MoosNews
Volume
16, No. 4 – April 2013
We look forward to
seeing everyone at the upcoming GCCA dinner meeting – Thursday, April 11 at 7
p.m. Cost of a meal is $5. Cost of an annual GCCA membership, $10. Fellowship
and Doan and A.J.’s stories and jokes…PRICELESS! Come join the fun!
**********
News,
Views, and Mostly Other Matters
By Paul Westfall, Extension
Livestock Agent
The
topic of farm trailer registration has come up quite a lot in the last few
months. I am happy to report that the
Agricultural Exemptions shown in N.C.G.S. 20-51 were revised and now has
language that includes farm trailers hauling livestock from farm to farm or
farm to market. That means that stock
trailers do not have to be registered when being used to haul cattle or other
livestock from one farm to another or from the farm to the sale barn.
The
language in the statute states:
“Any trailer or semitrailer attached to and
drawn by a properly licensed motor vehicle when used by a farmer, his tenant,
agent, or employee in transporting unginned cotton, peanuts, soybeans, corn,
hay, tobacco, silage, cucumbers, potatoes, all vegetables, fruits, greenhouse
and nursery plants and flowers, Christmas trees, livestock, live poultry,
animal waste, pesticides, seeds, fertilizers or chemicals purchased or owned by
the farmer or tenant for personal use in implementing husbandry, irrigation
pipes, loaders, or equipment owned by the farmer or tenant from place to place
on the same farm, from one farm to another, from farm to gin, from farm to
dryer, or from farm to market, and when not operated on a for‑hire basis. The
term "transporting" as used herein shall include the actual hauling
of said products and all unloaded travel in connection therewith.”
A good rule of thumb to use when reading the
statute is that if a commodity is not specifically mentioned, then the trailer
hauling it is not exempt from registration.
Remember,
though, this applies only to North Carolina.
If you cross the state line, other states’ laws apply, and Federal law
may become applicable. It also does not
apply to processed meats going from the farm to a farmers market, or if the
driver or owner of the trailer is getting paid to haul cattle. Those trailers need to be registered and
licensed.
North
Carolina Farm Bureau has an excellent publication called “Haulin’ Ag” that
gives the most up-to-date information for farmers on the agricultural
exemptions for licensing and registration.
It can be downloaded by using this link in your web browser: http://www.haulinag.org/pdf/haulingAgManual.pdf. I recommend that each farmer get a copy and
keep it up-to-date.
Exemption
from registration does NOT mean exemption from any of the safety standards,
including making sure the lights all work, and the tires are in good shape and
inflated properly. The floor should be
in good shape, with provisions to ensure that animals don’t slip and slide
around when being transported. I heard a
story once about a person hauling a young bull in his trailer. The driver noticed some debris fall onto the
road from the trailer, so he pulled over to check things out. When he looked into the trailer, the bull was
balancing on a support beam because there was a big hole in the floor of the
trailer! That was a very dangerous
situation for both the bull and other people driving on the road. That farmer was VERY lucky that he stopped
before the bull lost his balance.
Now for the calendar tips. In
general, start watching for flies and other external
parasites once the weather decides to warm up.
Order fly control products to be ready when treatment warrants. Consider
the type tags or sprays used last year. Every now and then change from an
organophosphate to pyrethroid or vice versa to reduce the risk of developing
resistant strains or species of flies.
Use sprays or back rubs early, and delay using fly ear tags as late as
possible. Use all outside stores of hay
and clean out hay storage areas for new hay.
Monitor mineral intake and watch closely for grass tetany. Plan for next winter’s feed supply. (Consider setting up a deferred grazing area
for next winter!)
Folks with spring calving herds need to remember
that for calving to begin around January 1, bulls should have been in pastures
on March 21. Check the condition of
bulls during the breeding season and provide supplemental feed if needed. Bulls should be in BCS 6.0 when turned in
with the cows. Be prepared to remove
bulls from mature cows after a 45- to 90-day breeding season. Watch heifers for heat to see if they are
breeding. Remove the bull from the
heifers after a 45- to 60-day breeding season.
Cows need to be in moderate to good condition to rebreed. Provide
supplemental feed if spring pastures are slow to grow. Maintain BCS of 5.0 for
the cows. Make final selection of
replacement heifers. Send the culled
heifers to market. Finally, evaluate
profit potential for creep feeding. In
the right circumstances, this can help increase calf gains, plus it gets them
used to eating from a trough or feeder early.
Folks with fall-calving herds need to prepare the
weaning pen for calf weaning, and
plan a good feeding program. Calves should usually
be weaned at 7 to 8 months of age. To
precondition for shipment, calves should be weaned and vaccinated for
respiratory
diseases 45 days prior to shipment. Ask your
veterinarian for product recommendations, and order the vaccines. Tattoo or otherwise establish permanent IDs
for bred heifers.
Consider creep feeding, depending on pasture conditions and marketing
plans. Pregnancy check 45 to 60 days
after the end of the breeding season or at weaning. Sell open heifers now or consider finishing
them for freezer beef.
Be sure that you are using a high magnesium mineral
mix. These lush, fast-growing pastures
can lead to grass tetany if the mineral mix isn’t right.
**********
From
the President’s Pen
Fellow
Cattlemen:
Special
thanks to all the many people that supported E.B. Harris and our association to
get sales extended at the arena. Don't forget to thank members on our planning
board and your county commissioners for this endeavor.
Time
to start thinking about our Earth Roast coming up June 14th! Tickets
will be available at our monthly meeting. Charlie Easton will be the chairman this
year, so if you have some special talents please let him know so he can put you
on the right committee.
If
you would like something discussed at our monthly meeting please let us know.
Our program planning committee will be meeting and setting up topics for this
coming year. Don't feel like your idea is not important - this is your
Association and all inquiries will be regarded with high respect.
See
you all at April 11th meeting…invite your friends and neighbors!
Kay
**********
March Meeting
Minutes
The
Granville Cattlemen's Association held its regular monthly meeting in the Board
Room of the Cooperative Extension Service on Thursday,
March 14, 2013, at 7:00 p.m.
Following
a beef meal, Future Farmers of America representatives from South Granville
High School shared a Power Point presentation highlighting activities of the
FFA during the school year. It was noted that the FFA Club was the largest club
at South Granville. Each club member is required to complete an ag-related
project during the year. Fourteen ag-related classes are offered at South
Granville. FFA participants attend state and national conventions and compete
on the state and regional level in competitions such as livestock judging.
President
Kay Stark presided over the business session following the program. Minutes of
the February meeting were approved as printed in MoosNews. The Treasurer’s report was accepted.
President
Stark reported on his attendance at the meeting of the North Carolina
Cattlemen's Association. A copy of North Carolina Cattlemen Reflections is
being placed in the office of Paul Westfall for our use.
Members
voted to contribute $280 to cover expenses for members of South Granville and
Granville Central FFA to participate in a livestock judging contest at the
Horse Complex at State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.
Members
were encouraged to attend the Granville County Commissioners meeting on Monday, March 18 in support of the efforts to get zoning
changes for the Livestock Arena.
The
meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully
submitted,
Jean
Y. Gill, Secretary
**********
Officers Directors
President, Kay Stark 2013: Kent Currin,
Steve Walker
Past President, Joy Morgan Marshall 2014: Linda Currin,
Wendy Lane
Vice President, Sherby Slaughter 2015:
James Gooch, Eddie Denny
Treasurer, Sandy Gabel
Secretary, Jean Gill
Newsletter, Laura S. Gabel
