Estill County Farm Scoop
November 2023 Edition
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Estill County Farm Scoop Agriculture & Natural Resources
November 2023
Fall Grazing Do's and Don'ts
Although it’s fall now, KY and many regions of the US are still experiencing the aftermath from an exceptionally dry summer. Even as milder temperatures bring coolseason forages out of their drought-induced dormancy, producers must continue to be mindful about grazing management. A recent article by Craig Shaeffer at Univ. of MN reminded producers to avoid overgrazing, reduce stocking rates, give pastures adequate rest, and control weeds this fall.
Avoid overgrazing. Some species can tolerate more defoliation than others, but in general, plants must not be grazed lower than 4 inches. This is typically advised at any time of year, but it is especially critical following a dry growing season. When cool-season forages go dormant during drought, plant leaves and stems stop growing but growing points and crowns remain active. Overgrazing removes these growing points and drains root reserves.
Orchardgrass and other perennial cool season grasses store energy in stem bases and are especially susceptible to combined stress of overgrazing and drought. Shallow rooted species like KY bluegrass and clovers are also damaged by overgrazing.
Reduce stocking rates. With less forage available, reducing the number of animals on pasture will stretch feed supplies. This can be achieved by culling cattle from the grazing herd and/or relocating livestock to a dry lot or sacrifice paddock and feeding them hay. Assess feed costs and cull prices to determine the most cost-effective solution. If feeding hay, calculate how much forage will be needed through the winter. For example, one 1,200- pound cow that eats 2% of its bodyweight in hay will eat approximately 2.5 tons of forage from Oct through May.
Give pastures rest. Even if pastures start to green up after some precipitation, drought-stressed plants are likely not strong enough to withstand regular grazing. Giving livestock access to a pasture before it has sufficient time and moisture to make a full recovery can reduce stand persistence.
It takes 4 to 6 inches of water to produce a ton of cool -season grass or alfalfa. Smaller amounts of rainfall may stimulate regrowth, but grazing should be delayed until there is 8 to 10 inches of regrowth. While grazing regrowth before plants reach these minimum heights may provide forage, it can weaken plants and reduce the long-term productivity of the pasture.
Control weeds Some weed species can take advantage of drought conditions and proliferate when cool-season forage goes dormant. Many weeds are low nutritive value, and some weeds like lambsquarters and pigweed can accumulate high levels of nitrates during drought. To successfully eliminate weeds, it is best to apply herbicide around a rainfall event. Always read the herbicide label prior to use. ~ excerpt from article by Amber Friedrichsen, Hay and Forage Grower. Hayandforage.com
As always, let me know if I can help in any way. Happy November!
Emma Lee, County Extension Agent for Agricultural & Natural Resources
emma.lee@uky.edu
Time to Talk Turkeys
Source: Jacquie Jacob, extension poultry project manager
It that time of year when talk turns to turkeys. Technically, there is only one breed of turkey, with several varieties, although many people incorrectly refer to these varieties as breeds.
Turkeys are raised only for meat. They are not raised for egg production, as with chickens, ducks and quail. As a result, turkeys do not produce very many eggs. The most common type of commercial turkey raised in the United States is the Broad-Breasted White. It has a larger breast than the other varieties of turkeys. The term heritage turkeys refers to naturally mating turkey breeds native to the Americas. These varieties date back to early Colonial times. They are Beltsville Small White, Bourbon Red, Jersey Buff, Narragansett, Royal Palm, Slate, Standard Bronze and White Holland. Heritage turkeys grow at a much slower rate than Broad-Breasted Whites. The result is a smaller bird but one with a more balanced dark-to-white meat ratio; a more intense, sometimes gamey flavor; and a thicker layer of fat surrounding the breast. A young male turkey is called a Jake and a young female is called a Jenny, while a baby turkey is a poult. Older females are called hens, and older males are called toms. Adult males are sometimes called gobblers. Turkeys have brightly colored growths on their throat called caruncles and a flap of skin that hangs over their beak called a snood. They also have a wattle, which is a flap of skin under the beak. You will see all these things turn bright red when a tom is upset or courting a female.
As turkeys get older, it is easier to tell the toms from the hens. Toms are typically larger overall than hens and have larger snoods and caruncles than the females. There are two species of turkeys, both native to the Americas: the North American (Meleagris gallopavo) and the Ocellated (Meleagris ocellata) turkey. The North American wild turkey is the species from which all domesticated varieties of turkeys originated. The Ocellated turkey, sometimes called the Mexican turkey, is native to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.
Raising wild turkeys is illegal in some states, including Kentucky. The prohibition includes domestic strains of wild birds. The law is meant to protect native populations. The wild turkey was first domesticated by the Aztecs. Turkeys provided a source of protein, and the feathers were used for decorative purposes. Very little genetic selection was used with these early domesticated turkeys. The explorers took these turkeys back to Europe with them. After some early genetic selection in Europe, these turkeys were re-introduced into America with the first settlers. While the initial genetic selection of domesticated wild turkeys occurred in Europe, the different varieties were developed in the United States, with the possible exception of the White Holland. Many options are available for those interested in starting a small flock of turkeys. If fast growth and good feed efficiency are important, the commercial strains of turkey are your best option. The Midget White, a smaller version of the Broad-Breasted White, is well suited for small farms.
If you are looking at raising heritage turkeys there are several varieties to choose from. The Bourbon Red was developed in Kentucky and is suitable for small flocks. If you would like to enter your turkeys in poultry shows, purebred varieties are required. Choose one of the eight varieties recognized by the American Poultry Association in their Standard of Perfection. The Royal Palm turkey is primarily an ornamental variety, but any of the other varieties are well suited to the small flock.
For more information about turkeys or other poultry, contact the Estill County Cooperative Extension Service.
Crop Protection Webinar Series Begins November 2
Beginning November 2, 2023, the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment will present a series of four webinars covering field crop protection. Hosted through the Southern Integrated Pest Management Center, the webinars will feature UK Extension pest management specialists discussing plant pathology, weed science, and entomology topics.
The one-hour webinars will be held on Thursday mornings in November and will take place via Zoom at 10 a.m. EST/ 9 a.m. CST. Pre-registration is required for each webinar.
“We are excited to work with the Southern Integrated Pest Management Center again to offer these webinars to anyone who wants to learn about the latest University of Kentucky research on grain crop pest management.
Information discussed in these webinars will be helpful as farmers and advisors make decisions on what practices to implement in 2024,” said Dr. Kiersten Wise,UKExtension Plant Pathologist.
The webinars are open to agriculture and natural resource county Extension agents, crop consultants, farmers, industry professionals, and others, whether they reside or work in Kentucky or outside the state.
Participants may receive one hour per webinar in continuing education units for Certified Crop Advisers. Kentucky pesticide applicators can receive one continuing education unit in Category 1A (Ag Plant) per webinar.
For more information, contact Jason Travis by phone at (859) 562-2569 or by e-mail at jason.travis@uky.edu.
By Jason Travis, Agriculture Extension Associate
Preparing Beef Cows for Winter Presented by Dr. Jeff Lehmkuler
November 6th at 6:00 P.M. at the Estill County Extension Office, 76 Golden Court, Irvine, KY 40336
Dr. Jeff Lehmkuler will be speaking about how to prepare beef cows for winter. If you would like to attend, please call the office at (606)723-4557.
Beekeeping: Getting Started
November 28th at 6:00 p.m. at the Estill County Extension Office, 76 Golden Court, Irvine, KY 40336
Join us on November 28th at 6:00 p.m. to learn how to start beekeeping. Tammy Horn Potter, the Kentucky State Apiarist will be our guest speaker. This meeting will take place at the Estill County Extension Office. If you would like to attend or have any questions, please call the Estill County Extension Office at 606-723-4557.
Estill County Cattlemen's Meeting - November 6, 2023
The Estill County Cattlemen's Association will meet on November 6th immediately following the beef program held at 6:00 p.m. Please note that this meeting will be held on Monday, instead of the scheduled meetings that usually happen on Thursday. Meeting will be held at the Estill County Extension Office, 76 Golden Court, Irvine, KY 40336.
To see more from the November 2023 ANR Newslettter, please click on the PDF link that is provided.
