $50K initial hay capital scenario, the final value after 5 years if this equipment was parked in the barn without any production would be $45K. Variable depreciation based on total hay production was assumed to be $4 per ton per year. Thus producing 500 tons of hay each year would bring the value of the equipment down an additional $10,000 after five years of production.

The fixed and variable depreciation used here are rough estimates: they may be accurate for one farm with a particular equipment arrangement, and may be off a moderate amount for another farm.

However, the general concepts regarding how the combined fixed costs change as production changes will hold.

The interest rate was assumed to be 4 percent, and the resulting interest cost along with the fixed and variable depreciation are combined to determine the total fixed costs (depreciation and interest) on a per ton of hay produced basis. Figure 1 summarizes these overall fixed costs of production with the $100K and $50K capital cost scenarios. For example, if you had $100,000 in hay capital and produced 500 tons of hay per year, you would draw a line straight up from 500 tons until you hit the $100K scenario (curve on the right), then draw a horizontal line from that point to the left until you intersect the left axis, and read the result which would be $15. This means that your estimated fixed costs (fixed depreciation, variable depreciation, and interest) are estimated at $15 per ton if you have $100,000 of hay capital and produce 500 tons of hay per year. If you produced 250 tons of hay

per year with this same equipment your fixed costs would increase to roughly $26 per ton, and if you produced 1,000 tons of hay per year your fixed costs would drop to about $9 per ton.

fixed costs are $25/ton you are almost certainly above the level that you will be able to make a profit, even if all your variable costs of production are wellmanaged.

Notice how, at relatively low production levels for each capital investment scenario, fixed costs are high and decrease rapidly with small increases in production (the fixed cost curve is steep). Also notice that at higher relative production levels each fixed cost curve starts to level out. Ideally, you want to be at or near that production level where it starts to level out to justify your capital investment.

For example, if you are producing 200 tons of hay per year this would be the amount of hay typically needed for a 75100 cow operation. With $100K in hay equipment, your total fixed costs would be around $35/ton, well above any reasonable level of making a profit. With $50K in hay equipment, your total fixed costs would be around $17/ton. If your variable costs of production were well managed, you might be able to breakeven on your hay enterprise (cover all costs) at the $50K investment level.

For example, with the $100,000 hay capital scenario, fixed costs per ton of hay produced are $26 per ton at a production level of 250 tons per year, and drop quickly to $9 per ton at a production level of 1,000 tons per year. The main reason for this dramatic decrease is that even though total fixed costs are going up as we increase production from 250 to 1,000 tons per year, it is only the variable depreciation cost that is increasing, the fixed portion of depreciation and interest stay the same. The total fixed costs increased 39% going from 250 tons per year to 1,000 tons per year, but the production level increased four-fold (300%). Dividing a small increase in total costs by a large increase in overall production results in a rapidly decreasing fixed cost curve.

Implications What is an appropriate fixed cost level for a hay operation? While you would desire it to be as low as possible, you also have to consider the tradeoff between reducing your fixed costs and potentially having higher labor and repair costs.

Cutting equipment costs beyond a point will be counterproductive. In the end, you need to strike a balance.

However, in trying to strike this balance you can easily reach a cost that is too high to justify having that particular hay equipment for the size of your operation.

For beef cow quality round bales I tell producers they need to target getting their fixed costs to $15/ton, or at least something close to this level. This is because their hay is usually only worth $60-75/ton on the open market. You simply will not have a chance at making a profit when you are approaching 1/3 of the value of the hay just in fixed costs before accounting for your cash production costs. If your combined

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

What about if you are only producing 100 tons of hay per year? With $50K in hay equipment, your total fixed costs would be over $30/ton, which again is above any reasonable level of making a profit (the $100K capital level shoots to the moon). This production level would be the amount of hay typically needed for a 40-50 cow operation. How many cattle farms with 25-50 cows have hay equipment capital costs in the $50-100K range? I’ll let you answer the question, and think about the ramifications on the overall profitability of those cattle operations.

Does this mean a 40-50 cow operation can’t make hay profitably? Not necessarily, as there are a few caveats.

As mentioned earlier, if that operation was also using the tractors a significant amount of the time with other enterprises (e.g. grain production) the fixed costs for the tractors at least would drop. If that 40-50 cow operation that used 100 tons of hay to feed cows also made 100 tons of hay as a custom operator for other cattle farmers the fixed costs would drop from $32/ton to around $20/ton. There is also the possibility of having less than $50K invested in hay capital. While not many people probably want to admit it, there are many hay enterprises that would fall below the $50K capital level and make considerably more than 100 tons of hay per year. It can be done, you are just not likely to be doing it in an airconditioned cab.

If you have specific equipmentdepreciation-interest scenarios that you would like to analyze, I would be glad to work with you on this. Contact me at Greg.Halich@uky.edu or at 859-2578841.

47

FEATURE

K C A AT T E N D S 2 0 1 9 N C B A L E G I S L AT I V E C O N F E R E N C E Nikki Whitaker Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association directors and staff gathered in Washington D.C. with cattle producers from across the country for the annual National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Legislative Conference April 2-4. KCA President Tim White and KCA President Elect Steve Dunning, joined cattlemen and women across the country to hear from key leaders and policy experts about current issues facing the cattle industry. From Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) to trade, and everything in between, participants were briefed on the latest developments in the policy arena.

The KCA group spent one full day meeting in the offices of Kentucky’s Congressmen and Senators.

These meetings are vitally important to provide a strong, proactive voice for all of Kentucky’s beef farm families and KCA’s 10,000 members and to explain Kentucky’s unique position within the nation’s beef industry.

Region 3 director and president of the Bracken County Cattlemen’s Association, Danny Cooper, was among the directors that flew in to DC to meet on Capitol Hill. “I had a great time in DC with my fellow KCA directors. Kentucky’s legislators were very welcoming and I think we made some inroads with our producer concerns,” Cooper said.

KCA was honored to meet with Congressman Brett Guthrie, Congressman James Comer, Congressman Thomas Massie, Congressman Andy Barr and Senator Rand Paul along with legislative aides from Congressman John Yarmuth and Senator Mitch McConnell’s office.

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• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

Ohio Valley Fall Bred Heifer Sale Saturday, May 25, 2019 2:00 PM 90 Fall bred heifers, due to calve Sept-Oct Heifers pelvic measured & cost share eligible Bred to low birth weight Registered Angus Bulls Heifers will all be home raised by three local producers Book with information will be available at sale.

For more information contact Corey Story 606-209-1543.

bgstockyards.com

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

49

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

ADDRESS

CITY

STATE

ZIP

CITY

SELLER’S SIGNATURE

STATE

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

STATE OF ORIGIN*

TOTAL NUMBER OF CATTLE SOLD

X X

$1.OO per Head Federal 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 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 1 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.

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.

50

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

SAVE

time money water Ritchie water is smart water.

Provide fresh water for your animals, and have more left for other things in your life.

See what owning a Ritchie automatic waterer can do for you at www.ritchiefount.com Partner to the American Cattleman since 1921 Proud to be a sponsor of:

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Call Central Farm Supply of KY at 1-800-777-5923 for a dealer near you or check our dealer locator at www.centralfarmky.com

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

M

i9c2A r e 1 1

E AD

IN

ce Amsin

51

MEMBERSHIP DIVISION 3 (UP TO 75 MEMBERS)

MEMBERS CAN ENJOY SAVINGS WITH ALL OF THESE INDUSTRY PARTNERS

COW SPRAYER DIVISION 2 (76-150 MEMBERS)

2019

2018

Difference

-24

Monroe

155

148

7

571

-172

Northern Kentucky

145

149

-4

336

353

-17

Metcalfe

130

130

0

312

288

24

Daviess

129

132

-3

Franklin

123

122

1

DIVISION 1 (151+ MEMBERS)

2019

2018

Difference

Barren

476

500

Breckinridge

399

Shelby Adair Marion

299

329

-30

Bath

262

306

-44

2019

2018

Difference

Fayette

77

75

2

Webster

71

70

1

Grant

71

75

-4

Muhlenberg

71

75

-4

Taylor

69

67

2

Pendleton

66

57

9

Out of State

64

67

-3

Todd

63

67

-4

Nelson

62

65

-3

Union

61

45

16

Ohio

59

62

-3

Hancock

54

48

6

Woodford

54

57

-3

Oldham

53

59

-6

Rockcastle

52

51

1

Estill

49

44

5 -21

Twin Lakes

48

69

Whitley

47

51

-4

Knox

47

6

41

Highlands

44

40

4

Mason

44

71

-27

Fleming

121

105

16

Montgomery

43

53

-10

Caldwell-Lyon

113

89

24

Carroll

42

42

0

Northeast Area

113

123

-10

Nicholas

41

39

2

Scott

102

105

-3

Wayne

38

39

-1

Madison

255

249

6

Clark

247

217

30

Logan

245

286

-41

Trimble

101

104

-3

Grayson

243

268

-25

Lewis

36

36

0

Trigg

99

106

-7

Bullitt

36

31

5

Hart

241

224

17

Jackson

98

107

-9

McCreary

34

34

0

Lincoln

235

237

-2

Anderson

96

109

-13

Clay

34

28

6

Jessamine

205

160

45

Edmonson

93

91

2

Simpson

33

42

-9

Boyle

91

90

1

Robertson

32

20

12

Bracken

191

189

2

Washington

190

204

-14

Pulaski

85

108

-23

McLean

30

23

7

Hardin

186

202

-16

Garrard

77

89

-12

Butler

29

36

-7

Meade

183

165

18

Louisville Area

77

86

-9

Hopkins

29

21

8

Warren

166

172

-6

0

Livingston

23

23

0

Christian

166

190

-24

Calloway

21

27

-6

Crittenden

19

23

-4

Larue

162

198

-36

Menifee

18

28

-10

Henry

152

159

-7

Mercer

151

185

-34

Green

150

153

-3

Harrison

147

166

-19

Laurel

144

159

-15

Allen

132

167

-35

Casey

107

172

-65

Campbell

77

77

Russell

76

88

-12

Purchase Area

74

84

-10

Clinton-Cumberland

74

81

-7

Owen

74

83

-9

Bourbon

73

85

-12

Mountain

69

81

-12

Totals as of: April 12, 2019

2019

2018

Difference

10,265

10,861

-596

If you need anything for membership, please contact Nikki Whitaker at (859) 278-0899 or nwhitaker@kycattle.org 52

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

Henderson

12

10

2

Magoffin

10

8

2

River Hills

7

9

-2

Powell

7

8

-1

Eastern Foothills

4

9

-5

Pike

4

7

-3

Gallatin

3

0

3

Bell

1

1

0

Harlan

1

2

-1

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

2018-19 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION * MEMBERSHIP YEAR 10/1/18– 9/30/19

NAME

SPOUSE NAME

FARM NAME

ADDRESS

CITY

STATE

COUNTY

RECRUITED BY

PHONE

FAX

EMAIL

ZIP

*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 News.

PLEASE CHECK THE MEMBERSHIP(S) YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN: KCA MEMBERSHIP ($30/YR) Membership dues are $30 unless otherwise listed below

NEW

RENEWAL

NEW

RENEWAL

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

I WOULD LIKE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE YOUNG PRODUCER’S COUNCIL TOTAL MEMBERSHIP: KCA

KJCA

$

# HEAD 1-100 $

$

TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED: ALL DONATIONS TO KCF ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

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 Lewis ..............................$35 Lincoln ............................$25 Louisville Area ................$20 (Jefferson, & Spencer) McCreary ........................$25 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

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.

TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS: CATTLEMEN’S FOUNDATION DONATION (voluntary)

COUNTY DUES Dues are $30 except for the counties listed below.

$

DUES $150

# HEAD 1,001-1,250

DUES $1,150

101-250

$300

1,251-1,500

$1,400

251-500

$450

1,501-1,750

$1,650

501-750

$650

1,751-2,000

$1,900

751-1000

$650

> 2,000

$1,900 + .38/HD

Complete and return to: Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association 176 Pasadena Drive • Suite 4 • Lexington, KY 40503 For faster service, join online at www.kycattle.org

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

53

FEATURE

address each unique situation and achieve the desired outcomes.

WHAT IS HIGH STOCK DENSITY GRAZING?

The higher the stock density, the more flexible the producer must be with his or her management and usually the gentler the cattle need to be.

HUGH ALIOE

HSD Grazing Guidelines

Director of Producer Relations

In the January 2016 News and Views, there is an article titled ”Potential Mob Graziers Should Consider Precautions.” The focus is on ultra-high stock density (UHSD) grazing, which is the management tool of using grazing livestock in much higher than normal concentrations to achieve landscape-focused objectives with the long-term goal of enhancing soils, forages and livestock production. It is usually expressed in pounds of live-weight per acre at a given moment in time. Depending on the environment and forages, ultrahigh stock densities are usually in excess of 100,000 pounds of animal live-weight per acre with some producers exceeding 1 million pounds per acre; thus requiring multiple moves to fresh pasture daily.

High stock density (HSD) grazing is very similar and is inclusive of UHSD grazing by definition. However, HSD grazing doesn’t have to be applied at the extremely high intensities often considered to be “mob” grazing whereby multiple moves per day are required.

High stock density grazing begins when cattle are combined into a single herd and moved through multiple pastures within a management area whereby pastures are grazed and rested (allowed to recover) in a managed approach.

HSD has intentional impacts on the soils, forages and ultimately livestock production. It implies there is active management occurring with the grazing livestock.

Rotational Grazing In a simple grazing rotation, stock density increases while stocking rate remains the

same.

If you have 500 acres and 50 cows, the stocking rate is 50 cows, or one cow per 10 acres. Stocking rate is usually expressed in terms of total number of mature head, or head per acre (or acres per head). If the 500-acre property is divided into 10 pastures of equal size (50 acres each) the stock density of cattle in each pasture is one cow per one acre (or 1,200 pounds per acre, assuming average cow weight is 1,200 pounds). The stocking rate remains 50 cows per 500 acres.

If the property was managed such that each of the 50-acre pastures were subdivided into 10-acre paddocks for grazing, stock density in each paddock would be five cows per acre (50 cows divided by 10-acre paddock), or 6,000 pounds per acre (1,200 pounds per cow multiplied by five cows).

As one can imagine, the grazing duration for the cow herd becomes shorter as the pasture or paddock size becomes smaller.

Cattle have to be moved (rotated) to a fresh paddock more often, depending on the amount of grazing forage that is available and the amount of forage residual desired to remain after the grazing event.

This is where the concept of planned, managed grazing and the purpose of HSD grazing applies.

Why Use Grazing?

High

Stock

Density

The purpose of HSD grazing is multifaceted. With HSD, a producer can intentionally: Manage the grazing intensity — which

can be from light defoliation to severe, depending on the desired objective — of a paddock or pasture.

Decrease diet selectivity by forcing the consumption of plants that are less palatable or less preferred.

Influence more uniform grazing utilization of pastures by strategic fencing, forcing utilization of areas that are avoided or grazed disproportionate to production.

At higher stock densities, trample structural components to provide additional organic material to the soil surface or to disturb exposed soil surfaces, stimulating new plant recruitment and production, or vice versa.

Most of the HSD grazing applications are deployed to enhance soil health and improve pasture condition. When applied during the course of many years in a well-planned and managed approach, total forage production can be enhanced.

This subsequently increases the carrying capacity of the property and, potentially, the stocking rate.

Is There an Optimum Stock Density?

No, stock density is dependent on the objective to be achieved, the situation and resources.

Much is learned by trial and error.

Variables such as season of application, management issue being addressed, long-term objective, type of soils and forages, terrain, herd size and weight, etc., also impact the application of stock density. The most effective application is where one uses a temporary electric fence intentionally constructed as required to

General guidelines as to the expected observed results of the properly managed application of HSD grazing at increasing stock densities as it relates to the variables of selective grazing, grazing distribution and animal impact.

Consider Recovery Period A key aspect that can be easily overlooked is the optimal recovery period following HSD grazing. If the herd impact on a site is intentionally aggressive (as in it creates lots of disturbance), the recovery period may need to be the remaining growing season or longer.

If the paddocks are lightly grazed or “top grazed” in rapid succession during a rapid growth phase, recovery will occur quickly.

Recovery is dependent on the severity of disturbance and the intensity of grazing.

The greater the degree of impact, the longer the recovery period required.

Guidelines for What to Expect High stock density grazing is more than rotational grazing. It is grazing with intention and purpose. It is the intentional application of grazing livestock in higher than normal concentrations to achieve landscape-focused objectives.

The greater the stock density, the greater the impact upon a resource. If done well, it can be very positive. If done poorly, it can be very damaging.

Before increasing stock density above what is achieved from implementing a well-managed grazing program, ask yourself what you wish to achieve.

Then, determine through trial what stock densities is best for your intended objective. With experience, the tool of stock density becomes much easier to apply.

Rotational vs. High Stock Often producers have called this rotational grazing and that is where HSD grazing begins. The difference is the terminology.

HSD grazing has a different connotation than rotational grazing: • Rotational grazing is the process of moving livestock through pastures to graze the forage.

• High stock density grazing is the intentional application of grazing livestock in higher than normal concentrations to achieve landscape-focused objectives.

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COW COUNTRY •

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• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

ANNOUNCING

DEBTER’S FEMALE SALE MAY 17, 2019

Friday • 10:00 At the farm, Horton, Alabama

DH DOMINETTE 5185 (43681558)

DH DOMINETTE 5167 (43684789)

EPDs: BW 4.7 WW 56 YW 84 MM 25 M&G 53 • Sired by our top selling bull in 2012, DH Advance 031.5167 is one of our best 2015 females.

• Sells bred to DH L1 Domino 4202.

• Has a bull calf at side born 9/20/18 that we are keeping for our 2020 Bull Sale.

Debter Hereford Farm Contact us at:

Glynn Debter (205) 429-2040 Perry Debter (205) 429-4415 John Ross Debter: debterfarm@otelco.net

EPDs: BW 4.5 WW 53 YW 97 MM 39 M&G 66 • A top 3 year old daughter of HH Advance 3203A. • Grand-dams on both sides are top females.

• Sells bred to DH L1 Domino 4202.

• Has a heifer calf at side born 9/17/18 sired by DH L1 Domino 4202.

SELLING 100 LOTS

Can’t make the sale?

Watch it LIVE and bid in real-time on www.dvauction.com

Debter_Cow_Sell_2019_Ad_halfpg.indd 1

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

DebterHerefordFarm.com 4134 County Hwy. 30 Horton, Alabama 35980

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

2/2/19 1:10 PM

55

KENTUCKY BEEF NETWORK

KEEPING UP WITH KENTUCKY BEEF NETWORK BECKY THOMPSON

CPH SALE DATES

Director of Kentucky Beef Network

Here are some things going on with the Kentucky Beef Network this month.

KBN 10 Launch The Kentucky Beef Network received funding from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund (KADF) for the work outlined in our application. Make sure to watch upcoming issues of Cow Country News and our websites for releases of our new programs and how to participate.

Post Weaning Value Assessment Programs (PVAP): PVAP encourages cow-calf producers to retain ownership and capture added value for their investment in beef cattle genetics and BQCA certification through diversified marketing strategies.

Cow/Calf Profitability Conferences: The focus of these regional cow-calf profitability conferences will be to help producers better understand cow-calf cost and returns, identify key costs that are within their control and have a major impact on profitability, and develop a strategy to manage those costs.

Traceability in the Marketplace Do you have your Beef Quality Assurance Number or your Kentucky Beef Quality and Care Assurance Number? If you don’t have a number or it is has expired please consider going through the training process to enroll or renew your number. As of January 1, 2019 announcements from some packers took effect stating they will only purchase fed cattle from feedyards that are Beef Quality Assurance trained. This comes as a result of more restaurants and fast food chains making claims they will begin sourcing a larger percent of their beef only from BQA trained suppliers. To date National Packing and Tyson have announced that beginning January 1, 2019 they would source 100% of their fed cattle supply from Beef Quality Assurance certified feedyards. Cargill has also made a commitment to source 90% of their fed cattle supply from feedyards that are BQA certified.

56

Mud, Mud, Mud My heart goes out to all of our farmers right now that are fighting the mud trying to calve their spring calves or wean their fall calves.

It is not an easy time for anyone. We can’t eliminate mud however, you can control when you expose your cows to it and how. Check out Dr. Steve Higgins article in the April Issue of Cow Country News or on the Eden Shale Blog at www.edenshalefarm.com for a guide to planning construction projects to create solutions for next winter.

CPH-45 Annual Meeting It has been several years since the state CPH-45 committee has met and we met April 16 at the Hardin County Extension Office.

During this meeting we discussed the 2018 CPH sales results, watch upcoming issues for a full market report, current sale procedures, and the future of the CPH program. If you have thoughts on how CPH-45 can be improved please reach out to a representative of the Kentucky Beef Network, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, or University of Kentucky Extension Specialist to discuss this important marketing program.

Get Social

June 19

Lexington June 26

Springfield July 16 Guthrie

August 8

Owensboro December 3 Guthrie

December 5

Are you engaging with us online? We offer several resources online for your use:

Owensboro

Kentucky Beef Network www.kybeefnetwork.com

January 28

Eden Shale Farm www.edenshalefarm.com

Guthrie

Certified Preconditioned for Health www.cph45.com University of Kentucky Forages http://forages.ca.uky.edu/ University of Kentucky Extension Publications http://www2.ca.uky. edu/agcomm/pubs.asp

CHECK OUT THE CPH-45 WEBSITE AT WWW.CPH45.COM

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

KENTUCKY BEEF NETWORK

EDEN SHALE FARM UPDATE DAN MILLER KBN Industry Coordinator

Each year I forget how green Kentucky’s hillsides get in the springtime. That lush, early season grass is a welcomed sight to eyes that are weary from winters numerous shades of brown.

Another welcomed sight is the new calves hitting the ground. Our calving season has been going good this year. As I have stated before, we expose all our cows to one round of AI then we turn the cleanup bulls in for 60 days. This has allowed us to have the majority of our calves born together in a tight window.

This year 67 calves (75%) were born in the first 30 days of the calving season, and 84 calves (94%) were born in the first 45 days of the calving season. This leaves us with only a handful of cows still to calve during the month of April. All the calving in March makes for a rough month for Greg, but it allows for us to concentrate our efforts solely on calving, and in the end we get a very uniform calf crop.

Other projects this past month have included cleaning up limbs and fallen trees from around our hay fields. All the dead ash trees have really become a problem now that they are starting to fall every time we get a little wind. We have also spent time fixing fence so that we can keep the cattle out of the hay fields as the grass greens up.

I’m afraid it is going to be another year or two before all the ash trees have come down and we don’t have such a chore of keeping the fences up.

In early April we got all of our fertilizer spread on the hay ground and a good portion of our pasture ground. We put down 100 units of Nitrogen (roughly 218 lbs) per acre. We applied a grand total of about 50,000 pounds of urea, which is more than we have been able to spread in the past. We have learned that with the poor soils of Eden Shale, if you don’t fertilize well, it is at least the middle of May before the grass is good enough to turn cattle out on. And like most farms this year we don’t have enough hay to make it that late in the year, so we are hoping to get the cows turned out on grass a little earlier this spring.

At the end of March we held our Winter Feeding Field Day at the farm which was well attended with over 200 participants. I want to thank everyone who attended for their patience as we had to shuffle trailers around to accommodate such a large group. If you missed the field day or would like more information about the infrastructure that was highlighted, please visit our website at www.edenshalefarm.com and make sure to check out the resources tab for details about each design.

K E N T U CK Y B E E F N E T W O R K F ACI L I T AT O R S

Ben Lloyd

Whitesville, KY (270) 993-1074 strridge@aol.com COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

Charles Embry

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

Jacob Settles

Springfield, KY (859) 805-0724 jacob.settles4@yahoo.com

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Ron Shrout

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

Jeff Stephens

Ewing, KY (606) 782-7640 stephensbeef@gmail.com 57

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Kentucky Hereford Association KHA Invites any Hereford Breeder to Become a Member!

Dues are $25. Send to 2396 Union City Rd. Richmond, KY 40475 Upcoming Events: KHA Officers

President: Tim Wolf Secretary/ Treasurer: Earlene Thomas 859-623-5734 thomasep@roadrunner.com

-HEREFORDS -

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

KY Certified Hereford Influence Sale May 9, 2019 • 10:30 AM Blue Grass Stockyards South Stanford, KY Contact: Lowell Atwood, 606-669-1455

Joe B. Gray 10787 New Bowling Green Road Smiths Grove, KY 52171

270-590-4579

“Cattle for sale at all times”

WOLF FARM

Registered Polled Herefords Bulls & Females for sale Tim & Peggy Wolf 12939 Peach Grove Rd. Alexandria, KY 41001 Home: 859-635-0899  Cell: 859-991-3484

Peyton’s Well Polled Herefords The Lowell Atwood Family 133 Edgewood Drive Stanford, KY (606) 365-2520 home/fax (606) 669-1455 cell

Victor- influenced cattle bred for performance on grass.

“Black cows need a good Hereford Bull”

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

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K3 CATTLE REGISTERED HEREFORDS KYLE BUSH

Polled Herefords 439 Flatwoods Frozen Camp Road • Corbin, KY 40701 Kevin, Angela, Bobby & Brenda Wells Kenlea & Kyler Murray 606-523-0569 - Home 606-528-1691 - Home 606-344-0417 - Cell 606-682-8143 - Cell wells_farm@yahoo.com

K3CATTLE@YAHOO.COM

198 HICKS PIKE CYNTHIANA, KY 41031

Jackson Farms

Paul L. Hancock 8559 KY 56 Owensboro, KY 42301 270-771-4194

Boyd Beef Cattle

6077 Helena Road • Mayslick, KY 41055 Charlie Boyd II · 606-584-5194 Annual Bull Sale second Saturday in March Hereford and Angus Bulls

TK4 Herefords Tony & Kathy Staples 992 Knotts Road Brandenburg, KY 40108 270-422-4220 tstaples@bbtel.com

Chambliss Hereford Farms Brad, Carla, Clay and Clint Chambliss 916 Winchester Blvd.

Elizabethtown, KY 42701 Home (270) 982-3905 • Cell (270) 668-7126 fax 270-735-9922 www.chamblissherefordfarms.com

Jackie D. Perkins II 367 Mt. Pisgah Rd. • Bremen, KY 42325 270-543-3586 Breeding to produce good cows since 1981.

WCN Polled Herefords Since 1961

Bill & Libby Norris 2220 Celina Road Burkesville, KY 42717 Phone (270) 433-7256 Cell (270) 433-1525 “Every calf needs a white face”

Sweet T Farm

Pile Stock Farm

Registered Polled Herefords

Pete & Gayla Szak 1040 Hick Hardy Rd. Cynthiana, KY (859) 484-2265

Hansell Pile, Jr. 12045 St. John Rd. Cecilia, KY 42724 270-735-5192•270-862-4462 12 miles West of Elizabethtown

Windy Hills Farm

859-588-4531

Registered Polled Herefords 8103 Bill Moss Road • White House, TN 37188 Home/Fax: 615-672-4483 Cell: 615-478-4483 billy@jacksonfarms.com ® “Farming the Same Land Since 1834”

Registered Polled Herefords

Thomas Farm

Contact Earlene Thomas for more information: 859-623-5734 www.kentuckyhereford.org

Wells Farm

MPH Farms

Polled Hereford and Gelbvieh Cattle 3459 KY Hwy. 1284 E. Cythiana, KY 41031 (859) 234-6956 Ben, Jane, Shelby and Lincoln Eric & Ronnie Thomas 2396 Union City Rd. Richmond, KY 40475 (859) 623-5734 • Eric’s Cell (859) 314-8256

KHA State Show/Junior Preview Show June 7-8, 2019 Horse Cave, KY Burley Fields Livestock Center More details to follow.

Bulls • Heifers • Show

TS

F

TS TS Tucker Stock Farms F F

“Registered Angus and Polled Herefords”

TUCKER STOCK FARMS TUCKER STOCK FARMS

TUCKER STOCK FARMS

“Breeding Polled Herefords for over 58 Years” John Tucker “Registered Angus and Polled “Registered AngusHerefords” andIIPolled Herefords” 1790 Hidden Valley Lane Breeding cattle for sale at all times.

John A. Tucker II John A. Tucker II Hudson, KY 40145 HiddenHerefords” Valley Lane 1999 Walnut Hill Rd. • Lexington, KY “Registered 40515 1790 Hidden Valley Lane Angus and 1790 Polled 270-617-0301 Hudson, KY 40145 Hudson, KY 40145 (859) 271-9086 • cell (859)533-3790 (270) 257-8548 (270) 257-8548 Offi 257-8167 Office for (270) 257-8167 John A. Tucker IIce (270) “Bulls always Sale”

Popplewell’s Herefords

Registered Hereford & Angus Farm

Service Age Bulls Open and Bred Females For Sale Vince, Tracy & Alex Home (270) 866-4480 1526 Clearfork Rd. Cell (270) 566-1852 Russell Springs, KY 42642

COW COUNTRY •

Old Fall Creek Farms AHA & KHA member • Proven bloodlines

1790 Hidden18-month-old Valley 18-month-old AngusLane & Polled Hereford Bulls For Sale Angus & Polled Hereford Bulls For Sale Hudson, KY 40145 (270) 257-8548 Office (270) 257-8167

Polled LINEBRED Hereford Bulls For Sale Private treaty sales • Visitors 18-month-old always welcome Angus & LINEBRED VICTOR DOMINO CATTLE VICTOR DOMINO CATTLE

1874 Old Fall Creek Road • Monticello, KY 42633

Reed Bertram 606-348-7486 David Bertram 606-278-3630 www.ofcfarms.com

M AY 2 0 1 9

Multi-Trait Multi-Trait Selection Selection Fertility Disposition

Danny Miller

Fertility Calving Ease Calving Ease Disposition Milking Ability Milking Ability

www.jmsvictordomino.com 4850 Ridge Rd. 4850 Caldwell RidgeCaldwell Rd. Knifley, KY 42753 Knifley, KY 42753 270-465-6984 270-465-6984

270-465-6984 • 270-566-2694

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For More Information: Commercial cattlemen trust registered seedstock breeders to make documented genetic improvements that provide them the opportunity to succeed.

From 2004-2014, the 2015 AICA National Cattle Evaluation Genetic Trend illustrates Charolais seedstock breeders are doing their job!

Lower birth weight ■ MORE LIVE CALVES Increased weaning weight ■ MORE POUNDS AT WEANING

The trend shows dramatic improvements in every trait of economic importance.

In the feedlot

2004-2014 NCE Charolais Genetic Trends BW

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More pounds. More profits.

Charolais keep it real. © American-International Charolais Association 2016

KENTUCKY CHAROLAIS ASSOCIATION

kins Ad Farms

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TJ Adkins: 606-875-5094 Sherman & Phyllis Adkins: 606-379-5129 279 Bullock Rd. Eubank, KY 42567 AdkinsFarms@hotmail.com

Montgomery Charolais

Higher yearling weight ■ MORE POUNDS, EFFICIENTLY

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■ Southeast Field Representative ■ Floyd Wampler (423) 612-2144 12/2/15 7:30 AM

Austin Flaugher 9810 Hwy 159 N Butler, KY 41006 513-604-2975 • aflaugher@gmail.com

LEANING PINE FARMS, LLC John Bruner

Darby Montgomery 36 Thompson Road • Lancaster, KY 40444 859-339-3922 BULLS FOR SALE

606-271-0582 473 Edward Meece Road Science Hill, KY 42553

Amburgey Charolais Farm

jeffries charolais

Polled Breeding Since 1966 Robert Amburgey, Jr. 3171 Camargo Rd. • Mt. Sterling, KY 40353 859-498-2764 (Home) 859-404-3751 (Mobile)

Harrod Farms

paul r. jeffries 606-510-4537

1590 jeffries lane

hustonville, ky. 40437 chris cooper 606-669-9009 chris jeffries 606-669-2426

Becca, Jenna and Jake 645 Evergreen Rd. Frankfort, KY 40601 Jeff Harrod: 502-330-6745

Jimmy & Linda Evans 960 Vallandingham Road Dry Ridge, KY 41035 859-428-2740

Allison Charolais John Allison

David, Rhonda, Michael & Nicholas

THE NEXT GENERATION

Charolais, Hereford & Commercial Cattle

545 Eminence Road New Castle, KY 40050

502-845-2806 502-220-3170

62

In the pasture

Bulls & Heifers For Sale at the Farm

Kentucky Charolais Association Chuck Druin 2291 Drane Lane Eminence, KY 40019 502-321-1160 or 502-321-5919 Jeff Harrod: 502-330-6745 Jacob Miller: 502-507-4987

S A N D U S K Y FA R M S 3200 St. Rose Road Lebannon, KY 40033 270-692-7793

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

NEWS & EVENTS:

KY CHAROLAIS/RED ANGUS STATE SHOW JUNE 29, 2019 • FRANKFORT, KY FRANKLIN CO. FAIRGROUNDS LUNCH AT 12 SHOW AT 1

GET YOUR FARM LISTED HERE BY BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE KY CHAROLAIS ASSOCIATION! CALL CHUCK AT 502-321-1160 Hayden Farm 4430 Bloomfield Rd. Bardstown, KY 40004 James Hayden

Home: Office: Mobile: 502-349-0128 502-349-0005 502-507-4984 jhayden@haydensteel.com

Floyd’s Charolais

2039 Nina Ridge Road Lancaster, KY 40444 Home: 859-792-2956 • Cell: 859-339-2653 floydj@windstream.net

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COW COUNTRY •

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ANGUS THE BUSINESS BREED

2018-2019 KAA Officers President: Gil Ray Cowles, Rockfield, KY Vice President: Jason Crowe, Irvine, KY Secretary/Treasurer: Anne DeMott, Lexington, KY

C ontact Anne DeMott to pay your Kentucky Angus Ass o ciation Dues 1 • BOYD BEEF CATTLE 6077 Helena Road Mayslick, KY 41055 Charlie Boyd II: (606) 584-5195 • Blake Boyd: (606) 375-3718 www.boydbeef.com • cboyd2@maysvilleky.net

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

21 • RAGS ANGUS FARM Richard and Glenda Stallons 1240 Dogwood Kelly Road Hopkinsville, KY 42240 Home: (270) 885-4352 Cell: (270) 839-2442 rstallons@bellsouth.net

2 • BRANCH VIEW ANGUS 927 Old Liberty Pike • Hustonville, KY 40437 (859) 238-0771 • www.branchviewangus.com James S. & LuAnn Coffey, Donald & Donna Coffey Evelyn Hoskins Annual Production Sale- 2nd Saturday in April

12 • HIGHVIEW FARMS 827 West Main Street Campbellsville, Kentucky 42718 Ben T. Cox DVM (270) 469-5517 Registered Angus Cattle

22 • SHAW FAMILY ANGUS Jim & Cathy Shaw 935 Miller Road • Hodgenville, KY 42748 (270) 769-8260 www.shawfamilyangus.com Quality Registered Angus Cattle since 1975

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

13 • HILL VIEW FARMS Jimmy Gilles 5160 Lee Rudy Road Owensboro, KY 42301 (270) 686-8876 (270) 929-537

23 • SMITHLAND ANGUS FARM 5202 East Hwy 80, Russell Springs, KY 42642 Charles “Bud” & Pam Smith: (270) 866-3898 Henry & Melissa Smith: (270) 866-2311

14 • JOHNSON FARMS ANGUS Angus Bulls & Females Slaughters, KY Keith: (270) 635-0723 Reese: (270) 635-1137

24 • 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 2016

5 • CARDINAL HILL FARMS 405 Cedar Grove Rd. • Glasgow, KY 42141 Mike Elmore: (270) 404-6589 Bob Johnson: (270) 427-1410 cardinalhillfarms.com • mike@cardinalhillfarms.com

15 • LEGACY FARMS Daniel and Lindsey Reynolds 1709 South Jackson Highway Hardyville, KY 42746 (270) 528-6275/(270) 528-6120 www.legacyfarmsangus.com

25 • TAMME VALLEY FARM Jacob Tamme, Owner-Operator (859) 583-7134 jacob.tamme@gmail.com www.tammevalley.com & Find us on Facebook!

6 • COFFEY ANGUS FARMS 661 Hopewell Road Liberty, KY 42539 Matt Coffey: (270) 799-6288 Dewey Coffey: (606) 787-2620 Genetics for Maximum Profitability since 1984

16 • MILLERS RUN FARM William N. Offutt IV 3790 Paris Road Georgetown, KY 40324 (859) 533-2020 • millersrunfarm@aol.com www.millersrunfarm.com Heifers for sale

26 • TWIN CREEK FARM Shawn, Melissa, Devin & Dylan Gibson (270) 337-3072 or (270) 692-5304 Dennis & Emily 270/337-2128 or 270/402-4338 Watch for us in Branch View Production Sale in April

7 • COOL SPRINGS CREEK FARM Guy & Aline Babin 269 Paul Coomer Rd Gradyville, KY 42742 (270) 205-1669 www.coolspringscreekfarm.com • gdbabin@outlook.com

17 • MUD RIVER ANGUS 10 Oak Hill Drive Russellville, KY 42276 Wayne Johnson: (270) 303-6354 Gary Johnson: (270) 498-7208

8 • D&D LONGVIEW ANGUS Danny & Debbie Burris 550 Willie Nell Road Columbia, KY 42728 (270) 348-5766 • (270) 250-3701 • (270) 250-1277

18 • FOUR KINGS ANGUS 250 Bright Leaf Dr. • Harrodsburg, KY 40330 Cary & Kim King Carymking@yahoo.com • fourkingsangus.com Cary Cell: (859) 613-3734 • Colby Myers - Purebred Manager

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

19 • OLD BARK FARM 370 Ferrill Hill, Buffalo, KY 42716 Kenley Conner 270/358-8057 Registered Angus Cattle

10 • HAINES ANGUS FARMS 5294 Park City- Glasgow Rd. Park City, KY 42160 Kenneth Haines, Jr.: (270) 749-8862

20 • PLEASANT HILL FARMS Gil, Mary, Corbin, Caroline, and Catherine Cowles 500 Rockfield Richpond Road Rockfield, KY 42274 (270) 843-9021 • Fax (270) 843-9005 Located 7 miles west of Bowling Green, 1/2 mile off Hwy 68/80

4 • BURTON & SONS ANGUS Joe D. or Karen Burton • Bryan Carman, Partner, Ridgeview Angus 480 Hominy Hill Rd. Nancy, KY 42544 Joe: (606) 305-3081 • Bryan: (606) 875-3453 Located 15 miles West of Somerset klburton01@windstream.net

Bulls & females sold private treaty. Inquiries Welcome. Sell only what we would buy.

KENTUCKY ANGUS ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION NAME

FARM NAME

64

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

ADDRESS

CITY

STATE

PHONE 1

PHONE 2

ZIP

EMAIL

Return to: Anne DeMott • 1220 Angus Trail • Lexington, Kentucky 40509 • Annaul Dues $35

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

KENTUCKY ANGUS ASSOCIATION NEWS Anne Stewart DeMott, Secretary/Treasurer PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Angus Breeders and Beef Cattle Producers, The sunshine and green grass has changed all of our attitudes!

What a beautiful spring we have been able to enjoy! The spring sale season is experiencing an upswing in the commercial and purebred beef cattle markets. Angus bulls have been in major demand and The Angus Cow continues to dominate demand.

We all want to remember and keep top of mind our fellow Cattlemen in Nebraska and surrounding areas that experienced a late blast of severe weather which impacted their operations. It is truly a blessing to see the agricultural community from across the USA come together to offer assistance and support during this trying time.

It is an extremely busy Angus Spring and Summer here in The Commonwealth of Kentucky! The entire Kentucky Angus Association is gearing up to host the 2019 National Junior Angus Show in Louisville on July 14 thru 21 at the KY Fair and Expo Center. If you would like to volunteer in any way please reach out to a KAA Board member and they will point you in the right direction.

Enjoy this spring, those new baby calves, and all that our warmer weather brings!

QUEEN & PRINCESS These young ladies were crowned Kentucky Angus royalty at the 2019 Kentucky Angus Association Annual Meeting and Banquet, March 1 in Louisville, Ky. Pictured from left are Bryanna Smith, Russell Springs, Kentucky Angus princess; and Abigal Smoot, Campbellsville, Miss Kentucky Angus. Photo by Alex Tolbert, American Angus Association.

RETIRING BOARD MEMBERS Jim Jasper, Nicholasville, left, and Ricky Cunningham, Dexter, right, received Appreciation Awards for their service to the Kentucky Angus Association board of directors at the 2019 Kentucky Angus Association Annual Meeting and Banquet, March 1 in Louisville, Ky. Photo

by Alex Tolbert, American Angus Association.

HERDSMAN OF THE YEAR Kris Lynn, Springfield, center, received the Herdsman of the Year award at the 2019 Kentucky Angus Association Annual Meeting and Banquet, March 1 in Louisville, Ky. Pictured presenting the award are Susie Fryer, left, and Billy Fryer, right. Photo by Alex Tolbert, American Angus Association.

Gil Ray Cowles KAA President

to subscribe to email updates, please contact us at kyangusassociation@gmail.com

@KyAngusAssoc

@KyAngusAssoc www.kentuckyangus.org

kyangusassociation@gmail.com

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

@kyangusassociation

FAMILY OF THE YEAR The Kelly Flanders family, Buffalo, received the Family of the Year award at the 2019 Kentucky Angus Association Annual Meeting and Banquet, March 1 in Louisville, Ky. Pictured from left are Kenley Conner, presenting; and Kalli, Kelly and Melissa Flanders. Photo by Alex Tolbert, American Angus Association.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Gordon and Anne Patton Schubert, Taylorsville, received the Joe William Meng Jr. (Joe Bill), Lifetime Achievement award at the 2019 Kentucky Angus Association Annual Meeting and Banquet, March 1 in Louisville, Ky. Pictured from left are Gordon and Anne Patton Schubert; and Charlie Boyd, presenting. Photo

by Alex Tolbert, American Angus Association.

KY JR BOARD These young individuals were elected to serve on the Kentucky Junior Angus Association board of directors and are pictured at the 2019 Kentucky Angus Association Annual Meeting and Banquet, March 1 in Louisville, Ky. Officers seated front row from left are John Jasper, Nicholasville, treasurer; Abigal Smoot, Campbellsville, vice president; Kalli Flanders, Buffalo, president; Catherine Cowles, Rockfield, second vice president; and Lily Jeffries, Canmer, reporter. Standing back row from left are Jamie Gray, Buffalo, advisor; Mayson Toll, Lawrenceburg, director; Jacob Marksbury, Buffalo, director; Bryanna Smith, Russell Springs, director; Maria Day, Nicholasville, director; Taylor Jeffries, Canmer, director; Lucy PERFORMANCE BREEDER Jeffries, Canmer, director; and Paula Boyd, Tom McGinnis, Heritage Farm, Shelbyville, May’s Lick, advisor. Photo by Alex Tolbert, received the Performance Breeder of the Year American Angus Association. award at the 2019 Kentucky Angus Association Annual Meeting and Banquet, March 1 in Louisville, Ky. Pictured from left are Eddie Burks, presenting; Pam Dockery; Tom McGinnis; Jim Jasper; Tyler McGinnis; Elias Hernandez; and Allen Bradley. Photo by Alex Tolbert, American Angus Association.

KAA BOARD These men and women were elected to serve on the Kentucky Angus Association board of directors and are pictured at the 2019 Kentucky Angus Association Annual Meeting and Banquet, March 1 in Louisville, Ky. Pictured seated front row from left are Tom McGinnis, Shelbyville, director; Anne Patton Schubert, Taylorsville, director; Jason Crowe, Irvine, vice president; Gil Cowles, Rockfield, president; Anne Stewart DeMott, Lexington, secretary-treasurer; and Blake Boyd, May’s Lick, director. Directors standing back row from left are Bob Clark, Harrodsburg; Jim Shaw, Hodgenville; Keith Johnson, Slaughters; Sam Fouts, London; Kris Lynn, Springfield; Henry Smith, Russell Springs; and Kelly Flanders, Buffalo. Photo by Alex Tolbert, American Angus Association.

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

PREMIER BREEDER Jacob Marksbury, Buffalo, received the Kentucky Junior Angus Association Premier Breeder award at the 2019 Kentucky Angus Association Annual Meeting and Banquet, March 1 in Louisville, Ky. Photo by Alex Tolbert, American Angus Association.

PREMIER EXHIBITOR Taylor Jeffries, Canmer, received the Kentucky Junior Angus Association Premier Exhibitor award at the 2019 Kentucky Angus Association Annual Meeting and Banquet, March 1 in Louisville, Ky. Photo by Alex Tolbert, American Angus Association.

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KJSA State Show June 1 & 2, 2019 Burley Fields Facility Horse Cave, KY Saturday, June 1 - Cattle Must arrive by 9AM - Contests and Showmanship - KSA Annual Meeting/Dinner Awards - Barnyard Olympics Sunday, June 2 - Junior Show Begins Steer, percentage females, percentage bulls, cow/calf pairs, purebred females, purebred bulls $10 Entry per head $20 KJSA Membership fee Contact Lindsay Phillips, 606-782-2542, Lindsay.phillips@e-farmcredit.com with shirt size and number of head

Kentucky Simmental Officers

President: Chris Allen 222 Stourbridge St Versailles, KY 40383 859-351-4486

Vice President: Brian Swain 3906 Pottertown Rd Murray, KY 42071

Secretary/Treasurer: Lindsay Phillips 8308 Orangeburg Rd Maysville, KY 41056

KENTUCKY SIMMENTAL ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION NAME ___________________________ ____________ FARM NAME__________________________________ ADDRESS_____________________________________ CITY_________________STATE_____ ZIP__________ PHONE (BUSINESS)___________________________

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

www.kysimmental.com

600 Cumberland Drive • Morehead, KY 40351 859-227-7323 racekannon@hotmail.com

Swain Select Simmental

12113 Green Valley Dr. • Louisville, KY 40243 frederickswain@bellsouth.net • www.swainselect.com

Fred & Phyllis 502-245-3866 502-599-4560

RC C

Ratliff Cattle Company

100 Carpenter Ridge Salyersville KY, 41465 docrat2@yahoo.com Jim Ratliff 606.496-6522

“UNBELIEVABULL SIMMENTALS” Graves Grandview Simmental Farm Timothy Graves 560 Rudd Lane Springfield, KY 40069 (859) 481-3954 • gravesgrandview@gmail.com

Brian & Heather Swain 3906 Pottertown Road Murray, KY 42071 270-293-4440 wksbswain@murray-ky.net

Simmental and SimAngus Bulls for Sale

WAYWARD HILL FARM

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

Chi & Angie 502-477-9727 502-287-2116

Judy and Rondal Dawson 1156 Buzzard Roost Road Shelbyville, KY 40065 502-593-5136 jrdawson22@outlook.com

Send application to: Lindsay Phillips, 8308 Orangeburg Rd, Maysville, KY 41056 Membership Fee is $25.00

(HOME)______________________________________

66

Roy, Jessica and Cooper Canada

1939 Huntertown Road Versailles, KY 40383 Bulls for Sale Chris Allen 859-351-4486 callenuky@hotmail.com Dr. Henry Allen 859-229-0755

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

KENTUCKY FFA FOUNDATION AWARDS MORE THAN $60,000 IN GRANTS TO SCHOOL-BASED AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS The Kentucky FFA Foundation recently announced that it has funded more than $60,000 in grants for agricultural education programs in Kentucky, including two $10,000 Agricultural Innovation grants that were awarded to LaRue County High School in Hodgenville and Thomas Nelson High School in Bardstown.

All the grants will go toward enhancing learning opportunities for agriculture students.

Agriculture programs are hands-on and often have students involved in things like raising animals, growing plants, or conducting scientific data collection or experimentation. This type of instruction requires greenhouses, school farms, pieces of technology – all of which can be expenses not necessarily covered by school funds.

Thirteen agriculture programs received Ag Achiever grants, which are designed to help agriculture teachers purchase new equipment or teaching resources, make modifications to existing equipment or facilities, or implement innovative programming.

“Effective agriculture programs are locally driven by the interests of students and the needs of the community,” said Sheldon McKinney, executive director of the Kentucky FFA Foundation. “Ag Achiever grants are a way to put money toward projects that are working for folks.”

The Kentucky FFA Foundation also introduced Agricultural Innovation grants this year, which are $10,000 each and have

a big-picture focus.

“We’ve offered smaller grants for a long time, and those make a difference,” said McKinney. “But with these, we wanted to be able to go beyond meeting basic needs for a program. These grants are allowing us to say ‘What can move the needle for programs or students?’”

The agriculture program at LaRue County High School will use its Agricultural Innovation grant to create a processing facility where produce and fish harvested from its aquaponics system can be prepared for the end consumer. Aquaponics combines raising vegetables hydroponically with growing fish. It’s a system of food production that has been around for quite some time and continues to gain popularity.

“It’s my job to figure out how in the world I can get these students motivated to get them educated, and this is a great way to do it,” said Chris Thomas, one of the school’s two agriculture teachers. “We like to talk about local food, hands-on learning, yearround production – this project puts all that into practice.”

Thomas Nelson High School’s agriculture department will use the Agricultural Innovation grant funding to help develop its 40-acre land lab on the school’s campus.

Agriculture teacher John Hammond has designed the project as a class that allows students to come up with ideas for different sections of the land lab.

Using grant funds, they plan to implement raised garden beds that incorporate

technology called a FarmBot, reclaim unusable land through a variety of management practices, establish an orchard, introduce a small goat herd, and add a flock of laying hens – all projects that have been designed and led by students.

“As we go through life, we realize most big ideas need three things to happen; time, effort and money,” said FFA Foundation Chairman Adam Hinton. “Through our work with FFA members and ag programs, we know they have some really creative ideas. Often they have the time and effort to be able to execute these ideas, and if they just had the necessary money, we believe something really special could happen.”

The grants are funded by a wide segment of the agriculture community, including the Kentucky Farm License Plate, or “Ag

Tag,” program and Universal Leaf for the Ag Achiever grants, and funds raised at the Kentucky FFA Foundation’s annual gala for the Ag Innovation grants.

“Universal Leaf is committed to making a positive impact in the areas where our employees and growers live,” said Lindsay Efird, Universal Leaf representative. “Ag education is amplified when you can couple the classroom materials with hands-on experiences.”

The Kentucky FFA Foundation cultivates partnerships which support the FFA vision to grow leaders, build communities, and strengthen agriculture. Kentucky FFA Foundation initiatives impact more than 14,500 FFA members in 154 FFA chapters across Kentucky.

Students at Madisonville North Hopkins High School work with the vertical hydroponic system in the agriculture department’s greenhouse. The agriculture program at Madisonville North Hopkins was awarded an Ag Achiever grant.

MARKET REPORT

SOUTHEAST FEEDER CATTLE PRICES 15 MARCH 2019 STEER weights

HEIFER

Alabama

Arkansas

Florida

Georgia

Louisiana/ Mississippi

Kentucky/ Tennessee

9-10

122-128

124-130

119-125

121-127

121-127

124-130

8-9

127-135

131-139

122-130

125-133

127-135

131-139

Alabama

Arkansas

Florida

Georgia

Louisiana/ Mississippi

Kentucky/ Tennessee

7-8

135-143

144-152

132-140

133-141

136-144

140-148

122-130

127-135

119-127

122-130

121-129

126-134

6-7

152-162

157-167

148-158

151-161

152-162

153-163

132-142

140-150

127-137

131-141

129-139

133-143

5-6

165-177

176-188

162-174

163-175

164-176

169-181

139-151

151-163

136-148

138-150

138-150

138-150

4-5

177-191

183-197

178-192

174-188

178-192

175-189

148-162

156-170

145-159

145-159

147-161

143-157

COWS weights

Alabama

Arkansas

Florida

Georgia

Louisiana/ Mississippi

Kentucky/ Tennessee

UTIL

51-58

48-55

53-60

54-61

51-58

50-57

CN/CUT

44-51

45-52

46-53

48-55

43-50

45-52

BULLS

74-82

77-85

77-85

79-87

79-87

74-82

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

MONTHLY MARKET BEEF UPDATE! Feeder cattle traded mixed, from $1 lower to $3 higher on the week.

Calves were mostly steady to $3 higher. Market cows traded $2 to $4 stronger compared to last week.

-Tanner Aherin

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

AD INDEX GENERAL

September 26 Beef Bash 2019

Versailles, KY

35

ANGUS May 3 Kentucky Derby Angus Sale

Crestwood, KY

May 5 Bridgeview Angus 12th Annual Production Sale May 23 Sunset Ridge Spring Grass Time Pair Sale

Stamping Ground, KY

13

Deer Lodge, TN

71

9

Allison Charolais

33

Blue Grass Stockyards

18, 49

Bobcat

29

Bridgeview Angus Farm

13

Burkmann Feeds

49

Bush Hog Byron Seeds

12

Caudill Seed

23

Central Farm Supply

51

Central Kentucky Ag Credit

72

Central KY Premier Heifer Sale

4

Datamars

14

Debter Hereford Farm

55

Four Kings Angus

4

Gallagher

8

Gate Crutch

35

Glenview Farms

39

Green River Fence

7

Centerville, TN

Hayes Trailer Sales

35

May 21 West Kentucky Select Bred Heifer Sale

Guthrie, KY

33

Heritage Farms

3

May 25 Heritage Farm Spring Production Sale

Shelbyville, KY

3

May 25 Ohio Valley Fall Bred Heifer Sale

Maysville, KY

49

Lebanon, KY

4

October 26 Yon Family Farms Fall Sale

Ridge Spring, SC

February 15, 2020 Yon Family Farms Spring Sale

Ridge Spring, SC HEREFORD

May 9 Kentucky Hereford Influence Sale

Stanford, KY

May 17 Debter’s Female Sale

Horizon, AL

55

LIMOUSIN May 4 Ohio Valley Limousin Association Spring Sale

Mineral Wells, WV

MIXED BREEDS May 11 Middle Tennessee Gelbvieh/Angus Invitational

June 1 Central Kentucky Premier Heifer Sale June 19 CPH Sale

Lexington, KY

June 26 CPH Sale

Springfield, KY

July 7 CPH Sale August 8 CPH Sale December 3 CPH Sale

68

Agrilabs

Guthrie, KY Owensboro, KY Guthrie, KY

December 5 CPH Sale

Owensboro, KY

January 28 CPH Sale

Guthrie, KY

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

John Deere Kentucky Angus Association

2 64,65

Kentucky Charolais Association

62

Kentucky Gelbvieh Association

58

Kentucky Hereford Association

60

Kentucky Sales Association

69

Kentucky Simmental Association

66

Kuhn North America

33

Leitchfield Truck & Trailer

12

Limousin Breeders of the Bluegrass

59

Meade County Extension Service

37

Oak Hollow

5

Pasture Management Systems

31

P.H. White

10

Priefert

55

Ridley, Inc.

11

Rural King

19

Solid Rock Angus

11

St. Catharine Farm

40

Stone Gate Farms

7

Sunset Ridge Cattle Company

71

Tucker Stock Farms

18

Walters Buildings

8

West KY Select Bred Heifer Sale

33

Wm. E. Fagaly & Son

25

Zoetis

17

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

COW COUNTRY CLASSIFIEDS PERFORMANCE TESTED PUREBRED ANGUS BULLS FOR SALE CALL 270-202-7186 FOR MORE INFO OR CHECK OUT WWW.OAKHOLLOWANGUS.COM FOR CURRENT AVAILABILITY. 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 270-566-2000 FOUNDATION SALE V OCTOBER 5, 2019 • UNITED PRODUCERS, BOWLING GREEN, KY • SELLING FULLBLOOD & PUREBRED LIMOUSIN GENETICS • FOR INFO CALL : A C H HOLDINGS, LLC • STEPHEN HAYNES 270-799-8685 REGISTERED GELBVIEH BULLS & HEIFERS FOR SALE LOCATED IN SMITHS GROVE, KY • CONTACT TRENT JONES • 270-590-5266 RED ANGUS FOR SALE BULLS: YEARLINGS AND 2-YEAR-OLDS. OPEN HEIFERS. • SHOW HEIFER PROSPECTS. CONTACT: JOHNNIE CUNDIFF • 606-305-6443 OR 606-871-7438 REGISTERED BLACK SIMMENTAL BULLS 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

JOHN DEERE 6615 - 4WD - LOADER 16 SPEED - $44,000 F 50 STOLTZFUS LIME SPREADER - $16,000 4440 JOHN DEERE -2WD CAB -QUAD - $28,000 STIREX 12 WHEELED RAKE W/ KICKER - $6800 WOODS 3240 -20 FT CUTTER - $21,500 JOHN DEERE 6605 -2WD -LOADER - $21,000 CASE 1845 C SKID LOADER -2900 HRS - $15,550 MILLER PRO 5300 SILAGE BOXES - $$ CALL HORNING 1403 SILAGE HEADERS - $$ CALL WWW.REDBARNANDASSOCIATES.COM - 859608-9745 • WE CAN FINANCE! CALL CHARLIE FOR A DEAL TODAY. J & D KERSTIENS GELBVIEH AUCTION FALL 2017 BULLS FOR SALE REGISTERED GELBVIEH/ANGUS BALANCER BULLS. HOMO BLACK AND BLACK. BREEDING SOUNDNESS EVALUATION. BVD AND SEMEN TESTED. CALVING EASE EPDS. HUNTINGBURG, IN J&D KERSTIENS 812-482-2688 OR DUANE CASSIDY AT 812-661-8005 OVER 25 BREEDING AGE HEREFORD BULLS OVER 60 YEARS OF LINE 1 HEREFORD GENETICS. ALSO SELLING 30 HEIFERS. CHAMBLISS HEREFORD FARMS. 270-668-7126

PUREBRED ANGUS BULLS SERVICE READY, 18 - 20 MONTHS OLD, CALVING EASE. 606-782-1769 SALERS & OPTIMIZER BULLS AVAILABLE WILLIS FARMS. CALL MATT CRAIG AT (502) 604-0821 RED HEREFORD AND BLACK HEREFORD BULLS LOW BIRTHWEIGHT AND HIGH GROWTH. 18 MONTHS OLD. SWEET T FARM 859-684-15091 A FEW GOOD ANGUS BULLS LEFT! AI SIRED WITH GENOMIC EPDS. SEMEN TESTED. GEORGETOWN. WESTERN WAY ANGUS. (859) 621-6175

TO PLACE AN AD CALL

HEREFORD BULLS FOR SALE MUNDAY’S FARM • COST-SHARE QUALIFIED. LOW CALVING WEIGHTS. EPD RECORDS. READY FOR SERVICE. • MUNDAY’S FARM. CALL ANNE & M.J. BAKKE. 559-348-3818 OR EMAIL DAIRYNUTR@AOL.COM

(859) 278-0899

ANGUS BULLS REGISTERED & COMMERCIAL, GREAT EPD’S & GENETICS. NICE SELECTION. RAND ANGUS FARMS. MILTON, KY 502-639-4085 OR 502-552-1164

$15 FOR 4 LINES

FOR SALE: BLACK POLLED BALANCER BULLS 2 YEARS OLD. ALSO 15 MONTH OLD BULLS AVAILABLE. ALSO SELLING SQUEEZE CHUTE WITH AUTOMATIC HEADGATE, PAL. CAGE, AND A NEW FLOOR. 270-772-0939

bush simmentals Black Simmental and Simangus Bulls.

• 13 - 18 months old • Homozygous Black

(502)-750-4190

Black Angus Bred Cows For Sale

Fall Calving Contact Barry McRoberts at 502-552-2050 McRoberts Cattle Company Bedford, KY Lost Bridge Cattle Company

AND $5 FOR EACH ADDITIONAL LINE

Livestock Hauling Indiana Kentucky Ohio Tennessee 513-678-1042 Ryan Gries

SALERS

The Balanced Breed STRINGER FARMS Bruce Stringer 128 Teresa Avenue Somerset, KY 42501 606-875-3553 COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

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

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

WILLIS FARMS • Danny Willis 964 Johnson Rd • Frankfort, KY 40601 502-803-5011 • drwc21@aol.com Matt Craig, Farm Mgr. 502-604-0821 69

FEATURE

I N O R M A L LY L I K E R I B S . . .

DR. LES ANDERSON Beef Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky

Jeff, Darrh, and I were chatting the other day and, amazingly, we all agreed on something! Over our many miles of travel this winter/spring, we have seen more ribs on cows that any of us can remember. The wet, cold winter and poor hay quality has really stressed cows and if we don’t watch out, it will impact rebreeding.

A successful breeding season begins with nutritional management decisions made prior to calving but most spring-calving herds are past that now. “Ribs” are best maintained over the winter during the two trimesters of pregnancy. Visible ribs are one component of body condition score. Body condition score (BCS) is a numerical estimation of the amount of fat on the cow’s body. It ranges from 1-9; with 1 being emaciated and 9 extremely obese. A change in a single BCS (i.e. a 4 to a 5) is usually associated with about a 75 pound change in body weight. Evaluation of BCS prior to calving and from calving to breeding is important to ensure reproductive success.

Rebreeding performance of cows is greatly influenced by BCS at calving.

Cows that are thin (BCS < 5; visible ribs) at calving take longer to resume estrous cycles and therefore are delayed in their ability to rebreed. As precalving BCS decreases, the number of days from one calving to the next (calving interval) increases in beef cows. Females with a precalving BCS <5 tend to have production cycles greater than 1 year.

For example, cows with a precalving BCS of 3 would be expected to have a calving interval of approximately 400 days, while a cow with a precalving BCS of 6 would have a calving interval of approximately 360 days. Thin cows are anestrous for a longer period of time and are therefore more likely to be open at the end of the breeding season. They may also result in lighter calves to sell the next year because the calves from these thin cows will be born later in the calving season.

Management of BCS after calving also impacts rebreeding efficiency.

70

Maintenance requirements for energy and protein increase 25-30% for most beef cows after calving. Producers need to plan their supplementation to match or exceed this increased nutrient requirement. Rebreeding efficiency is enhanced in cows that calved thin if their energy intake is increased. Although the best management plan is to calve cows in a BCS of 5+, increasing the energy to cows that are thin at calving can boost reproductive performance. If you see ribs, increase the energy intake of your cows even if they are on pasture. They need to gain weight or rebreeding will likely be hindered.

Thin cows (on an increasing energy intake plan!), young cows, and latecalving cows have one characteristic in common that will greatly impact their reproductive success; anestrus. After each calving, cows undergo a period of time when they do not come into estrus.

This anestrous period can be as short as 17 days but can also last as long as 150 days depending upon a number of factors. Typically, mature cows in good BCS will be anestrus for 45-90 days (avg about 60 days) while first-calf heifers will be in anestrus for 75-120 days.

Let’s consider the impact of anestrus and calving date for a herd that calves from March 1 until May 10. Bull turnout is May 20 and the length of anestrus for mature cows (BCS 5+) is 60 days, for thin (BCS <5) mature cows is about 80 days, and for young cows is 90 days. A mature cow with no ribs showing (BCS 5+) that calves on March 1 will begin to cycle on May 1 and is highly likely to conceive early.

However, the mature cow that calves on April 20 won’t cycle until June 20 and her opportunity to conceive early is less likely. Mature cows with “ribs” showing and first-calf heifers that calve on April 20 won’t begin to cycle until July 20 and will have limited opportunities to conceive.

Cattlemen can reduce the anestrous period by fenceline exposure to a mature bull or by treating the cows

COW COUNTRY •

with progesterone for 7 days prior to bull turnout. Sources of progesterone include the feed additive melengestrol acetate (MGA) or an EAZI-Breed CIDR® insert (Zoetis Animal Health).

Both sources induce estrus in anestrous cows and exposure of anestrous cows to progesterone for 7 days before bull exposure and increase pregnancy rate.

Pregnancy rates increase in these females

because inducing estrus will increase the number of opportunities these cows have to conceive in the breeding season.

Normally, I love “ribs” but not showing in my cows. If ribs are visible then plans need to be made to reduce the anestrous period. Energy intake must increase and estrus must be stimulated to give these cows a chance to conceive and give you a chance at a profit.

TIMELY TIPS FOR MAY Spring-Calving Cow Herd • Continue supplying a high magnesium mineral until daytime temperatures are consistently above 60 degrees F. • Improve or maintain body condition (BCS 5) of cows before breeding season starts. If necessary, increase energy intake even on pasture.

• Bulls should have a breeding soundness evaluation (BSE) well before the breeding season (at least 30 days). They should also receive their annual booster vaccinations and be dewormed.

• Schedule spring of “turn-out “working in lateApril or early-May; i.e. at the end of calving season and before the start of breeding season. Consult with your veterinarian about vaccines and health products for your herd.

“Turn-out” working for the cow herd may include: • Prebreeding vaccinations • Deworming • Replacing lost identification tags • Sort cows into breeding groups, if using more than one bull • Insecticide eartags (best to wait until fly population builds up) “Turn-out” working of calves may include: • Vaccinate for IBR-PI3, Clostridial diseases and Pinkeye • Dehorn, if needed (can be done with electric dehorner and fly repellent during fly season) • Castrate and implant male feeder calves (if not done at birth) • Deworm • Insecticide eartags • Consider breeding yearling replacement heifers one heat cycle (about 21 days) earlier than cows for “head-start” calving. Mate to known calving-ease bulls.

• Record identification of all cows and bulls in each breeding group.

• Begin breeding cows no later than mid-May, especially if they are on high endophyte fescue.

Cows should be in good condition so that conception occurs prior to periods of extreme heat.

• Consider synchronizing estrus in all cows.

Exposing late-calving cows and first-calf heifers to a progestin for 7 days before bull turn out increases pregnancy rates.

• Choose best pastures for grazing during the breeding season. Select those with the

M AY 2 0 1 9

best stand of clover and the lowest level of the fescue endophyte, if known. Keep these pastures vegetative by grazing or clipping.

High quality pastures are important for a successful breeding season.

If using artificial insemination: • Use an experienced inseminator.

• Make positive identification of cows and semen used. This will permit accurate records on date bred, return to heat, calving date and sire.

• Good handling facilities and gentle working of the cows are essential.

• Choose AI sires that will meet your goals and resist the temptation to get your cows bigger.

• Observe breeding pastures often to see if bulls are working. Records cows’ heat dates and then check 18-21 days later, for return to heat.

Fall-Calving Herd • Pregnancy check the cow herd. Remove open cows at weaning time.

• Plan marketing program for calves. Consider various options, such as maintaining ownership and backgrounding in a grazing program, or precondition and sell in a CPH-45 feeder calf sale.

• Initiate fly control for the cows when fly population builds up.

• Calves may be weaned anytime now but you can take advantage of the spring grass by leaving them on the cow a while or weaning and grazing.

Stockers • Keep calves on good pasture and rotate pastures rapidly during periods of lush growth.

Manage to keep pastures vegetative for best performance.

• Provide mineral mix with an ionophore.

• Implant as needed.

• Control internal and external parasites.

General • Harvest hay. Work around the weather and cut early before plants become too mature.

Harvesting forage early is the key to nutritional quality. Replenish your hay supply!

• Rotate pastures as needed to keep them vegetative.

• Clip pastures to prevent seedhead formation on fescue and to control weeds.

• Seed warm season grasses this month.

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

MAY 23, 2019 E L A S R I A P E M I T S S A R G G N I SPR lect yearling heifers and select service age bulls! day evening dge, TN 6 PM CST• Thurs idge Cattle Company, Deer Lo R Held at Sunset

with se

A select set of service age bulls sell.

A tremendous set of spring yearling replacement heifers sell ready to breed and offering breed-leading EPD profiles.

Featuring the influence of these breed-leaders that excel in their EPD profiles - Many of the calves at side are sired by these proven and popular bulls.

JINDRA ACCLAIM

An excellent set of productive spring cow-calf pairs from the heart of the Sunset Ridge Cattle Company will be selling. The majority of these productive females are in the prime of their life and will have AI sired calves at side by breed-leaders.

QUAKER HILL MANNING 4EX9

DEER VALLEY GROWTH FUND

CED BW WW YW MILK Marb RE $W $B CED BW WW YW MILK Marb RE $W $B CED BW WW YW MILK Marb RE $W $B +10 +.6 +80 +158 +29 +.72 +.69 +71.62 +215.99 +12 +2.3 +77 +129 +30 +1.07 +.62 +76.21 +163.26 +9 +1.8 +101 +174 +31 +.62 +.65 +100.29 +190.05

CED BW WW YW MILK +5 +2.4 +84 +154 +30

CED +10

Marb RE $W $B +.38 +.87 +77.99 +210.49

Marb RE $W $B +.63 +.73 +80.98 +148.53

WHITESTONE 18-MILLION

Sale Managed By

RANCE LONG, INC

918.510.3464 cell RLong@RanceLong.com www.RanceLong.com INC PO Box 2, Adair, OK 74330

COW COUNTRY •

M AY 2 0 1 9

BW +.2

WW YW MILK +78 +138 +28

KCF BENNETT FORTRESS

Sale books mailed on request - call or email today!

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

P.O. Box 98 • Jamestown, TN 38556 Gaye Smith, Owners (931) 863-5864 Justin Beaty, Manager (931) 704-3456

71

Ag credit customers KNOW...

Commitment Isn’t proven in the good times

Farmer Strong Since 1934

Loyalty

Isn’t earned overnight

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