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susceptible to leaf rust. Some
tried and true varieties are
Ozark and Bob.
Lastly, I will mention annual
ryegrass. Annual ryegrass
will aggressively reseed if
allowed to mature. This
should be kept in mind when
planting in warm season
grasses as it can become a
weed problem but it can also
mean less seed would need to
be replanted the next year. It
is the latest to mature of all
the winter annuals and its
peak production lasts from
May into, as late as, June. It
can be planted from late
January to February as an
emergency spring forage.
Varieties include Marshall,
Jackson and Sumey.
There are several winter
annuals to choose from and
depending on your operation
one may work better than the
other in your forage plan.
Wheat has been used for
years and is generally the
lowest seed cost of winter
annuals. Wheat grows best
between 38-77 degrees and
can provide potential grazing
from February to April.
Varieties that are used
commonly in Arkansas are
Hickory, Jaypee, Jackson and
Madison, just to name a few.
Wheat is the best dual
purpose small grain in that it
can be used for grazing and
for grain harvest.
Rye is the second most
common winter annual grown
and it grows in cooler
temperatures than any of the
others and therefore it tends
to make forage earlier. It is
the earliest to head of all the
winter annuals and it tolerates
the wetter soils better than
most. However, it tends to be
less palatable than other
winter annuals when
livestock are given a choice.
Proven varieties include
Koolgrazer, Elbon, and
Wintergrazer 70.
Triticale is a wheat/rye cross.
It is not as cold tolerant as
rye, but is more palatable. It
combines the best
characteristics of both of its
parents, but is generally
harder to find seed and is
more costly.
Oats is extremely palatable
and heads out slightly later in
spring, but can make more
fall growth than wheat. The
main disadvantage of oats is
its lack of cold tolerance as
compared to the other winter
annuals and it is more
Which Winter Annual is Best for You?
Backyard Egg Production Class to Be Held
There will be a very
informative program about
backyard poultry egg
production on November 5th
at the Marion County
Fairgrounds in Summit,
Arkansas at 6:00pm.
Dr. Dustan Clark, Extension
Poultry Veterinarian with the
University of Arkansas, will
be conducting the class.
Topics to be covered will be
common poultry diseases and
their control, biosecurity,
predator control, basic
husbandry and hobby flock
breeds.
The clinic is being sponsored
by the University of Arkansas
Marion County Cooperative
Extension Service. Come and
spend the evening learning
how to raise poultry for your
own meat and eggs.
No preregistration is required
and there is no fee for this
clinic. For more information
please contact the Marion
County Extension office at
870-449-6349.
Staff:
Renee Myers
County Extension
Agent Staff Chair
Brian See
County Extension
Agent Agriculture
Lauren Milum
Administrative
Specialist
PO Box 386
313 West 7th St.
Yellville, AR 72687
Phone:
870-449-6349
Fax: 870-449-4049
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture October 2015 Volume 6, Issue 3
Inside this issue:
Hay Testing 2
Common Questions
and Answers
2
Gardening Calendar 2
Cow-calf Profits 3
Small Ruminant
Parasite Control
3
Marion County Agriculture News
Yes, I am talking about it again, hay testing. It is so very important to know what the nutritional value of the hay your feeding is. If you do not know then it’s like fertilizing without a soil test or building a house without a blue print. Winter feeding is all just a guessing game without a hay test. Having a hay test doesn’t mean you will have to spend more money this winter, in fact I hope it will result in saving you money and having more bred cows.
Waiting until you notice your cows condition begin to drop is not economical nor recommended. It’s much easier to maintain body condition than it is to put condition on. Most hay tests
so far this year have been adequate in protein, likely due to hay being fertilized, but it is testing low in TDN (energy) when compared to the nutritional needs of a lactating cow. In many cases, producers will have one or two lots of hay that test exceptionally well when compared to the others they have. Knowing this, you can plan specifically when and what cows to feed the higher quality hay to and possibly negate the need for grain supplementation.
Most everyone's cows have come through this summer in the best condition they have been in years. Many predict they will not be feeding hay until after the first of the year or even later. With such a
short hay feeding season predicted and by using the information gathered from hay test, grain supplementation may not be needed at all, even with lower quality hay. If the cow is in good body condition at the onset of hay feeding season, then only minimal loss in body condition maybe realized. This is the type of planning you can do if a hay test is done.
The cost of hay testing is $18 per test plus shipping. How many pounds of beef would it take to buy $18 worth of hay test? trending down.
November
Shallots
Garlic
Lime Soil
Salad Greens (protected)
Order Catalogs
Lettuce in Cold Frame
Collards
Turnips
Cover Crops
Test Soil
October
Cover Crops
Winter Peas
Lettuce
Shallots
Garlic
Collards
Mustard
Kohlrabi
Turnips
Spinach
December
Garlic
Lime Soil
Salad Green (protected)
Order Catalogs
Lettuce in Cold Frame
Salad Greens
English Peas
Test Soil
Order Seed
It’s Not too Late to Test Hay
Garden Planting Guide
Common Questions and Answers
signs, one possibility is
that there was some
internal damage to the
branch earlier this year or
even a couple of years ago
as a result of ice, snow, or
wind. Think of it as a
small fracture. As the
branch continues to grow,
more and more weight
accumulates on the
branch. Eventually the
stress fracture "gives" and
the branch fails.
Q: How can my child
become involved with
4-H?
A: Call our office. And we
will be glad to help you
find a 4-H club in your
area or start a new one!
Q: Is perilla mint
poisonous when baled in
hay?
A: Yes, it remains
poisonous when baled with
hay.
Q: Only certain limbs on
my oak tree seem to be
dying, why?
A: It’s hard to say, but if
there are no other clinical
Page 2 Marion County Agriculture News
“Perilla mint
poisonous?”
“Hay testing
will result in
saving you
money”
Calf prices will behave seasonally in the second half of 2015 – averaging $267/cwt for the year. A larger fall run in 2015 will be followed by a larger 2016 calf crop as the US cow herd expands at near record pace. Calves should average $237/cwt in 2016 which means weaned calves will bring $150 per head less in 2016 than 2015. In addition to a lower selling price, expect cow cost to increase 3 to 4% annually for the next 4 to 5 years. For example, if it cost $700 (indirect and overhead cost combined) to run a cow, costs will increase to $724 in 2016 and $750 in 2017.
To put the drop in selling price and increase in the operating cost into perspective, consider this: with a $150 decrease of the selling value of a weaned calf and a $24 increase in the cow cost, a cow calf producer is giving up a total of $174 per calf in 2016. Therefore, for every 10 calves that’s $1,740 a cow-calf producer must manage around. During the last couple of years, profits were rather easy to come by, but there is change in the wind. The next couple of years it’s going to be very important to become a cost manager by implementing management practices that make money and market
calves that return profits to your pocket. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is here to help you cut cost where you can in your operation and implement practices that will generate a better return for your dollar. Visit our website at www.uaex.edu and find our Facebook page @ UAEX Marion County.
Cow-Calf Profit will become Tighter and Tighter
Small Ruminant Parasite Control
The methods for controlling internal parasites in sheep and goats has changed over the last few
years. The most clinically significant nematode parasite, Haemonchus contortus (barber-pole
worm), has developed resistance to most dewormers on the market. With the constant movement
of animals from farm to farm, these resistant worms are traveling with the animals and
contaminating new farms. So without effective dewormers we are left with using alternative
measures which concentrate more on proper management of pastures, limited use of dewormers
and better culling practices. The 4 P’s of parasitism are: permanent pasture perpetuates
parasitism.
Sound pasture management consists of minimizing stocking rates and using “safe” pastures.
Safe pastures are those not grazed by sheep or goats for 3 months in the warm season and 6
months in the cool season. It should be noted, however, that deworming all animals before
moving to a safe pasture is not recommended. Keeping animals in a dry lot for 48-72 after
deworming allows the eggs (which aren’t killed by dewormers) that have already been laid to
pass in the feces and remain on the dry lot instead of contaminating pasture.
To make control recommendations, it is essential to know which dewormers might still work on
a farm and to what degree. There are two ways to determine this information. The first requires
a vet to perform fecal egg counts, deworm the animals, and repeat the fecal egg count a week
later. This has to be done for each dewormer. The second method is the Drenchrite test offered
through the University of Georgia. Reference: www.lsuagcenter.com
Volume 6, Issue 3
“Dry lot for 48-72
hours after
deworming”
Page 3
“It’s going to be
very important to
become a cost
manager”
It is my pleasure to serve the people of Marion County. "The Arkansas
Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons
regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin,
religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any
other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity
Employer. The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/
equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable
accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact
your County Extension office (or other appropriate office) as soon as possible.
Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay."
Sincerely,
Brian See
Brian See
County Extension Agent – Agriculture
Email: [email protected]
In Closing…