News Update
July 31, 2007

Fall Carcass Ultrasound Technician Training and Certification Dates Set

The National Centralized Ultrasound Processing (CUP) Lab has announced the fall field technician training and certification dates.

The Beginner Ultrasound Training Course will be offered at Iowa State University (ISU) in Ames, Iowa, on Sept., 5-7. Participants need no prior experience or equipment, but they must preregister by downloading a registration form at HYPERLINK "http://www.cuplab.com" www.cuplab.com.

An Advanced Training Course will follow on Sept. 17-19 in Athens, Ga., with an opportunity to take the certification exam on Sept. 20 or 21. Certification will be administered by the Ultrasound Guidelines Council (UGC) and co-hosted by the University of Georgia and The National CUP Lab. UGC Certification will also be offered in Athens on Sept. 24-26. Trainees are encouraged to register early, as classes fill quickly. For more information on Ultrasound Training or UGC Certification, call The National CUP Lab & Technology Center at 515-232-9442.

Seeding Forages Into Wheat Stubble

Planting alfalfa or grasses no-till into wheat stubble can have many advantages, says Bruce Anderson, University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) professor of agronomy and horticulture.

Soil moisture is conserved, erosion is reduced, weed seeds remain buried, and tillage expenses are eliminated. But despite these advantages, many growers still experience spotty stands, he says.

Thicker stands and more frequent success can occur when planting into wheat stubble if a few steps are taken to help ensure success.

One of the bigger challenges is heavy residue, residue that might interfere with proper drill operation and seed placement or even might partly smother new seedlings. Residue can be especially troublesome right behind the combine even when using a good straw chopper. The best way to minimize this problem is to bale the straw and remove excess residue. And be sure to have a well-functioning drill.

Another challenge is weeds, either annual weeds that develop after wheat is combined or volunteer wheat that sprouts later in the summer. Control weeds that exist prior to planting with herbicides like glyphosate and be ready with post-emergence herbicides like Select or Poast Plus for latter-emerging weeds or volunteer wheat.

Finally, consider cross-drilling or double-drilling, Anderson advises. This means plant one-half of the seed while driving in one direction, then plant the other half driving in a different direction. This helps fill in any gaps, develops canopy and the resultant improved weed control earlier, and may help you plant the right amount of seed if you commonly end up running out or have much seed left over. Anderson adds, “Wheat stubble makes a good seedbed. Make it even better with a few management adjustments.”

— Adapted from an article written by Anderson and released by UNL.

Making Cattle Feeding Decisions in a Low Hay-Producing Year

A late spring freeze followed by dry weather and high corn prices have left many Kentucky cattle producers in a quandary over how they will feed their animals.

In recent weeks, Roy Burris, a University of Kentucky College of Agriculture beef cattle specialist, has been traveling the state visiting with producers to discuss feeding alternatives they might want to consider to stretch their hay supply. Burris cautioned producers not to panic by buying poor quality hay for high prices when better alternatives are available.

“Farmers need to decide what they are going to do, and they need to make some of those decisions now and have a plan for it,” Burris said. “The overriding thing you need to do is meet the nutritional needs of the cow. It’s going to come back to haunt you if you don’t.”

The first thing farmers need to do is inventory their hay to know how much they have in order to determine how much additional feed they will need. Burris said there are several strategies, and it is likely that a combination of them will be best for most operations.

He told farmers not to give up on grazing just yet. With some timely rains such as those this past week in many areas of the state, pastures could rebound this fall. If they do, then adding some nitrogen to encourage growth may allow for some stockpiling of fescue pastures to carry cattle into late fall and winter. This could be one means of reducing the need for hay. Grazing corn stalks after harvest is also a good way to extend the grazing season.

“Don’t give up on rotational grazing,” he said. “If you have to overgraze one field to spare others, that’s OK.”

Winter annuals such as ryegrass or cereal crops such as oats or rye can be an option. They may help with some grazing in late fall and again in early spring. But, Burris said he does not think they offer any real advantages over stockpiling fescue.

Farmers who buy hay should have it tested to ensure they are getting good quality hay. Limit-feeding hay and supplementing the diet with concentrates like byproduct feeds can also work to meet the animal’s basic nutritional needs and stretch the hay supply.

Consider availability, cost, and transportability when deciding what feed alternatives to use. Alternatives include corn, soybean hulls, corn gluten and distillers’ grains. Corn is among the most popular but not necessarily the best for the cow. Other products are a better option, Burris said.

“The best approach is to blend these products and feed a balanced ration,” he said. “Balance it for protein and energy and in the least-cost way.”

Culling old or open cows to reduce the herd size may be an option. But Burris said unless a farmer is retiring he would not consider selling the herd, because it can take years to again develop a quality herd. Early weaning spring calves may help as well because it takes some of the pressure off the cows especially if the cows are losing body condition. The calves can be creep-fed on soybean hulls.

Burris outlined an example of a feeding plan mixing several feeding strategies during a recent meeting at the Breckinridge County Extension office. He suggested grazing corn stalks for 40 days then moving cattle to strip-graze stockpiled fescue for 80 to 90 days. This would mean going into mid-February before the need to feed hay, unless snow covers the fields.

“This is something we ought to be doing every year,” he said. “What we try to do at the UK Research and Education Center in Princeton is graze 10 months out of the year. That way you are less dependent on purchased feeds.”

A farmer is then left with about 60 days when he will need to feed hay. Limit-feeding hay at 6 to 10 pounds (lb.) per cow along with a balanced feed concentrate will allow a farmer to stretch his hay while meeting the animals’ nutritional needs. The final step would be to get them grazing again in early spring either by using winter annuals or fertilizing fescue fields to get an early flush of growth.

Burris said while hay and pasture shortages exist, farmers should not panic and make bad decisions. Taking the time now to make a plan for winter-feeding can prevent last minute searches for feeds that may be costly and may not be the best nutritional option for the cattle.

— Article written by Laura Skillman of the University of Kentucky, which provided the release.