Extension
It Starts With Us
Beef Production, Marketing plus Other Animal Science
Agriculture Production, Profit, and Management
ANR Agent
Beef
Farm Management, Economics and Policy
Beef cattle sales represent over 95% of livestock income. Input cost are increasing. Only the very best managers will remain profitable. Extension programs will train producers to be best managers.
Extension programs will train producers to be profitable. Farmers will increase production through genetic selection, add value through retained ownership and reduce feed costs with high quality forage production and utilization systems, while marketing in truck load lots and our CPH sales. Farmers understand hay quality and hay testing.
Farmers will learn the value of genetic selection and how EPD’s can be used as a tool to improve genetic selection. Producers will learn how to use crossbreeding to capture hybrid viger and learn how to practice improved herd health. Farmers will start forage improvement plans by soil sampling and following soil test results on hay and pasture land. Producers will begin to understand forage quality and begin to use high quality forage in feeding programs to reduce feed costs. Producers will market more cattle through grouping cattle in truck load lots using CPH sales.
Farmers will purchase genetically superior bulls, selected using EPD’s to compliment existing cow herds. They will retain ownership of all calves and increase value through preconditioning and backgrounding adding 200 pounds per calf sold. Farmers will begin considering forages as major crops and start forage utilization plans. Farmers understand the value of marketing uniform truck load lots.
Outcome: Genetic selection
Indicator: Number of bulls purchased with unknown EPD’s.
Method: Number of bulls staying in the country sold at local bull sales.
Timeline: 4 years
Outcome: Adding value through retained ownership and group marketing
Indicator: Number of producers preconditioning and backgrounding calves and market through CPH sales
Method: Pounds of beef sold per cow exposed.
Timeline: 4 years
Outcome: Forage production and utilization
Indicator: Acres of improved forages established, harvested quality and rotational grazing, number of producers testing hay quality.
Method: Pounds of beef sold per acre in forage crops, feed cost per pound sold
Timeline: 4 years
Audience: Audience: Beef producers - initial KOSA
Goat & sheep producers - initial KOSA
Horse owners - initial KOSA
Project or Activity:
Audience: Livestock producers, livestock association’s, ag loan officers, agri-businesses
Activity, Date, Content:
Newsletter- Monthly-Cattle Information (seasonal or timely issues)
Meeting - Winter - BOA, Marketing IRM
Annual Meeting - Winter - Union County Beef Cattlemen Association
Meeting - Winter - Production & Marketing
Newspaper - Weekly Current – Seasonal
Bull Sale - Feb Genetic improvement
County Fair; Hay Show
CPH Sale -4 per year Group Market – Selection
Content or Curriculum:
Inputs: Ag agents and UK specialist, UK area and county meetings and
field days, Beef IRM facilitator, County Ag Development Council, County
Livestock Associations, KBA, News Media, KDA Hay Testing Van
Author: Katie Hughes
Major Program: Beef
The Beef cattle short course was hosted by the Henderson Co and Union Co extension offices. This was 4 weeks in Nov of 22 with two weeks being hosted in Union and two weeks in Henderson co. Each week we had about 12 producers in attendance for this series. The topics included growth promotant application, EPDs , Bale Grazing, Cattle Marketing, Cattle Nutrition, fall calving and reproductive management. Speakers included Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler, Dr. Darrh Bullock, Dr. Chris Teutsch, Dr. Kenny Burdine
