Agriculture and Natural Resources

Stacy White

 

August 2007 

 

 

 

 

Managing Cattle Under

Drought Conditions

 

The unusual weather conditions of 2007 are creating management problems for Kentucky beef producers.   The late spring freeze severely damaged the first cutting of hay, reducing yields by as much as 50%.   The hot, dry weather that has occurred since has limited pasture growth and has many producers very short of hay and out of pasture.   Producers are wondering how they are going to cope with both issues at the same time.   While good management decisions can not make it rain, they can help producers hang on in the most economical manner possible.

 

The first step in good management is deciding if some cows should be culled.   Generally we would say that the lower productivity cows and open cows should be sold when pasture and hay is limited.   Most spring calving herds will only have had the bull turned in for about 30 days at this point and this is not sufficient time to make culling decisions based on reproduction.   If a cow’s history indicates her calves to be below average weight at weaning, certainly she should be considered for culling.   Any cow with a physical defect such as bad feet, arthritic joints, bottle teats or a broken down udder should also be considered for culling in short feed times.   The fewer cattle that graze dry pasture or consume a short supply of hay, the better off the producer will be.

 

A second consideration should be to determine if potential alternative feeds are available on the farm.   Is there a corn crop on your or a

 

neighbor’s farm that will make too little grain to justify harvest?   If so, chopping this crop as silage may be a viable alternative.   Drought silage is different than normal corn silage and requires different feeding management.   Drought silage has less energy and generally higher crude protein content than normal silage.   The energy value will likely be adequate for drying or lactating cows but not growing cattle.   On a percentage basis, drought silage likely will have a higher crude protein content compared to normal silage but there will be lower values of true plant protein and more non-protein nitrogen forms in the drought silage.   This means that supplements containing urea or other NPN compounds will not be well utilized with drought silage.   Producers without silage equipment should consider using custom choppers and having the silage blown into bags or placed on the ground and covered with plastic.

 

Drought stressed corn should not be cut and baled as dry hay, nor should it be grazed.   The nitrate content of drought corn will likely be high, especially if heavy fertilization has been used.   The nitrate content will not dissipate in the standing material or dry hay.   If the nitrate content is high enough, toxicity will occur.   When allowed to ferment as silage, the nitrate content can be reduced by 40 to 60% through the process of fermentation.

 

Other crops such as soybeans can be baled and fed as dry hay without major nitrate concerns.   Soybeans should be cut and rolled while all the leaves are still green for the best quality feed.   As the leaves yellow and dry, the stem composes a greater percentage of the feed and stem digestibility is quite low compared to soybean leaves.

 

When alternative feeds are not available on the farm, purchasing feeds much be considered.   Hay may not be available for purchase and

 

 

even if it is, producers must consider if it is the best purchase.   Generally speaking, as the nutrient content of a feed increases, the cost per unit of that nutrient decreases.   In other words, it may be cheaper to purchase nutrients from grains or commodity feeds than from forages.   If grains or commodity feeds are used, feeding management must be considered.   Whereas round rolls of hay can be fed free choice with little management, grains or commodity feeds cannot be.   Rations composed of a high portion of grains or commodity feeds must be limit fed to prevent health problems and for best economic return.

 

 

Hay Hotline

 

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) now has a “Hay Hotline” up and operating.   The number for the hotline is 888-567-9589 and the web link is http://www.kaagr.com/marketing/forage/HayForageDroughtRelief.htm

 

The 888 number is being manned by Lori Durham who will take the producer’s information for either buying or selling hay and enter it on the website.   The information posted will give producers a good tool to source hay during this time of drought.

 

 

 

Southeast Kentucky

Vegetable Marketing Facility

 

The southeast Kentucky Vegetable Marketing Facility is now open for business.   The facility is located in Knox County on the Corbin bypass.   For more information please contact Russell Reeves at (606) 542-4670.

 

 

 

Beekeeping   Sumac, Rhus sp.

 

When sumac is in bloom in June and July, it can be found covered with honeybees and, because the nectar is unprotected, numerous other insects.   Typically, we find two species of sumac in the Mid-south:  smooth sumac, Rhus glabra, and winged sumac, Rhus copallina.   Smooth sumac is our most common sumac.  It is the only tree or shrub found in each of the 48 contiguous states.   It usually occurs as a shrub in thickets.   Stands of sumac are common along roadsides.   Smooth sumac produces clusters of red fruit.

 

Winged sumac, also called dwarf sumac, can be identified by “wings” along the midrib of the leaf.   Winged sumac produces a white fruit.   Winged sumac blooms later than smooth sumac   As well as feeding honeybees, sumac provides food for songbirds   Sumac is also heavily browsed by deer.

 

Sumac blooms for about three weeks.   The flowers secrete nectar freely on hot, clear days; but in cloudy, foggy, or cool weather, the flow ceases almost entirely.   During hot weather in July, strong colonies may bring in 20 pounds of sumac honey per day.   Sumac also produces a large amount of pollen.   The bees will gather sumac pollen early in the morning before the sun has stimulated the plant’s nectarines.   Later in the day little pollen is brought in.

 

When sumac honey is fresh, it has a bitter taste.   However, the bitterness is temporary;   By winter the bitterness of the honey disappears.   Pure sumac honey has a golden color.   Sumac is surely a major honey plant.   It is, by the way, in the same family as poison ivy and poison oak, two lesser honey plants, which do make good, edible honey.

 

Sources:  Trees, Shrubs, & Vines of Arkansas by Carl G. Hunter, 2004; Honey Plants of North America by John H. Lovell, 1926; Weeds of the Northeast by R.H. Uva, J.C. Neal, & J.M. DiTomaso, 1997; Plants and Beekeeping by F.N. Howes, 1979.

 

 

 

 

Lawns Need Continued Care During Fall

 

Taking care of your lawn during the fall is as important as it is during spring and summer, even more so for lawns with cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue. Nearly all fertilizers and broadleaf herbicides should be applied in the fall, and it is by far the best time to renovate (seed) lawns.

 

Here are some tips for cool-season grasses:

 

Fertilize – Fertilizing your lawn in the fall will help it grow stronger, thicker and greener. Cool-season grasses should be fertilized with nitrogen in late October and again in four to six weeks.

 

Control weeds – If broadleaf weeds such as clover, dandelion, plantain and chickweed are growing in your lawn, fall is the best time of year to get them under control. Almost all broadleaf weeds can be controlled selectively in turfgrass by applying a three-way mix of 2, 4-D, MCPP and Dicamba.

 

Renovate – Summer’s stresses often take a toll on your lawn. The best time to reseed your lawn is from late August through October. Because the goal is to get the seed in close contact with the soil, it is recommended that you first remove surface debris and mechanically groove the soil. This is easier done by traversing the lawn with a dethatching machine that can be rented at many rental centers. Seed a turf-type tall fescue at a rate of 5 to 6 pounds per 1,000 square feet. To avoid uneven application, spread half the seed horizontally across the lawn and the other half vertically.

 

Remember to continue mowing your lawn as long as the grass is growing.

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Planting Fall Vegetables

It is not too late to continue to enjoy the garden and add new plantings. A variety of produce can be grown in Kentucky gardens in the coming weeks allowing fresh items to be available well into the fall.

 

The cooler nights experienced later in the year as these vegetables mature may increase the sugar content of many crops and thus increase their quality. Cooler nights also slow growth, so crops can take longer to mature than in the summer. Keep this slower pace in mind when you check seeds for days to maturity.

 

Late July or early August would be the time to make a last planting of bush beans, carrots, sweet corn, kale, collards, Bibb lettuce, turnips, and cole crops such as kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli. For late August and into September try planting mustard greens, spinach greens, radishes, turnip greens, and leaf lettuce.

 

Before planting, remove any existing debris including crops and weeds to the compost bin and cultivate the soil.

 

If the previous crop was well fertilized and grew vigorously you may need to add little if any additional fertilizer, otherwise apply about 2-3 pounds of a complete fertilizer such as 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 per 100 square feet of planting area.

 

Remember to keep fall gardens well watered as this tends to be a fairly dry time in Kentucky. A weekly irrigation sufficient to wet the soil to 6 or 8 inches should be adequate. This is more or less equivalent to a weekly one-inch rain.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Stacy White

Bell County Extension Agent

For Agriculture and Natural Resources