Author: Victor Williams
Planning Unit: Laurel County CES
Major Program: Beef
Plan of Work: Agriculture and Natural Resource Awareness and Practices
Outcome: Initial Outcome
On-farm studies provide an opportunity to build relationships with clientele while answering applied science questions. Beef specialist Dr. Lehmkuhler and Ben Crites contacted me about participating in a beef mineral study. An on-farm study involving eight counties, including Laurel County, teamed up Extension agents with producers to investigate cattle visitation to mineral feeders using the low-cost technology of game cameras. I worked with three different beef producers. The study provided movable mineral feeders and mineral to the producer cooperator. Trail cameras were set up to utilizing the timelapse feature to capture images from sunrise to sunset at 2 min. intervals. I visited each farm daily to switch the download the photos and check battery statues. I also visited a farm each morning at sunrise to observe and record animal behavior for the 7 day study. Several observations were noted to improve data capture in the future. Sun glare occurred at most cameras and was particularly bad when dew was present on the camera lens. Mineral feeders needed to be secured in place as livestock may move feeders out of the frame of the images captured. Still photos are insufficient in assessing behavior and short video clips are expected to improve interpretation especially when multiple animals visit the feeders at the same time. This is an ongoing study that data will be collected on again this year while addressing the issues with the cameras and feeders being addressed.
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