Success StoryMorgan County ANR Extension Responds to Cattle Crisis Caused By Wet Weather



Morgan County ANR Extension Responds to Cattle Crisis Caused By Wet Weather

Author: Sarah Fannin

Planning Unit: Morgan County CES

Major Program: Beef

Plan of Work: Livestock Forage Interface

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

2018 was Kentucky’s wettest year on record causing livestock producers to deal with excessive and unprecedented mud, poor quality hay, ruined pastures, scours, poor nutrition and calving issues. Local veterinarians reported high cattle loss numbers especially among marginal cows and weak calves. Utilizing resources developed by UK Extension Beef Specialists, a series of meetings was developed for local producers to not only understand and combat this issue, but also how to prepare for continued wet weather conditions.  The series was planned by a local veterinarian and county Ag board members. The series was also supplemented by the cow/calf management demonstration herd at the Extension Farm where participants saw firsthand the difficulties associated with thin cattle. Ninety percent of producers indicated new knowledge gained while 70% reported they would be changing or adding practices.  Attended by more than fifty producers, results of this series include:

  1. The construction of ten new winter feeding systems to combat mud,

  2. Increased numbers of hay samples and ration balance reports,

  3. More soil samples and seeding recommendation requests,

  4. And, greater numbers of farmers now using body condition scoring to evaluate their herds.






Stories by Sarah Fannin


Morgan County Farmer Appreciation Campaign Promotes Safety and Mental Health Awareness

Morgan County Farmer Appreciation Campaign Promotes Safety and Mental Health Awareness

about 1 years ago by Sarah Fannin

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), farming is two times... Read More


Torrential Rain Doesn’t Damper Success of 11th Annual Morgan County Market in the Park

Torrential Rain Doesn’t Damper Success of 11th Annual Morgan County Market in the Park

about 1 years ago by Sarah Fannin

The year 2022 brought an unexpected weather event to the Morgan County Extension Councils Market in ... Read More


Stories by Morgan County CES


2023 Teen Conference

2023 Teen Conference

about 1 years ago by Kimberly Lane

The 99th Annual Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference was held at the University of Kentucky June 13-16, 2023... Read More


Growing 4-H Camping Program

Growing 4-H Camping Program

about 1 years ago by Kimberly Lane

4-H Camping program has always been valued in Morgan County, but this years Camping group was put to... Read More