Cow Herd

Calves are looking good around Kentucky, and the grass held up very well during August. With high calf prices, beef producers should be able to make a nice profit this year. In cow/calf operations, profitability is directly linked to percentage of calves weaned per cow exposed. Management emphasis should focus on practices that increased the number of pregnant cows and calves born alive. In the average cow/calf outfit, most improvement can be made in the percentage of cows that become pregnant especially young (2- and 3-year old)

SPRING CALVING COW HERD â?¢Manage pastures to minimize the effect of high endophyte levels in fescue. Clipping pastures will improve forage quality and can also aid in controlling pinkeye by avoiding irritation caused by seed heads. Pasture, other than fescue, can be beneficial this month. Fescue is at its worse in July and August now is the time to be grazing alfalfa, clover, sudangrass, sorghum-sudan and millets. You can also take advantage of what nature provides you. Cattle will do well on crabgrass, Johnsongrass and foxtail.

Spring Calving Cow Herd: Manage pastures to minimize the effect of high endophyte levels in fescue. Clipping pastures will improve forage quality and can also aid in controlling pinkeye by avoiding irritation caused by seed heads. Pasture, other than fescue, can be beneficial this month. Fescue is at its worse in July and August now is the time to be grazing alfalfa, clover, sudangrass, sorgh-sudan & millets. You can also take advantage of what nature provides you. Cattle will do well on crabgrass, Johnsongrass and foxtail.

The continued drought, and limited hay supplies will make feeding the cow herd through the fall and winter a challenge. Producers that can hold on to their herds will be rewarded with high calf prices. The cow herd will need to be maintained with economical feedstuffs for the next 6-8 months. Commodity feeds such as corn gluten feed or soy hulls can offer economical options for cow-calf producers. These products are excellent cattle feed, but vary greatly in price and nutrients.

 Dean's List   Bluegrass Community and Technical College Boyle County: Kenneth Anderson, Kathryn Bayless, Michael Beckley, Cori Belcher, Nicholas Birt, Alex Brannock, Charles Caudill, Brandon Cornett, Adam Cosentino, Shanae Cow-herd, Wanda Curtsinger, Virginia Daugherty, Brittney Davis, Robin Deskins, Dustin Devine, Fallon Douglas, Terry Dunn, Charles Elliott, Tanya Elliott, Jeffrey Embree, Robin Estes, Michael Evans,...

Beef producers would do well to consider the following “Timely Tips” compiled by Dr. Roy Burris, University of Kentucky Beef Specialist. General — Have your hay supply analyzed for nutritive quality and estimate the amount of supplementation needed. Consider purchasing feed now. — Don’t waste your feed resources. Avoid excessive mud in the feeding area. Hay feeding areas can be constructed by putting rock on geotextile fabric. Feed those large round bales in hay “rings” to avoid waste.

Now is the time to begin stockpiling cool-season grass pastures. You can take advantage of good growing conditions to obtain high-quality pasture for late fall and early winter grazing. Stockpiling helps broaden the pasture season for the cow herd, reduces feed and labor costs by lowering the amount of hay needed, and provides an ideal location for the beef cow herd to winter and calve. It's really easy to begin to stockpile. Simply move cattle off of pastures now that you want to stockpile, apply nitrogen fertilizer, and allow grass to accumulate growth until November or December.

August is usually a hot but fairly easy time in the cow calf operation. However, this year the dark clouds on the horizon don't appear to have much rain in them. The drought continues to expand and worsen in most parts of Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic. This August is a good time to take stock of your resources and cattle. Then use this information to make management decisions. Taking stock Feed inventory is the first item that needs to be addressed. Most pastures are in poor shape and first cutting hay supplies are short.

Okay! This is "crunch" time. Cows need to be in good condition and cycling NOW. Bulls must be healthy and fertile. Pastures should be of very high quality. The goal should be to get cows bred early in the season before periods of extreme heat. Schedule spring or "turnout" working in early May-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: â?

 Dean's List   Bluegrass Community and Technical College Boyle County: Kenneth Anderson, Kathryn Bayless, Michael Beckley, Cori Belcher, Nicholas Birt, Alex Brannock, Charles Caudill, Brandon Cornett, Adam Cosentino, Shanae Cow-herd, Wanda Curtsinger, Virginia Daugherty, Brittney Davis, Robin Deskins, Dustin Devine, Fallon Douglas, Terry Dunn, Charles Elliott, Tanya Elliott, Jeffrey Embree, Robin Estes, Michael Evans,...

Beef producers would do well to consider the following “Timely Tips” compiled by Dr. Roy Burris, University of Kentucky Beef Specialist. General — Have your hay supply analyzed for nutritive quality and estimate the amount of supplementation needed. Consider purchasing feed now. — Don’t waste your feed resources. Avoid excessive mud in the feeding area. Hay feeding areas can be constructed by putting rock on geotextile fabric. Feed those large round bales in hay “rings” to avoid waste.

Sorting the commercial cow herd into groups that are similar in nutritional and management requirements allows the cowman to carry the herd through the winter at the least cost. Beef herds may contain dry, mature pregnant cows, cows with calves, weaned replacement heifers, steers or heifers that are being backgrounded, and herd bulls. The quality and amount of feed, as well as the management requirements of each group vary and are influenced by age and production status. Therefore, for the most efficient and economical production, cattle of different ages and production classes should be fed and managed separately.

When deciding on a new bull for your cattle operation, remember that there is no one-size fits all approach. Buying a bull that fits your needs and operation is very important and decisions will be different for every farm. Looking at all the traits for each bull you are considering and determining which one best fits your needs is the right approach. Using tools such as Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) will help in the decision-making process. Two traits often mentioned by Kentucky producers among the most important are calving ease and temperament.

When should you wean calves? Is it when they reach a certain age? When you run out of grass? When calves stop gaining weight? When you need some money? Most record-keeping systems adjust weaning weight to an industry standard of 205 days. So that must be it. Wean them at 7 months, right? No, it's not that simple. Sometimes we wean them earlier (like drought years) and sometimes we wean them later (fall born calves are frequently about 9 months of age at weaning). So, weaning at a certain age isn't necessarily the answer.

August is usually a hot but fairly easy time in the cow calf operation. However, this year the dark clouds on the horizon don't appear to have much rain in them. The drought continues to expand and worsen in most parts of Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic. This August is a good time to take stock of your resources and cattle. Then use this information to make management decisions. Taking stock Feed inventory is the first item that needs to be addressed. Most pastures are in poor shape and first cutting hay supplies are short.

Okay! This is "crunch" time. Cows need to be in good condition and cycling NOW. Bulls must be healthy and fertile. Pastures should be of very high quality. The goal should be to get cows bred early in the season before periods of extreme heat. Schedule spring or "turnout" working in early May-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: â?

Calves are looking good around Kentucky, and the grass held up very well during August. With high calf prices, beef producers should be able to make a nice profit this year. In cow/calf operations, profitability is directly linked to percentage of calves weaned per cow exposed. Management emphasis should focus on practices that increased the number of pregnant cows and calves born alive. In the average cow/calf outfit, most improvement can be made in the percentage of cows that become pregnant especially young (2- and 3-year old)

Now is the time to begin stockpiling cool-season grass pastures. You can take advantage of good growing conditions to obtain high-quality pasture for late fall and early winter grazing. Stockpiling helps broaden the pasture season for the cow herd, reduces feed and labor costs by lowering the amount of hay needed, and provides an ideal location for the beef cow herd to winter and calve. It's really easy to begin to stockpile. Simply take cattle off pastures now, apply nitrogen fertilizer, and allow grass to accumulate growth until November or December.