Cooperative Extension Service Casey County 1517 S. Wallace Wil-kinson Blvd. Liberty, KY 42539 ((606) 787-7384 Fax: (606) 787-9376

Agent for 4-H Youth Development

Agent for Family & Consumer Science

AG Newsletter January/February 2018

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We hope you all had a wonderful 2017!

I just wanted to update you on the vacant agent position. Shortly after I released the November/December newsletter, informing you of our collaboration with KSU and the possible hiring of a Small Farm Agent by Spring of 2018, our office was informed that KSU has instituted a hiring freeze.

We hoped that this freeze would be short lived and the hiring of a Small Farm Agent would only be delayed for a short period of time. We were not given an estimated time line of how long the freeze would last. But we will be sure to pass along information as we get it.

I put the statement below in last months issue, I just want to reiterate that we are here to serve you in any way that we can.

I would like to stress to our farmers and community members that we still have all the same resources that we had when we had a full time agricultural agent. Thanks to Pat Hardesty, David Kessler, Nick Roy and Kara Back , local agricultural and horticul-tural agents and Jacob Settles, KY Beef Network Field Associate; farm visits have been attended to, questions have been answered, and classes are be-ing held in Casey County. Please do not hesitate to call our office. If you have any type of issue, we will find you the resources you need!

If you are interested in participating in any of the classes enclosed in this newsletter, please call the Casey County Extension Office at 606-787-7384 to sign up.

Thank you, The Staff at the Casey Co. Cooperative Extension Office

Farm Machinery Show We have a bus to go to Louisville on Thursday, February 15

th for the National Farm Machinery

Show. We will meet at the Extension Office at 7:30am for breakfast and will depart from the office at 8:00am sharp. We will return to the

extension office by 6:00pm. There are only 50 spots available; first come, first serve.

Reservations will be taken until Tuesday, February 12th.

Please contact the Extension Office to reserve your spot!

Upcoming Casey County Cattleman Meeting:

JANUARY 11—12TH 2018

CASEY CO. CATTLEMANS CONVENTION—HERIAGTE HALL, LEXINGTON KY

There will not be a monthly meeting due to the Cattleman’s Convention. During the

convention meeting Jay Price will be inducted into the KY Cattleman’s Hall of Fame. For more

information please contact Phillip Reece.

FEBRUARY 8TH 2018

CASEY COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE 6:00PM

Jimmy Henning will be speaking on Forage Production. This presentation will qualify as an

educational requirement class for the CAIP program. Please make sure to contact the Casey

Co. Extension Office to reserve your spot.

Farmers applying specifically approved dicamba herbicides to dicamba tolerant soybeans this year are required to obtain a specific dicamba spray certification. This must be attended in person, there is no option to watch a video or take a test. There are a limited number of locations around the Commonwealth where the certification training will be held. The nearest to Casey County will be at the Taylor County Extension Office in Campbellsville on Tuesday, January 16 at 1:00 PM. If you cannot make this meeting, call the Extension Office for a list of other locations, or visit the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Website .

Dicamba Herbicide Certification

January 16th at 1:00pm Taylor Co. Extension Office

Casey County Extension Office

February 8th at 4:00pm

February 23rd at 1:00pm

We will be hosting two BQA trainings. If you

are in need of your BQA certification to

meet your CAIP Educational Requirement or

if you need to renew your expired

certification, please make sure to call the

Extension office at 787-7384 to reserve your

spot for one of these meetings.

Casey County Extension Office

February 5th at 6:00pm

February 23rd at 10:00am

We will be hosting two Private

Pesticide Applicator certification

classes on the dates listed above.

If you need to renew your expired

certification, or would like to become

certified please make sure to call the

Extension office at 787-7384 to reserve

your spot for one of these meetings.

Kentuckians

already are deep

in the throes of

winter with a

long stretch of

below-freezing

temperatures

and bitter wind

chills. Lingering periods of extreme cold put livestock at

risk.

“Normal temperatures this time of year are supposed to

be in the low-to-mid 40s, with lows dipping into the

20s,” said Matthew Dixon, meteorologist for the Uni-

versity of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and

Environment. “Statewide temperatures from Dec. 27

through Jan. 2 averaged 18 degrees below normal, with

sub-zero temperatures widespread on the morning of

Jan. 2. The last time Kentucky had widespread sub-zero

temperatures was in late winter of 2015.”

As arctic air builds, livestock become vulnerable to dete-

riorating outside conditions. Dixon said that over the

next week and possibly into early February, the live-

stock cold stress index will hover in the danger and

emergency categories for much of Kentucky.

“We want to remind livestock producers to take proper

precautions to keep their animals safe during periods of

cold stress,” said Jeff Lehmkuhler, UK livestock special-

ist. “Don’t forget tokeep yourself warm while caring for

your animals avoid getting frostbite, especially when

working on waterers to keep the water flowing.”

Livestock producers should make sure animals have ad-

equate shelter, water, dry bedding and feed to make it

through this cold spell. Pet owners should bring pets

indoors. UK livestock specialists said animals have a

higher requirement for energy in the colder months, so

producers should have high-quality forages and grains

on hand to meet their needs.

“There’s always a risk for animals falling through the

ice, as they search for water sources and end up walking

out onto ice-covered ponds,” Lehmkuhler added.

The average horse, with a lower activity level, should eat

between 1.5 and 2 percent of its body weight in feed per

day to maintain its weight. UK equine specialist Bob

Coleman said feed requirement goes up in the winter, as

the horse uses more calories to keep warm. He recom-

mended providing extra hay and adding grain to the di-

et if forage supplies are not adequate. For mature hors-

es at maintenance, a good quality legume-grass mixed

hay should be adequate, while young, growing horses or

broodmares in late gestation require a concentrate in

their diets to meet the increased calorie needs due to

the colder temperatures.

Those adding concentrate for the first time need to

make the additions gradually to prevent digestive up-

sets. In addition, horses need shelter to provide protec-

tion from the wind and precipitation. It’s also important

for horses to have access to clean water to ensure they

will eat adequate amounts of feed and to reduce the risk

of impaction. All horse owners need to take extra time

observing horses during cold snaps. Some horses will

need extra attention.

Ambient temperatures can impact the amount of dry

matter cattle eat, providing an opportunity to compen-

sate for increased maintenance energy needs. Producers

either need to increase their animals’ feed intake or in-

crease the energy density of the diet by feeding higher

quality hay or adding more grain or fat to the grain mix,

Lehmkuhler said.

He recommended that producers continue to monitor

cows during the winter and make sure to maintain the

animals’ body condition.

Poor quality hay may not provide adequate energy to

maintain gestating cows that are entering the third tri-

mester,” he said. “Consider having your hay tested to

determine if you need to supplement during times of

possible cold stress, especially for the enduring cold

spells.”

Extended cold spells pose risks to livestock BY AIMEE NIELSON

Continue...

He said to consider separating younger and thinner

cows that may not have the same internal insulation as

conditioned older cows and supplement them accord-

ingly or offer them higher quality forage if available.

Coleman said equine owners can employ similar strate-

gies and separate animals according to body condition

score.

“Producers should move cows to fields with natural

windbreaks or provide man-made windbreaks, which

are not the same as a barn,” Lehmkuhler suggested.

“Poorly managed barns combined with poor ventilation

may actually hamper efforts to improve the environ-

mental conditions. Remember, energy, or calories, are

what animals really need. If the protein level in the for-

age is adequate, do not make supplement decisions

based on protein level; rather purchase the most af-

fordable calories.

The lower critical temperature (LCT) value for cattle is

the lowest temperature or wind chill at which cattle re-

quire no additional energy to maintain core body tem-

perature.

“As the temperature declines below this lower critical

value, the maintenance energy value for the animal is

increased to maintain core body temperature,” he said.

“Animals maintain core body temperature by increas-

ing their metabolism resulting in greater heat produc-

tion, as well as other heat conservation strategies such

as reducing blood flow to the extremities, shivering and

increased intake.”

Lehmkuhler said several things can influence lower

critical temperature value.

“Both external and internal insulation influences the

LCT. External insulation is basically the depth and

thickness of the hair coat, condition of the hair coat and

thickness of the hide,” he said. “Thin-hided breeds such

as dairy cattle tend to have a lower insulating factor

than most beef breeds. The condition of the hair coat is

extremely important as an external insulation barrier.”

The hair coat acts as insulation similar to home attic

insulation that traps air, enhancing the insulating val-

ue. If the hair is wet and full of mud, air is excluded,

reducing the insulating value and increasing heat loss

from the skin to the environment. The density of the

hair coat and if it is wet or dry impacts the wind chill

temperatures at which cold stress is considered mild,

moderate or severe. As little as 0.1 inch of rain can im-

mediately impact cold stress severity by matting the

hair down reducing its insulating ability. Acclimation

time, hide thickness, fat cover and other factors will

also influence the degree of cold stress that animals ex-

perience.

Extreme cold can have other detrimental impacts on

livestock. Frostbite on the scrotum of bulls can lower

fertility for a couple months. Lehmkuhler recommend-

ed that all bulls have a breeding soundness exam con-

ducted by a veterinarian prior to the breeding season,

especially after a severely cold winter. Those calving

during winter months should be prepared to warm

calves if needed. Advanced planning to warm calves

born in winter months can increase newborn survival.

Another cold front will cross the region Jan. 3, bringing

another shot of arctic air to the Lower Ohio Valley.

“Lows will once again dip into the single digits to lower

teens over the next few nights along with wind chills

dropping below zero at times,” Lehmkuhler said.

“Warmer temperatures finally make a return late in the

weekend and into early next workweek. For much of

Kentucky, Jan. 8 could actually be the first time we see

above normal temperatures since Dec. 23.”

Long-range outlooks farther into next week and into

mid-January point toward near- to below-normal tem-

peratures for Kentucky.

For more information about agricultural weather visit the UK Ag Weather Center at http://weather.uky.edu/.

Casey County 1517 S. Wallace Wilkinson Blvd Liberty KY 42539 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

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The Cooperative Extension Service prohibits discrimination in its programs and employment on the basis of race, color, age, sex,

religion, disability, or national origin. To file a complaint of discrimination, contact Rosemary Veach, UK College of Agriculture, Lex-

ington, KY 40546, or Terry Allen, Associate Vice President of Institutional Equity , Lexington, KY 40546, or the Secretary of Agricul-

ture, USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W Whitten Bldg., 14th and Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20250.)