Faulkner County Agriculture Update
March 1, 2024
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Weather
We went from nice sunny upper 70's to cold windy with sleet really quickly! Yesterday was an interesting weather day. I saw posts of snow and sleet from all over the state as the cold front came through. We did get some rain out of that, but probably not over a quarter inch. I had a conversation with someone yesterday that we are dry for this time of year. We were soil sampling an area of his hay field that is historically wet, but here we were at the end of February sampling with no problem. I have noticed creeks are getting dry, and we were in a burn ban. All unusual for this time of year. Just looking at the river data below, the river is way lower than it should be. Keep watching the Mississippi river levels also, because these are effecting shipments of inputs we will need this year and shipments of grain out. We need rain folks, and looking at the forecast we may have some on the way next week.
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River Valley Rice Production Meeting
The River Valley Rice Production Meeting was a big success this past Wednesday. Producers got information on varieties and agronomics from Jarrod Hardke, weed control from Tommy Butts, and an economic outlook from Ryan Loy. Thank you to everyone that came out.
Dr. Hardke mentioned that the 2024 Rice Guides should be out soon. As soon as I get them in my hand I will come around and hand them out!
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Ryegrass Burndown
Ryegrass has become one of the top weeds that we face in Faulkner County. This grass is resistant to glyphosate, not many other herbicides touch it and when you try to disk it up, it just pops back up after a rain.
After talking to Dr. Butts at the Rice Production Meeting we will be moving to fall residual recommendations. Since we are past that timing I will leave that for later, but I will try and have a demo to help us hash out some of those combinations that will work for us.
Let's move into now. What do we need to be looking for as far as a burndown right now. We really just have a few options. These options listed are for planting soybeans or corn. If you are going rice let me know and we can discuss what you got.
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Paraquat - When I did this demo a few years ago I thought paraquat was a miracle spray as it was instant death. But after just a few weeks, the ryegrass greened back up and we were back at square one. I wouldn't recommend this one alone.
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Paraquat followed by Paraquat - This is one treatment I wish I had added to that first demonstration. I will add it to this years demonstration. The problem with this treatment is we are talking two trips. That is more fuel and more hours when we are already crunched for inputs and time.
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Paraquat plus a PSII Inhibitor - This is another treatment I would like to try in a demonstration this spring. Depending on what crop you are planting you can add, atrazine or metribuzin to help the plant take up the paraquat and totally kill the plant.
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Clethodim (Select Max) - This is still a treatment that should work here in the River Valley. There is resistance building in the state. Be aware of plant back restrictions to corn. Depending on the amount sprayed you are 30 days out from planting corn.
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Beef, Small Ruminants, & Forages
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Tri-County Beef & Forage Conference
We had a great turnout for the Tri-County Beef & Forage Conference this past Tuesday up at Damascus. I got to speak about our Hay Verification Program while Van Buren County Agent Danny Griffin gave a good presentation on Summer Annuals as pasture and hay.
Dr. Maggie Justice came up and discussed EPDs and Genomic Testing. We are lucky to have Dr. Justice as our Beef Specialist and she gave a really awesome presentation.
Thanks to Conway County Agent Kevin Van Pelt for cooking the burgers supplied by our sponsors Pruitt's Mid State Stockyards and Farm Credit Services of Western Arkansas.
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The Growing Role of the U.S. Feedlot Industry
Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist
The latest Cattle on Feed report pegged the February 1 feedlot inventory at 11.8 million head, just fractionally above year ago levels. Feedlot inventories are declining after rising above year-earlier levels last October. Feedlot placements in January were 92.5 percent of last year, above the pre-report average estimate but within the range of estimates by some analysts. Some analysts were expecting a larger negative impact on placements from the winter storms in January. January marketings were even with one year ago.
The February Cattle on Feed report also includes a summary of 2023 final feedlot numbers and feedlot industry structure. Total feedlot capacity was reported at 17.1 million head, up from 16.5 million head in 2000. Feedlot capacity as a percent of total cattle inventories has increased over the past 25 years to a record level of 19.6 percent in 2024 (Figure 1). On average feedlot inventories have averaged about 83 percent of total feedlot capacity over the past 25 years. Feedlot capacity utilization is lower during cyclical expansions and higher during liquidation periods. For example, during herd expansion from 2014-2017, average feedlot inventories were 76.3 percent of capacity, while during herd liquidation from 2020-2024, January feedlot inventories were an average of 84.8 percent of total feedlot capacity.
The total U.S. feedlot inventory on January 1, 2024 was 14.42 million head. The feedlot inventory as a percent of the total inventory of cattle in the country has continued to increase over time. The total feedlot inventory was a record level of 16.5 percent of the inventory of all cattle and calves on January 1, 2024. This level compares to 14.3 percent 25 years ago.
The total U.S. feedlot inventory on January 1 of 14.42 million head was 120.9 percent of the January monthly cattle on feed inventory of 11.93 million head. Monthly cattle on feed surveys cover only feedlots with a one-time capacity of 1000 head or more. In the past 25 years, the total January on-feed total has averaged 122.7 percent of the monthly on-feed total. Stated another way, monthly feedlot inventory totals on average represent 81-82 percent of the total cattle on feed in the country. This relationship has not changed in the past 25 years and has varied from a low of 80 percent to a high of 82.7 percent.
The January 1 estimate of feeder supplies outside of feedlots was 24.2 million head, down 4.2 percent year over year and the lowest total in data available back to 1972. The current feedlot inventory is a record 59.6 percent of feeder supplies. Stated another way, this means that there are just 1.68 head of feeder cattle for every head of cattle currently in feedlots. The current feedlot turnover rate is about 1.93, which means that there are not sufficient feeder cattle to maintain feedlot inventories in the coming year. Feedlot inventories will inevitably decrease in the coming months.
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Selection of Replacement Heifers
Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist
Low cow herd inventories, historically high calf prices, looking for the first hollow stem, breeding season just a month or two away and the recent USDA Cattle Inventory report shows a tight supply of beef replacement heifers. All leading to the topic of selection criteria for replacement heifers. Selecting the heifers that will have the optimum mature size and milk level to fit our production system, breed quickly, wean a calf annually and have longevity is important. What should we consider when selecting yearling heifers as replacements?
Early Puberty
The younger a heifer begins to cycle, the better her chances of conceiving in time to calve by 24 months of age. Early puberty is moderately to highly heritable and positively related to future reproductive efficiency. Reproductive tract scoring can be used to evaluate puberty status. Typically, reproductive tract scoring is done four to six weeks prior to breeding season and serves as a tool to indicate reproductive readiness to conceive.
Fertility
Heritability estimates of fertility are extremely. But because reproduction is so economically important, it should be a priority in heifer selection. Realistic goals for heifers would be 60-70% first service conception rate and 90-95% bred after a 60-65 day breeding season. Heifers should be held accountable and culled if they don’t meet these standards. Keep in mind, early preg checking of replacement heifers permits opens to be marketed at yearling prices. Over time, culling the heifers that don’t get pregnant in a defined breeding season will result in a cowherd with more fertility. Furthermore, heifers that calve in the first 21 days of calving season have increased longevity and wean more pounds of calves over their lifetime. Keeping 5 – 10% more heifers than needed for breeding, permits you to cull the sub-fertile heifers and maintain adequate replacement heifer inventory moving forward.
Milking Ability
Research clearly indicates the optimum level of milk production in a beef herd is relative to the forage/feed resources available in their production environment. Milking ability is low in heritability. The most effective means of selecting for an optimum milk level is through the use Milk EPDs on the sire. Keeping heifers from heavy milking cows comes with the risk of heifers getting overly fat prior to weaning. When this happens, the heifers subsequent milk production may suffer due to fat deposits in the developing mammary system.
The Mammary System
While difficult to assess the mammary system of virgin heifers, it is important to avoid heifers with teats that are barely visible and appear embedded in hair or fatty tissue. When possible consider the udder and teat structure of the dam who produced the heifer.
Disposition
Disposition is reported to be moderate to highly heritable. Culling heifers with bad dispositions will improve the ease of herd management, producer safety and conception rates.
Body Type/Fleshing Ability/Muscle Thickness/Structural Soundness
Heifers that are easy fleshing typically are structurally sound, have a wider structural frame and a body type of more rib shape and depth. Heifers with this body type will be heavier muscled. Evaluating replacement heifers for structural soundness should include the evaluation of feet, legs and eyes as soundness contributes to longevity in production. Fleshing ease equates to breeding females that better maintain body condition and energy reserves on a given amount of feed.
Growth Rate
Heifers with good growth rate and of moderate frame size should make the best cows. Those that are extremely light, extremely heavy or too large framed at a given age should be culled. Commercial cow-calf producers sell pay weight and replacement heifers with more growth should transmit this advantage. That being stated, much like milk, there is an optimum mature cow size relative to the production environment. Keep in mind, puberty is a function of age and weight. The target weight of yearling heifers is 65% of their mature size.
Calving Ease
Measuring the Pelvic Area (PA) of yearling heifers and considering the Calving Ease Maternal (CEM) EPD of sire can be used as selection tools to reduce dystocia. PA is typically measured in square centimeters. As general rule of thumb, dividing the yearling PA by 2.1 indicates the size of calf (in pounds) she should be able to deliver unassisted. For example: a yearling heifer with a PA of 175/2.1 = 83, indicating she should be able to deliver a calf of up to 83 pounds. CEM EPDs predict the likelihood of a bull’s daughters delivering their first calf unassisted. For example: a heifer sired by a bull with a CEM of 15 is 11% more likely to calf unassisted than if sired by a bull with a CEM of 4.
As importantly, sire selection of the bulls to mate to virgin heifers is of paramount importance in reducing the incidence of dystocia. Calving ease bulls will have lower Birth Weight (BW) and higher Calving Ease Direct (CED) EPDs within their respective breed.
Final Thoughts
Selecting the oldest heifers has long been considered an effective method of identifying replacements produced by the earliest calving cows. Heifers born late in the calving season or less than 13 months old at the onset of their first breeding season will be more challenged to breed quickly.
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2024 AGLC Grazing Conference
The 2024 AGLC Grazing Conferences will be held in Hope on March 28 and Harrison on March 29. They have a great line up scheduled this year. It costs $40 a person to attend.
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Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue Renovation Workshop
The University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture is partnering with the Alliance for Grassland Renewal to host an all you need to know workshop about renovating pastures with novel endophyte tall fescues. Speakers from across the southeast will join us to discuss everything from the history to economics of fescue toxicosis and managing tall fescues that have a fungus that helps the plant without the negative side effects on animal production. There will also be a tour of old and newly renovated stands of novel fescues at the research station. The workshop is March 21 at the Livestock and Forestry Research Station located at 70 Experiment Station Drive, Batesville, AR. The workshop begins at 8:15am and will conclude at 4:30pm. For meal and materials planning, everyone is asked to pre-register ($40/person).
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Arkansas River Valley Small Ruminant Conference
Save the date for the upcoming River Valley Small Ruminant Conference in April. I will have more information and an agenda soon.
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Livestock Market Report
The weekly livestock market report is available on the Arkansas Department of Agriculture website.
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Pesticide Applicator Training
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There are two PAT trainings scheduled for Faulkner County. All trainings will be held at the Extension Office located at 844 Faulkner Street in Conway.
The dates are:
March 12, 2024 - 6:00 pm
May 14, 2024 - 2:00 pm
To register you can call the office at 501-329-8344 or email my administrative assistant Mindy Beard at rbeard@uada.edu.
The training will cost $20. If you bring a check please make it out to Faulkner County Extension Office.
The online course is still an option also. If you want to use the online options, the link is below.
If you happen to miss ours, I have a flyer below with the dates and places of the ones in Conway and Perry County also.
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Faulkner County Open House
We would like to invite everyone to come to our Open House on March 16, 2024 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Extension office located at 844 Faulkner Street in Conway.
We have lots of activities planned for everyone that comes out. We will be taking soil samples that day. Just get a sample from your yard, garden or pasture and put it in a Ziplock plastic bag and bring it by and we will get it sent off for you.
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Homesteading Conference
We are excited to announce our upcoming Homesteading Conference on March 11, 2024 at the Extension Office from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. We will cover topics like Home Composting, Beekeeping, 4-H, Fertilizer Management for Small Farms, Food Preservation Basics, Economics of Food Preservation and Cheese Making.
Cost is $25 per person and a meal will be provided. We are excited for everyone to come out and learn more about homesteading.
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Pesticide Applicator Training - March 12, 2024 at 6:00 pm and May 14, 2024 at 2:00 pm at the Faulkner County Extension Office, 844 Faulkner Street Conway. To register call 501-329-8344 or email Mindy Beard at rbeard@uada.edu.
Homesteading Conference - March 11, 2024 - 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at the Faulkner County Extension Office, 844 Faulkner Street, Conway.
Extension Office Open House - March 16, 2024 - 9:00 am - 12:00 pm at the Faulkner County Extension Office, 844 Faulkner Street, Conway.
Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue Renovation Workshop - March 21, 2024 - 8:15 am to 4:30 pm at the Batesville Livestock Research Center.
AGLC Grazing Conference - March 28, 2024 in Hope, March 29 in Harrison starting at 8:00 am.
River Valley Small Ruminant Conference - April 13, 2024 - 9:00 am - 12:00 pm at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville.
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