Allen County. Agriculture News Agricultural Field Day. Aug. 2016

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1 Allen County Agriculture News AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES Allen County Cooperative Extension Office Office Hours Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (with the exception of Holidays) In this Issue: Cooperative Extension Service Allen County 200 East Main Street Scottsville, KY (270) Fax: (270) Aug Agricultural Field Day Allen County Fairgrounds on Rediger Drive Thursday, September 29, 5:00 pm 2016 Agriculture Field Day Fly Control in Beef Cattle Poisonous Pasture Weed: Perilla Mint Guard Against Hay Fires Use Precaution to Ward of Mosquitoes Tips for Stockpiling Fescue Tobacco Workers Pesticide Safety Training Materials Available Recipe Steve Osborne Allen Co. Extension Agent Agriculture and Natural Resources Dinner speaker: Mr. Warren Beeler, Executive Director, Governor s Office of Agricultural Policy Displays Tour #1 Equipment Allen County Farmer s Service, Allen County Conservation District Post Hole Driver Demonstration, Bobcat, Hobdy, Dye and Read, Heartland Equipment Tour #2 Veterinary Feed Directive, Farm Liability Concerns, Barnyard Big-Uns on the Farm-You Are What You Eat, Beekeeping Sponsored Meal by the Allen County Cattlemen Door Prizes Field Day Sponsors: Heartland Equipment, Bobcat, Hobdy, Dye and Read, Tabor and Tabor Farms, Allen County Farmer s Service, Allen County Conservation District, Allen County Extension Service

2 Fly Control in Beef Cattle! Various fly species are common problems in KY livestock operations. Face flies gather and irritate the animal s face. These flies not only cause irritation, but can also spread pink eye. Horned flies which are very common in KY feed on the animal s blood. According to Dr. Lee Townsend, UK extension entomologist, weaning weight of calves and yearling cattle are around 15 pounds less when there is an average of 200 horn flies on calves throughout the summer. Making an effort to control flies can reduce irritation and economic losses. Poisonous Pasture Weed: Perilla Mint Perilla mint is an annual plant in the mint family that is toxic to livestock. Although cattle, horses and other livestock usually will not eat perilla mint if grasses and legumes are available, the chances of consumption increase if this toxic plant is baled in hay or harvested in green chop or other similar forages. Most often perilla mint occurs in shaded areas of the pasture, rather than in full sunlight. According to Poisonous Plants of the Southeastern United States, seeds of perilla mint are often found in stomachs of deceased animals. To avoid toxicity problems, avoid harvesting forages in areas contaminated with perilla mint. Mow perilla mint plants before seeds are produced to avoid livestock grazing and prevent weed population growth. Several of the broadleaf pasture herbicides, such as Weedmaster, 2,4-D, Banvel, Crossbow, etc. should provide excellent control if applied timely and according to the label rate. Sometimes spraying makes a plant more palatable so management may dictate removing livestock from problem areas for a sufficient time frame to allow plants to decompose.

3 Guard Against Hay Fires Be sure to monitor your hay one to two days after baling to make sure the internal temperature does not damage the hay or lead to spontaneous combustion. A single bale rarely heats enough to catch on fire, but when they are placed close together or stacked with other bales the heat cannot easily leave the bale. A good practice is to leave bales scattered in the barn or in the field for 3 to 4 weeks before placing them in a stack. At higher temperatures of 150 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, the fire department should be notified. It is best to wait for them to arrive before removing the hay from the stack in case of a flame up. Critical Temperatures and Action Steps Temperature Condition and Action (ºF) 125 No action needed. Hay is entering the danger zone. Check temperature twice 150 daily. Disassemble stacked hay bales to promote air circulation to cool the hay. Hay has reached the danger zone. Check hay temperature 160 every couple of hours. Disassemble stacked hay bales to promote air circulation to cool the hay. Hot spots or fire pockets are likely. Alert fire services to the 175 possible hay fire incident. Stop all air movement around the hay. With the assistance of the fire service, remove hot hay. Be 190 aware that hay could burst into flames. With the assistance of the fire service, remove hot hay. 200 or higher Most likely, a fire will occur. Be aware that hay could burst into flames. (Source: National Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service [NRAES])

4 Use Precautions to Ward off Mosquitos If you are concerned with mosquitos and all the possible diseases that they could transmit, consider the following tips to limit your exposure. Wear long sleeved shirts and long pants. Stay in places with air conditioning or that use screens to keep mosquitoes outside. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered insect repellents such as DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535. When used as directed these are safe and effective, even for pregnant and breast-feeding women. Always follow directions, and reapply. Apply sunscreen prior to insect repellent if using both. Do not use insect repellents on babies under two months of age. Instead, dress your baby in clothing that covers the arms and legs, or cover crib, stroller, or carrier with mosquito netting. Treat clothing and gear with permethrin. Do not use permethrin directly on your skin. Visit the Information on Zika Virus for Kentuckians website edu/ext/zika/1kyzika.html set up by the University of Kentucky to provide information on the Zika virus and resources on mosquito management in the Commonwealth. Tips for Stockpiling Fescue Graze, harvest for hay, clip or mow the pasture as soon as possible in August to a height of 3 to 4 inches.. Keep cattle off field being stockpiled from August to October Apply nitrogen in mid-august to pastures after growth is removed, assuming adequate moisture is available. Recommended nitrogen rates range from 40 to 100 pounds of actual nitrogen per acre. P, K and lime should be added based on soil test recommendations. Don t wait too late to begin grazing stockpiled fescue. November or December grazing is ideal. Strip graze or rotationally graze stockpiled fescue. Remember to provide mineral while cattle are grazing stockpiled fescue Always have hay in reserve for times of ice and deep snow.

5 Tobacco Workers Pesticide Safety Training Materials Available If you employ migrant workers in the production of your tobacco crop, you will need to provide them with pesticide safety training. To help you accomplish this, the Allen County Extension Office has a Pesticide and Farmworker Health Toolkit available for your use. It was developed by North Carolina Cooperative Extension and is approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency for Worker Protection Standard worker training. Contact the Allen County Extension Office if you are interested in using this toolkit.

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