Bracken County CES

Title:

Profitable Livestock Management

MAP:

Livestock Improvements and Enhancements

Agents Involved:

ANR

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Beef

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Forages

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Soil testing

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Hay testing

Situation:

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.

Long-Term Outcomes:

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. 

Intermediate Outcomes:

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.

Initial Outcomes:

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.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome:  Herd Management Changes

Indicator:  Steps taken to start changes

Method:  Soil Test, Grazing Plan,  Master Cattlemen Class

Timeline: Spring 2021

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:  2022

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

Learning Opportunities:

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:2021

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: 2022

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

Success Stories