Sire: Deer Valley Growth Fund Dam: Basin Chloe 7T26
Sire: 7 Oaks Bold Ruler Dam: Lawsons Chloe G634
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beef month
As I write this, we are winding down our spring bull sale season. The amount of bulls I have available between now and our October 27th fall bull sale could fit on a gooseneck trailer. We had a sale you must be happy with by any metric you utilize. Like many other breeders this spring, we had the highest average price we have ever had. More importantly, we sold the greatest volume of bulls in one day we have in my time back on the farm. Reflecting on the conversations I had with many customers, I am greatly encouraged by the quality of the cattlemen we work with. In the countless conversations I had leading up to sale day, I can glean what exactly my customers value and their pain points. Plain and simple, my job is to match them with the genetics that best address those. My customers told me loud and clear that they value a top 1% $Maternal value, a dam that achieved pathfinder status (at least 3 calves 5% above group average on a 365-day calving interval), and carcass value in the top 1/3 of the breed. What was most interesting to me was the last point. My customers were willing to spend 50% more on the bulls that pushed carcass value into the highest echelon of the breed when paired with elite maternal genetics. We are in Kentucky. A drastically small number of commercial cattlemen get paid for what their animal is once it is hanging on the rail. The only carcass premium a typical Kentucky cow-calf producer will see is because their calf is black-hided, and they can potentially gain a CAB premium at the packer. They are paid on potential. In previous iterations of this newsletter, I have gone into extreme detail about how, unless you sell multiple load lots to the same cattle feeder for multiple years, you will not get bid a premium for your cattle past the black-hided CAB premium. This has been confirmed to me multiple times over by some of the largest cattle feeders in the country. The sale barn and order buyer may brag about your calves, but they aren’t in the position to financially reward you for a 1.25 marbling EPD on your bull vs. a .75. They are just telling you that because they want the commission on your calves again next year. What I witnessed with the bidding habits of my customers was a group of cattlemen willing to create a better product for the consumer despite not seeing a direct return, but only the reward of the rising tide that lifts all ships. No matter how small of an impact in the big picture, implementing those elite genetics will create a greater number of high-quality carcasses consumers desire domestically and
around the world. The population has an insatiable demand for upper 2/3 Choice and Prime US beef. The more we produce of it, the better off we are as an industry. The market signals that pay a premium for Angus cattle, which in turn led to our nation’s cow herd being Angus based, and the pride of the American cattleman to want to produce the best product even if they aren’t seeing a direct return the next day, have led us to this point. Truly, a rising tide has lifted all ships, particularly for the relatively small cattlemen in Kentucky who don’t get paid for the difference of whether their calf grades Choice or Prime. Quality is king, and we are being rewarded with strong consumer demand for beef despite record cattle prices. Looking to the future, we must ask ourselves what will affect the tides. We have solved the quality conundrum facing our industry. We have increased our trust with the public because of our efforts. The conversation in the future will be around animal welfare, vaccinations, forage utilization, and resource allocation. They do care, and the questions will come. However, it is easy to see a return instantly when it comes to those bullet points. Docile and well-handled cattle require less costly labor. Vaccinated calves are less likely to get sick. Better forage utilization and more grazing days require less highcost harvested feeds. More judicious allocation of resources allows us to lower our production costs. In the past, the quality of our beef has been able to answer the questions for us. Moving forward, it will be done with our day-to-day actions.
- Joe K. Lowe II
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
OFFICERS:
President
RANDY WARNER Sharpsburg
President Elect
ALLAN BRYANT Eminence
Vice President
DANIEL HAYDEN Whitesville
Treasurer
KEN ADAMS Upton
Past President
JEFF PETTIT Sebree
KCA Program Chairman
ADAM CHUNGLO Harrodsburg
KBC Chairman
RYAN MILLER Campbellsville
KBN Chairman*
ALLAN BRYANT
Beef Solutions Chairman*
DANIEL HAYDEN *ex officio
REGIONAL DIRECTORS:
REGION 1
Wayne Zoglmann, John Mark Brown, Dale Gold, Greg Roberson, Gary Woodall, Coleman Ladd, Susan Zoglmann, Bill Plemmons, Kenton Howard, Steve Dunning, Conner Williams
REGION 2
Phyllis Gentry, Joe Lowe, Allison Nissley, Rayetta Boone, Robbie Hatfield, Chris
Imbruglio, Maggie Webb, Andy Joe Moore, Adam Thomas, AJ Mitchell, Isaac Thompson, Kenneth Green, Trent Jones, Josh Morris, Joe Mike Moore, Amy Cecil
REGION 3
Amanda Hall, Nathan Lawson, Allen Phillips, Irvin Kupper, John David Yount, Lincoln Clifford, Abbey Biddle, Ben Tinsley, Crystal Harrod, Kyle Bush, Michelle Simon, Craig Retzlaff
REGION 4
Amy White, Brad Reynolds, Chad Anglin, Phillip Stamm, Danielle Harmon, Brandy Graves, Jodi Purvis, Mike Ravencraft, Ronnie Lowe, Logan Carter, Jason Crowe, Rob Amburgey
REGION 5
Phillip Reese, John Settles, Natalie Wesley, Doris Hamilton, Freddy Harris, Brent Williams, Anne Bays, Tommy Glasscock, Josh Wethington, Arch Sebastian, Terry Mattingly Executive Committee members in bold
at your local county clerk's office! Kentucky Cattlemen's Foundation will receive $10 from each purchase and renewal to benefit education, leadership and youth programs.
KCA PAST PRESIDENTS:
Dave Maples
Kenny
Kelly
Todd Brown Graphic Designer
Bradon Burks KBC Director
Rachel Cain Membership and Communications Coordinator
Amelia Carter KBC Director of Industry Relations
Danny Coy Video Production Specialist
Jake Harrod KBN Program Coordinator
Dan Miller KBN Industry Coordinator
Debby Nichols National Advertising Sales, LAN
Katie Pratt Communications Manager
Alex Scott MS, RD, LD KBC Southeast Regional Director of Nutrition
Becky Thompson Director of Kentucky Beef Network
Kelly Tucker KCA Collections & Compliance
Nikki Whitaker Director of Operations & Policy
President's Thoughts
Randy Warner KCA President
Beef Month is finally here, and I hope it finds you safe and well. We have been busy on the farm with turnout in a couple weeks and working and weaning all fall calves and getting all spring-born calves taken care of. It’s a blessing to be able to see the start of a new herd and ponder how things will go.
I know the past few months have been tough going, but we’ve made it through and await a bountiful summer with plenty of grass and ample moisture. Kentucky is known as Bluegrass Country, and this spring has shown just how quickly our pastures turn from brown to lush and green in a short period of time. I personally think that Kentucky is the only place in the country that is situated where we can raise beef with minimal effort because of our pastures. With an abundance of land that is suitable for raising cattle, it puts us in a unique position that a lot of other states don’t have.
Our construction oversight committee and KCA staff have had quite a few brainstorming sessions with our architectural firm to develop a concept of our Livestock Innovation Center, and believe me, it is a truly exciting adventure. I firmly believe we will build a center that will be the envy of all the country and something you will be proud of.
With May being declared Beef Month, it should bring excitement to all of our cattle producers and serve as a reminder that we provide the most safe, nutritious protein in the world. We actually raise the most sustainable meat source that is available worldwide. That should make us producers very happy to do our part to make sure we raise our cattle the right way for everyone.
One thing I have noticed in my travels to different parts of the state is that everybody has the same mindset on taking care of their cattle. They want to be prosperous, but they also have a keen focus on proper cattle handling and care. It’s been an honor I never dreamed of to travel and have the opportunity to speak before different counties, and I take that responsibility to heart.
Another topic I want to touch on is the NCBA Legislative Conference I attended last week in Washington D.C. Our federal legislators have our best interests on their minds and are doing everything possible to make sure we stay profitable. They listened to our concerns and were mindful about them and promised to address them.
In closing, I want to you to know that I’m always available to talk and welcome any questions or concerns you might have. I will do anything possible to help in any way that I can. Once again, God Bless you and EAT BEEF.
Toxic Infested Fescue? WE CAN HELP!
A three-year research study was conducted using Fescue 7 at Morehead State University. Researchers measured cow body condition scores, calf weights, hair shedding, body temperature, and cow behavior.
Cows provided the Fescue 7 mineral had significantly better body condition scores, quicker hair shedding, lower body temperature and grazed more frequently during the heat of the day. We believe that our research shows that Fescue 7 mineral can be an effective tool in combating heat stress associated with fescue toxicosis.”
“Some years ago, we lost almost an entire calf crop due to the fescue. Needless to say I was looking for answers. A minderal salesman introduced me to Gro-Tec mineral and a product called Fescue 7. Without going into great detail this stuff is a gamechanger. Not only did it help tremendously with the fescue but it also cut down our pinkeye and foot rot problems. Sent our breed back rates on the high 90% range.”
Jason Schroeder, Schroeder’s Black Herefords Jefferson City, MO
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Commisioner's Corner
Jonathan Shell Agriculture Commissioner
I thoroughly enjoyed a delicious Food is Medicine Initiative kickoff recently when a hospital in Russell Springs partnered with a local beef producer to offer premium all-natural, locally raised beef as an option for meals served to the hospital’s patients, staff and visitors. If the hamburger I scarfed down is medicine, start me a prescription! Sampling burgers along with me were the beef producer, Dry Branch Stock Farm owner Zach Gibbs, and Russell County Hospital CEO Russell Thompson. We were joined by Brian Andrus, who works in sales and marketing for Dry Branch, and Travis Burton, who represented the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA).
This partnership exemplifies exactly what Food is Medicine is working toward – connecting Kentucky’s hardworking farmers with local healthcare providers to deliver fresh, nutritious food straight to patients. It’s a win for our farm families, a win for community health and a testament to the power of agriculture as a cornerstone of Kentucky’s future.
I began Food is Medicine last year in collaboration with KHA. The initiative aims to improve health outcomes in the state by integrating healthy, locally grown and produced foods into healthcare settings. It recognizes that high-quality nourishment is essential for well-being. Richer nourishment can result in healthier lifestyles, improved health and long-term positive results for individuals and communities.
I’m happy to help Kentucky hospital officials connect to local producers giving them access to nutritious food closer to their hospital locations. By sourcing beef from Dry Branch, Russell County Hospital is taking a significant step toward that goal while strengthening ties with Kentucky’s agricultural community.
Dry Branch beef cattle graze the rolling green pastures of its farm near Danville. They are never treated with antibiotics or growth hormones. As the cattle get older, they are finished with natural grain made with non-GMO corn. The farm works with a local livestock nutritionist to create rations that meet its high standards to create flavorful, marbled, high-quality beef.
Ounce for ounce, beef is more nutrient dense than many other protein foods. Beef provides 10 essential nutrients, including: protein, iron, zinc, vitamins B6 and B12, choline, phosphorus, niacin, riboflavin and selenium. Beef also contains healthy fats, such as omega-3s and monounsaturated fats.
Dry Branch oversees every step of production. The best cattle are hand-selected for slaughter to assure the highest quality of beef. Cattle are butchered one at a time in Dry Branch’s small slaughterhouse, which is inspected by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture. The beef is dry aged for 14 days, creating a rich flavor.
Dry Branch sells its beef, pork, lamb, poultry and eggs through its Meat Shoppe & General Store at 125 W. Main St. in downtown Danville. For more information, go to www.DryBranchStockFarm.com.
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Thoughts From Dave
Dave Maples Executive Vice President
I just got back from a really nice Beyond the Bluegrass trip to Texas with several other Kentucky beef producers. While there, we toured a lot of neat livestock facilities and operations and got to learn more about the differences between our two states.
Just a couple of days before we left for Texas, I was invited to a presentation by Jim Gerrish, grazing expert. Jim is one of those people that I just love to hear speak and has been a promoter of intensive grazing management. In the early 1990s, I had the opportunity to go to his three-day grazing school at the University of Missouri forage system research station. To be honest, it was one of the best educational experiences I have had in my career. Rotational grazing was a rather new concept in those days and observation was a highly important component of the class. One of his more interesting studies was an observation of how cattle found water sources.
When Jim was speaking to the group in Kentucky, he talked about the importance of observation and systems in our pastures and farming ventures. So, observation was very much on my mind as I started my trip to Texas. To start with, Texas is a very different environment than Kentucky. Everything is dependent on water in Texas. They were talking about getting an average of 15-16 inches of rain a year, and we had just gotten 12.5 inches in three days.
One of the highlights of the trip was our stop at West Texas A&M University. The school has made a big investment in animal sciences education with totally new facilities. It has developed a very strong local donor base that has given millions of dollars to support the school. There was a welcoming feeling amongst the faculty and administrators. It was one of the first universities I have been to where the faculty had business cards and passed them out. Not to
mention, West Texas is half the price of perennial animal science power schools Oklahoma State University and Kansas State University. It will be interesting to watch where they take WTAMU in the coming years.
We also toured a big packing plant in Cactus, Texas. This was a JBS plant, and they showed the group the plant and the tannery. Earlier this year, the plant had announced they will be undergoing a several hundred-milliondollar renovation.
We went to the 74,000 XIT feedlot in Dalhart, Texas. Longtime friend, Gene Lowery, is the manager of the XIT. Most of the cattle are companyowned but there was a percentage that were custom fed cattle, which means the feed yard serves a steer motel for the customer and feeds the cattle to a specific weight.
Deer Creek Feeding was a cool stop. Deer Creek is a ranch for dairy calves starting at a day old all the way to breeding the dairy heifers. As our guide said, they were a calf motel. And I don't mean just a few calves. We are talking 85,000 individual calf hutches. It was literally a sea of calf hutches. For me, this was the most interesting stop on the tour. I had been to packing plants, feed yards and ranches, but a dairy calf ranch like this was new to me. It was efficient, well managed and clean. To have a 5% death loss on that many dairy calves is amazing to me. The calves lived in the hutches for 90 days then were moved to group pens of 20 head and then to larger more feedlot-type pens. The owners of the animals could take them home at any stage all the way through to breeding. One of the other stops that I want to highlight was the R. A. Brown Ranch in Throckmorton, Texas. The ranch is a fifth-generation ranch and many of you have heard its owner Donnell Brown speak at different events. Donnell is a very forward-thinking individual and has built a business model of selling bulls from several
breeds. His high selling bull this year was a black red angus. Donnell has developed a bull development center at the ranch where several cooperators bring their bull calves after weaning. All bulls follow his breeding and health program and sell under the R.A. Brown brand. When asked about the average sale price for his bulls, he answered with the price of five steer calves or three finished steers or around $15,000.
Getting back to Jim Gerrish’s comments about observation. What I observed on the trip to Texas was that everything there is big. The stops that I have described were large; however, they were efficient, and there was cooperation amongst several different ranches. Each stop specialized in one aspect of the supply chain, and they were scalable.
Allison Charolais
Charolais
Charolais Breeder Since 1962
Charolais Breeder Since 1962
Breeder Since • Bulls Available
Ø Bull calves out of HCR Answer HCR SPIRIT 4007.
Ø Bull calves out of HCR Answer 2042 and HCR SPIRIT 4007.
Ø Bull calves out of HCR Answer 2042 and HCR SPIRIT 4007.
Ø Bred for calving ease and growth.
Ø Bred for calving ease and growth.
Ø Bulls for both purebred and commercial breeders.
Ø Bred for calving ease and growth.
Ø Yearlings and two-year-olds available.
Ø Bulls for both purebred and commercial Ø Yearlings and two-year-olds available.
Ø Bred heifers to calve in fall available.
Ø Bulls for both purebred and commercial breeders.
Ø Bred heifers to calve in fall available.
Ø Yearlings and two-year-olds available.
Ø Bred heifers to calve in fall available. John
BARREN COUNTY NEWS
submitted by Carol Spiegl
The Barren County Cattlemen's Association met for their March meeting. The meeting and ribeye dinner were sponsored by the Jones Family, Coles Bend Cattle Company. Trent Jones spoke to the membership about his farm’s bull program. Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd informed the members of upcoming agricultural-related projects on the horizon for Barren County. She was joined by Kevin Myatt with planning and zoning. They discussed possible zoning issues in the county.
LINCOLN COUNTY NEWS
submitted by Tyler Miller
The Lincoln County Cattlemen’s Association hosted the annual Pastor to Pasture Tour. This serves as an opportunity for the officers and directors of LCCA to invite their preacher out for a day of learning to showcase the daily activities of our cattlemen and women. Several special guests attended including members of the local ag development board, Jacob Settles, our KBN field associate and our friends from Ag Credit of Stanford.
The day started at the extension office with coffee and donuts. The group headed to Buffalo Spring Farms where Josh Brown and his brother, Aaron, explained their farming operation. They discussed how and why they feed their hay the way they do. The Browns also row crop several acres, and they talked about how they benefited from cover crops as a reliable winter feed source. They have a beautiful farm, and their presentation was very informative.
Our next stop was at our Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association Hall of Famer, Jack and Thelma Blair’s farm. We first learned of the farm’s history. Jack had been to this farm as a high school student judging dairy cows. Smith T. Powell, KCA’s second president from 1974-77, owned
this tract of land and farmed it for years. Jack was fortunate enough to purchase the land and continue to raise livestock on it. We viewed his working facilities, saw cows and calves, and had a demonstration on how to measure tobacco acres using a metal tape and pins with measurements of links and chains. This was Jack’s summer job for a couple of years when he was in college. We all left with one of Thelma’s cookies!
Jason Elliott, our current LCCA president, hosted the group at his farm. He has primarily a backgrounding operation along with row crops and an alfalfa hay operation. Jason did a good job of showing how he feeds and manages his cattle operation. Attendees viewed his shipping and receiving facilities, one of the feeding areas and learned of his protocol when bringing new animals to the farm. We also got to meet his two sons, which are both young but eager to run cattle. His father, Joe, was with us, and he made sure everyone felt welcomed at his farm!
Lunch was held at the Hustonville Baptist Church. There was prayer, a meal and dessert that was prepared by members from the local Amish
community. And yes, it was as good as you can imagine. A short devotion was given and accepted by all. The group viewed the church sanctuary that was constructed in the 1800s and listened to the preacher talk of the building. History is fascinating to me, and if you don’t pass the stories along, they get lost in time.
Our last stop was at Lincoln Hardwood Logs, a sawmill in McKenny. We toured the facilities and learned the process of turning a log into a usable product. Being able to see the equipment, the saw blades and how little is wasted was impressive.
METCALFE COUNTY NEWS
submitted by Moe Hensley
The Metcalfe County Cattlemen met on March 20 at the Metcalfe Couty Extension office.
Kalmbach Feeds, in association with Pro Solutions of Hiseville, were the sponsors for the meeting. Brad Carter gave the presentation and explained what Kalmbach could do for your herd. New officers were announced. They are Lisa Upchurch, president; Bart Branstetter, vice president; Harley McIntyre, secretary/treasurer; Moe Hensley, reporter.
The cattlemen scholarship was discussed. Applications are due May 10 and are available at the Metcalfe County High School’s guidance counselor’s office.
CHRISTIAN COUNTY NEWS
submitted by Craig Richardson
Last week, the Christian County Cattlemen’s Association held our annual spring meeting at the Ag Expo Center, and we want to extend a big thank you to all our members who attended!
The highlight of the meal was brisket sandwiches, expertly cooked by our board members—it turned out great! A special thanks to 4 Seasons Catering for providing the delicious sides and their continued excellent service.
We were honored to have Dr. Chris Forcherio from Purina as our guest speaker. Thanks to Cooper Long and the team at Southern States for making it happen. Dr. Forcherio
The cattlemen in attendance enjoyed the presentation and also the meal with homemade desserts.
gave an insightful presentation on the importance of minerals in herd health—from conception to slaughter. He emphasized the economic benefits of a strong mineral program and how proper supplementation plays a critical role in producing high quality beef with a strong return on investment.
We also had some exciting news for our members! Legacy Metals/ Summertown Metals is now offering an exclusive 4% discount on all materials—available only to members of the Christian County Cattlemen’s Association. Big thank you to Ben Ray and the team for offering this to our members.
A huge thank you to our other sponsors for making this event possible: Brame Ag Services (Mitch Brame), Yarbrough Sales (JD Von Hooser) Hopkinsville/Todd County Animal Clinic, Ag Spray (Tyler Strode), Hopkinsville NRCS & FSA (Marty Lewis, Frank Yancy and Cynthia Loftus). Your support helps us provide door prizes for our members, ensuring they leave not only with full bellies but also with something useful for their operations.
Thank you again to everyone who contributed to another successful meeting—we look forward to seeing you all at our next event!.
Brad Carter and Sawyer Carter with Kalmbach Feeds, along with Metcalfe County Cattlemen President, Lisa Upchurch.
Mike Wheeler of Pro Solutions in Hiseville
KBN Improves Operations by Going Back to Basics
Katie Pratt Kentucky Cattlemen's Association
LEXINGTON, KY− For Webster County producer, Russell Bell, the Back to Basics Program has helped put his operation on the right track. Prior to the program, the full-time farmer was calving year-round, had a limited forage plan, few water options and a loose vaccination protocol.
Bell’s operation has completely transformed in the 1.5 years he has been in the program.
“There are things that we have done that we either would not have done on our own or would not have done so soon,” Bell said who raises around 120 mama cows and has a custom baling operation with his wife Angelan.
The Back to Basics Program began in 2023 as part of the grant the Kentucky Beef Network and the University of Kentucky Beef IRM Team received from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund. The Back to Basics program is designed to help producers incorporate modern production practices into their operations.
Willing participants
Les Anderson, UK beef extension specialist, heads up the program. He worked with county extension agents and KBN field associates to find farmers willing to participate. Nine
farmers from across Kentucky are enrolled in the two-year program.
Bell was an ideal choice because he had already sought out the advice of his county extension agent Vicki Shadrick and was willing to make changes.
“We wanted to find producers who would follow through with our recommendations for their operation and stay for the entirety of the program,” Anderson said. “We also wanted to make sure each farm in the program had a unique situation.”
Holistic Improvements
In the program, Anderson along with a number of other UK extension specialists in beef cattle production and forages, visit each of the farms to offer ways producers could improve their many aspects of their operations. For Bell’s operation, that included farm visits from Chris Teutsch, UK extension forage specialist, Katie VanValin and Kevin Laurent, UK beef extension specialist, Maggie Ginn, UK extension associate, and Ben Lloyd, KBN field associate.
“All of the farms in the program have gone through a massive reorganization and are using record keeping systems Stocket and Beef System Analyzer to tract their progress,” Anderson said.
Today, Bell is artificially inseminating every cow and moving toward fall calving and spring calving herds. He is using sex-sorted semen in his AI program to produce as many steer calves as possible. He is also better managing his pastures, rotationally grazing his cattle and has worked to improve soil fertility.
“We weren’t soil testing anything before,” Bell said. “Now, we are making all the improvements that we can afford to make based on our soil test results. We are also experimenting with clover and crabgrass.”
He is also weaning and backgrounding his calves. They are vaccinated and on feed for at least 90 days before they are sold.
“Before I was selling unweaned calves for someone else to deal with,”
he said. “This program has shown me how backgrounding, having a vaccination plan and weaning prior to taking the animals to sale barn can really help my bottom line.”
Finding solutions
Dale Gold, farms with his wife Cheryl, his uncle Bob Gold and Bob’s wife Pat in Marshall County. He was initially referred to the program by Nicole Rhein, Marshall County extension agent, due to a persistent pinkeye problem in his herd. Gold worked with Anderson, Laurent, Ginn and local veterinarian Dr. Caleb Jenkin. Jenkin created a vaccine that was tailored to Gold’s operation to reduce the occurrence of pinkeye.
In the process, Gold also filled in an old, shallow pond that may have contributed to his fly problem with a grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and transitioned his cattle to self-waterers.
“We had a rough three years with pinkeye before this program,” Gold said. “Last year, we only had two cases.”
Taking it up a notch
While addressing the pinkeye issue,
UK specialists talked with Gold about his goals for the operation. He has a registered herd of around 25 head of Angus cows and was looking to expand and improve his genetics. Gold was already artificially inseminating his herd and following it up with a clean-up bull. Anderson suggested he add a chute-side pregnancy blood test and ultrasound after the first AI round and follow it up with a second round of AI on the open animals before using a clean-up bull.
“Dale is a great example of a producer who was already doing a good job but decided to take his management to the next level,” Anderson said.
Gold said he likes the chute-side pregnancy blood test because it is easy to use and quickly provides results. His conception rates have increased due to the added tests and AI round.
“In the first year, we nearly doubled my herd’s conception rate by adding the second round of AI,” Gold said. “We went from conception rates in
the upper 50% to low 60s to now 80 to 90%.”
Gold also improved his record keeping and is using it to determine which cows to use AI sex-sorted semen to produce his desired heifers to retain in the operation.
“In keeping records, I found that my top 10-12 cows got bred by AI on the first pass,” Gold said. “I’m using sexsorted semen when I breed those so I can keep their heifer calves to expand my herd.”
Gold, who is the currently president of the Calloway County Cattlemen’s Association, has worked with UK to offer field days for other area producers about the production practices he has implemented. In addition, he is assisting neighboring farmers as they add some of the same production practices to their operations.
“Even though they are not involved in the program, there is value to other producers seeing and learning about what we are doing,” he said.
KJCA Hosts Cattle Working Qualifier
Whitney Peck Kentucky Junior Cattlemen's Association President
The Kentucky Junior Cattlemen's Association concluded March with their second annual Cattle Working Contest. This unique experience gives high school students an opportunity to develop their skills in proper animal handling and welfare.
Students who compete in the contest must be of high school age and a KJCA member. Competitors must also be BQA certified and have chute-side experience. A team can be made up of county 4-H programs, FFA chapters, county cattlemen's groups or individuals from different counties. Students get evaluated on vaccination injections, administering dewormer, tagging, cattle handling, efficiency and safety.
The KJCA Cattle Working Contest also contains other educational components besides working three head of cattle. Participants are required to complete a processing plan. This plan provides information about the products that are being used, how they should be used and where they need to be administered.
We had a total of 19 teams across Kentucky compete in our state qualifying event. Congratulations to the following teams that will compete in our state competition May 2 at the Hardin County Extension office: Adair County, Apollo FFA groups No. 1 and No. 2, Casey County Team 2, Cultivated Cowpokes, Franklin County A, Henry County White, Shelby County, The Golden Girls and Triple B.
Another great way that students can get more chute-side experience is by attending our KJCA Academy. This event allows students to engage in a variety of activities that provide practical knowledge and skills, including earning their BQA, practicing cattle tagging, learning proper implant techniques and more. This academy will be later this fall.
In other news, our annual Fall Classic will be Oct. 3-5 at Western Kentucky University’s L.D. Brown Expo Center in Bowling Green. Students can compete in a wide range
of contests including ad design, sales talk, photography, skillathon, team fitting, judging and showmanship. And as always, we will also still host our cow-calf, bull, breeding heifer and prospect marketing shows.
The Kentucky Junior Cattlemen’s offers a wide range of opportunities for all students interested in the beef cattle industry whether their interest is in commercial or purebred cattle. We strive to provide a place for all students to become involved, to learn more and to make a positive difference in their future. Our hope is that we can provide the necessary resources for them to further their futures as young beef industry professionals.
Clara Belle Bishop, KJCA member from Nelson County, picks up the heifer she won as part of the auction at the KCA Convention. The heifer, donated by Allan and Mary Bryant of Henry County, was purchased by a group that included individuals, county cattlemen’s associations and industry representatives for $9,300, with the funds going to the KJCA. The group donated the heifer to a randomly selected KJCA member. This is the second consecutive year a cattleman has donated a heifer to benefit the KJCA and one of its members.
Address Lameness Sooner Than Later
Michelle Arnold DVM (Ruminant Extension Veterinarian, UKVDL)
There are many causes of lameness in beef cattle, but nearly 90% of all lameness cases are due to something wrong in the foot. Since producers generally make the initial diagnosis and treatment of lameness cases in their cattle, it is important to establish assessment and treatment guidelines with your veterinarian so you will know when cases are failing to respond and in need of further examination. Although interdigital necrobacillosis (foot rot) is by far the most common hoof disorder in pastured beef cattle, it is not a condition to ignore and see if it gets better on its own. In fact, most disorders of the hoof, if not addressed quickly, can progress to a much more serious infection involving the bone, synovial structures, tendons and ligaments of the foot, termed “deep digital sepsis.” Treatment at that advanced stage is expensive, radical and rarely successful.
One of the challenging aspects of discussing beef cattle lameness is
the vocabulary used in bovine hoof anatomy (Figure 1). A bovine “foot” is composed of two toes or “digits” that are typically referred to as “claws”. The claw is the constant interface between the animal and the environment. Each claw is covered by a rigid “hoof capsule.” When viewing the hoof from the bottom, the “lateral claw” is the outside claw while the “medial claw” refers to the inside claw. The area in between the claws is the “interdigital space,” and where the claws come together is termed the “interdigital cleft.” The “hoof wall” is by far the strongest and most important structure for weight bearing and is equivalent to the human fingernail. The “axial” wall is located in the interdigital space while the “abaxial” wall is located on the outer side of the claw. The “coronary band,” located at the hairline at the top of the hoof wall, is where the new horn grows from, and it takes about a year to reach the toe end. The “pastern” is the joint between
the long cannon bone and the hoof. The “fetlock” is the joint above the pastern joint and is considered above the foot.
To begin the assessment of a newly discovered case of lameness, the first question to answer is whether the affected foot is swollen. Since the hoof capsule is rigid and unable to expand, swelling will be seen in the tissues immediately above the coronary band. Prior to assessment, moving the animal from deep grass or mud to a solid surface and cleaning off any excessive dirt and debris will allow better visualization of the hoof. Start behind the animal, viewing the foot from the rear, and compare the distance between the dewclaws of the affected foot to that of the unaffected feet. The dewclaws will be spread further apart in a swollen foot than in a normal foot. The next question to answer is whether the swelling is symmetrical (as in cases of
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
Figure 1: Parts of the Bovine Hoof. Accessed from https://www.wavegoodbyetopain.co.uk/foot-anatomy-and-biomechanics.html 4/8/2025.
Food Animal Practice; Volume 33, Issue 2, July 2017).
foot rot) or is one side more swollen than the other (as in cases of deep digital sepsis). To do this, envision an imaginary line (Figure 2) that begins in the interdigital space and bisects the foot up the middle of the leg (on the “axial midline”). The swelling from foot rot is typically symmetrical because the infection begins in the interdigital space. In contrast, deep sepsis causes most of the swelling on the side of the infected digit (claw). A second method to assess symmetry is to compare the widths of the heel bulbs on the affected foot. In cases of deep sepsis, the heel bulb will be much wider on the affected side while in foot rot cases, the heel bulbs will be similarly sized. To reiterate, the important take-home message is that deep digital sepsis must be addressed much more aggressively than foot rot and veterinary intervention is required as soon as possible to determine the best course of action. Antibiotics alone will not be enough to treat sepsis; amputation of the claw or surgical intervention to drain the infected area will be necessary to try to resolve the lameness.
Common causes of lameness in beef cattle that typically do not result in visible swelling of the foot include uncomplicated digital dermatitis (hairy heel warts), sole or toe
ulcers, laminitis (founder), subsolar abscesses or injuries higher up in the leg. The absence of swelling does not mean the animal does not need prompt attention. For example, untreated sole or toe ulcers can lead to abscess formation which requires more aggressive hoof trimming, antibiotics and longer healing time. Working with a veterinarian early in complicated lameness cases
will facilitate arriving at the right diagnosis and the correct treatment for that disorder.
As mentioned previously, foot rot is the most common condition observed in pastured beef cattle. This is an infectious disease caused by bacteria invading the interdigital skin and subcutaneous tissues, often due to trauma to the soft skin between the claws. Warm, moist environmental conditions, especially when cattle congregate and defecate in shady wet areas, softens the interdigital skin. The initiating injury may be caused by walking on rough surfaces, sharp gravel, twigs, stubble, frozen or hardened mud that tear the softened skin. Mineral deficiencies of zinc, selenium and copper contribute as well. The disease begins with a sudden onset of lameness where the animal tip toes on the affected foot. The interdigital skin and soft tissues become red and swollen, causing the claws to spread apart. The swelling is symmetrical and extends from the top of the hoof to the dewclaws and sometimes higher. Later, the swollen skin cracks open and dead/ decaying tissue with a foul odor. Early treatment with appropriate injectable antibiotic therapy such as
Box 1: Thumb Rules (Dr. David Van Metre et al; AABP Proceedings, September 2005, Vol. 38)
1. Causes of lameness can often be categorized according to the presence or absence of visible swelling of the soft tissues of the foot.
2. Because interdigital necrobacillosis (foot rot) is centered in the interdigital skin, early cases are characterized by swelling that is symmetrical relative to the longitudinal (axial) midline of the foot.
3. Deep sepsis of the digit is characterized by swelling that is asymmetrical relative to the longitudinal (axial) midline of the foot. Deep sepsis should be addressed immediately by a veterinarian.
4. On-farm lameness treatment protocols should include an expected deadline for resolution - once the deadline is reached, if the animal has not recovered, the veterinarian should be consulted.
5. Cattle that become lame from digital wounds (punctures, lacerations) should be scheduled for prompt veterinary examination because deep sepsis almost always results from this type of injury.
Figure 2: The blue line represents the imaginary line from the interdigital space and up the axial midline. Note the swelling is equally distributed on each side of the line in this case of foot rot. (Accessed from Veterinary Clinics of North America:
with Ceftiofur (Excede®, Excenel®), Florfenicol (Nuflor®, Resflor®), Oxytetracycline, Tulathromycin (Draxxin®, other generic), or Tylosin (Tylan®) will usually resolve this problem but delays in treatment or not following up on recovery after treatment may result in deep digital sepsis and a poor outcome. Do not forget the possibility of a foreign body that may be stuck deep within the interdigital space; improvement will only come after the foreign object is removed.
In summary, following some basic rules (Box 1) when approaching a lameness case on the farm should help determine if it can be appropriately managed with antibiotics alone or if veterinary examination is required. In addition to these basic rules, the Zinpro Corporation and Kansas State University have developed a systematic approach to diagnosing beef cattle lameness called “The Step-Up™ Program” (Figure 3). The total program is not limited
to the identification and treatment of lameness but also includes information on good nutrition, proper facility design, and appropriate animal handling and husbandry practices to reduce the lameness incidence within the beef industry. Ultimately, improvement in animal welfare, appropriate use of antibiotics and reduction in the costs associated with lameness will result from a little extra time spent assessing the problem before reaching for the bottle on the shelf.
Figure 3: From “Identifying and Managing the Common Causes of Beef Cattle Lameness” guide developed by Zinpro Corporation and Kansas State University.
Getting Grounded: Electric Fencing for Serious Graziers
Chris Teutsch UK Research and Education Center, Princeton
Electric fencing, both temporary and permanent, can be a powerful tool for controlling grazing when it is working correctly. When it is not working properly, it can be an endless source of frustration. This article will provide some tips for improving one of the most important and often overlooked pieces of electric fencing systems.
Components of Electric Fence
There are three primary components in an electric fencing system: energizer or charger, the wire and insulators and the grounding system (Figure 1). All three components must be properly working for an electric fence to successfully control livestock. The most often overlooked component is the grounding system. Most of the problems associated with low voltage on an electric fence are caused by an improperly constructed grounding system.
The grounding system includes the ground rods, wire and connectors. When grounding systems are not functioning effectively, there are steps that can be taken to check the grounding system. This publication provides recommendations for building a ground system as well as testing its effectiveness.
Tips for Designing and Installing an Effective Grounding System
Use at least three ground rods, 10 ft. apart and driven 6 ft. into the soil. Soil has limited conductivity; it's important to have enough surface area around ground rods in contact with the soil to handle the current provided by the energizer. The 10-ft. spacing between ground rods allows each rod to act independent of the others in receiving some of the current in a circuit. In areas with sandy, rocky, or dry soils or extremely long runs of fencing or larger energizers additional ground rods may be required to handle the total energy in the electric fencing system.
Choose a location for the grounding
1. Energizer (power) is connected to the fence and the ground.
2. Power is sent along the fence in pulses.
Figure 1: The three components of electric fencing systems are the energizer, the wire and insulators, and the grounding system. When an animal touches the fence the electrical pulses travel through the animal into the ground and back to the energizer. This completes the circuit and results in a safe but memorable experience for the animal. Adapted from Electric Fencing 101 from Gallagher.
system with moist soil. Ground rods get better conductivity in moist soils. Ideally, the grounding system should be set up in areas that remain damp. Often along the side of the building in a drip edge, particularly the north side or in an exclusion fence line near a water body or low-lying area make good site selections.
Avoid setting up a grounding system
Figure 2: Grounding rods should be connected with one continuous wire back to the energizer. Wire should be connected to the grounding rods using a galvanized or bronzed grounding rod clamp.
adjacent to other grounding systems. Grounding systems for electric fencing should be set 50 or more feet away from ground rods for your home, barn or utilities.
Use galvanized grounding rods. When developing an electric fencing system, the goal is always to match like metals. Because electric fencing is typically done with galvanized steel wire and terminals on electric fencing energizer most often galvanized the same metal should be used for the ground rods. Using copper ground rods will create electrolysis (corrosion) at the connection of dissimilar metals reducing the conductivity back to the energizer. Similarly, used rebar or T-posts are not designed or galvanized like ground rods and will rust reducing their ability to transfer current.
Connect grounding rods to energizer using one continuous 12.5-gauge or larger wire with a Class III galvanization. Connect the energizer to the grounding rods using one continuous uncut 12.5 gauge or larger
3. Animal receives shock when it touches the fence.
class III galvanized wire. Do NOT use copper wire.
Regularly check the wire from the energizer to the ground rods. The wire running from the energizer to the ground rods typically runs along the ground and can be susceptible to additional wear and tear with mowing, weed eating and animal pressure causing it to rust or break. It is important to regularly check that this wire is intact, not corroded and securely fastened to the grounding rods.
Use proper connectors to attach wire to the ground rods. Use galvanized or bronze clamps designed for grounding system to create a strong connection between the ground rod and the grounding wire (Figure 2).
Testing Your Grounding System
Required supplies and tools: Digital Voltmeter, metal posts or ground rods.
Energizer and Connections
1. Check voltage across the energizer. Using a voltmeter, ensure the energizer is providing enough charge between the ‘hot’ and ‘ground’ ports on the energizer itself while the energizer is not hooked up to the fence or grounding system. The ground system cannot be checked if the energizer has failed.
2. Check grounding system connections. Make sure that the ground wire is securely connected to the energizer and all grounding rods, that there are not breaks in the grounding wire, and that all connections are corrosion and rust free.
Check Earth Return with an Intentional Fault
1. Short fence out 350 ft. from the energizer by leaning metal T-posts or grounding rods against the fence. Add posts until the voltage drops below 2,000 volts.
2. Drive a short section of galvanized grounding rod 8-12 inches long in the soil approximately 3 ft. from grounding system.
3. Using a digital voltmeter or a fault finder equipped with a ground
inserted into the ground and voltage on the last grounding rod should be read by placing the ground for the digital voltmeter on temporary grounding rod and the voltmeter on the last grounding rod. If the voltage is > 0.2 KV, then add additional ground rods.
probe measure the voltage on the grounding system by placing the ground probe on the short piece of ground rod and the voltage probe on the grounding system (Figure 3).
4. If the voltage on the grounding system is less than 200 volts (0.2 KV), then the system is properly grounded.
5. If the voltage on the grounding system is greater than 200 volts (0.2 KV), add an additional grounding rod and retest the
FEATURED UPCOMING EVENT
system. Continue adding grounding rods until the voltage falls below 200 volts (0.2 KV).
Installing and maintaining the grounding system for your energizer is the one of the most important and often overlooked steps in successfully using electric fencing to control grazing livestock. If you are interested in learning more about installing new and troubleshooting existing electric fences, make plans to attend our electric fencing workshop on June 6 in Grayson County. See details below.
Electric Fencing for Serious Graziers: Installation and Troubleshooting • Grayson County Extension Office, Leitchfield • June 3 • More information at https://forages.ca.uky.edu/Events
FEATURED VIDEO
Lessons Learned from the Kentucky Hay Contests by Chris Teutsch. This presentation was given as part of the 2025 Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference, Alfalfa Updates and Producing Grass Hay for Premium Markets. This conference was held in Lexington on Feb. 25. It is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dehBRELM3iw.
FEATURED PUBLICATION
This month’s featured publication is: “Proper Grounding as Part of an Electric Fencing Systems” by Morgan Hayes, Chris Teutsch, and Jeremy McGill. You can access it by https://tinyurl.com/ d3w8ay5w or visiting your local extension office.
FENCING TIP
Properly build fence brace assemblies. Regardless of the type of fence that you are putting up, the brace assembly is the heart of the fencing system. The most recommended brace assembly for our region is the H-brace. The brace post and corner post should be a CCA treated post that is 6-8 inches in diameter and 8 ft. in length and should be driven small end down. The brace rail should be a CCA treated post that is 5 inches in diameter and 10 ft. in length. The brace rail should be pinned with ½ inch Class III Galvanized pins that are 4 and 10 inches in length. The brace wire should be two wraps of a 170,000 psi Class III galvanized high tensile wire that is tightened with a heavy duty in-line ratcheting strainer. After tensioning, the brace wires should be pulled together by loosely wrapping piece of high tensile wire on each side of the strainer and pushing the wraps toward the post. To learn how to properly build a brace, make plans to attend the Kentucky Fencing Schools that will be in October.
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 electric fencing school in Leitchfield.
Figure 3: A short piece of grounding rod should be
U.S. Ag Trade Deficit Continues to Widen
Will Snell University of Kentucky Extension Professor
The balance of trade, measured by the difference in a country’s value of exports versus the value of its imports, has received a lot of attention in recent months. While the overall U.S. economy has experienced negative annual trade balances for decades, U.S agriculture has historically recorded annual trade surpluses. Prior to 2019, the last time U.S. agriculture observed a trade deficit was in the 1950s. However, this situation has reversed in recent years as U.S. agriculture has become a net importer. U.S. agricultural exports have been slumping the past couple of years in response to a relatively strong U.S. dollar, competition from South American crops, lower commodity prices, and a slowing global economy. According to USDA’s latest Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade (February 2025) report, U.S. ag exports are projected to total $170.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, down 13% since its record level of $196.1 billion in FY 2022. On the other side of the ledger, U.S. agricultural imports are forecast to continue to increase to record levels of $219.5 billion in FY 2025, up 13% since FY 2022. Consequently, the U.S. agricultural trade balance is estimated to swell to a record high level of $49 billion in FY 2025 – the fifth year of recording a trade deficit in the past seven years. Mexico, Canada, China and the European Union are the largest exports markets for U.S. agriculture, but these are also the same markets that are currently in a major trade debate with the U.S. Despite the economic importance of these four export markets for U.S. agriculture, the U.S. faces significant ag trade deficits with each of these markets with the EU exporting $22 billion more in ag products to the U.S. in 2024 than it purchased from the U.S. Mexico has a $18.3 billion ag trade surplus with the U.S., and Canada has a $12.6 billion ag trade surplus.
The U.S has traditionally been a net importer of fruits and vegetables, primarily due to Americans demanding year-round availability of these food products plus labor cost advantages for these labor-intensive crops, primarily coming in from Mexico and Central/South America. Demand for these horticultural crops has intensified in recent years as Americans attempt to improve their diets by consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, the U.S. continues
Ag Imports
Ag Exports
Ag Trade Balance
to purchase an increasing volume of food and drink products from Mexico, Canada and Europe, along with imported lean beef from markets like Australia and New Zealand to blend with fattier U.S. raised beef for ground beef production. Of course, there are ag products that are imported simply because the United States is not a major producer such as coffees, teas, avocados and certain fertilizers. In recent years, increasing imported vegetable oils (used for a variety of uses including foods, plastics and biofuels) and alcoholic beverages (distilled spirits, wine, and beer) have contributed to rapidly rising imports and boosting the overall U.S. ag trade deficit. In Kentucky, imported tobacco has played a huge role in the demise of the state’s tobacco growing sector.
Tariffs become a policy tool to address trade deficits, with the goal of raising revenues and boosting domestic consumption of U.S. produced goods. However, the net effects of a particular industry following tariff adoption depends on the retaliatory action by our foreign competitors and the ability to displace imports and lost exports with additional domestic demand. In general, U.S. ag faces higher tariffs and trade restrictions in many important export markets than foreign producers face with similar products imported into the United States.
Consequently, the Trump administration is promising reciprocal tariff action in the coming weeks to “level” the playing field in the international marketplace which could cause additional reaction by our trading partners.
Overall tariffs/trade wars generally hurt export-dependent industries like U.S. agriculture as reduced export demand leads to lower export volumes, puts downward pressure on farm-level prices and tends to inflate input prices for imported items like fertilizer and farm equipment/parts coming into the United States. A recent USDA study (The Economic Impacts of Retaliatory Tariffs on U.S. Agriculture), concluded that the 2018-2019 trade war led to $27 billion of U.S. agricultural export losses due to retaliatory tariffs invoked by U.S. trade competitors. In response to trade losses, the Trump administration provided $23 billion in trade assistance called Market Facilitation Payments (MFP). Farm groups and certain members of Congress are currently lobbying for similar trade assistance programs to become available if a lingering trade war evolves. This outcome, along with the trade policy direction and trade volume impacts remain very uncertain amidst a current vulnerable and depressed U.S. farm economy.
Figure 1. U.S. Ag Trade Balance by Fiscal Year Source: ERS/USDA
Oh BOI! Big Changes to Reporting Requirements Under the Corporate Transparency Act
Jonathan Shepherd , University of Kentucky Extension Specialist
The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) became law in January 2021 but didn't take effect until January 2024. Under its original provisions, the law required individuals who qualified as beneficial owners to report their Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), with failure to comply potentially resulting in hefty fines or even imprisonment. Despite its bipartisan backing, the public remained largely unaware of the law until late 2023, when reporting deadlines were approaching. This led to numerous lawsuits challenging the CTA, resulting in a series of legal
rulings that created uncertainty, with reporting requirements fluctuating between being enforced and suspended.
As of March 21, we now have clarity on how the CTA impacts businesses and who is required to report. FinCEN has issued an interim final rule specifying that only foreign entities—those formed under a foreign country's laws and registered to do business in the U.S.—are subject to the CTA's reporting requirements. These foreign entities are not required to report any U.S. individuals who may be beneficial owners of the company. Additionally, U.S. persons are exempt from providing their BOI to any foreign
company that falls under the updated CTA reporting rules.
According to the new rule, foreign entities have 30 days from the adoption date (March 21, 2025) to comply, while newly registered foreign entities must submit their initial BOI to FinCEN within 30 days of registering in the U.S. It is estimated that this updated rule will exempt 99.8% of U.S. small businesses from having to comply with the CTA. If you own or operate a foreign entity, it’s important to consult with qualified legal counsel to fully understand your obligations under the revised CTA. ⃣
Stocker Outlook for 2025
Greg Halich University of Kentucky Associate Professor
Kenny Burdine University of Kentucky Extension Professor
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
You can also view current and past issues online at https://bit.ly/2PoHsZj
Co-editors: Kenny Burdine, Alison Davis, and Greg Halich
Meet NovaGraz™ herbicide. Now you can maximize your pasture’s potential by increasing forage quality and maintaining broad-spectrum weed control without soil residual activity.
Increase your cattle conception rates by up to 25%.
Get healthier and better-performing cattle by preserving white clover and annual lespedeza in tall fescue pastures.
Increase average daily gain by up to 50%.
Diversify grazing opportunities by preserving white clover and annual lespedeza in tall fescue pastures.
White clover can increase soil nitrogen by up to 150 pounds per acre.
Controlling broadleaf weeds and preserving white clover ensures the nitrogen you are capturing is used by the desirable forage and not weeds.
Estimated costs for carrying the 500 and 600 lb steers are shown in Table 1. Stocking rates of 1.0 acre per 500 lb steer and 1.2 acres per 600 lb steer were assumed in arriving at these charges. Most of these are self-explanatory except the pasture charge, which accounts only for variable costs such as bush-hogging, fertilizer, seeding clovers, etc., and is considered a bare-bones scenario. Sale expenses (commission) are based on the assumption that cattle will be sold in larger groups and producers will pay the lower corresponding commission rate. However, producers who sell feeders in smaller groups will pay higher commission rates which could exceed $50 per head based on the revenue assumptions of this analysis. Any of these costs could be much higher in certain situations, so producers should adjust accordingly.
Target purchase prices were estimated for both sizes of steers and adjusted so that gross returns over variable costs ranged from $100-$200 per head. Normally we would use a range of $50-$150 per head, but we feel that the higher return range will be more representative this year. This gives a reasonable range of possible purchase prices for calves this spring. Results are shown in Table 2. For 500 lb steers, target purchase prices ranged from $3.44 to $3.63 per lb. For 600 lb steers, target purchase prices ranged from $3.17 to $3.32 per lb. For an estimated gross profit of $150 per head, target purchase prices were $3.53/lb for 500 lb steers and $3.25/lb for 600 lb steers.
As an example of exactly how this works for a 500 lb steer targeting a $150 gross profit:
775 lbs steer x $2.79 (expected sale price)
$2,162
Total Variable Costs - $247
Profit Target - $150
Target Purchase Cost
$1,765
Target Purchase Price = $1765/500 lbs = $3.53/lb For heifers, sale prices for heavy feeders will be lower than comparably sized steers and they will generally not gain as well. In this analysis, we assumed the price discount for these heifers is $15 per hundredweight lower than the same weight steers and we assumed heifers would gain 10% slower than steers. With these assumptions, purchase prices would have to be $0.33/lb lower for 500 lb heifers and $0.30 lower for 600 lb heifers compared to the steer prices found in Table 2. Thus, when targeting a $150 per head gross profit, breakeven purchase prices were $3.20/lb for 500 lb heifers and $2.95/lb for 600 lb heifers.
Table 1. Expected Variable Costs 2025 *Note: Interest and death loss varies slightly by purchase price.
Your cost structure may be different from that presented in Table 1, and if so, simply shift the targeted gross profit up or down to account for this. If your costs are $25 higher per calf, then you would shift each targeted profit down by one row: For example, you would use the $175 gross profit to estimate a $150 gross profit if your costs were $25 higher. Another way to evaluate this is that a $1 increase in costs would decrease the targeted purchase price by $0.20 per cwt for 500 lb steers and $0.17 per cwt for 600 lb steers.
It is important to note that the gross profits in Table 2 do not account for labor or investments in land, equipment, fencing, and other facilities (fixed costs). Thus, in the long-run, these target profits need to be high enough to justify labor and investment, as well as a management return. While there is a lot of variation in the price of calves across Kentucky right now, a lot of calves are selling well below many of the target purchase prices estimated in this analysis. This is all the more reason that stocker operators should carefully think through their budgets and make rational purchasing decisions.
Table 2. Target Purchase Prices for Various Gross Profits 2025 *Note: Based on costs in Table 1 and sale prices of $2.79/lb and $2.71/lb and 875 lb sales weight, respectively, for 500 lb and 600 lb purchased steers.
It is very likely that stocker operators will spend more money on calves this spring than they ever have before. A lot of capital will be at risk from the day those calves are placed and uncertainty about fall price will exist. While the market has been generally very strong over the last couple of years, there were periods of time during 2023 and 2024 where prices pulled back sharply for 2-3 months at a time. We saw this from mid-September to mid-December in 2023 and from July to September of 2024. The value of cattle being sold during those times was significantly impacted and speaks to the importance of risk management strategies to protect potential returns. Forward contracts, futures and options have long been utilized for price risk management and remain viable strategies today. Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) insurance has greatly increased in popularity over the last few years and is also a good risk management tool. LRP works very much like a subsidized put option in that it provides downside price protection (for a premium) but also allows the producer to capitalize on rising prices. However, the real beauty of LRP lies in its scalability, as it can be purchased in almost any quantity. Regardless of what risk management strategy is utilized, time spent considering price risk management is likely time well spent in these volatile markets. The best way to ensure profitability is to budget carefully and to manage downside price risk. ⃣
MAY IS BEEF MONTH
MEMBERSHIP
DO YOU KNOW AN OUTSTANDING CATTLEMAN?
The Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association Hall of Fame is designed to honor a member of the organization that has given time, service, and talent to the betterment of the Cattlemen’s Association at the county and/or state levels. 2025 applications must be postmarked by June 30th. Call us at (859) 278-0899 with questions.
Application available at www.kycattle.org/hall-of-fame
2024-25 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
* MEMBERSHIP YEAR 10/1/24– 9/30/25
NAME SPOUSE NAME FARM NAME
*Payments of KCA membership dues are tax deductible for most members as an ordinary and necessary business expense. However, charitable contributions of gifts to KCA are not tax deductible for Federal Income Tax purposes. Due to new IRS regulations, $2.24 of your dues would not be deductible. Approximately $12 of your dues will go towards the monthly publication Cow Country.
PLEASE CHECK THE MEMBERSHIP(S) YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN:
KCA MEMBERSHIP ($30/YR) NEW RENEWAL
Membership dues are $30 unless otherwise listed below
KCA COUPLE MEMBERSHIP
To add your spouse, please add $15 to your KCA Membership
KENTUCKY JUNIOR CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION ($10/YR) NEW RENEWAL
I WOULD LIKE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE YOUNG PRODUCER’S COUNCIL
TOTAL MEMBERSHIP:
$ KCA
$ KJCA
TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS:
$ CATTLEMEN’S FOUNDATION DONATION (voluntary)
TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED:
$ ALL DONATIONS TO KCF ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE
COUNTY DUES
Dues are $30 except for the counties listed below.
Allen...............................$40
Anderson........................$25
Bourbon.........................$20
Boyle ..............................$35
Bullitt..............................$20
Butler..............................$25
Franklin ..........................$25
Louisville Area ................$20 (Jefferson, & Spencer) Magoffin .........................$20 Menifee ..........................$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.
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May is Beef Month in Kentucky Let's Celebrate our 32,000 Beef Producers!
Kelly Baird Director of Communications and Events
May is officially Beef Month in Kentucky, and there’s no better time to honor the 32,000 hardworking beef producers who power our agriculture industry across all 120 counties. As dedicated farmers and ranchers, you are the backbone of Kentucky’s rural communities, ensuring that high-quality beef continues to feed families here and across the nation.
This May, we’re not only recognizing your efforts, but we’re also firing up the grill and putting beef front and center with a mouthwatering lineup of recipes that showcase the bold, satisfying flavor only beef can deliver. Whether you're planning a backyard BBQ or just looking to try something new in the kitchen, these featured recipes are sure to inspire!
Join Us at These Beef Month Events: We’re celebrating Kentucky’s beef industry all month long with a lineup of local events.
• April 30 – Proclamation Signing with Gov. Andy Beshear
• May 5 – Proclamation Signing with Commissioner of Agriculture
Jonathan Shell
• May 8 – Hinton Mills Beef Day
• May 12 – Shelby County Beef Day
• May 14 –Madison County Beef Day
• May 15 – Montgomery County Beef Day
• May 16 – Henry County Cattlemen’s Beef Month Event
• May 24 – Beef Night at the Ballpark
These events are a great way to connect with local farmers, sample delicious beef recipes and learn more about the impact of Kentucky’s cattle industry.
If you are interested in attending Beef Night at the Ballpark, reach out to kbaird@kycattle.org for tickets while they are still available!
Got a Beef Month Event to Share?
We’d love to help spread the word! If your county or organization is planning a Beef Month celebration, let us know. Together, we can continue to support and spotlight Kentucky’s beef community.
Whether you’re grilling at home, cooking something new in the kitchen, or celebrating at a local event, remember to give a big THANK YOU to our beef producers this May. Let’s raise our forks (and burgers) to Kentucky beef!
KHSAA Basketball
March 12-15 and again on March 2629, the Kentucky Beef Council sat up at Rupp Arena cheering on KHSAA athletes playing in the high school basketball state tournaments. Beef is the preferred protein of the Kentucky High School Athletics Association. As a sponsor, we had in-game and out-ofgame activation measures. Outside of
our gameday tabling efforts, we had one on-court promotion (Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner Flex Cam), banners (Packed with Protein Student Section on each end), LED ribbon board signage, LED courtside signage, and radio assets (one :30 spot, one feature entitlement, and one live read). Thus far, we have had a great response to our presence at high school athletic events and hope that we can continue growing our relationship, possibly in sports nutrition going forward. Through our tabling efforts, we discussed nutrition information, beef trivia and other information about the industry.
Featured Beef Month Recipes
Using value-conscious cuts like skirt, flank and flat iron steak, along with ground beef, is a smart way to stretch your dollar without sacrificing flavor. These cuts are not only budget-friendly, but they also soak up marinades beautifully, making them perfect for bold, globally inspired dishes. Whether you're grilling skirt steak for tacos, using ground beef in a creative pasta dish, or pan-searing flat iron for a fresh salad, these versatile options prove that innovation in the kitchen doesn’t have to break the bank.
This Beef Month, we have four highlighted recipes that will satisfy everyone’s taste buds, shake up the usual menu, and kickoff grilling season with serious flavor!
1. In a food processor or blender container, combine lime juice, oil, vinegar, onion, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, oregano and ground chiles de arbol. Blend together until smooth; set aside.
2. Add half of marinade in a food-safe plastic bag. Add beef, zucchini and squash. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Alternately thread beef and vegetables onto metal skewers. Sprinkle with steak and rub seasoning (2 tsp sweet paprika, 1½ tsp dried thyme leaves, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper)
4. Place kabobs on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, 9 to 12 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, 8 to 10 minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning once. Remove from grill.
5. Serve kabobs drizzled with remaining reserved sauce.
Take your tastebuds on a South American adventure with these vibrant kabobs. Marinated in a zesty blend of cumin, garlic, soy sauce and a touch of vinegar, these skewered steak bites are packed with flavor and perfect for grilling season. Serve with rice or a fresh salsa for a crowd-pleasing dish.
Beef Bruschetta with Roasted
Garlic-Feta Spread
INGREDIENTS
• 1 beef Flat Iron Steak (about 8 ounces)
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 loaf ciabatta bread (11 to 14 ounces)
• 3/4 cup feta cheese crumbles
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse grind black pepper
• 1 cup diced Roma tomatoes, seeded, ribs removed (about 4 medium tomatoes)
• 1/3 cup packed Kalamata olives, cut in half lengthwise then into 1/4-inch half moons
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat garlic, vegetable oil and olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until the garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat; set aside to cool. Drain garlic from oil. Reserve 2 tablespoons oil for bread and 2 tablespoons oil for tomato mixture; set aside.
2. Cut ciabatta in half lengthwise. Slice into 18, 1/2-inch pieces; place on shallowrimmed baking sheet. (You may have some leftover ciabatta.) Brush each piece with reserved 2 tablespoons garlic oil. Bake in 375°F oven 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. Chop cooled garlic and return to same sauce pan; add feta. Heat on medium heat; cook 4 to 5 minutes until cheese is melted and looks like ricotta cheese. Keep warm.
4. Season steak with salt and pepper. Place steak on grid over medium, ashcovered coals. Grill, covered, 10 to 14 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, covered, 12 to 16 minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally.
5. Combine tomatoes, olives, basil and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in small bowl; set aside.
6. Spread 2 teaspoons garlic-feta mixture on each piece toasted ciabatta. Carve steak into 1/4-inch slices. Cut each slice into 1-1/2-inch pieces. Place two steak pieces on each piece ciabatta. Top with 1 tablespoon tomato mixture.
An elegant appetizer that combines hearty beef with creamy, roasted garlic-feta spread on a toasted baguette. It’s rich, flavorful and perfect for spring entertainment or a creative twist on a weeknight meal.
Cowboy Marinated Skirt Steak with Corn Salad
INGREDIENTS
• 1-1/2 pounds beef Skirt Steak, cut into 4 to 6-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1-15 ounce canned corn, rinsed & drained
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in-half
• 1/3 cup Italian dressing
2 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• 2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
MARINADE
• 2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 3 Tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
PREPARATION
1. Combine Marinade ingredients in small bowl. Place beef Skirt Steaks & marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn steaks to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or as long as overnight, turning occasionally.
2. Combine tomatoes, corn, red onion, basil, garlic, Italian dressing, salt and pepper in a medium bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Cook’s Tip: Whole grilled corn on the cobb can be used in place of canned. Place 4 corn cobs on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, 10 to 14 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, 8 to 10 minutes) turning on all sides. Remove corn and let cool. Carefully cut corn kernels from cob and let cool.
3. Remove steaks from marinade; discard marinade. Place steaks on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 7 to 12 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, 8 to 12 minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally. Carve steaks diagonally across the grain into thin slices; season with salt, as desired.
This rustic favorite features tender skirt steak marinated in a bold, Western-inspired blend of spices and served alongside a vibrant corn salad with tomatoes, herbs and a hint of lime. It’s smoky, savory and bursting with summer flavor.
Classic Beef Cheeseburgers
INGREDIENTS
• 1 pound Ground Beef (93% lean or leaner)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons steak seasoning blend
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• 4 slices cheese (such as Cheddar, American, Swiss, etc.)
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 4 tomato slices
TOPPINGS
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Onion slices
• Pickle slices
PREPARATION
1. Combine Ground Beef and steak seasoning in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Lightly shape into four 1/2-inch thick patties.
2. Place patties on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 8 to 10 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, 7 to 9 minutes) until instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into center registers 160°F, turning occasionally. About 2 minutes before burgers are done, place buns, cut sides down, on grid. Grill until lightly toasted. During last minute of grilling, top each burger with cheese slice.
3. Line bottom of each bun with lettuce; top with tomato, burger and toppings, as desired. Close sandwiches.
Sometimes, you just can’t beat the classics. Fire up the grill and make these juicy, all-American cheeseburgers that are easy to customize and impossible to resist. Top with your favorites—lettuce, tomato, pickles and plenty of cheese—and you’ve got a surefire family favorite
Kentucky Fiesta Cheeseburger
INGREDIENTS
• 1 pound Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef
• 2 tsp Dan-O’s Chipotle Seasoning
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tsp Rosemary
• 4 tbsp Pico de Gallo
• 4 tbsp Avocado Spread
• 2 oz Chihuahua Cheese
• ½ cup 80 Acres Farms – Romaine Calm Blend Mix
• 2 Sesame Seed Buns
PREPARATION
1. Combine ground beef with Dan-O’s, Salt, and Rosemary, and form circular patties.
2. Cook beef to desired temperature (USDA recommends at least 160o F for safety).
3. Just before removing from heat, top burger with chihuahua cheese and allow it to melt.
4. Assemble burger. Spread Avocado spread on the bottom bun, followed by the cooked patty, then top with the Pico and Romaine Calm Blend, spread more Avocado spread if desired, and place the top bun on top.
5. Enjoy!
2025 Derby Burger Challenge
Culinary enthusiast Ira Mowman of Louisville has achieved a remarkable feat by winning the 2025 Derby Burger Challenge with his innovative Kentucky Fiesta Cheeseburger. This annual competition, a highlight of the Kentucky Derby Festival, invites individuals from home cooks to Michelin star chefs to showcase their creativity and culinary skills.
Mowman’s winning creation is a blend of flavors and textures that pay homage to both Southern traditions and Mexican influences. The Kentucky Fiesta Cheeseburger features a juicy patty made from Kentucky Cattlemen’s 80/20 Ground Beef, seasoned with Dan-O’s Chipotle Seasoning, sea salt and rosemary. It's topped with melted Chihuahua cheese, fresh pico de gallo, creamy avocado spread and crisp romaine lettuce from 80 Acres Farms, all nestled within a toasted sesame seed bun.
Mowman's journey to the top was marked by perseverance and dedication. Having entered the competition for three consecutive years, he steadily climbed the ranks, securing fourth place in 2024 and third in 2023. His inspiration for this year's burger came from his 18-year-old daughter, Riniah, who encouraged him to think outside the box and explore unique flavor combinations.
The Derby Burger Challenge is judged based on taste, appearance, creativity and ease of preparation. Mowman's Kentucky Fiesta Cheeseburger excelled in all categories, earning him a suite of prizes, including a grilling package from the Kentucky Beef Council, a $100 Kroger gift card and VIP tickets to select Kentucky Derby Festival events. Notably, his recipe will be featured at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront and showcased inside Louisville Kroger stores, allowing the wider community to savor his award-winning creation.
Steven Rossell of Louisville came in second place with “The Cowboy”, Bette Niemi of Louisville was the third-place winner with the “Perfect Peppery Prosciutto Burger”, and in fourth place was Greg Yopp of La Grange with the “Brielicious Burger.” This year there were more than 50 entries.
For those eager to recreate the Kentucky Fiesta Cheeseburger at home, the recipe is accessible on the Kentucky Beef Council website, www.kybeef.com.
2025 Derby Burger Winner
Ira Mowman, Louisville, KY
BQA: Preparing the Next Generation of Responsible Beef Producers
Jake Harrod Program Coordinator, Kentucky Beef Network
In an industry where consumer trust and product integrity are so very important, the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program educates producers on the best practices in beef production. From the farm to the dinner table, BQA ensures that every step of the process reflects the highest standards in animal care, safety and quality. Its impact stretches far beyond current producers as plays a vital role in shaping the next generation of beef industry leaders.
The mission behind BQA is essential to the future of the beef industry.
“The Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program’s mission is to maximize consumer confidence in and acceptance of beef by focusing the producer’s attention to daily production practices that influence the safety, wholesomeness and quality of beef and beef products through the use of science, research and education initiatives.” This mission highlights how essential it is for producers to adopt ethical, efficient and scientifically sound practices in their daily operations. Whether it’s administering medications, managing feed or handling cattle,
BQA encourages decisions that result in better animal welfare and higherquality beef.
But BQA isn’t just about current practices—it’s about securing the future. Teaching these principles to young cattlemen and cattlewomen is key to the long-term health of the beef industry. As agriculture continues to evolve with new technologies, stricter regulations and shifting public expectations, it’s critical that the next generation enters the field prepared and educated.
One outstanding example of youth engagement with BQA principles is the KJCA Cattle Working Contest, hosted by the Kentucky Junior Cattlemen’s Association, the Kentucky Beef Council and the Kentucky Beef Network. This hands-on competition allows junior members to showcase their cattle handling skills in a real-world setting. In the contest, the juniors are scored on how well they are able to correctly and safely work three head of cattle.
The KJCA Cattle Working Contest is designed for KJCA members who want to develop their skills in animal management and handling. Working
as a team, members must efficiently process the cattle using Beef Quality Care and Assurance guidelines. They are also responsible for accurately completing a processing plan and team problem. The state cattle working contest is May 2.
This contest embodies everything BQA stands for—safety, precision, education and teamwork. It also fosters a sense of responsibility and professionalism among young producers. By simulating real-life scenarios cattle producers face, participants learn how critical proper handling and planning are to successful beef production. Just as importantly, it helps instill a lifelong commitment to ethical animal management and industry excellence.
Beef Quality Assurance is more than just a set of guidelines—it’s a movement to elevate the entire beef industry through continuous improvement and education. With programs like BQA and events like the KJCA Cattle Working Contest, we’re not only producing better beef— we’re building better producers. And that’s a win for everyone from pasture to plate.
Eden Shale Update
Dan Miller Industry Coordinator, Kentucky Beef Network
At the corner of Hwy 22 and Eden Shale Road (generally considered the main entrance to the farm), used to sit a small white farmhouse. This house had not been lived in for many years and had suffered from the years of neglect, so we had the house demolished in 2014.
Removing the house gave us a perfect building site on a summit position where a pasture and alleyway to the other side of the farm converged. However, over the past 10 years other projects had taken priority and the site sat vacant. But recently, Hwy 22 underwent an expansion, and we were able to acquire pavement millings for the base layer of a new
winter-feeding structure at the site. Steve Higgins, University of Kentucky director of environmental compliance, designed the structure, which incorporates a Bo Renfro hay feeding structure, a calf creep area and 80 ft. of bunk space. The structure is designed to feed up to 40 head of cows and their calves.
The 24 ft. hay feeding structure has a 6-inch raised feed table to keep the hay out of any manure that accumulates. There is also a 9 ft. concrete apron all the way around the feeder so a cow eating hay has all four feet on concrete. The structure is covered with a mono-slope roof
with the low side facing west to keep the elements off the hay and reduce waste. The north side of the structure has concrete retaining blocks that are used as a manure push wall when cleaning out at the end of the season.
Beside the hay feeder is a 24 ft.-by-30 ft. creep area for the calves to go into when they are in the structure. This area can be bedded, have hay for the calves to eat, and it will get a wind break built on the western side to provide shelter.
On the opposite side of the feeder, there are 80 linear ft. of feed bunks running down the outside of the site to allow us to feed the cows without getting in the field with them. Water is provided in a tire water tank located 400 ft. away in the pasture. This motivates the cows to leave the structure to go get water after they eat. This reduces loafing in the structure, which greatly reduces manure buildup.
This newly developed corner of the farm can also serve as a trap pen for cattle that need to be moved to the western side of the farm. This structure opens up into an alleyway that cattle can be walked through to the “paddocks” part of the farm.
A decade after the old house was torn down, we have repurposed the site into an efficient winter-feeding area for both our livestock and us.
Kentucky Hereford Association
Toby & Debby Dulworth 2492 S. Kirkman Road LaCenter, KY 42056 (270) 224-2993 • dogwood@brtc.net Herefords that thrive on forages. www.dogwoodherefords.com
“Breeding Polled Herefords for over 58 Years” Breeding cattle for sale at all times. 1999 Walnut Hill Rd. Lexington, KY 40515 (859) 271-9086 cell (859)533-3790
Henry Bryan, Melissa, Bryanna and Blane Smith 606-271-7520 bmsmith@duo-county.com
HAMILTON ANGUS FARMS
Eddie Hamilton 2142 Stilesville Road Science Hill, KY 42553 edjohami@aol.com (606) 271-1286 Bulls and Females for Sale
PLEASANT HILL FARMS
PLEASANT HILL FARMS
HERITAGE FARM
Gil, Mary, Corbin, Caroline, and Catherine Cowles 500 Rockfield Richpond Road Rockfield, KY 42274 (270) 843-9021 • Fax (270) 843-9005
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
Tom McGinnis 1024 Hinkle Lane • Shelbyville, KY (502) 633-1634, home • (502) 633-5100, work (502) 655-0164, cell
TAMME VALLEY FARM
DUTCH CREEK ANGUS FORAGE GENETICS
Kris and Sara Lynn 2184 Bardstown Rd Springfield KY 40069 573-721-6663
Doug and Susan Schlosnagle (502) 706-0008 DutchCreekAngus.om
Bob, Kathy, Rob, and Janna Clark (859) 748-5558 1446 Kennedy Bridge Rd. Harrodsburg, KY 40330 Bob: (859)339-2610 • Rob: (859)612-1594 mtmoriahfarms1@gmail.com www.mtmoriahangus.com
HERITAGE FARM
Tom McGinnis
1024 Hinkle Lane • Shelbyville, KY (502) 633-1634, home (502) 633-5100, work (502) 655-0164, cell
Bred/Owned: 1st Bryanna Smith, SAF Lucy Pride 2103 2nd Emily Jeffries, DBF Moxie 372. (Not pictured) 3rd Bryanna Smith, SAF Lucy Pride
Show Animal of the Year: Bryanna Smith, SAF Slayer 3099 • Premier Breeder: Bryanna Smith
SIMMENTAL
KEVIN AND RACHEL BARRON
Crestwood, Ky (502) 905-5851
rkbarron812@gmail.com
SWAIN SELECT SIMMENTAL 12113 Green Valley Dr. Louisville, KY 40243 swainselect.com swainselect@gmail.com facebook.com/swainselectsimmental Fred & Phyllis: 502-599-4560 Chi & Angie: 502-287-2116
JUDY AND RONDAL DAWSON 1156 Buzzard Roost Road Shelbyville, KY 40065 502-593-5136 • jrdawson22@outlook.com
JEROD METZGER • 270-779-6260
ROCKING P LIVESTOCK 8308 Orangeburg Road Maysville, KY 41056
BRIAN & HEATHER SWAIN 3906 Pottertown Road Murray, KY 42071 • 270-293-4440
wksbswain@murray-ky.net
SIMMENTAL AND SIMANGUS BULLS FOR SALE
1939 Huntertown Road
Versailles, KY 40383
BULLS FOR SALE
Chris Allen 859-351-4486 callenuky@hotmail.com
Dr. Henry Allen 859-229-0755
The Simmental cow can handle any environment.
She’s built to last in heat, fescue or high altitudes. And thanks to the breed’s built-in adaptability, you can match Simmental genetics to your environment – SimAngus,™ SimAngus HT, Simbrah or proven Simmental genetics.
Meet America’s all-purpose cow – gentle and consistent, with calves that give the heterosis boost commercial cattlemen need to stay profitable.
406-587-4531 • simmental.org
BRET AND LAURA JACKSON 859.533.3718 or 859.707.7200
BRET & LAURA JACKSON Paris, Kentucky (859) 533-3718 (859) 707-7200
Gary & Pat Tilghman • Carrie & Daryl Derossett Family • Lindsey & Garland Gilliam Family 690 Lick Branch Road Glasgow, KY 42141 270.646.7024 • pleasantmeadowsfarm@hotmail.com Registered Gelbvieh & Angus cattle for sale
R&D OWEN FARMS
Gelbvieh-Balancer Bulls & Heifers For Sale by Private Treaty
AA LAND & CATTLE
KILBOURNE GELBVIEH
East Bernstadt, KY
606-843-6583
cell 606-309-4662
KENTUCKY GELBVIEH ASSOCIATION
Black Replacement Heifers & Bulls Available Embryo transplant & AI sired calves
GELBVIEH & BALANCERS PO Box 781 • Eddyville, KY 42038 (270) 601-6830 • rdowenfarms.com • sales@rdowenfarms.com
Johnnie
Registered Gelbvieh & Balancers Cynthiana, KY Luke Arthur (859) 298-8323 luke.arthur93@gmail.com
LARRY CLARK & SONS LLC
MOCKINGBIRD HILL FARMS
Pat
DONE WRIGHT CATTLE FARMS
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday May 15
Bulls • Show Prospects • Embryos Bulls sell with GE EPD’s • Show Prospects
Carrie & Daryl Derossett Family 690 Lick Branch Road Glasgow, KY 42141 270.646.7024 • pleasantmeadowsfarm@hotmail.
HEDGESPETH LIVESTOCK GELBVIEH/BALANCER CATTLE-COMMERCIAL HEIFERS 543 Pleasant Run Church Road • Campbellsville, KY 42718 sam.hedgespeth@gmail.com • Sam-270.299.5449 Seth-270.932.1615 Dan-606.686.1679 Andrew-270.405.1990
BEE LICK GELBVIEHS
Eddie Reynolds
PADON FARMS
277 Old Bee Lick Rd. Crab Orchard, KY 40419
Brian, Lauren, Kristen Barry, Emily & Julia (270) 864-5909
FULL CIRCLE FARMS
RICH HILL GELBVIEH
Registered Gelbvieh Cattle
Frank McAninch 1341 Iven Godby Road Liberty, KY 42539
606-379-2281(H) 606-305-1972(C) Bulls & Females for sale
GELBVIEH BULLS & FEMALES FOR SALE 1012 Shelby Road • Salem, KY 42078 Thad Padon (270) 836-5518
CD FARMS Clayton &
BRAY’S GELBVIEH CATTLE
Niles & Betty K Bray
1568 Bray Ridge Road Bedford, KY 40006 (502) 255-3584
PERFORMANCE TESTED PUREBRED ANGUS BULLS FOR SALE Call 270-202-7186 for more info or check out www.oakhollowangus.com for current availability.
POLLED HERFORD BULLS FOR SALE
19–20-month-old Polled Hereford bulls. Good selection. Low birthweight, medium frame. Free Delivery Available. JMS Polled Herefords, Knifley, KY Danny 270-566-2694 Trent 270-566-2000
THE FOUNDATION SALE XI Sat. Sept. 20, 2025 1PM CST. United Producers, Bowling Green, KY • Limousin Fullblood, Purebreed, Limflex. For info call Stephen Haynes 270-799-8685 Or 270-799-8684
ANGUS AND LIM-FLEX BULLS FOR SALE
Yearlings to 2-year-olds • Delivery available Call or text 270-589-7999
DIAMOND J SALERS
Donald Johnson • 11660 N. Hwy 1247 • Eubank, KY 42564 606-379-1558
DIAMOND J SALERS
WILLIS FARMS
Donald Johnson • 11660 N. Hwy 1247 • Eubank, KY 42564 606-305-8747
Danny Willis • 964 Johnson Rd • Frankfort, KY 40601 • 502-803-5011 drwc21@aol.com • Purebred + Optimizer Breeding bulls & Heifers for sale.
DEL-SU FARM
WILLIS FARMS
Howard & Sue Edwards • 420 Rose Rd • Somerset, KY 42501 606-679-1675 • Jeriah Privett • 606-416-1154
Danny Willis • 964 Johnson Rd • Frankfort, KY 40601 502-803-5011 • drwc21@aol.com
KNOB LICK FARM - BULLS & HEIFERS FOR SALE
Larry Cox • Tina Cox-Lynch • Amanda Cox Gibson • 1315 Knob Lick Road • Irvine, KY 40336 • 606-723-3077 • 606-975-1716
REGISTERED BLACK SIMMENTAL BULLS
Many blaze faced. Excellent EPD’s. Semen Tested. Delivery Available. Maximize your profit with proven performance. All bulls qualify for new CAIP cost-share. Adam Wheatley 502349-2665
BREEDING AGE HEREFORD BULLS FOR SALE AT ALL TIMES Over 60 years of Line 1 Hereford Genetics. Groups of open and bred heifers available for sale at all times. Chambliss Hereford Farms. 270-668-7126
RED ANGUS, SIMANGUS, CHAROLAIS, ANGUS FOR SALE Red Hill Farms, Lafayette, TN, 615-666-3098 Bart, Sarah and Ty Jones Gordon and Susan Jones, 270-991-2663 Visit us online - www.RedHillFarms.net Contact us for cattle and semen availability. Annual Production Sales: More Than a Bull Sale – 3rd Saturday in March • Maternal Monday – 3rd Monday in May • Bulls & Females of Fall Sale – Last Saturday in October
REGISTERED ANGUS BULLS, HEIFERS, COWS AND PAIRS Some bulls 2 years in February; also February yearlings Semen checked, birth weights and EPDS Calving Ease & Growth, BQA Metropolis, IL, 618-638-7693, www.bremerbrothers.com
HEREFORD (AHA) AND BLACK HEREFORD (ABHA) COWS Ages 5+ bred to Black Hereford bulls. Vet-checked and expected to calve AprilMay 2025. These are low-maintenance, highlongevity cows. Delivery available in the area. Sweet T Farm, Cynthiana, KY 859-684-1509
HOT MAY DEALS
John Deere 7320 cab loader 4WD - $60,000
H&S 310 spreader top feeder - $13,500
Rental- on commercial manure spreaders
Truck mount meyer 700- twin screw on a truck
TMR mixers- parts in stock
Meyer 4516 forage box- $$$$
Tubs- rims/ tires- knives- planetary fluids
S B 200 Artex manure spreader- $39,000
Meyer and Cloverdale TMR mixers in stock
Zero down $$$$ for 11 months
Kubota 90 skid lo Esch 12 ft drill $$$$$ drill time
Meyer 4618- silage wagon-super clean $26,500
JD 567- string -$19,995
New Holland BR 7060-string - $11,995
Farmco feeders- in stock
JD 5420- 4wd canopy- loader $26,500
JD 6715- 2wd canopy- 16 PS- $$$$
CALL CHARLIE FOR A HOT DEAL TODAY!!!! 859-608-9745
$15 FOR FIVE LINES OR GET A BOX THIS SIZE FOR $105
CALL KATIE PRATT (859) 278-0899
MULTI-ISSUE DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE
Are Your Cows Literate?
Jeff Lehmkuhler PAS, Extension Professor, University of Kentucky
March brought a mix of warm and cold temperatures with decent precipitation with Central Kentucky receiving more than 3.5 inches. The early warm snap jump started some grass growth, but the following cold temperatures stalled growth. As I was driving for meetings, the cows were out picking at grass by midMarch. This early spring period can be a critical management period for several reasons, but it is especially important for our spring-calving cows.
As cows transition from consuming stored hay to lush green grass there is a sigh of relief. No more fighting the mud to feed hay, less risk of calves getting injured around the hay rings, less risk of navel ill and exposure to other pathogens as cows move out across the pasture with their newborn calves. However, this is not a time to let our management slip as this new grass can come with some potential health risks for our cow herd.
Recently, Dr. Michelle Arnold and I recorded a few episodes related to spring forage disorders for the Beef Bits podcast. In these, we discussed bloat and grass tetany, which are the two common forage-related disorders for early spring. I have actually been on a farm that experienced a severe bloat case already this spring and the clover hasn’t even started to grow much. Grass tetany, in my opinion, is a greater risk as more of our cattle operations are grazing pastures with higher grass composition and limited clover content.
Grass tetany or hypomagnesemia is a condition of low circulating magnesium. Low circulating magnesium levels may be a result of poor absorption or more often simply a result of consuming forages that are very low in magnesium. Forages may have reduced magnesium levels in the early spring growth. There are several factors that may result in low magnesium uptake by plants in early
spring which may include: cool soil temperatures limiting root growth, excessive moisture which can impact oxygen levels in the soil impacting root respiration, soil pH below 6.0 can reduce magnesium uptake, excessive nitrogen fertility which may lower soil pH, nutrient uptake competition of cations such as high soil potassium (K+) and ammonium (NH3+) impeding magnesium (Mg++) uptake, as well as other factors.
Spring-calving cows require a diet containing 0.20% magnesium while dry, gestating cows have half this dietary requirement based on the Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle (NASEM, 2016). What does this really mean? Gestating cows that are consuming 28 pounds of dry matter daily will have an expected magnesium requirement of 13 grams. While lactating cows consuming the same amount of dry matter are expected to require a magnesium intake double this or about 26 grams daily.
The increase in daily requirement is partially due to magnesium excretion in milk. It has been reported that milk may contain 25-35 mg per liter of magnesium. At peak, a beef cow may produce 15-25 pounds of milk daily or roughly 9 liters. Daily magnesium loss from milk is roughly 3-4 grams which is a 30% increase above gestating cows. Additionally, losses occur in the spring when excess potassium and protein consumption leads to increase urination. Urine is the major route of magnesium loss. Magnesium homeostasis or balance in the body is linked to a hormone known as parathyroid hormone (PTH). Interestingly, PTH is also a main control mechanism for calcium homeostasis and when calcium levels are low stimulates the release of calcium from the bones. Magnesium is essential for normal function of the parathyroid gland. Thus, a magnesium deficiency would
result in disruption of homeostasis of both calcium and magnesium by impeding the release of PTH. So, both grass tetany and milk fever can go hand-in-hand as they are related to magnesium and calcium balance. I know, I know TMI. However, it is important to understand the complexity of biological systems and why sometimes you have an issue, and your neighbor doesn’t or why a disorder may only inflict a single cow in the herd.
Preventing grass tetany then requires increasing the intake of magnesium when we have conditions that could predispose cows to grass tetany. This is most commonly done through free-choice mineral supplements that contain a higher level of magnesium than typical. A “high Mag” mineral is a complete mineral product that often contains 10-15% magnesium with a target intake of 4 ounces daily. Are your cows literate? Do they read the feed tag that tells them they should eat 4 ounces daily? Often when I ask if producers know how much mineral is being consumed on average, they respond they don’t know.
Monitoring mineral intake does not have to be difficult. First, read your feed tag and determine the targeted intake level. Many tags will state the targeted intake. If the tag simply states something like “feed at a rate to not exceed 3 mg of selenium” then you have to look at the selenium level on the tag. Tags with a selenium level of 26 ppm would be a 4-ounce feeding rate while 35 ppm would be a 3-ounce daily intake product. A 50-pound bag of mineral that has a targeted intake of 4 ounces daily provides 200 animal feeding days (50 lb bag / 0.25 lb/head/d = 200 head/d). Write down on your KY Beef IRM calendar when you added a bag of mineral and the number of cattle that have access to that mineral. Monitor the mineral feeder every couple of days and when most of the mineral has been consumed, add another bag
and record on your IRM calendar when the next bag was added with the number of cattle having access. A 50-pound bag with a 4-ounce target intake should last 30 cows roughly a week (200 head/days / 30 head = 6.7 days). A product with a 3-ounce target intake has 266 head feeding days and would be expected to last 30 cows about 9 days. Nursing calves may consume 1-2 ounces when 2-4 months of age but near weaning may consume near the targeted level of the tag so don’t forget to include them in your head count.
My cows can’t read what can I do? If you find intakes are too low, you
may want to increase the number of mineral feeders. Timid cows may not consume sufficient minerals as boss cows keep them away from the feeders. Generally, a mineral feeder should be provided for every 20-25 cows. Second, move feeders near highly frequented locations in the field such as water sources and shade. Lastly, you may need to switch to a different product that provides intake more closely to the target level. If intakes are extremely high, consider moving feeders to more open areas of the field away from water and shade or switch products.
The value of each beef animal today
TIMELY TIPS
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). Contact your local veterinarian to schedule a BSE for your herd sires. They should also receive their annual booster vaccinations and be dewormed. I often get questions regarding deworming and reduced fertility in bulls. Dr. Phil Prater at Morehead State University and I examined this and found no effect of deworming on bull fertility.
• Schedule spring “turn-out” working in late-April 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 calvingease 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 (MGA feed or CIDR device) for seven days before bull turn out increases pregnancy rates and shortens the next calving season.
• Choose best pastures for grazing during the breeding season. Select those with the best stand of clover and the lowest level of the fescue endophyte, if
should have you ramping your management level up. Monitoring mineral intake is often an overlooked task but is important to prevent mineral deficiencies that can reduce immunity, fertility, performance and, in extreme cases, lead to death which impacts the pocketbook. A high-quality magnesium mineral product may cost a bit more, but the investment is minimal in comparison to the value of the animal. Pay attention to your mineral feeders this spring and make changes to your mineral feeding program if needed. For more information reach out to your county extension office or your consulting nutritionist.
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. Using sires with higher accuracy EPDs will reduce risk.
• 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
• Contact your veterinarian and pregnancy diagnose the cow herd. If a large animal veterinarian is not available in your area, consider taking blood samples for pregnancy diagnosis. 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.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REMITTING THE CHECKOFF ASSESSMENT?
BUYER
Generally the Buyer is responsible for collecting the Beef Checkoff assessment from the Seller
SELLER
However, both the Buyer and the Seller are responsible for seeing that the Checkoff is collected and paid. or pays $2 to
QUALIFIED STATE BEEF COUNCIL
Cattlemen’s Beef Board invests in national Checkoff programs, while Kentucky Beef Council invests in state programs.
If you are a producer from one of these seven states - Alaska, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island - you will remit directly to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. If you have any questions regarding who is responsible for remitting the Checkoff assessment or how to remit payment, please contact your State Beef Council or the Cattlemen’s Beef Board at (303) 867-6304.
3 Exceptions to Beef Checkoff Collection: 1. Non-producer status: If a person (or company) owns cattle for 10 days or less, purchases the cattle to facilitate the transfer of ownership to a third party, and certifies that any Checkoff dollars due from the previous owner have been collected, then that person qualifies as a “Non-Producer” and the Checkoff assessment is not due when qualified cattle are resold. 2. Organic Exemption: In the 2002 Farm Bill, Congress created a process exemptiing organic producers from paying Checkoff program assessments. 3. Pre-Payment: Producers can also choose to “prepay” the Checkoff assessment when shipping cattle out of state for feeding and still retain ownership on the cattle. This allows the producer to direct half of the $1-per-head national Checkoff assessment to the beef council in the state where the cattle were raised, rather than the state where the cattle will be fed. Note: To claim any of these exemptions, the person selling the cattle must provide the proper ‘document’ to show that the Checkoff assessment is not due at the time of sale. Thus, the rule of thumb for all cattle sales is that the person paying the producer should collect either a “Dollar or a Document.”
LIVESTOCK MARKET - When cattle are sold through a livestock market or video market, the Market collects and remits the Beef Checkoff assessment.
CATTLE DEALER/ORDER BUYER - When cattle are sold to a Cattle Dealer or Order Buyer, the Dealer/Order Buyer collects and remits the Beef Checkoff assessment.
ANOTHER PRODUCER - Both the Buyer and the Seller are responsible for making sure that the Beef Checkoff assessment is collected and remitted. For clarity and consistency, we encourage the Seller to take on this compliance responsibility.
VEAL GROWER - When dairy calves are sold to a Veal Grower, both the Buyer and the Seller are responsible for making sure that the Beef Checkoff assessment is collected and remitted. For clarity and consistency, we encourage the Seller to take on this compliance responsibility.
CATTLE SHOWS AND FAIRS - When producers sell their animals at fairs or cattle shows (4H/FFA shows, Purebred cattle shows, etc.), the Organization that runs the sale collects and remits the Beef Checkoff assessment.
FEEDLOT - When cattle are sold directy to a feedlot, the Feedlot collects and remits the Beef Checkoff assessment.
PACKING PLANT - When cattle are sold to a packing plant, the Packing Plant collects and remits the Beef Checkoff assessment.
DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER BEEF SALES - When producers market their cattle as beef, the Producer is responsible for remitting the Beef Checkoff assessment.
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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
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