Cattle

Here are some cow and calf management tips for your herd. Mid-July is a good time to deworm cattle. Re-implant calves which were implanted at birth if the type of implant and amount of time indicate. Calves which haven't been vaccinated for blackleg should be. Spraying for flies while cattle are gathered can supplement other fly control methods. Work cattle early in the morning when it is cool and handle them gently to avoid stress. Remove bulls from the cow herd, no later than the end of the month and keep them away from the cows until next year.

Livestock producers have until July 18 to apply for the 2005-2007 Livestock Compensation Program. The program compensates producers for feed losses occurring in 2005 or 2007. The following are among the types of livestock operations that will be eligible for LCP: dairy cattle, beef cattle, buffalo, beefalo, equine, poultry, elk, sheep, goats and swine. Applications and/or additional information may be obtained at the Winchester FSA Service Center, 30 Taylor Ave., Winchester, KY (859-725-2828 ext. 2)

More than two dozen cows were found rotting on a Clark County farm, and a local man is facing 50 misdemeanor charges for allowing it to happen. Calvin E. Browning, 57, of 2625 Crowe Ridge Road, was arrested Thursday on a warrant charging him with 25 counts of second-degree cruelty to animals and another 25 counts of failure to properly dispose of a carcass. Browning pleaded not guilty to all counts Monday in Clark District Court, and a trial was scheduled for July 14. Sheriff Berl Perdue Jr. said Browning was leasing a farm on Trapp-Goff's Corner Road when the lease ran out this spring.

HARRODSBURG - Thousands of visitors will converge on Harrodsburg June 6-8 to celebrate Kentucky's beef industry and enjoy the products of its labors at the Fort Harrod Beef Festival. The third annual festival again will feature a beef grill-off June 7 at the Mercer County Fairgrounds. Professional, amateur and youth teams will compete to grill the best briskets, steaks and backyard burgers. Spectators may purchase a $6 bracelet to sample the results and vote for their favorites.

The answer is yes, but only if it is the right bull for your herd. History has dictated that when beef cattle production expenses get higher or feeder calf prices turn lower cattle producers start cutting corners. Unfortunately, one of the first things to get trimmed back is often sire selection, which in the long run can be economically devastating. When you look at the big picture, the $500 to $1,000 you may save on each bull you buy is not very significant in terms of your total cost.

The other day, 911 Director Ronnie Dobson walked into the newspaper office looking for our help gathering data on livestock owners in Lincoln County. We were glad to oblige (see Livestock Locator questionnaire on page one). Mr. Dobson said he and his dispatchers often have a hard time contacting livestock owners in the event that their animals are at large on the highway. Mr. Dobson wants to establish a data base that includes names and phone numbers of livestock owners and where their livestock is located.

This is cattle country, where livestock often stray onto the roadway, endangering the traveling public. Recently, on U.S. 27 South, several head of cattle got into the roadway and stopped traffic on both sides "for a couple of hours" while officers tried to locate the animals' owner and citizens tried in vain to chase the cattle off the road, said 911 Director Ronnie Dobson. "Sometimes we have to make four or five phone calls before we can locate the owners," Mr. Dobson said.

The Lincoln County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee will offer the Lincoln County Youth Livestock Investment Program with the purpose to help youth learn record keeping, responsibility, experiences and to involve youth in money management to benefit their family and further their education. We will be accepting applications Feb. 16-20 at the Lincoln County Farm Bureau office in Stanford. This is a 50/50 cost share not to exceed $500 cattle, $100 sheep, and $150 goats per youth on non-registered livestock.

Feeding cattle was a tougher job for Albert Charles and other Clark County farmers the past two days, having to deal with temperatures around 10 degrees and wind chill factors near zero. Charles had to climb out of the warm cab of his tractor to open a gate to a farm he works on Irvine Road. Once on the farm, Charles slowly makes his way toward the back of the farm to drop one of two rolls of hay down a steep hill. Charles is feeding more that 100 cattle on three farms.

STANFORD - Winter is fast approaching and many livestock farmers are remedying this summer's drought by culling more of their cattle before hay supplies run out. "A lot of people don't have enough to get by," said Eddie Horn, co-owner of Bluegrass South Livestock Market. Typically, "they'll start weeding out their herd (this time of year), but not at these numbers. " Horn said about 30-40 percent more cows and 20-30 percent more calves are being sold right now compared to last year's numbers.