MoosNews
Volume 15, No. 6 – June 2012
The GCCA will meet on Thursday, June 14, at 7 p.m. in the board room of the Cooperative Extension office. Dinner is $5. Directors, please plan to come by 6:15 for a quick meeting before the dinner meeting.
News, Views, and Mostly Other Matters
By Paul Westfall, Extension Livestock Agent
Last month, I covered a bit about making quality hay while trying to dodge raindrops. Anyone who has tried that knows that it is not easy to dodge raindrops when a hay crop has to stay in the field a couple of days to dry down enough to bale and store. As a reminder, hay that is baled at higher moisture levels will likely develop rot in the bale, or can actually combust spontaneously – catch fire. There are many stories about barns burning down due to hay baled a bit too wet.
I received a call from an experienced cattleman after he had read that article. He pointed out that I did not mention tedding hay to help it dry down faster. I agreed that I had not mentioned that as a tool for farmers to get hay in the barn a half- or even a full day sooner than normal drying in the field with no ”assistance”. I promised that I would mention tedding this month.
Most folks around here use a disk mower to cut hay, and there are still several sickle bars in use. I see fewer mower-conditioners (haybines) here than in some other places. I think there are two reasons for that – we grow mostly grass hay, and the fact that haybines are very expensive and harder to maintain with all those moving parts. They are a good option for folks who are putting up a LOT of hay or who are harvesting a lot of alfalfa or other legumes, but for folks who use their hay equipment a month during the year, the cost just isn’t justified.
Once the hay is down, most of the forage experts say to get into the field to ted hay about four hours after it is cut, or by the next morning to spread out and fluff the hay. This allows air to circulate through the hay, allowing it to dry more quickly. Sickle bars and disk mowers lay hay down flat, causing it to be more of a mat with poor air circulation. Tedding lifts the hay up and lets it fall to the ground, creating avenues for air to circulate.
Tedding is also done after a rain event to get the hay drying more quickly to beat that next shower. The same principal applies – get the hay fluffed and/or turned to get it exposed to the air so it dries more quickly. A couple of trips may help to get the hay crop to dry evenly.
Some cautions to keep in mind when tedding hay include setting the tedder so the tines don’t dig into the ground. Adjust the machine so the tines almost brush the surface of the ground so it picks up the hay, but doesn’t pick up soil and rocks to add to the bales. (Same goes for the rake.) Experts say don’t ted hay once it gets below 50% moisture. That rule was developed for folks harvesting alfalfa and clovers. Grass hay is more tolerant and won’t lose leaves due to shatter, but we still don’t need to beat the grass hay to a pulp.
Tedding requires less horsepower and is a pretty fuel-efficient operation. Hay tedders are also a lot less expensive than some other pieces of hay machinery. When you figure that tedding hay is sometimes the difference between getting hay in the barn or getting hay wet, tedding is an operation that can prove to be worthwhile if done properly. If anyone wants to discuss the merits of tedding or other aspects of making quality hay, give me a call at (919) 603-1350.
June herd management tips include getting the square bales of hay put under a roof and moving round bales to a dry, well-drained area, elevated on tires or pallets, and covered. Don’t let the bales touch as water will get caught there and cause areas of rot. Clip overgrown pastures to knock down stalks and seed heads that can cause eye irritation. Continue the fly control program. Body Condition Score all females to ensure they are getting enough nutrients. If they score a 4 or below now after grazing on higher quality forage, they won’t gain anything during the hot summer eating mature fescue with the highest concentration of endophyte to be found during the year. They will need some additional groceries to get to a BCS of 5 or 6.
Managers of spring calving herds should spot-check cows to see if most are bred. By now, there should be little activity. Remove the bulls after a 45- to 90-day breeding period and put them in a small pasture with strong fences. Thin, young bulls that worked hard may need a little supplemental feed so they can regain condition. Vaccinate the calves for clostridial diseases, and castrate and dehorn the late calves or those missed in earlier working. Sell the cows that failed to produce a live calf. Get them to a BCS of 5 or 6 so they look good at the sale.
Folks with fall calving herds have a longer to-do list. They need to wean any calves not weaned earlier. Be sure to deworm calves at weaning. Cull open and poor-producing cows after weaning. That means sell them! Feed the weaned calves so they gain from 1.5 to 2.5 lbs/day depending on the marketing plans. This should be done by grazing on high-quality pasture supplemented with 0.5 to 1.0 percent of body weight concentrate. (That translates to 1.5 to 3 lbs of concentrate for a 300# calf, plus the pasture.) Select replacement heifers based on weaning weights, frame score, temperament, etc. Use the weights to project needed gain between now and breeding. Consider options for selling weaned calves, including backgrounding or maintaining ownership through the feedlot. For late calves (weaning in late July or August), consider creep feeding and vaccination for respiratory diseases 45 days prior to weaning. Pregnancy check heifers and sell the open heifers. Market the cull cows that are in good condition. Feed thin cull cows to improve their condition and sell them once they are in good condition.
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Greetings!
Earth Roast time is getting close! Let’s make this one as great as the past 38 have been!
Special thanks to Doan for putting up our Earth Roast signs one morning… then taking them down that same afternoon. It seems the Oxford planning board met a few months ago and changed the law – a sign can't be up over 14 days before a function is to be held. (And we have a GCCA member on the planning board!). Doan agreed to put them back up 14 days ahead of our Earth Roast - thanks for getting started early with publicizing our event.
I ran into one of our lifetime members last week. Most of you know Frank Clark had back surgery, compliments of a year-long bout with old arthritis So glad to see Frank out walking and doing better. Let's keep him in our prayers.
Board members: prior to our June meeting we need to have a meeting at 6:15 to discuss a few items.
Thanks for all the work our members are doing to help our association to grow and be more helpful for all. See you Thursday night and bring a friend.
Kay
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TICK TOCK…
The EARTH ROAST is June 22, 2012!
If you haven’t heard from a committee leader, please consider how you can pitch in either in advance of the 22nd, or on the day of the Earth Roast. This is a group effort – remember, this helps us to fund our scholarships and allows GCCA to help local high school students defray costs of trips and contests.
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Please, if you haven’t paid your 2012 dues, plan to do so at the May meeting. Can’t remember whether you’ve paid for the year? Talk to treasurer Sandy Gabel, newsletter editor Laura Santos or secretary Jean Gill. Only $10 for a year or $100 for a lifetime membership!
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May Meeting Minutes
The regular monthly meeting of Granville County Cattlemen’s Association was held on May 10, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Cooperative Extension Service. Following a beef dinner, Paul Westfall and Steve Walker presented a program on External Parasite Control. There being no one magic solution, types of external parasites and some methods of control were discussed. Horn flies, face flies and ticks are among the most prevalent in our area. Suggestions for control included spray-ons, pour-ons, dusts, rubs, oral, baits and ear tags. The Eppes Biting Fly Trap was explained, more often used for horses. It was emphasized that flies would develop resistance to the same chemical used over and over, year after year. Suggestions for the best fly control include: keeping the area clean, rotating pastures, and fly tags in both ears. Fly tags should go in now and be taken out in September. Products available for fly control from Southern States were demonstrated and a drawing was held with some members winning the demonstrated products.
A business meting was presided over by President Kay Stark following the program. Minutes of the April meeting as printed in MoosNews were approved. Treasurers report was accepted. Members voted not to renew membership in the Vance County Chamber of Commerce.
Final Plans were made for the Earth Roast. Tickets were distributed and each member was encouraged to sell at least 10. Carolina Connection will provide Display at the Earth Roast. New members can join. Betty Laursen has written an article, our 39th year, for Carolina Connection.
The meeting adjourned.
Jean Y. Gill, Secretary
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In the spotlight…
· Will transport cattle to Siler City StockMarket. No number too large or too small. Contact Robert E. Land at 919-691-3445 (cell) or 919-693-2201 (home)
· Check out the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association website at ncbeef@nccattle.com. There are many interesting articles and dates of upcoming events…don’t miss it!
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Granville County Cattlemen’s Association
P.O. Box 746
Oxford, NC 27565
Officers:
President, Kay Stark
Past President, Joy Morgan Marshall
Vice President, Larry Medlin
Treasurer, Sandy Gabel
Secretary, Jean Gill
Newsletter, Laura Santos
Directors:
2012: Jimmy Morgan, David Owen
2013: Sherby Slaughter, Steve Walker
2014: Linda Currin, Wendy Lane
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MoosNews
Volume 15, No. 5 – May 2012
The GCCA will meet on Thursday, May 10, at 7 p.m. in the board room of the Cooperative Extension office. $5 gets you dinner – and we’ll throw in the program for free! Steve Walker and Paul Westfall will present a program on external parasite control.
News, Views, and Mostly Other Matters
By Paul Westfall, Extension Livestock Agent
It looks like the big challenge for cattlemen going into the month of May is going to be getting hay in the barn without getting it too wet. We’ve been blessed through April with higher than normal temperatures and adequate rainfall, which has led to a really early hay crop developing. Fescue and orchard grass are fully headed out, so folks really need to make hay as soon as possible or risk losing a lot of protein and energy from the forage due to the maturation process, where the plant’s normal life cycle tells it to make more of its plant material indigestible.
I’ve heard more than one person say that they would rather have hay in the barn regardless the quality than risk losing the whole cutting to bad weather. We can live with a light rinsing of hay, but a prolonged wet spell can certainly cause good hay to rot in the field. The decision that has to be made is to try and get better forage stored for those times that we need to feed it, or wait until the whole plant turns brown and the seeds scattered before we cut hay, thus guaranteeing that there will be hay in the barn.
Please consider that there is a point of low protein and lower digestibility where cows can actually eat all they can eat and still lose body condition, requiring a good dose of supplement to keep them at a decent Body Condition Score of 5. Yes, I just said that there are times when a snowball has more nutrition than a barn full of old, mature hay. Considering how much it costs to make a bale of hay, I think most folks want to get as much out of that hay as possible and not have to spend extra on supplements. Remember that one of the largest costs of keeping cattle is feed, which includes hay.
If the weather prognosticators continue to call for showers every two or three days – or one day less than is needed to cure hay, I have a great option to consider. Most cattlemen have these wonderful forage harvesters called cows roaming around on their farms that will harvest forage in the rain or in sunshine. They can make use of a hay crop very efficiently through intensive grazing management, and the hay won’t rot on the ground because it is going from plant to rumen without all that middleman stuff like baling, storing, and feeding. (That’s kind of like going from farm to fork, only a lot simpler).
If you’ve read any of Matt Poore’s articles in the Cattle Connection, you know that by using grazing management, we can just about go through the entire year without needing much hay or supplement. We can also achieve some pretty good weed control by using these grazing machines, again, by using the right grazing management scheme. Raising cattle is all about keeping costs low and being flexible enough to take advantage of new or different methods.
Our partners with NRCS and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts may have cost-share programs to help set up a good grazing system. Give them a call to see where all that stands and perhaps get your name in the pot to make these improvements.
Herd management tips for May include taking care of the pastures and hay fields by controlling the summer weeds by clipping or using herbicides. It’s late to be worried about controlling the early spring weeds, but the thistles and dogfennel are starting to take off. For fly control, use spray or back rubs early, and delay using fly tags as long as possible. Monitor the herd’s mineral intake and watch for grass tetany.
Managers of spring-calving herds need to vaccinate calves more than 3 months old for clostridial diseases (7-way blackleg). Castrate and dehorn any calves that were missed at birth. Implant calves if that is a management practice on your farm. Calves that were implanted at birth may be reimplanted after 90 days according to the product label. Check condition of the bulls during breeding season. If they are losing weight or body condition, provide supplemental feed. Keep an eye on the cows and spot check to make sure they are settling.
Folks with fall-calving herds need to wean calves if they weren’t weaned last month. Go ahead and preg check the cows when the calves are weaned. Sell the open cows if they are in BCS of 5.0 or better. If they are thin, put them on good pasture and plan to market them once they reach a BCS of 5.0. Check the cows for bad eyes, udders, legs. Those showing any of these should be culled. Also check the production records to identify other cows that need to be added to the cull list. Basically, get rid of the low performers and replace them with some young stock that has potential to improve the overall herd performance.
Give me a call at (919) 603-1350 to discuss improving forage quality and utilization through grazing or by using convention hay and stored feed methods.
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From the President’s Pen:
Greetings fellow Cattlemen:
Our Earth Roast is getting close again. Charlie and Larry are getting things together. Special thanks to the men that helped getting the tables under the shelter, on the north side, repaired. (Spot Burwell, Madison Currin, Sandy Gabel, Wayne Hicks, Larry Medlin, Jimmy Morgan, Mike Newton, Tommy West) Please forgive me if I left anyone out!!
If you have not signed up on the duty roster, please do. By the calls I've already received this may be one our biggest earth roasts, so all help is greatly appreciated.
At our GCCA program planning meeting, we discussed topics that should benefit us all. We will meet three times this summer at different cattlemen’s farms, beginning in July. It should be nice to see other operations. We will have several demonstrations from freeze branding to other useful ideas.
Remember this is your association, so any interest or ideas you have, please let your board members know.
Thank you,
Kay
TICK TOCK…
The EARTH ROAST is June 22, 2012!
The eat-in shelter at the livestock arena has undergone a makeover, thanks to a group of GCCA members who’ve worked a couple of Saturday mornings to make sure that our seating is up to par.
Chairman Charlie Easton is working hard to make this year’s event another successful fundraiser – emphasis on FUN! There are many opportunities for GCCA members to pitch in and help, from pre-selling tickets and parking lot duty to preparing take-out plates and pouring iced tea. This is a group effort – remember, this helps us to fund our scholarships and allows GCCA to help local high school students defray costs of trips and contests
Please, if you haven’t paid your 2012 dues, plan to do so at the May meeting.
Can’t remember whether you’ve paid for the year?
Talk to treasurer Sandy Gabel, newsletter editor Laura Santos or secretary
Jean Gill. Only $10 for a year or $100 for a lifetime membership!
April Meeting Minutes
The regular monthly meeting of the Granville County Cattlemen’s Association was held on April 12, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Granville County Cooperative Extension Office in Oxford. Following a steak dinner, officers of the South Granville Future Farmers of America (FFA) shared a video of their club activities during the school year. Following the video presentation, each member elaborated on one or more of these annual activities. The group thanked the GCCA for ongoing financial support and the interest shown in their activities. They are looking forward to Equine Judging later in April.
President Kay Stark presided over the business session following the FFA presentation. Minutes of the March meeting were approved. The Treasurer’s report was accepted by the membership. President Stark showed the immobilizer and encouraged members to take advantage of this Club-owned equipment.
Members voted to present a $50 donation to the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Foundation in memory of deceased member Tom Newton.
Estimates were presented for work on the shed at the Arena. Members proposed that the needed work be done by Charles Lane after April 21, at which time members will tear out areas to be replaced.
GCCA is now recognized by the State of North Carolina as a 501(c)3 organization. Federal approval will be forthcoming.
Members voted to continue membership in the Vance County Chamber of Commerce.
$100 will be donated for the Got to be N.C. activities for eight-year-olds and under on May 18.
The meeting adjourned.
Jean Y. Gill, Secretary
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In the spotlight…
· Will transport cattle to Siler City Stock Market. No number too large or too small. Contact Robert E. Land at 919-691-3445 (cell) or 919-693-2201 (home)
· Check out the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association website at ncbeef@nccattle.com. There are many interesting articles and dates of upcoming events…don’t miss it!
·
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Check out the May issue of Progressive Farmer, page B-12 and 13 and you will be in for a treat - GCCA’s own Bill Pyle is featured in a story titled “Pump Up Pasture Fertility.” The story talks about cattle producers who are using biosolids as a way to save on fertilizer costs. There’s a picture of Bill in the article and guess what – he’s sporting a Granville County Cattlemen’s cap! Way to go, Bill!
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NC Gov. Perdue proclaims MAY is BEEF MONTH
WHEREAS, according to the 2011 North Carolina Agricultural Statistics Book, published by the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, there are currently over 780,000 cattle in North Carolina, providing a variety of food, leather and other products to the citizens of this state; and
WHEREAS, according to the 2011 North Carolina Agricultural Statistics Book, published by the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, North Carolina farmers raise beef cattle in all 100 counties; and
WHEREAS, because of cooperation between beef producers and the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association, NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T University and allied industries, thousands of farms are flourishing across the state; and
WHEREAS, according to the 2011 North Carolina Agricultural Statistics Book, published by the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, beef and beef products are naturally nutrient rich, providing Americans with a high quality source of protein, iron, zinc and B vitamins, leading nine out of ten households to serve beef at least once every two weeks; and
WHEREAS, according to the 2011 North Carolina Agricultural Statistics Book, published by the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, more than 18,000 North Carolina operations generate more than $255 million in cash receipts each year, making the beef industry yet another part of the total diversification of agriculture in this state;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BEVERLY EAVES PERDUE, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim May 2012, as “BEEF MONTH” in North Carolina and commend this observance to all our citizens.
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Granville County Cattlemen’s Association
P.O. Box 746
Oxford, NC 27565
President, Kay Stark
Past President, Joy Morgan Marshall
Vice President, Larry Medlin
Treasurer, Sandy Gabel
Secretary, Jean Gill
Newsletter, Laura Santos
Directors:
2012: Jimmy Morgan, David Owen
2013: Sherby Slaughter, Steve Walker
2014: Linda Currin, Wendy Lane
MoosNews
Volume 15, No. 4 – April 2012
The GCCA will meet on Thursday, April 12, at 7 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Cooperative Extension office. $5 gets you dinner – and we’ll throw in the program for free! Members of South Granville High School’s FFA will bring us an update of their activities and upcoming events. Mark your calendars – we’ll see you at the meeting!
News, Views, and Mostly Other Matters
By Paul Westfall, Extension Livestock Agent
I guess it has been a good thing – enjoying April weather in March. I just hope that the mild weather that we started enjoying last month hangs around through April just to get things back on a more normal cycle. For the record – I did hear a climatologist say that La Niña had ended and that we would go back into an El Niño weather pattern, which means cooler, wetter weather. Or was it the other way around? Anyway, as cattlemen, I think it is OK just to ask for a weather pattern of seasonable temperatures and a rainfall pattern through the rest of spring and summer that keeps adequate moisture in the soil for excellent forage growth.
Now that we’ve discussed things to ask for, let’s focus on some things we have a bit of control over. As you have probably seen, grasses are growing like crazy. Fescue is up pretty tall – at least it is at my place – and I’d bet that it is going to start heading out in a couple of weeks, if not sooner. If we are going to try and make the best quality hay that we can, get the hay equipment ready now. Once the grass heads out, the forage quality starts declining rapidly. That means that we may need to make hay during the season of spring showers in order to have decent quality. Keep checking the forecasts and make the decision to cut hay based on the stage of forage growth and the weather windows that open up. Having the equipment ready to go before the hay is ready means that when the decision to cut is made, the mower can be in the field cutting instead of being serviced in the shop. That can be the difference in getting a good cutting of high-quality hay and having to leave hay in the field to dry after getting rained on.
Some folks may be having another problem, and that is that the cows can’t keep up with forage growth at this time of year. This time of year is usually a good time to put a few extra cows or stockers to work harvesting that fast-growing grass. The extras can then be sold once grass growth slows to a more normal pace that the base herd can keep up with on a normal grazing rotation. Another strategy is to only use half or ¾ of the pastures for grazing the herd and getting the hay reserve cut from the remaining pasture acreage. This works if you already own hay equipment or have neighbors that aren’t using their hay equipment at that time. Use the strategy to get high-quality hay and forages for your cattle that works best for your farm. Remember, though, that I stressed the adjectives “high” and “quality” with the words hay and forage. For many reasons that I’ll be happy to discuss in another forum, cows perform best when given the best stuff to eat.
Now for the calendar tips. In general, start watching for flies and other external parasites. 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 need to go into 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.
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.
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Please, if you haven’t paid your 2012 dues, plan to do so at the April meeting. Can’t remember whether you’ve paid for the year? Talk to treasurer Sandy Gabel, newsletter editor Laura Santos or secretary Jean Gill. Only $10 for a year or $100 for a lifetime membership!
Greetings! Hope everyone saw the picture in the Oxford Ledger of Phyllis Stark presenting the VGCC scholarship.
Larry Medlin will be our representative for Leadership Granville for 2012!
The committee met about repairs needed on the shelter for our Earth Roast. They discovered a lot of repairs needed on the benches on the south side. Looks like we need a few good carpenters for couple of days!! Any volunteers?
Our aerator has been busy getting the soil ready with these nice and rainy days we have been getting. It really helps get the fertilizer into the soil!!!
Please don't forget that matters containing business of our association need to be given to me a week ahead of our regular meeting so I can put on the agenda and present it to our board prior to meeting.
Please keep the Tom Newton family in our prayers.
Hope to see all Thursday night, April 12th and please bring a friend!
Kay Stark
March Meeting Minutes
The Granville County Cattlemen’s Association met on March 8, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Granville County Cooperative Extension Office. Following a beef dinner, E.B. Harris addressed the group on cattle marketing and brought members up to date on the status of the National Beef Checkoff Program. The focus of the Beef Checkoff Program for 25 years has been to promote and build consumer demand for beef.
Mr. Harris addressed the competition from the Humane Society and emphasized that the Checkoff Program is the key to rebuilding the beef market in the global marketplace. More information is available at MyBeefCheckoff.com. Emphasis was also placed on the importance of the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program in helping cattlemen to better compete in the global marketplace. Membership in state and national organizations is encouraged. Cattlemen were reminded of the importance of having an appropriate cattle vaccination program.
Following the program, President Kay Stark presided over the business meeting. Minutes of the February meeting were approved with the following correction: Recommendation from the Rental Equipment Lease Policy Committee for use guidelines will be forthcoming. The Treasurer’s report was accepted as presented. President Stark recommended that cost of meals remain at $5.00 and members may buy extra take-out plates at the same price. Members were reminded of the Leadership Granville program coming up in the fall. Paul Westfall reviewed changes to the GCCA website and encouraged input from members. Committees for the June 22 Earth Roast were reviewed.
Respectfully submitted by
Jean Gill, Secretary
In the spotlight…
· Will transport cattle to Siler City Stock Market. No number too large or too small. Contact Robert E. Land 919-691-3445 (cell) or 919-693-2201 (home)
· Check out the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association website at ncbeef@nccattle.com. There are many interesting articles and dates of upcoming events…don’t miss it!
· There’s one Catahoula Leopard cattle dog up for adoption at the Granville County Animal Shelter. Volunteers have named him Creole – that’s appropriate for this pup, don’t you think!
The EARTH ROAST is June 22, 2012!
Chairman Charlie Easton is rallying the troops to make this year’s event another successful fundraiser – emphasis on FUN! There are many opportunities for GCCA members to pitch in and help, from pre-selling tickets and parking lot duty to preparing take-out plates and pouring iced tea. This is a group effort – remember, this helps us to fund our scholarships and allows GCCA to help local high school students defray costs of trips and contests.
Finely Textured Lean Beef
By Paul Westfall, Livestock Extension Agent
There has been a firestorm of media coverage of a product correctly called Finely Textured Lean Beef (FTLB). I won’t dignify the name being used in just about every news story, even in the beef industry press, by spelling it out here. Of course, some media outlets got a story and ran with it without really checking both sides of the issue to see where the truth may be, a safe, lean, nutrition beef product that has been used in the food chain for over 30 years is suddenly the subject of a smear campaign. Yes, FTLB is treated with ammonia as a means of killing bacteria. It reacts with the moisture in the meat and becomes ammonium hydroxide and stays in the FTLB in trace amounts. It is interesting to note that this process has been approved for use in foods since 1974, and the ammonia treatment process is used in a wide range of food items – not just FTLB.
A lot of misinformation has been said about what goes into FTLB. That included statements that meat scraps were picked up off the floor and used to make FTLB. That is NOT true. It is illegal to pick us anything that touches the floor and use it in food products that end up on our tables. I don’t think any meat processor would risk losing a license to operate by doing such a thing. There is way too much invested in facilities, equipment, and jobs to risk breaking the law. There are a lot of eyes looking to see that processors are complying with the laws and regulations that guide how our meat products are processed.
Check out some of the articles that are surfacing now that the hysteria is hopefully subsiding and cooler, calmer, and infinitely more qualified people will again be making rational decisions about what is and is not “safe” in our food supply. Here are a couple of links:
http://beefisbeef.com/ has a whole lot of listings of articles that may be of interest, including one on "Why Ammonia Is Used to Make Lean Ground Beef".
I encourage everyone to hear all sides of the argument and make your own decisions AFTER getting the facts. In this case, there was no health or safety risk that triggered a response. Therefore, there was and is time for all of us to do some fact-checking.
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Granville County Cattlemen’s Association
President, Kay Stark
Past President, Joy Morgan Marshall
Vice President, Larry Medlin
Treasurer, Sandy Gabel
Secretary, Jean Gill
Newsletter, Laura Santos
Directors:
2012: Jimmy Morgan, David Owen
2013: Sherby Slaughter, Steve Walker
2014: Linda Currin, Wendy Lane
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MoosNews
Volume 15, No. 3 - March 2012
The GCCA will meet on Thursday, March 9, at 7 p.m. in the board room of the Cooperative Extension office. $5 gets you dinner – and we’ll throw in the program for free! E.B. Harris will be with us to talk about the markets and his work with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Board.
News, Views, and Mostly Other Matters
By Paul Westfall, Extension Livestock Agent
HI folks! Here it is March already and things are starting to happen on farms. I don’t know about your place, but cool season grasses are already greening up and showing a bit of growth – and that’s in spite of the snowfall we experienced a couple of weeks ago. Spring peepers are already out in force with each warm night, so the rest of spring weather is not far behind.
Since we have had a really open winter this year, I suggest being ready for some things a bit earlier, including getting the fly and tick control program ready to go. I’m hearing about tick activity out in the woods and pastures, so they are likely to be both plentiful and they are always plenty hungry. Check the recommended control measures for external pests and us the one(s) that work best for your operation. Usually a mixture of fly tags, dust bags, and/or back rubs work well, along with a pour-on application or two though the season. Give me a call for more specific recommendations. If horseflies get bad, I’ve heard of a trap that does a good job of catching those critters and making them unable to bite ever again.
If you don’t have your soil samples in yet, go ahead and get that done while the ground is soft. If the sample is wet, spread it out and let it air-dry a bit before putting the sample into a soil test box. Those boxes are made of paper/cardboard, so moisture breaks them down pretty easily. The lab doesn’t like to deal with muddy samples, either, so let’s let them dry down some before sending them in, though now is a good time to get good samples taken. The estimated turn-around time at the soils lab is estimated to be 5 weeks currently, and that will continue to get shorter now that we are just past the peak season for soil samples.
If you need to use some starter fertilizer before getting your results, keep track of what analysis and how much is used, and we can make adjustments in later applications to finish the season. The main idea is to get the pasture grasses and hay crops off to a good start as early in the season as possible, and it now looks like that season is starting early this year. Proper forage nutrition and some moisture at the right time make a world of difference in forage yields and quality. Having a lot of good quality forage is the best way to take advantage of the cow’s natural ability to harvest and utilize forages. That’s also the most cost effective way to feed cattle – grow good forage and let cows do what cows do best.
Now for the management tips. For ALL herds, monitor mineral intake and make sure cows are eating prescribed amount (usually 4 oz./cow daily). With lush spring grasses, make sure that the mineral has a higher magnesium content to prevent grass tetany. Spring calvers should remember that for a January 10 through March 30 calving season, the bulls need to be with cows from April 1 to June 20. Make sure bulls are in good condition, and conduct breeding soundness exams. The cows need to be in moderate to good condition to rebreed early. This means that you may need to start feeding your best hay and put the cows on your best grazing now. Provide supplement as needed according to forage test. The goal is to maintain body condition of at least 5.0. Start breeding heifers about three weeks before the cows. Follow calving season management practices. If you don’t remember what those are – call me. Switch the heifers to a lactation ration 10 to 15 days after calving.
Fall calvers should remove the bulls from the heifers and from the rest of the herd after a 45- to 90-day breeding period. Keep the bulls in a small pasture with strong fences. Feed bulls enough to keep them in good condition for next year’s breeding (and to keep them in a good, non-destructive mood). Spot-check the cows to see if most are bred. By now, there should be little activity. Vaccinate for clostridial disease, castrate and dehorn any late calves or those missed in early working. Watch the cows for signs of heat. Again, by now, there should be little activity. Be ruthless. Sell any cows that failed to produce a live calf. A cow that misses a year of having a calf will never produce enough calves to recover that loss. The possibility of her having twins later on is highly unlikely. The possibility of her missing another calf next year is a much better bet. That’s a bet that it is best to avoid by sending her down the road. With cattle prices up, that makes it an even better situation to move her now rather than holding on to her and hoping.
With apologies to a recent marketing campaign for a lemon-lime soda, it’s time to…
Do the Dues!
Please, if you haven’t paid your 2012 dues, plan to do so at the March meeting. Can’t remember whether you’ve paid for the year? Talk to treasurer Sandy Gabel, newsletter editor Laura Santos or secretary Jean Gill. Only $10 for a year or $100 for a lifetime membership!
Our February meeting was very interesting - a good program by Summer Santana with Southern States. The topic was on feeding out calves using different types of feed, showing the bottom line on cost and weight gain.
Thanks to Paul and others for the great job they are doing on our website. Just Google Granville County Cattlemen Assn. go to the second page and there we are! At this time, it includes the current MoosNews, as well as other articles and other types of information.
We hope to get our cattlemen member book out by April, so if you haven't paid your dues, please do so. We don't want to leave anyone out!
Thanks to E.B. Harris for being our guest and providing the program for our meeting.
We welcome two new lifetime member families – Bill and Melinda Pritchett and Wayne and Peggy Hicks.
February’s meeting was a big success, from the food to attendance. Let’s keep it up this year! Look forward to seeing you all Thursday.
Kay
The monthly dinner and meeting of the Granville County Cattlemen’s Association was held on February 9, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Cooperative Extension Office. Following a catered beef dinner, Summer Santana, Southern States Representative, provided information on basic nutrition for cattle. She emphasized the importance of calculating the cost of weight gain in herds instead of the cost per ton of feed. Summer offered comparisons of gains to be expected with the use of certain types and qualities of feed. The drought of 2011 in the Plains states will affect the cattle industry for several years to come. As a result, cow/calf and stocker operators in the Southern states have a good opportunity to maximize profits by holding ownership of cattle until they weigh 750-800 pounds.
Kay Stark, President, presided over the business session following the program. Minutes of the January meeting were approved and the Treasurer’s report was accepted. It was noted that Kelly Bradshaw received the GCCA scholarship at Vance-Granville Community College.
Paul Westfall updated the group on the GCCA website and encouraged members to take advantage of this site for announcements, ads, and member news.
Guidelines for use of GCCA-owned equipment were presented and accepted by the membership: Equipment is available for use by active members in Granville and surrounding counties.
Members approved a recommendation to become a 501(c)3 for tax purposes.
The first item of new business was the appointment of a committee to inspect the Earth Roast shed and plan a day in March to make needed repairs.
Paul Westfall has information to share about the Spring and Fall BQA sales.
Members were encouraged to support the cornhole tournament at J.F. Webb High School on February 25.
The meeting adjourned.
Respectfully submitted by
Jean Gill
In the spotlight:
· Will transport cattle to Siler City Stock Market. No number too large or too small. Contact Robert E. Land 919-691-3445 (cell) or 919-693-2201 (home).
· The Granville County Animal Shelter currently has two male Catahoula Leopard pups available for adoption. The pups are about 8 or 9 weeks old. A $25 adoption fee and a $6 rabies shot are all that stand in the way of you and a cattle-herding pup!
· Check out the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association website at ncbeef@nccattle.com. There are many interesting articles and dates of upcoming events…don’t miss it!
Check out the blogspot that Paul started for the Granville Cattlemen’s Association…as Kay mentioned in his article, just Google the Granville County Cattlemen’s Association and you’ll find the website on the second page. As construction continues on this website, we hope that it will become a useful tool for members and for others who want to learn more about our organization.
Granville County Cattlemen’s Association
P.O. Box 746
Oxford, NC 27565
President, Kay Stark
Past President, Joy Morgan Marshall
Vice President, Larry Medlin
Treasurer, Sandy Gabel
Secretary, Jean Gill
Newsletter, Laura Santos
Directors:
2012: Jimmy Morgan, David Owens
2013: Sherby Slaughter, Steve Walker
2014: Linda Currin, Wendy Lane
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MoosNews
Volume 15, No. 2 - February 2012
The GCCA will meet on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. in the board room of the Cooperative Extension office. $5 gets you dinner – and we’ll throw in the program for free! This month’s program is sponsored by Southern States.
News, Views, and Mostly Other Matters
By Paul Westfall, Extension Livestock Agent
Got soil? Need samples? This has certainly been a good year to take samples in mid-winter. We really haven’t had much frozen ground to deal with, so there is plenty of mud. Soft soil also makes it a lot easier to take soil samples. Judging by the piles of boxes on the loading dock at the soil testing lab each time I go there, folks are really taking advantage of the soil conditions to take samples and get them analyzed. The bad news in all this is that there is an 8- to 9-week waiting period to get the results. That leaves us in a bit of a dilemma because it is time to get the spring fertilizer onto the pastures and hay fields. So what do we do? I suggest going ahead and scheduling the nitrogen application to go on at the right time to promote optimum grass growth, or sometime in February or early March when the fescue starts growing. Since the phosphorus and potassium, also the lime, if needed, can be applied at any time of the year, those applications can wait until the soil test results are received. Nitrogen needs to be applied at the right time to be most effective. Give me a call if you want to discuss the technical reasons in more detail.
Now is also a good time to get some legumes into the pasture and/or hay mix. I think clovers are best planted in the fall, but spring seedings can do well, also. The reason for getting legumes into the pasture mix are 1) to improve the nutritional value of the forage available to the cows, and 2) to allow the nitrogen-fixing bacteria on the roots of the clover to add nitrogen into the soil, returning some of that atmospheric nitrogen to the soil for plant use. That can really cut the fertilizer bill. The higher amount of protein available to 10 cows and the increased digestibility of the forage mix will also yield monetary benefits in less supplement needed for the herd, improved BCS scores, and faster calf growth. Adding two pounds of a white clover will cost between $8 and $9 per acre, plus the cost of making a no-till seeding, such as fuel and renting the seeder at $10 per acre. Compare that to the cost of nitrogen. Of course, the soil pH has to be good to maintain clovers, so a lime application will likely be needed, too, but that also benefits everything else in the pasture. Adding clover to the pasture mix is something to think about.
Now for the management tips. In general, provide clean, adequate water for your herd and free access to a high quality mineral supplement. Make sure you use a high magnesium supplement when there is potential for grass tetany – like when grass is growing fast in the spring. Check cattle for health disorders including pinkeye, foot rot, etc. Treat at the first sign of these disorders. Check fences and facilities and make any needed repairs. Check forage availability. If limited, consider feeding hay in a confined area. Consider unrolling round bales to gain better utilization. Body condition score all cattle.
Those with spring calving herds are getting pretty busy about now. Be sure to move the bred heifers to the calving area 10 days before calving is expected. Check mature cows two to four times a day and heifers more frequently during calving season. Check heifers every 3 to 4 hours after calving starts. Assist with delivery if no progress is seen no more than 1 hour after the water bag is visible. Dip navels in iodine or chlorhexidine and tag calves at birth. Record birth dates, calf tag numbers, and the cow ID. Remember, the job is not over until the paperwork is done. Help newborn calf nurse, if needed. Castrate and implant bull calves at birth if possible. Observe calves for scours and respiratory problems. Observe cows for uterine prolapse and retained placenta. Move pairs to clean pastures as soon as possible after calving. Drench calves dehydrated by scours with electrolytes, and treat with sulfa or antibiotics as recommended by your veterinarian. Mark cows having calving difficulty or udder problems for early culling.
Don’t get so caught up in the calving needs that you forget to get ready for next year’s calf crop. Make sure bulls are in good condition for breeding. Trim feet, conduct breeding soundness exams, and provide additional feed if needed to improve body condition to 6.0. Purchase additional bulls if needed so that you have a bull:cow ratio of 1:25.
Fall calving herd managers are still pretty busy, too. They need to vaccinate calves over 3 months old with clostridial vaccines (black-leg). Check with your local veterinarian about other disease problems in your area. Castrate bull calves if they weren’t castrated at birth, and dehorn as needed. Implant calves if that is a management tool used on your farm. Steers that were implanted at birth can be re-implanted at 3 to 6 months of age. Keep an eye on the condition of the bulls during breeding season, and provide supplemental feed as needed. Breed the yearling heifers beginning 3 weeks before the cows. Remove bulls from heifers after a 45- to 60-day breeding season. Spot check to make sure the cows are settling.
Don’t Forget - Valentine’s Day! – Feb. 14
From the President's Pen:
We would like to keep members informed on what your board discussed at its January meeting. One idea is to have some meetings this spring at a farm to have an idea of what other cattlemen are doing. Any volunteers? Also, we are working with Paul on setting up a website. Sandy Gabel is getting information on what needs to be done to make the GCCA a 501c3 (non-profit, tax-exempt corporation). Bette Laursen and her committee are working on getting our membership book together. Plans for Earth Roast 2012 are underway. Please share any ideas for program topics for the monthly dinner meetings.
A very special thanks to Joy and Paul for the nice article in the Oxford Ledger. Joyce Morgan has agreed to send cards on behalf of the GCCA. Please notify Joyce if you learn of members who may need to know that their fellow cattlemen are thinking of them – whether they’re sick, have had a death in the family or any other type of special recognition.
Our GCCA serves to promote and protect the beef industry. Any person or business interested in the production, marketing or consumption of beef is eligible to join! Meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. The dinners are catered and cost only $5! Dues are $10 per year (due in January) or $100 for a lifetime membership!
Hope to see you February 9th - bring a guest!
Kay
January Meeting Minutes
The Granville County Cattlemen’s Association met on January 12, 2012 for its monthly dinner meeting. Following a catered beef dinner, Kyle Richards shared information about Prima Tech, a company located in Duplin County (http://www.primatechusa.com). There are some great items in the marketplace that can be big timesavers to cattle producers, from vaccinators with built-in marking paint to show where the shot was given to injector guns with ergonomic grips. Sandy Gabel gave the treasurer’s report. There were no minutes to accept since the December meeting was the Christmas dinner. President Kay Stark reported that he would plan to use an agenda format for meetings this year. Anyone who would like to add agenda items should contact Kay at least 10 days before the meeting. Sandy, Charlie and Bette agreed to work on a committee to investigate ways to defray costs of the soon-to-be-published Member Directory; Bette has quotes of $350 and $467 for 100 color booklets. The group voted to give $200 to Poplar Creek Baptist Church in appreciation for the use of their facilities to have the Christmas dinner. Frances and Amos Brewer suggested that the check be applied to the Building Committee of the church.
Respectfully submitted by
Laura Santos, for Jean Gill
Are Cattlemen Really Bacteria Farmers?
by Paul Westfall, Livestock Extension Agent
Sandy Gabel and I recently attended the regional Forage and Grassland Winter Conference. Sandy was serving on a farmer panel to discuss reducing costs for cattle farmers. The main feature of the day’s program was a presentation by Ray Archuleta, who is an agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
For years, the literature and farm press has characterized cattlemen as actually being grass farmers, since forages are so important to cattle nutrition. Good grass eaten by a ruminant such as a cow leads to happy, healthy cows. We use a lot of different strategies to get that good grass into our cows, including hay, baleage, pastures, and grazing systems. Grazing systems can be further subdivided into rotational, intensive management, and mob grazing categories, with infinite variations, it seems. The goal is to get the best quality forage into the cows at the least cost using a system that makes sense to the farmer.
Just as we are getting used to being known as grass farmers, Mr. Archuleta made a pretty good case for being known as “bug”, “bacteria”, or, more accurately, “soil microbe” farmers. He went on to make a credible presentation about how healthy soil with strong, healthy root systems and diverse forages will improve the organic matter in soil and yield a lot of benefit, especially in dry years like we have experienced in recent years. To sum it up a bit, having healthy soil microbes and plenty of earthworms will improve the soil’s ability to absorb and hold water, allowing a pasture to withstand dry weather longer. A good 8-way mixture of grasses, legumes, and brassicas, allows for good interactions, including less additional fertilizer needed. That should get attention. Using intensive grazing techniques, including mob grazing and frequent movement of cattle across pastures more accurately mimics the movements of the great herds of yesteryear. Plus, cows that think they are competing with their neighbor for that succulent piece of forage are less likely to be picky about what they are eating, leading to greater utilization of just about everything in the pasture.
Some enemies of a healthy pastures and hay fields include over-grazing and cutting too close to the ground. Even Fescue needs at least a 4-inch stubble left to get the best regrowth after a harvest. The other main culprit leading to pasture decline is not allowing enough rest between grazing periods. Pastures need at least a 30-day rest period. That long a rest period also helps to break up the life cycle of internal parasites.
We’ve asked Mr. Archuleta if he could come to one of our Granville County Cattleman’s meetings to share his thoughts and a very interesting demonstration with us. That may happen later this fall. Be watching the MoosNews for when he will be coming to visit with us and be sure to attend. He really encourages some “out-of-the-box” thinking about our pastures and soil health.
What I Learned – Sandy Gabel
The Forage and Grassland Conference’s overall focus was on lowering input costs. The featured
speaker, Ray Archuleta, spoke on “Working With Nature”. The primary theme of Ray’s talk was that the
grass we feed our cattle or the crops we grow both rely on the fertility and drainage of our soil.
Originally, I was told we were raising beef cattle; then I was told that we were sod farmers in order to
feed out cows the best available forage. Now I’m told that the most important link in the chain is the soil
itself, as without good, arable soil one will never have decent grass – this does make sense. Ray’s key to
the best available soil is to work with nature, his point being that there is an entire ecosystem in the soil,
and this ecosystem is more efficient than man’s best efforts. Every time the ground is plowed, disked, or
otherwise disturbed, the ecosystem is disrupted, the chemistry is thrown out of balance, and the soil is
forced to work without natural nutrients. All fertilizers and herbicides contain salts to some extent, and
any salt is poison to nature’s ecosystem. It becomes sort of a perpetual motion – you disturb the soil, so
you must replenish it via fertilizer or herbicide, etc.
It makes sense, and the proof is that there are many farmers in our state who have sold all their hay
equipment and either strip graze or mob graze 365 days a year. Several farmers have not used
commercial fertilizers in years, relying on 6-8 inch grass left over AFTER grazing and thatch to cover
and protect the earth during dry spells as well as use it as a canopy against weeds. Without growing hay
(or needing it) think of the lowered inputs – less diesel, no fertilizer, no herbicide – never mind the
capital costs of repairing/replacing hay equipment.
Working with nature seems like a make-sense goal.
In the spotlight…
- Will transport cattle to Siler City Stock Market. No number too large or too small! Contact Robert E. Land, 919-691-3445 cell 919-693-2201 home.
- March 3, 2012 – 1 p.m. Wood Angus Bull and Elite Female Sale in Willow Spring, NC. For more information, check out the website www.woodangus.com
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Granville County Cattlemen’s Association
P.O. Box 746
Oxford, NC 27565
President, Kay Stark
Past President, Joy Morgan Marshall
Vice President, Larry Medlin
Treasurer, Sandy Gabel
Past President, Joy Morgan Marshall
Vice President, Larry Medlin
Treasurer, Sandy Gabel
Secretary, Jean Gill
Newsletter, Laura Santos
Directors:
2012: Jimmy Morgan, David Owens
2013: Sherby Slaughter, Steve Walker
2014: Linda Currin, Wendy Lane
_____________________________________________________________
MoosNews
Volume 15, No. 1 - January 2012
News, Views, and Mostly Other Matters
By Paul Westfall, Extension Livestock Agent
Happy New Year! 2012 has arrived and so far has been pretty pleasant. The grass in my field is still pretty green, though all that is eating it is deer, not cows. We’ve had a few frosts, but so far no really bad weather to deal with. I know that the cows appreciate the mild weather, too. If this trend, El Niño or La Niña, whichever is influencing our temperatures, continues, then calving season may be pretty good weather-wise. Hopefully calves won’t be hitting the ground during really cold, wet, rainy, snowy, or sleety weather. If that can be avoided, then the calves have a good chance of getting up and around pretty quickly without getting chilled and requiring additional “Tender Lovin’ Care” to keep from freezing.
Even though the weather has been mild, that’s not a guarantee that the trend will continue. Mother Nature has a sense of humor and changes can happen pretty quickly. It’s a good idea to prepare for the worst and then be surprised when conditions are good. Remember that cattle need some shelter from the wind and rain. They don’t need anything special, but a wooded ravine or draw that reduces the wind chill helps a lot. Cattle are pretty comfortable when the temperatures are in the 30’s and 40’s due to their hair coat and to the heat generated by rumen function, so usually a windbreak is all that is needed. Cold temperature, wind, and rain all together can make for some pretty miserable conditions, even for cows. That’s especially true for newborn calves, which are soaked to the skin when they are born. Cold temperatures and wind chill are certainly a factor in a new calf’s survival, so be prepared to provide assistance, or, better yet, to move springing cows under shelter during bad conditions. Wherever the maternity ward is, make sure that it is clean and dry - not piled high with mud and manure. The sooner Momma Cow gets the calf cleaned up, standing, and nursing, the better off the cow and calf are.
Here are some January management items to remember. In general, provide clean, adequate water and free access to a high quality mineral supplement. Be sure to use a high magnesium supplement when there is potential for grass tetany once the grass greens up in the spring. Check cattle for health disorders and provide treatment at the first sign of a disorder. Check the fences and facilities and make any needed repairs. Check the forage availability. If it is limited, consider feeding hay in a confined area. Don’t let the cattle waste too much hay under normal conditions, much less when hay is short
Body condition score the entire herd. Cows should score at BCS 5 at calving, and first- calf heifers should score at BCS 6. Once the heifers and cows reach the next breeding season, they should score a BCS of 5 at that time. Vaccinate the pregnant yearling heifers with enterotoxemia C & D toxoid if enterotoxemia has been a problem and
with Scours vaccine if calf scours has been a problem. Consult your veterinarian for specific recommendations. Treat the herd for lice. Cows should be treated twice, 2
to 3 weeks apart during late December and early January.
Those with Spring-Calving herds should gather, replenish, and clean the calving
supplies and tools. During calving, move the bred heifers to a calving area 10 days before the first calf is expected. Check the mature cows two to four times a day and heifers more frequently during calving season. Check the heifers every 3 to 4 hours after calving starts. Assist with delivery if no progress is seen no more than 1 hour after the water bag is visible. Once the calf is born, dip the navel in iodine or chlorhexidine and tag the calf so other folks can figure out which calf you are talking about. Record the birth date, calf tag number, and cow ID. Help the newborn calf nurse, if needed. Castrate and implant bull calves at birth if possible. Observe calves for scours and
respiratory problems. Observe cows for uterine prolapse and retained placenta. Move Momma and baby to a clean pasture as soon as possible. Drench any calves dehydrated by scours with electrolytes, and treat with sulfa or antibiotics as recommended by your veterinarian. Mark any cows having calving difficulty or with udder problems for early culling. Be ready to assist with calving difficulties. Keep the yearling heifers gaining weight. They need to weigh about two-thirds of mature weight at breeding. Turn the bulls in with the heifers 3 weeks before letting them n with the cows. Turnout will be sometime between April 1 and June 20, depending on the desired calving dates. Evaluate bulls, trim feet, line up breeding soundness exams, and decide on buying new bulls. Order the calf and cow vaccines. Prepare calving pasture. Generally a clean, sodded area is best. Feed the cows a ration developed for the last third of gestation. Generally, medium quality hay or stockpiled fescue will suffice. Feed the bulls the same ration as the cows, but allow them feed to appetite (eat as much as they want). If a bull is too thin, add some grain. They’ve got a lot of work to do in a short time period, thanks to our management practices and marketing strategies.
Those with fall-calving herds should already have the bulls out with the heifers and cows. Spot-check the heifers to make sure they are breeding. Remove the bull from the heifers after a 45- to 60-day breeding season. Be prepared to remove bulls from the cows after a 45- to 90-day breeding season. Remember, cows bred January 1 should calve October 13. The cows need to be in moderate to good condition to rebreed, so maintain a BCS of 5.0. Make the final selection of replacement heifers and send the cull heifers to market. Evaluate the profit potential for creep feeding the calves. Feed the cows the best feed now. Consider that with average quality hay, a lactating cow needs 4 to 5 pounds of whole cottonseed; 1 1/2 pounds of cottonseed meal plus 2 pounds of corn; or free choice liquid supplement or block plus 2 pounds of corn. A forage analysis permits you to supplement your cows more precisely. Limit grazing on winter annuals. Two hours of grazing per day and free choice hay stretches grazing and is a substitute for concentrate supplements.
Hope you are enjoying your winter and are ready for spring calving. Should be fun!
In the spotlight…
- We welcome Kay Stark as the new president of the Granville Cattlemen’s group and Larry Medlin as vice president. The officers, along with elected board members, look forward to seeing you at monthly meetings and hearing from you – the members of GCCA – about activities and programs of interest to the group.
- Have suggestions about how to make the newsletter better? Please let Laura Santos know your thoughts. Send along your email address with your annual dues and application to get the MoosNews electronically. Paper copies will be available at the meetings each month and copies will be mailed to any member not at the meeting.
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Mark your calendars for the 2012 meetings, held the second Thursday of each month. Dinner and a program beginning at 7 p.m. in the Cooperative Extension building in Oxford.
Jan. 12 July 12
Feb. 10 Aug. 9
Mar. 8 Sept. 13
April 12 Oct. 11
May 10 Nov. 8
June 14 Dec. 13
To submit ads for the newsletter:
Mail form to the PO address by the 1st day of each month or make changes to prior published ads. Ads are $5.00 for each 2-line ad. Email ads to Laura Santos – lssantos@mindspring.com
Name: _______________________________ Phone:__________________
AdContent:_____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Granville County Cattlemen’s Association
P.O. Box 746
Oxford, NC 27565
Past President, Joy Morgan Marshall
Vice President, Larry Medlin
Treasurer, Sandy Gabel
Secretary, Jean Gill
Newsletter, Laura Santos
Directors:
2012: Jimmy Morgan, David Owens
2013: Sherby Slaughter, Steve Walker
2012: Jimmy Morgan, David Owens
2013: Sherby Slaughter, Steve Walker
