Upcoming Meetings

Making the Most of Poultry Litter

Small Farm & Garden Conference set for March 12th

University of Kentucky and Purdue University Extension Services have teamed up to once again offer the Ohio Valley Small Farm Conference to help current, beginning, and prospective small farmers in the Tri-state plan, improve, and diversify operations.  

The day-long conference is filled with an array of small farm presentations and demonstrations.  Presentation topics will include backyard poultry health and nutrition, sheep and goat parasite management, growing tree fruit and brambles, pond management, nuisance wildlife management, organic soil amendments and pest control, high tunnel production, food safety and preservation, and small farm and niche marketing.

Demonstrations ongoing throughout the day will include sheep and goat hoof trimming, drip irrigation, nuisance animal trapping, cover crops, beekeeping, and more.

Conference participants will receive information on production methods and processes from a variety of local experts to plan for new ventures, improve profitability, and diversify current operations.  

The conference will held Saturday, March 12 at the Henderson County Cooperative Extension Service Office, 3341 Zion Road, Henderson, KY.  Registration begins at 8:30 AM CDT.  Presentations and demonstrations will run from 9:00 AM-3:30 PM.  Registration fee is $10 per person by March 7 or $15 per person at the door.

For more information or to obtain a registration brochure, see http://henderson.ca.uky.edu/ or   contact the Purdue Extension-Warrick County Office at (812) 897-6100 or bailey1@purdue.edu,  or the McLean County Cooperative Extension Office at (270)273-3690.

Feb 23rd    4pm, Farmers Market Mtg

Feb 24th         Noon, Economics of & Importance of On Farm Grain Storage Mtg, 

Feb 25th         1pm, Hemp Production Meeting

Feb 26th         8am, Winter Round Table Series- Liquid Fertilizers, Dr. Chad Lee

Feb 29th         Noon, Poultry Litter Program

Feb 29th         4pm, Spring Plant Swap & Sale Organizational Mtg

Feb 29th         5:30pm, Pesticide Certification Training

March 2nd IPM Training, Princeton

March 12th Small Farm & Garden Conference at Henderson Co. Extension Office

March 15th 7am, Annual Fiscal Court Breakfast

Keep Firewood Insects Out of Your Home

Every time you bring a load of firewood inside this winter, you may be opening the door for wood-infesting insects to make your home their home. Most insects brought into the home on firewood are harmless, but you can greatly reduce their numbers by following a few simple steps recommended by Dr. Lee Townsend, UK Extension Entomologist:
• When stacking wood outside, avoid stacking it directly on the ground. This will keep it from getting too wet and reduce the chances of infestation by such insects as termites and ants. Individual termites and ants brought into the house will not start an infestation. However, a colony may exist in an old woodpile outdoors.
• Remember not to stack firewood in or against a house or any other buildings for long periods of time. Termite or carpenter ant problems can develop and cause more serious problems later.
• Older wood is most likely to be infested, so use it first. Avoid stacking new wood on top of old wood.
• Cover firewood during the summer and fall to keep it drier and to discourage insects from seeking it out as winter shelter.
• To dislodge insects before bringing firewood indoors, shake, jar or knock logs together sharply. Brush off any obvious webbing or cocoons.
• Bring in small amounts of firewood that you can use in a day or so. Keep it stacked in a cool area, such as a garage or on a porch, until you need it. When wood warms up, the creatures in or on it will become active.
• Don’t treat firewood with insecticides. Not only is it unnecessary, it could be dangerous. When insecticide burns, it can produce noxious fumes.
For more information, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service at (270)273-3690. Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

Upcoming Ag Events
Feb 16th 12:30, Ag Advisory & Farm Safety Program Planning Mtg
Feb 17th 10am-2pm, Soils 101-Learning the Basics of the Soils We Farm
Feb 19th 8am, Winter Round Table Series- Disease Issues in 2015 & How to Prevent in
2016, Dr. Carl Bradley
Feb 23rd 4pm, Farmers Market Mtg
Feb 24th Noon, Economics of & Importance of On Farm Grain Storage Mtg,
Feb 25th 1pm, Hemp Production Meeting
Feb 26th 8am, Winter Round Table Series- Liquid Fertilizers, Dr. Chad Lee
Feb 29th Noon, Poultry Litter Program
Feb 29th 4pm, Spring Plant Swap & Sale Organizational Mtg
Feb 29th 5:30pm, Pesticide Certification Training

Help Livestock Handle Cold Weather

It seems like Mother Nature is playing a cruel joke on us all right now.  It seems so odd that the state is almost shut down one week due to snow, ice and hazardous conditions and the very next week we are all outside soaking up the sunshine and 60 degree weather.  While the majority of us are equipped to handle Mother Nature’s mood swings, be sure that your livestock are also equipped to handle her fury.

According to Dr. Les Anderson, UK Extension Beef Specialist, the three most important things you can do to protect livestock in cold weather are providing sufficient water, giving ample high-quality feed and offering weather protection. Cold stress reduces livestock productivity, including rate of gain, milk production and reproductive difficulty, and can cause disease problems.

Pay special attention to very young and very old animals that might be less able to tolerate temperature extremes and have weak immune systems. Also monitor heifers and cows as calving time approaches. They have a high risk of frostbite, because the swelling of the udder and teats causes poor circulation.

Dehydration and hypothermia are the two most likely life-threatening conditions for livestock in cold weather. Necropsies (autopsies) have shown that dehydration, causes more livestock deaths than cold during the winter and early spring. Animals tend to drink less water in severely cold conditions, increasing their risk of dehydration. Many animals, especially young ones, might not know how or be able to break through ice to reach fresh water. Livestock need water to aid digestion, which produces heat when fiber breaks down.

Be sure your livestock always have plenty of clean water in liquid form. Dirty water is a host for disease organisms. Disease can rapidly spread if animals drink from a trough containing dirty water. If an animal gets sick, isolate it from the trough and thoroughly clean and disinfect the trough.

Cows given free access to water will produce more milk and more butterfat than those allowed to drink only twice a day.  Water ranging from 40 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit is the most ideal temperature to ensure adequate livestock intake under cold conditions.  The amount of water needed daily varies based on the temperature and animals’ size, lactation and feed intake. Generally, horses will need eight to 12 gallons of water per day; cows, seven to 12 gallons and sheep and goats, one to four gallons.

Before severely cold weather arrives, haul extra feed to the feeding area. It’s important to provide extra hay, forage or feed, because livestock might need up to twice as many calories to maintain normal body heat under extremely cold conditions.

Livestock produce body heat through fiber fermentation, which produces heat while releasing energy. Good quality grass hay or alfalfa are the best source of total digestible nutrients for cold weather. Feeding some feed concentrates also provides energy to maintain body temperature.

Finally, it’s important that you provide some sort of protection for livestock because wet conditions and wind chill add to animal cold stress.  Windbreaks provide protection, especially for young animals. Reducing the winter wind exposure lowers animal stress, improves animal health, reduces the amount of feed needed to maintain body temperature and increases feeding efficiency, and that can lead to increased profitability. You can design windbreaks to meet needs of your specific livestock operation.  Windbreaks also have the advantages of providing wildlife habitat, protecting the working environment of the livestock area and screening noise and odors associated with livestock operations.  Using a three-sided shed opening away from prevailing winds is another way to protect livestock from the cold and wind. Be sure to allow enough room for animals to enter the facility and have protection from the wind. Also provide clean, dry bedding to provide insulation from the cold ground.  If you keep animals in a barn, be sure to reduce drafts.

For more information about protecting your livestock from the elements, contact the McLean Cooperative Extension Service at (270)273-3690.  Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

Upcoming Ag Events
Feb 4th CPH Sale
Feb 8th 5pm, Ag Festival Committee Meeting
Feb 10th-13th National Farm Machinery Show
Feb 16th Noon, Ag Advisory & Farm Safety Program Planning Mtg
Feb 17th 10am-2pm, Soils 101-Learning the Basics of the Soils We Farm
Feb 19th 8am, Winter Round Table Series- Disease Issues & How to Prevent in 2016
Feb 23rd 4pm, Farmers Market Mtg
Feb 24th Noon, Economics of Grain Storage Mtg
Feb 25th 1pm, Hemp Production Meeting
Feb 26th 8am, Winter Round Table Series- Liquid Fertilizers