Beef Cattle ProductionPlan of Work

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Calloway County CES

Title:
Beef Cattle Production
MAP:
Production Agriculture
Agents Involved:
M. Chadwick
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Ag Water Quality Program
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Beef
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Forages
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Sustainable Agriculture
Situation:

There are over 40,000 beef cattle producers in Kentucky and over one million head of beef cows. Kentucky is the eighth largest beef state in the U.S. and has the largest herd east of the Mississippi River; Kentucky ranks third for beef cattle density (cows per square mile) in the US. Even with profitable prices it is important to educate beef producers on best management practices to: keep costs down, optimize income through management and marketing, be good stewards of the land and practice good animal welfare. These educational programs are targeted to assist our local Agriculture and Natural Resource agents to provide Kentucky beef producers with the tools necessary to be profitable and sustainable.

Long-Term Outcomes:

-Improved farm economic status

- Increase the sustainability and long term viability of the farm opperation

-Producers save money by making better selection decisions.

-Improved herd quality

-Increased profits of operation

-Implmentation of rotational grazing system.


Intermediate Outcomes:

-Implement practices to control the breeding season and enhance production efficiency

-Test forage, hay, and concentrated feeds for nutritional quality

-Utilize a complete mineral supplement program at all times

-Make EPD and selection decisions

-Implement practices to perform examinations of pelvic areas, reproductive tract scores, AI, pregnancy diagnosis, and/or animal evaluation

-Understanding of basic roational gerazing system

Initial Outcomes:

-Gain knowledge of the beef industry and information and tools to succeed in beef production

-Interpret forage analyses, feed and mineral bag tabs and to balance rations.

-Operate a computer program to balance rations.

-Increase awareness of the following practices:reproduction, genetics, nutirtion, health, end product, general herd management, economics and marketing, physiology of forage growth, grazing math, shade and water, parisite control, animal health and disorders from forage, rotational grazing systems, tempoary fencing, and forage types for grazing systems.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Gain knowledge of the beef industry and information and tools to succeed in beef production

Indicator: Adoption of basic adjustments

Method: One on One conversations and interactions

Timeline: 2016-2019


Intermediate Outcome:Test forage, hay, and concentrated feeds for nutritional quality

Indicator: Increased number of sample submitted

Method: Comparison to numbers of test submitted over timeline

Timeline: 2017-2020


Long-term Outcome: Increase the sustainability and long term viability of the farm operation

Indicator: Adoption of major practice adjustments such as rotational grazing, AWQ BMPs, forage improvement programs, and Herd improvement programs.

Method: One on one conversations

Timeline: 2018-2020

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Cattle Producers

Project or Activity: Master Cattleman

Content or Curriculum: 10 sessions @ 4 hours ea.; Lecture & Hands-on basic principle topics: visual selection, AI, pregnancy palpation, cattle handling, vaccination techniques, etc.; occurs as regional multi-county groups every other year

Inputs: UK Beef Specialists,County Agents,Volunteers,Program materials,Locations to host programs,Program Partners/Sponsors,Program materials/handouts/ presentation material, Equipment/Computer/ Projector, Kentucky Beef Network

Date: Fall 2017/Winter 2020


Audience: Cattle Producers, Hay Producers, Horse Producer, Small Ruminent Producers

Project or Activity: KY Grazing School

Content or Curriculum: Ky Grazing School Curriculum

Inputs: UK Beef Specialists,County Agents,Volunteers,Program materials,Locations to host programs,Program Partners/Sponsors,Program materials/handouts/ presentation material, Equipment/Computer/ Projector, Kentucky Beef Network

Date: Spring/Summer 2019


Audience: Producers, Farm Managers, Certified Crop Advisors, Private Agronomist, County Agents, Ag Retailers, Farm Workers, Industry Reps. General Public, Point of Sale Employees

Project or Activity: Quarterly Newsletter, Monthly Newspaper Articles

Content or Curriculum: Timely Information

Inputs: UK/KSU College of Ag Professionals, Publications, Research information, State and Federal Organizations

Date: 2017-2019


Audience: Cattle Producers

Project or Activity: Calloway County Cattlemen Meetings

Content or Curriculum: Researched based speaker and publications

Inputs: UK/KSU College of Ag Professionals, Publications, Research information, State and Federal Organizations

Date: Bi-Annually 2016-2020


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Success Stories

Cattlemen's Renewal

Author: Matthew Chadwick

Major Program: Beef

Cattlemen's group met in the fall to discuss how to increase attendance at beef cattle related extension programs in Calloway County, normal attendance was running around 15 people. The group brain stormed about new topics and time of year for hosting meetings, and how to market those programs. The first meeting of 2020 that implemented those plans saw an increase in attendance of 200%. We are also hosting our first regional program in February and a state wide field day in the summer. 

Full Story

Cow Calf Conference

Author: Matthew Chadwick

Major Program: Beef

The Regional Cow Calf Conference was hosted by the majority of the counties in the purchase and western half of the pennyroyal, the response of the producers present was overwhelming in both quantity and quality. Of the 47 producers present there was over 3200 head of mama cows represented, they indicated that they all learned something that would cause them to implement change in their farming operation. 

Full Story

Bull VAP

Author: Matthew Chadwick

Major Program: Beef

In February of 2020, beef producers from Marshall, Calloway, Graves and Livingston counties participated in a two-part Bull Value Assessment Program or "BVAP." This University of Kentucky Extension Program encourages producers to reevaluate how they make bull buying decisions. Navigating complicated sale catalogs and evaluating Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) can be difficult and the auction itself can be very intimidating. The BVAP program provides a no risk, worry free environmen

Full Story
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