Not too soon to think about calving season

Source: Les Anderson, UK extension beef specialist

Calving season will be here before we know it. Providing sound management during that time can mean more live calves, which translates to more profit for you.

It is important to have a short calving period to allow frequent observation and assistance if needed. Some specific things a producer can do to limit calf loss include:

• Separate first-calf heifers from mature cows. Calving difficulty can run as high as 30 to 40 percent for 2-year-old heifers compared to just 3 percent for mature cows. Place them in a small, accessible pasture near a corral where assistance can be given if needed.

• Provide a clean area for calving. The calving area should be a well-sodded pasture or clean, dry maternity pen, not a wet, muddy lot. It should also be large enough for adequate exercise and offer protection from prevailing winds.

• Be familiar with the signs of calving. Within a few hours of calving, cows generally become nervous and uneasy. As contractions increase, a cow will likely wander away from the rest of the herd.

• Check cows frequently. Observing cows three or four times a day and providing assistance when necessary results in more live calves. However, cows should be disturbed as little as possible during labor.

• Know when a cow needs assistance. Intervention is justified when two or three hours have passed without progress or if delivery has not occurred within 90 minutes after the water sac appears. In a normal delivery, the calf’s front legs and head will appear first.

There are also a few steps to take after the calf is born to help it get off to a good start. These include making sure the calf is breathing normally after it is delivered and that it consumes colostrum. Ideally, a calf should consume its first milk within 15 to 30 minutes after birth.

Immediately after calving, increase the cow’s energy intake to about 16 pounds of total digestible nutrients per day. The extra energy will help the cow produce enough milk for her calf and allow her to rebreed on schedule.

For more information on beef cattle production and management, contact the Clinton County Cooperative Extension Service at 606 387-5404.

Plenty of meetings in store for winter education opportunities

Sessions geared toward production agriculture

The Clinton and Cumberland County Extension offices are partnering to host a six session series for producers either new to production agriculture or thinking about adding a new enterprise. Each session will begin at 6:00pm and will rotate between the Clinton and Cumberland County Extension offices.

The January sessions are listed below. A full list of sessions can be found elsewhere in this week’s newspaper. Registration will be $30 for all six sessions or $8 for an individual session, to cover materials and meals.

All sessions qualify as CAIP cost-share educational meetings. Meetings are open to anyone regardless of farming experience, however space is limited, so please call to register for sessions, producers attending a minimum of four sessions will receive an item from the Kentucky Wood Utilization Center engraved with their farm name. Please call the extension office at 387-5404 for more information or to register.

Learn about grants, loans availability

January 24th Cumberland County —Programs/grants/loans available for producers/landowners, Speakers will be representatives from the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Kentucky Ag Finance Corp., and a local bank.

Learn about soils and soil fertility/fertiler

January 31st Clinton County — Soils and soil fertility, fertilizer economics, and the value of using poultry litter as fertilize. Speaker—UK Specialist Jordan Shockley.

Beef Quality Assurance

Two Beef Quality Assurance meetings will be held on Thursday January 26th at 1:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the Clinton County Extension Office, producers approved for cost-share under the large animal investment area are required to have a valid BQA number. The BQA meeting will last approximately one hour.

BQA certification cost is $5 and valid for three years. More BQA meetings will be planned for the winter, so there will be other opportunities to get BQA certified. For more information or to enroll in BQA training please call the Extension Office at 606-387-5404,. Space is limited.

Private pesticide applicator meeting

The Clinton County Extension Service will host a private pesticide applicator meeting Monday, January 30th at 1:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the Extension Office. The meetings will cover information necessary to obtain a private pesticide applicator’s license.

The private pesticide cards are valid for three years and are required to purchase restricted use pesticides. Please call the Extension Office at 606-387-5404 for more information.

Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.