Extension
It Starts With Us
Profitable Livestock Management
Livestock Improvements and Enhancements
ANR
Beef
Forages
Soil testing
Hay testing
Bracken County is best suited to produce forage and the best way to harvest that forage is through beef cattle and or livestock. For many years, the livestock was not managed as tobacco took presidency. By using the very best management opportunities for our herds, we can improve the profitability of livestock enterprise. This will include improvements in forage management and timely harvesting of stored forages. It will also demand improvements in genetics with more uniform genetics that the market is requiring. This will allow for combined marketing efforts of like kind cattle that will result in higher returns for small farms that can market larger groups of cattle together.
Producers will manage their land, forages, and grazing practices to maximize the production from their farm acres with livestock. Producers will take advantage of value added management such as vaccination, castration, weaning and pre-conditioning to enhance the value of the animals being sold.
Farmers understand that the forages are the key to livestock profitability. Grazing management will allow at least a 30% improvement in forage yield on their acres, and many other problems such as weeds, forage quality and reproduction all improve.
Producers decide to change the way livestock are managed. They evaluate their Pastures and Water Sources and see how these can be changed. They work with their veterinarian and implement a herd health program. They test their hay to balance a ration for nutritional needs.
Initial Outcome: Herd Management Changes
Indicator: Steps taken to start changes
Method: Soil Test, Grazing Plan, Master Cattlemen Class
Timeline: Spring 2023
Intermediate Outcome: Forage Improvements
Indicator: Hay Harvested earlier, Weeds treated, Clover interseeded in clean pastures, Rotational Grazing implemented
Method: Grazing School, Forage publications used,
Timeline: 2023
Long-term Outcome: Maximum Beef Production and Profitability
Indicator: Maximize beef output per acre, Maximize value added practices to achieve highest market price, Employ environmental practices to safeguard the land resources and protect the water sources around and below the farm.
Method: Sale reports, stocking rates, and soil and water quality
Timeline: 2024
Audience: Interested Beef Farmers
Project or Activity: Forage Improvement and Utilization
Content or Curriculum: Master Grazer, which is a series of classes similar to master cattleman, but focuses on grazing management.
Inputs: soil test, forage variety publications
Date:2023
Audience: Beef Farmers, Hay producers
Project or Activity: Novel Fescue planting demonstrations, This day long class is offered annually here in KY and other locations to show producers the best options and methods to replacing infected KY 31 fescue.
Content or Curriculum: Grassland Alliance fescue replacement program
Inputs: Seed, Herbicide, host farm planting
Date: Spring 2023
Audience: Commercial and Seedstock Producers
Project or Activity: Herd Health Implementation
Content or Curriculum: Local vet to set up protocols for producers to follow
Inputs: Veterinarians, interested producers looking for value added stock and herd health improvements
Date: 2023
Author: David Appelman
Major Program: Forages
Five years ago, a local producer requested help to offer suggestions for his beef operation. He was very dissatisfied with how his herd was performing and the expense and management of the herd was taking more time and money than what he wanted. After evaluating the herd, it was determined that reproduction left unmanaged was the main problem and it was suggested to enroll the herd into the East KY Integrated Reproductive Management Program. After one year under this protocol,
Author: David Appelman
Major Program: Forages
Weed pressure in grazed pastures has increased in recent years due to many factors that include overgrazing, low fertility, and a lack of grazing management. Many annual weeds can be controlled with an early spring herbicide application. But many perennial weeds require a different timing of herbicide application to be effective. The Bracken County Extension Service along with a local producer set up a demonstration dividing a pasture that had a high population of tall iron wee
Author: David Appelman
Major Program: Beef
There is concern within the beef industry that our products we now have available to treat animals for control of internal parasites are becoming less effective. We are well aware of this issue in small ruminants and the lack of effectiveness of various products. Two classes of products are now over 30 and 50 years old since they were developed. The University of KY Martin Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and specialist from the Beef Department offered produ
