Cooperative Extension Service Breckinridge County 1377 S. Hwy 261 Hardinsburg, KY 40143 (270) 756-2182 Fax: (270) 756-9016 https://breckinridge.ca.uky.edu

Breckinridge County AG Newsletter

Agent’s Corner As I sit in my office on this snowy day looking through articles to get my great

words to say to my newsletter readers, I picked up the ‘The Farmers’ Almanac’.

The first page has the ‘thought of the year’; this year’s thought is ‘Age is the Price

of Wisdom’.

I have watched interns and agents throughout the state come and go through my 24

years with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and I wonder

if any of those that started with me in 1993 are still in their original position.

Doesn’t take long to look through the list of agents to determine that I maybe one of

the last ones standing that has not moved within UK or moved on to other positions.

But as I look at my two (2) oldest girls and their struggles with career choices, just

for a summer internship, it’s hard for me to add any ‘wisdom’ that will help them to

venture on out into other careers as I never did. The University of Kentucky Coop-

erative Extension Service has kept me just where I want to be, comfortable, ex-

tremely over worked at times, ever changing, continual learning, and right there

where my daddy always said ‘where the rubber meets the road”. With that being

said, now as an Extension Educator, we are going through some changes and rough

times within the UK Cooperative Extension Service that my years of wisdom can’t

or won’t help us find our way out. I am always here and willing to assist any pro-

ducer, as long as, I am still around. Now that we use many ways to communicate; in

person, via email, via Facebook, text, Twitter, Postal Service and plain old phone

calls; I also have so many different numbers to be reached at.

I will be here for anything you need; just remain patient, I will get back to you with

an answer.

For meeting cancellation, please listen to radio and watch facebook for any chang-

es.

Sincerely,

Carol M. Hinton

Extension Agent

For Agricultural/Natural Resources Education

Breckinridge County

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Page

Agent’s Corner 1

Weather web page 2

KY Cattlemans Assn Conven-

tion & Trade Show 2

Beef Efficiency Conference 2

Burley Tobacco Annual Mtg 2

Publications 2

Crop Pest Meeting 3

Grain Production Seminar 3

2017 Lambing School 3

One is the Loneliest Number 4

KY Net Farm Income 5-6

Scours Vaccine-Give it Now

for Protections in Spring 6-8

Adult Health Bulletin 9-10

KY Small Ruminant Grazing

Conference 11

KY Commodity Conference 11

OSU Piketon HOPS Confer-

ence 11

Recycling Program, Office

Closing and Upcoming Area

Events 12

Like us on Facebook

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UK County Weather Web Page

http://weather.uky.edu/kycounty.php

2017 KY Cattleman’s Association Convention & Trade Show

January 19-20, 2017

Lexington Convention Center, Hyatt Regency, Lexington, KY 40503

7 a.m. (ET)

2017 Beef Efficiency Conference

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Lexington Convention Center, Heritage Ballroom 2 & 3

Held in conjunction with the 2017 KCA Convention

2017 CBT Annual Meeting

The Council for Burley Tobacco annual meeting will begin at noon on Friday, January 20, 2017 following the

US Tobacco GAP Training during the 2017 Tobacco Expo at the Hyatt Regency in Lexington.

Guest Speaker: Bonnie Herzog, Managing Director Beverage, Tobacco & Convenience Store Research from

Wells Fargo

NEW PUBLICATIONS

These new publications have been received, if you are interested, please stop by the office and

pick up a copy.

AGR 6—2017 Weed Control Recommendations for Kentucky Grain Crops

2016 Corn Variety Performance Tests

2016 Soybean Variety Performance Tests

2016 Wheat Variety Performance Tests

ATTENTION: GOAT& SHEEP PRODUCERS

The 2017 Goat and Sheep Calendars are here, stop by for your calendar.

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Crop Pest Meeting

Thursday, February 2, 2017

There will be a Crop Pest Meeting on February 2nd in the Extension Community Building at

10 a.m. (ct). Lunch will be served.

Dr. J. D. Green UK Extension Weed Scientist will be speaking on Resistant Weeds and New

Technology and Dr. Ric Bessin, UK Extension Professor in Entomology will be speaking on In-

sect Control in Row Crops.

Anyone needing to renew or get a new Private Pesticide card can fill out an application at

this meeting.

Please call 270-756-2182 to register, so we can plan the meal accordingly.

Grain Production Seminar

Grayson County Extension Office

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

9 a. m. –11 a. m. (CT)

Dr. Chad Lee, UK Grain Crops Specialist

and

Dr. Carl Bradley, UK Extension Plant

Pathologist will be the presentors.

Lunch will be provided so call Grayson

Co. Extension Office 270-259-3492 by

9 a.m. Friday, January 20th to register.

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“One is the Loneliest Number….”

Dr. Roy Burris, Beef Extension Professor, University of Kentucky

“One” is a song made popular in 1969 by Three Dog Night and it reminds me how lonely it can sometimes be

when you are all by yourself. The UK Beef IRM team was founded on the principle that a “group answer”

should be better than any of us going solo. That approach helped us to form the “Master” programs and several

other successful ones. But there are many times that you as beef producers and some of us as Extension per-

sonnel are on our own…and it can be kind of lonely!

I vividly remember the loneliest feelings in my career as an Extension specialist. That would have to be the

early morning hours before daylight when I was driving alone to the early CPH (Certified Preconditioned for

Health) feeder calf sales. I was keenly aware that many folks depended on this income for their livelihoods and

I would nearly have a panic attack as I worried about everything that could go wrong. What if that snow storm

in the Midwest “locked up” the cattle market (it did)? Still, I remember that through the first thirty-three sales

that we only had three that didn’t meet expectations. Not a bad average. We have a lot of good sales and new

preweaning and vaccination programs (all similar to KY-CPH) have become the industry standard.

There are lots of times that we have attacks of loneliness and it seems like most are in the darkness that pre-

cedes the dawn. When, as you lie in bed and wait for the alarm to go off, you can’t help but wonder, for exam-

ple, “Will anyone come to Beef Bash if it rains?” (You did). Or, on those long, late night return trips from

meetings and events when I wondered if I did everything that was needed. I still remember the time after our

first CPH sale in Owensboro in 1983 when we only had 383 calves (we were expecting 1,000) and I was re-

playing everything that happened in my mind and then realized that I was somewhere in Muhlenberg County –

many miles off my return route. That was when I decided that I could only worry about and be responsible for

those things that I could control. That along with maturity and, perhaps, a heart attack in 1994 helped me to be

more laid back and not to take everything personally. I still rely upon something that was written by Reinhold

Niebuhr called the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to

change the things that I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.” That is a good piece of advice.

It is amazing to me that things can seem so much better when you are surrounded by other people. When you

get into the middle of sales, field days, meetings, etc. and are surrounded by good folks things just seem a lot

more bearable and are, generally, downright enjoyable.

I also remember one particular farm visit several years ago. An older gentleman who had been very successful

in his lifetime said this to me: “You have been giving me advice today about farming and raising cattle, now I

want to give you some advice.” I replied that I would be glad to hear it and he continued. “Make friends with

young people”. I must have looked a little surprised and he quickly added “one day you may outlive your con-

temporaries and you will need some friends. Make friends with young people”. Think about it.

Here’s the deal. We all need a support system and in the process I think that we can possibly mentor and be

role models for young people that really need to see something in their elders that is worth emulating (as op-

posed to political venom that is being spewed about). Agricultural groups should look for ways to mentor and

support young people that want to make agriculture their careers – like the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association

does with their young cattlemen’s program. We’re always stronger as a group and kind of lonesome when

we’re going solo.

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2016 Kentucky net farm income likely to hit lowest level since 2010 Source Will Snell,

Kentucky net farm income is expected to dip to less than $1.5 billion in 2016, down from $1.7 billion in

2015 and potentially its lowest level since 2010. A significant decline in cash receipts the past couple of

years, plus the end of tobacco buyout payments in 2014, have been the major reasons behind the rapid fall in

Kentucky’s net farm income since peaking at nearly $3 billion in 2013.

The state’s agricultural cash receipts in 2016 are projected to fall to $5.4 billion, off 7 percent from $5.8

billion in 2015 and off 17 percent from the record high of $6.5 billion in 2014. On the national front, prices

and incomes fell for the third straight year.

"2016 has been another challenging year for Kentucky agriculture with considerable price and weather

volatility. Price and profit challenges will remain a major concern heading into 2017 in the midst of ample

commodity supplies, a strengthening U.S. dollar and sluggish global economic growth,” said Will Snell, ex-

tension professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Agricultural Economics. “However, assuming

there are no major supply or demand shocks, net farm income for Kentucky farmers may show signs of stabi-

lizing in 2017 as the global markets work off excess supplies and global economies begin to show some mod-

est growth.”

Snell and other UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment faculty, including agricultural econo-

mists Kenny Burdine, Todd Davis and Tim Woods, Bobby Ammerman from the Department of Forestry, and

Kentucky Farm Business Management Program coordinator Jerry Pierce, shared their agricultural economic

outlook for 2017 and an overview of 2016 on Dec. 1 during the Kentucky Farm Bureau 97th annual meeting

in Louisville.

Poultry receipts should be back on track in 2016 after rebounding from the effects of avian influenza in

2015, with growth continuing in 2017. Poultry remains Kentucky’s No. 1agricultural enterprise with 23 per-

cent of projected sales, followed by equine, which had another steady year and accounted for 17 percent of

sales receipts. Soybeans, at 15 percent; corn, at 13 percent, and cattle, at 12 percent, were next on the list.

Much of the decline in Kentucky agricultural sales for 2016 can be attributed to rapidly falling cattle re-

ceipts, which fell by more than 30 percent in response to mounting beef, poultry and pork supplies.

“Efficient operations are likely covering cash costs and breeding stock depreciation, but there is little to

no return on capital, land and management costs,” Burdine said.

He predicts producers will see some improvement in price during spring 2017, but expects a significant

drop from spring to fall, given an expected increase in beef cow numbers, as well as continued growth in the

production of competing meats.

Horse receipts remain flat. September yearling sales were down about 3 percent. Early November breed-

ing stock sales were solid before slumping at the end when mid- to lower-quality horses were placed on the

market.

A record U.S. soybean yield and production is projected to increase total supply to a record of more than

4.58 billion bushels. Exports finished 265 million bushels above October 2015 estimates because of South

American production problems, which also increased corn exports. U.S. corn supply will set a record in 2016

of more than 17 billion bushels, with exports finishing above April 2016 estimates. In wheat, a record U.S.

yield offset a 3.4-million-acre reduction in harvested area, with the supply projected to increase 448 million

bushels from 2015. Wheat exports are projected to top the preceding year, but are still 200 million bushels

below 2013, Davis said.

Tobacco receipts slumped to their lowest post-buyout level due primarily to unfavorable weather and

curing conditions. A combination of much lower yields and a very poor quality crop will likely cause the

Kentucky value of tobacco production to fall below $300 million in 2016.

The excessive rain in summer 2016 resulted in modest decreases in produce sales to about $38 million,

down from $40 million in 2015, Woods said. Stronger greenhouse sales should offset slower nursery sales

and reach about $96 million, the same as last year.

6

“The big winner in the current depressed ag economy are consumers, with lower meat prices primarily

leading the way and fruits and veggies relatively stable in 2016,” Snell said. “Food price inflation is expected

to remain relatively tame for 2017 as well.”

Overall, the forestry sector declined 4.8 percent over 2015. Lackluster markets for most of the hardwood

lumber species, decreased demand for products such as railway ties, and the Verso pulp and paper mill clos-

ing in Wickliffe dragged down the sector. Bucking the trend, however, was the increased demand for white

oak stave logs used for bourbon whiskey barrels. The seller’s market in that area should continue into 2017.

“Without any major supply or demand shocks, ag commodity prices in 2017 may not be as volatile and

production expenses may remain relatively stable, but government farm payments could be lower in response

to the structure of the current farm bill,” Snell said.

A copy of the outlook publication including information on individual farm sectors can be found at http://

www.uky.edu/ag/agecon/pubs/extoutlook161758.pdf.

“Scours” Vaccine - Give it Now for Protection in the Spring By:Michelle Arnold, DVM (Ruminant Extension Veterinarian, UKVDL)

Have a Question or Topic you would like addressed? Email me at michelle.arnold@uky.edu

A scours outbreak in baby calves on a cow/calf operation can be a nightmare in real life. Ask any producer

who has been through this ordeal and he/she will tell you it made them want to quit the cattle business. Once

the outbreak begins, it spreads quickly throughout all of the youngest calves. Bacteria, viruses and parasites

can attack the lining of the calf's intestine and cause diarrhea and dehydration. Without a healthy gut lining,

essential nutrients are not absorbed from milk which leads to weakness and weight loss. During a scours out-

break, each day begins with finding and treating the sick calves, recognizing new cases that are just breaking,

and sometimes having to find the remains of a calf scavenged by coyotes or buzzards. Those calves that sur-

vive may perform poorly for the remainder of their lives when compared to healthy calves. Scours vaccines

are expensive yet very effective in preventing this scenario if combined with proper nutritional management

of the cow during her pregnancy and a reasonable effort to keep cattle out of a filthy environment. Although

there is not much one can do about rain, mud, and manure, the goal is to keep cow’s teats clean and dry to pre-

vent the diarrhea-causing bugs from entering the calf’s mouth. Fortunately, the scours vaccine prepares the

calf to deal with many of these bugs in the likely event they do make it inside the calf.

“Neonatal” calf diarrhea is defined as scours occurring within the first 3 weeks of a calf’s life. Rotavirus,

coronavirus, bacteria (E. coli K99; Clostridium perfringens Type C, Salmonella spp.) and the parasite Cryp-

tosporidia are the most common causes of neonatal calf diarrhea. Controlling rotavirus, coronavirus, Clostridi-

um perfringens, and E. coli K99 with vaccines can significantly reduce sickness and death loss due to calf

scours. Most beef cows in good body condition produce high quality colostrum but sometimes it does not con-

tain the “correct” antibodies to fight the specific bugs that cause diarrhea. Scours vaccines are formulated to

be given to pregnant cows and heifers late in gestation so they will make the correct antibodies as colostrum is

being formed.

“The 3 most popular vaccines available are ScourBos®9 and 4 (Elanco), ScourGuard®4KC (Zoetis) and

Guardian® (Merck). As shown in Table 1 (on page 6), a first or primary dose followed by a booster dose is

required the first year any scours vaccine is used (“Year One”). After the first year, just one revaccination is

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Required (“Year Two and Beyond”) every year throughout the cow’s life. Which product you choose often

depends on when you plan to work your cattle; generally, Scour Bos® is administered earlier during preg-

nancy, ScourGuard® is used very late in gestation and Guardian® is in-between these two options. Obvious-

ly not all calves will be born the first week of calving season but plan to give the scours vaccine based on

when the first calves of the season are expected. If you have a long calving season (greater than 90 days),

consider vaccinating the later calving cows closer to their due date.

It takes some planning to vaccinate correctly; timing is critically important with the different products. Using

Table 1, the timing of the different vaccines would be as follows for a March 1st calving season:

1) Heifers (or cows receiving their first dose of Scours Vaccine)

If using:

Scour Bos®9 –Administer first dose between mid-November and first of January

Booster dose-Administer Scour Bos® 4 around the first of February

Guardian®- Administer the first dose around the first week of December and the second

dose during the first half of January

ScourGuard® 4KC-Adminster first dose within the first half of January and give the second

dose 3 weeks later, either towards the end of January or the first part of February.

Cows (Annual revaccination)

If using:

Scour Bos®9 –Administer during the last part of December (Christmas) to first of January

Guardian®-Administer between end of December and mid-January

ScourGuard® 4KC-Administer between mid-January and first week of February

If the cow herd is not vaccinated and calf scours develop, there are vaccines available to administer to new-

born calves. These vaccines are given by mouth as quickly as possible after birth, preferably prior to nursing

Range to Administer Primary Dose

Range to administer Booster Dose

Range to administer Annual Revaccination

Table 1: Administration of the various scours vaccines based on calving season beginning March 1st

11/11 11/18 11/25 12/2 12/9 12/16 12/23 12/30 1/4 1/11 1/18 1/25 2/1 2/8 2/15 2/22 1-Mar

Vaccine Label Directions 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Calving

Begins

Scour Bos® 92 ml IM 8-16 weeks prior to calving. Revaccinate with

Scour Bos 4 four weeks prior to calving

Scour

Bos® 4

Guardian®2 ml SQ 12 weeks precalving. Booster 3-6 weeks after

primary dose

ScourGuard® 4KC2 ml IM 3 weeks apart, with 2nd dose given 3-6 weeks

before calving

Scour Bos® 9 2 ml IM of Scour Bos 9 at 8-10 weeks prior to calving

Guardian® 2 ml SQ at 5-7 weeks precalving

ScourGuard® 4KC 2 ml IM at 3-6 weeks before calving

Ye

ar O

ne

Ye

ar T

wo

an

d

Be

yo

nd

Weeks Prior to Calving

8

and definitely within the first 12 hours of life. These will provide some immediate protection in the gut but are

not nearly as effective as vaccinating the pregnant cows. As seen in Table 2, none of the products for calves

protects against all 4 major pathogens ( E.coli K99, rotavirus, coronavirus and Clostridium perfringens Type

C).

Preventing calf scours involves more than jump starting the immune system of a newborn calf. Excellent cow

nutrition during and after gestation, an easy calving process, and environmental management factors all con-

tribute to a successful start. On the flip side, an inadequate quantity and/or quality of colostrum, difficulty

calving, poor sanitation, cold, wet weather and overcrowding in calving areas all contribute to a higher risk of

disease. Once the calf has received colostrum from the dam, it is still important to prevent the “bad

bugs” (pathogens) in the environment from overwhelming the calf’s immune system. Generally, calf scour

pathogens build up in the environment as the calving season progresses. Calving in the same area that older

calves are in greatly increases the risk to the newborn calf, especially in wet or muddy conditions as we often

see in the spring in KY. If possible, pregnant cows close to calving should be rotated onto clean pastures while

cow-calf pairs remain on the old pasture. If calving in a barn or shed, the calving area should be kept as clean

and dry as possible with frequent changes of bedding to remove the build-up of organisms. Make every effort

to get the cow and newborn calf out of the barn quickly to lessen the chances of infection. Even the best calv-

ing management practices will have no effect if the first thing a calf ingests is manure from the calving area.

Consult with your veterinarian on the best choice of vaccines for your operation.

The UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has an excellent test to diagnose the cause of calf diarrhea. A small

sample of scours (in a leakproof container) from a calf that has not been treated for diarrhea with antibiotics is

needed to run the test. This PCR assay tests for bovine coronavirus, rotavirus, E. coli K99, Salmonella and

Cryptosporidium. The test is run on Tuesdays and Thursdays with results generally available within 2 days

and costs $60 ($50 + $10 Accession Fee). Visit the website at http://vdl.uky.edu/TestInformation.aspx for

more information or call (859) 257-8283.

Table 2: A comparison of scours vaccines given to the calf at birth versus scours vaccines given to pregnant cows

9

10

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OSU Piketon HOPS Conference

DATE: Friday, February 24, 2017 & Saturday, February 25, 2017

LOCATION: Endeavor Center and Large Auditorium- PIKETON, Ohio

TIME: Start time will be 9:30 a.m. for Friday, and 9:00 a.m. for Saturday. Exact times on the agenda will be

available by mid-December.

REGISTRATION: All ATTENDEES will need to preregister. All registrations will need to be completed

online. Registration will be open by December 10th.

Due to the new location, seats and booth spaces are VERY limited this year, so we recommend you register as

soon as possible when it opens up.

ATTENDEE Cost: there is a fee for one day or two days

The fee does not include the Friday Night Banquet and does not apply to the speakers and vendors.

Attendee registration includes:

Speakers from OSU, other universities, growers, hops industry, ODA and the brewing industry

Lunch and snacks for both days

Flash drive with presentations

Conference booklet with vendor, speaker, and other progam information

Access to the Trade Show and more

KY Commodity Conference Sloan Convention Center

1021 Wilkinson Trace

Bowling Green, KY 42103

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Registration and Trade show opens 8:30 a.m. CT

Markets Session at 9:00 a.m.

Luncheon & Keynote at 11:00 a.m.

Association Annual Meetings begin at 2:30 p.m.

Grower Appreciation Reception at 5:30 p.m.

Awards Banquet at 6:30 p.m.

Hospitality at 9 p.m.

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Stop by one of the following recycling centers near you:

Breckinridge County High School

Cloverport Fire Department

Auggie Doggie’s, Garfield

St. Romuald Gym, Hardinsburg

McQuady Firehouse

Breckinridge County Extension Office

Rough River Corp of Engineers Office

McDaniels Community Center

Frederick Fraize High School, Cloverport

Hardinsburg Elementary School

Union Star

All recycling sites are

accessible 24 hours a

day, seven days a week.

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

ity, or national origin.

To file a complaint of discrimination, contact Tim West, UK College of Agriculture, 859-257-3879; Terry Allen or Patty Bender, UK Office of

Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity, 859-257-8927; or the USDA, Director Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W Whitten Bldg., 14th & Inde-

pendence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 (202-720-5964).

Upcoming Area Events:

If you are interested in any of these events, call the Extension Office at 270-756-2182 for more information.

January 9-10, 2017—2017 KY Fruit & Vegetable Conference—Embassy Suites Hotel, Lexington, KY

January 18-19, 2017—Heart of America Grazing Conference—Quincy, IL 62305

January 19, 2017– KY Commodity Conference—Sloan Convention Center, Holiday Inn, Bowling Green, KY

February 21, 2017—36th Annual KY Alfalfa & Stored Forage Conference– Cave City, KY 42127

February 2, 2017– Crop Pest Meeting, Breck. Co. Extension Community Building

February 24 & 25, 2017—OSU Piketon HOPS Conference—Piketon, Ohio

March 1, 2017—Mid-South Stocker Conference - Manchester, TN

March 9, 2017– Tall Fescue Renovation Workshop—UK Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, Lexington, KY

Special Reminders:

The Breckinridge County Extension Office will be CLOSED:

Office will be closed on Monday, January 16, 2017 for Martin Luther King Jr Day