Greene County Livestock & Forage Field Day was held on October 28th...
- Thank you to Larry & Linda Morris for hosting our field day this year. Thanks to all that attended and we hope you all gained some valuable information to take back to your farm!
Precondition Calf Sale List on Extension Website
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For those that are preconditioning their calves prior to marketing (like the GoGreen Program), Extension has put a list of sale barns that are having sales just for precondition calves. Check it out here: Preconditioned Sales
New "Grass to Grid" program available for Arkansas Cattle Producers
Have you ever wondered how well your cattle do in the feedlot?
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Arkansas Extension has teamed up with Gregory Feedlots (Tabor, IA) to offer the opportunity to see how well your cattle perform! We will be sharing more about this exciting new educational opportunity in the weeks to come. Here is a link to more information: Grass to Grid
Fall Pest Management
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Check out the latest edition of Pest Management News to read about topics from cattle lice to stable flies here: Pest Mgmt. News
Acorn Poisoning
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We get a call or two every year about cattle getting sick or worse from eating acorns. The easiest way to prevent the potential problem is to keep the cattle away from them, if possible. To learn more about acorn poisoning, check out this fact sheet: Acorn Poisoning Fact Sheet
Prussic Acid
UADA Beef & Forages Field Day Webinar
November Pasture Webinars
Cattle Marketing
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Check out this in-person, cattle marketing educational opportunity to be held at the sale barn in Searcy on November 11: Improving Calf Market Value
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If we can be of assistance with anything livestock and forage-related, please give us a call at 870-236-6921. |
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Tips for Fall Calving Herds |
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- Have bulls tested for breeding soundness. Remember 20% of bulls (1 out of 5) fail a breeding soundness examination.
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Any bull changing ownership within the State of Arkansas shall have a negative trichomoniasis test within 30 days prior to change of ownership with no exposure to females from 7 days prior to the test to the time of the change of ownership. The test must be conducted by a licensed veterinarian. An exception to the rule is a virgin bull less than 24 months of age. For additional questions, contact the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission.
- Fall calving season should be coming to an end.
- Vaccinate cows prior to the breeding season.
- Vaccinate breeding heifers 20 to 30 days before the mature cow breeding season.
- Check cows' and heifers' body condition. It is very important to maintain body condition through the lactating period and breeding season to ensure high re-breeding rates.
- Provide free choice mineral.
- Care of newborn calf - dip navels, ear tag, castrate, etc.
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Tips for Spring Calving Herds |
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Monitor heifers for spring calving season. Heifer should be calving 20 to 30 days before the mature cows. Monitor heifer's body condition, etc. Heifers should weight 85% of their mature weight at calving.
- Prepare for spring calving season. Make a list of equipment to ensure that when a problem arises, you will be ready. Items on your list may include: OB gloves, OB lubricant, esophageal feeder, bottle and nipple, chain straps/chains, calf puller, sterile syringes and needles, batteries for flashlight or spotlight, old rags or blankets, toolbox to keep calving equipment, colostrum replacement, electrolytes, Oxytocin, etc.
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Soil fertility management
Take soil samples to monitor soil P, K, and pH.
- Take at least 15 samples from the respective paddock or pasture.
- Soil samples can be submitted to the county extension offices.
- Results obtained for free.
- Use appropriate crop code.
- Apply P, K, and/or lime as needed.
- Soil Sampling
Grazing Management
Stockpiled bermudagrass:
Stockpiled fescue:
- Begin grazing mid to late November.
- Use grazing methods that avoid trampling of forage and ensure high forage utilization, such as strip grazing.
- Strip grazing improves forage utilization and may double the number of grazing days compared to continuous grazing.
- Grazing Stockpiled Forages
Winter annual small grains/ryegrass:
- Begin grazing once canopy reaches height of 8 inches.
- Use grazing methods that avoid trampling and ensure high forage utilization, such as rotational grazing or limit-grazing.
- Under limit-grazing, cows are routinely pastured on dormant pasture or fed hay in a dry-lot, but are allowed to eat their fill from a limited-access winter annual pasture several times per week.
- Research has demonstrated, limit-grazing of beef cows and calves on a mixture of wheat/rye/ryegrass (planted at 0.2 acre of per head) for two days per week produced the same cow, calf, and rebreeding performance as cows fed unlimited hay plus a supplement.
- Limit-grazed cows also consumed 30 percent less hay during the winter feeding period.
- Cool Season Annual Grasses
Brassica (turnips, turnip hybrid, rape):
- Livestock must acquire taste.
- Use grazing methods that avoid trampling of forage and ensure high forage utilization, such as rotational grazing or limit-grazing.
- Graze out by January 1.
- Brassicas for Forage
Hay Management
- Protect hay when feeding to reduce waste. Unrolling hay increases hay waste. Feed hay in rings or use limit-feeding techniques.
- Consider using a temporary electric wire fence wire to reduce waste from trampling and increase utilization of the hay.
- Unroll the bale, then string up an electrified polywire down the length of the line of hay.
- Place the wire about 30 inches high over the hay.
- Cattle will line up as if eating at a feed bunk.
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The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to 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. |
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