Lyon County Ag News July 2018

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1 In this issue: 1. Heifer Sale Results 2. Pinkeye Article Excerpt 2. Stable Flies 3. Fly Control on Pasures 4. Woodland Shortcourse 5. UK Spray Clinic 6. Palmer Amaranth Field Day 7 West KY Forage Field Day Save the Date: Corn, Soybean and Tobacco Field Day will be Tuesday, July 24., UKREC Tobacco Twilight Tour August 9 from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM, West Farm of Murray State University, State Route 1660 Dear Ag Producer, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Cooperative Extension Service Lyon County Extension Service Lyon County Ag News July 2018 Several regional and statewide field days are scheduled for July through September. A first annual Western Kentucky Forage Field Day will be held on August 7 in Ballard County. See the enclosed flyer for information on speakers and topics. It is 58 miles to the farm and convenient for making a Paducah run as it you take exit 4 off I-24 on the way. GPS will take you to the farm, it will tell you that you are there when the farm is about 1 mile further down the road. If you are interested in summer annual forages, fencing and other forage topics it will be an excellent opportunity! FYI: Brent White is working with Farm Bureau on a vulture predation video. Sincerely, Susan M. Fox Extension Agent Pigweed photos by Aaron Hager, Univ of Illinois (Palmer/ Waterhemp) and Bruce Ackley, Ohio State Univ. Left, Dr. Chris Teustch and Debby Dulworth look at Eastern gamma grass regrowth 4 weeks after grazing. The Caldwell-Lyon Cattlemen s Association will meet on Tuesday, July 17, 6:00 p.m. at the Lee S. Jones Convention Center. Smooth Waterhemp Palmer (675 Robertson Road), Murray KY UK Beef Bash will be held on September 20 at the Princeton Research Station. Following are the results of the West KY Select Bred Heifer Sale held in Guthrie, KY. The sale averaged $1766 on 200 head with a range of 1425 to The majority of the heifers sold between 1600 and 1900 (150/200). 13 heifers sold for less than 1600 and 37 heifers sold for more than Heifers sold to 25 buyers from Kentucky and Tennessee. Thanks to everyone who helped make this sale a success. No. Head Breed Type Avg Price 109 Angus cross 1, Black White Face 1, Angus 1, Brangus cross 1, Beefmaster cross 1, Red Angus cross 1,725 Gelbvieh cross 1, Head/Average $1,766 Distinguishing Pigweed Seedlings 1. Smooth or redroot pigweed has a hairy stem. 2. Palmer amaranth has smooth stems, may have the chevrons on leaves, widest at the base, may have a single hair at the tip. The leaf stem or petiole is often as long or longer than the leaf. 3. Waterhemp leaves are longer, lanceolate and generally shiny or waxy in appearance. Stems and petioles are smooth. Petioles are shorter than the leaves (1/3 to 1/2 the leaf length.

2 Pinkeye Article Excerpt Excerpts from a longer, Off the Hoof article by Michelle Arnold, DVM, University of Kentucky. For complete information see the June Off the Hoof. Pinkeye (Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis or IBK) resulted in an 18-pound weaning weight difference in a 2009 study. Calves with corneal scars are also often discounted at sale. Treatment and prevention are challenging. Vaccines have not been consistently effective in clinical trials. Figure 1: Corneal ulceration in the early stages of pinkeye. Photo from The bacterium, Moraxella bovis is the primary cause but a new strain has been isolated, Moraxella bovoculi, that is believed to play an important role. M. bovus is found in the eyes and nasal cavities of infected cattle.. M. bovoculi, however, is most frequently found from pinkeye cases including cases of winter pinkeye. Both of these bacteria have pili or hair-like projections that they use to stick to a damaged eyeball surface. They release toxins that kill the surface cells of the cornea, creating an ulcer. Pinkeye is highly contagious. To prevent or reduce pinkeye remove as many risk factors for eye damage as possible. These include UV light, face flies, excessive eye irritation, nutritional deficiencies and stress reduction. Maximize herd immune status by ensuring a good level of nutrition, adequate vitamin and mineral intake, a comprehensive vaccination program, parasite control. There is no evidence that feeding excessive levels of any vitamin or mineral will prevent diseases of the eye. Where immune function is impaired by low trace mineral levels (especially selenium and coper) an injectable mineral may be necessary. Quarantine new animals and show animals for two weeks. Control face flies. They have abrasive mouth parts that are used for feeding on tears and mucus and they can infect other animals and transfer pinkeye from herd to herd. Mow tall grasses with seed heads, provide shade and clean, cool water and avoid overcrowding. Early detection and prompt treatment are needed. Long-acting antibiotics such as tetracycline (LA200) or the prescription antibiotic tulathromycin (Draxxin) are labeled for treatment fo pinkeye. Veterinarians may also prescribe florfenicol (Nuflor), ceftiofur (Excede) or others to be used off-label. Injectable antibiotics are generally the best option because of their long activity and effectiveness. With severe ulceration, the eyball may need extra protection with a patch or the eyelids can be sutured closed. Stable Flies Veterinary Clinics of North America, Food Animal Practice 26 (2010), page 489. attack dogs, biting them mostly in the ears. Stable flies are not limited to barns and stables; they will rest around houses and attack people, too. Stable flies are strong fliers; they can cause problems at least 2 miles from their breeding sites. The bite of the stable fly is so painful that cattle and horses will stamp or kick trying to rid themselves of these pests, and it may make the animal difficult to handle. Studies have shown that heavy stable fly infestations of 50 or more per animal can reduce feed efficiency by 10 to 13 percent. Also, the flies can carry anaplasmosis from infected animals to healthy ones. Figure 1. Resting stable fly the biting mouthpart is a Management Insecticides Many of the insecti- narrow black tube projecting from the front of the head. cides labeled for fly control on cattle and horses are effective (Photo: Lee Townsend, UK) against the stable fly but control is difficult. Stable flies feed 2 to 3 times per day, usually biting on the lower parts of the legs, which are difficult to treat or to protect. Also, these flies spend much of their time away from animals, resting on walls, fences, or vegetation. Residual sprays applied to resting sites around stables can help some, but the flies also sit on lots of other surfaces. Sanitation Sanitation is the key to stable fly management. These flies are common around dairy lots and stables where they breed in a mixture of rotting or fermenting feed, straw, and manure, or other types of rotting vegetable matter. They also can be pasture pests in areas where round bales are used extensively or where hay is fed. Stable fly maggots can develop in trampled hay mixed with urine and manure. Each stable fly female produces about 500 eggs so numbers can increase rapidly. Space sprays (foggers) or residual sprays can help reduce numbers but breeding site elimination is the most effective means of Lee Townsend, Extension Entomologist, University of Kentucky control. Stable fly traps effective at catching flies are probably better as a gauge of fly activity than in killing large numbers of The stable fly is a blood sucker that looks like a house fly but has a flies it is almost impossible to control flies when that are many piercing-type mouthpart that projects forward from the front of breeding sites. its head. Males and females feed on warm-blooded animals and humans, usually around the lower leg or ankles. They also will

3 Fly Control for Cattle on Pasture May 2016 Excerpts from an article by David Boxler, Nebraska Extension Educator As we transition into summer pastures, fly control programs should be considered. A thought to consider, did your fly control program work last year? If it did not, a different method may be needed. There are many fly control options and strategies available to help manage the three fly species that economically impact grazing cattle; the horn fly, face fly and stable fly. Horn Flies Did your fly control program work last year? Photo courtesy of Dave Boxler. Horn flies are small in size, approximately 3/16 in length and are usually found on the backs, sides and poll area of cattle. During a warm summer afternoon they can be found on the belly region of cattle. Horn flies, both male and females flies, acquire more than 30 blood meals per day. After mating the female fly will leave the animal to deposit eggs in fresh cattle manure. Eggs hatch within one week, and larvae feed and mature in the manure, pupating in the soil beneath the manure pat. Newly emerged horn flies can travel several miles searching for a host. The entire life cycle can be completed in 10 to 20 days depending upon the weather. Economic losses associated with horn flies are estimated at more than $1 billion dollars annually in the United States. Horn fly feeding causes irritation, blood loss, decreased grazing efficacy, reduced weight gains, and diminished milk production in mother cows. Additionally, horn flies have been implicated in the spread of summer mastitis. Studies conducted in the U.S. and Canada have shown that horn flies can cause weight gain loss in cattle, and calf weaning weights can be negatively impacted from 4 15 percent. Studies conducted in Nebraska have established calf weaning weights were pounds higher when horn flies were controlled on mother cows. The economic injury level (EIL) for horn flies is 200 flies per animal. Yearling cattle can also be affected by the horn fly; other studies have shown yearling weights can be reduced by as much as 18 percent. There are many insecticide control methods available to manage horn fly numbers; backrubbers, dust bags, insecticidal ear tags and strips, pour-ons, oral larvicides, low pressure sprayers, mist blower sprayers, and the Vet Gun. Backrubbers and dust bags are an effective way to reduce horn fly numbers if cattle are forced to use them. Insecticide ear tags and strips are a convenient method of horn fly control. However, many horn fly populations in Nebraska exhibit a degree resistance to the pyrethroid class of insecticides. The recommended management practice to maintain horn fly control is to rotate insecticide classes. Animal sprays and pour-on products will provide 7-21 days of control and will need to be re-applied throughout the fly season. Oral larvicides prevent fly larvae from developing into adults. An important factor when using an oral larvicide is insuring steady consumption. An additional complicating issue using an oral larvicide is horn fly migration from neighboring untreated herds which can mask the effectiveness of an oral larvicide. The Vet Gun applies an individual capsule of insecticide to an animal and can provide control between 21 and 35 days.

4 Woodland Care and Management Shortcourse Woodland owners who are wondering how to get the most from their property can benefit from attending one of three University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service short courses tailored to their region. Folks aren t always aware of all the resources that are available to help them achieve their objectives, said Billy Thomas, UK extension forester in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. "The Woodland Owners Short Course connects landowners with professionals to help achieve owners particular management goals, whether that s recreation, timber harvesting or wildlife management. About 48 percent of the land in Kentucky is woodlands, whether it be large forest tracts or small woods surrounding a house. Well-managed forests are rife with possibilities, including extra income, recreational opportunities and a beneficial environment for wildlife. The 2018 Woodland Owners Short Course will cover those areas of interest for both novice and experienced landowners. The one-day course is offered once in each of the three geographical regions of the state. Local planning committees have developed the regional programs with local needs in mind, so each region s course will vary slightly from the others. Participants can choose from two concurrent tracks, green for woodland owners just getting started and gold for those already actively managing their woodlands. Past attendees of the short course will also find valuable information by returning to the program through the gold track. Depending on the track and the region, sessions will cover such topics as tree identification, timber harvesting, sales and trespass issues, woodland management practices, rural and urban wildlife habitat management, invasive species, native warm-season grasses and pollinators, white oak and bourbon opportunities, financial assistance programs and estate planning. Each short course begins at 9 a.m. local time, with on-site registration at 8:30 a.m., and concludes around 4:30 p.m. Lunch is included. Due to limited space, organizers strongly encourage preregistration. The west region course is Aug. 4 at the Marshall County Extension office, 1933 Mayfield Highway, Benton, with a field visit to the Rick Mohler farm. Deadline for registration is July 27. For a detailed listing of course topics at each location and to register, visit the short course website at Registration is also available by phoning When preregistering, sessions are $20 for individuals and $30 for couples. The day of the program, sessions are $30 for individuals and $40 for couples. The 2018 Woodland Owners Short Course is a partnership between the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, UK Department of Forestry in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Kentucky Division of Forestry, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Kentucky State University, Kentucky Tree Farm Committee, Kentucky Woodland Owners Association, National Woodland Owners Association, U.S. Department of Agriculture s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Kentucky Forest Industries Association, the Kentucky Chapter of the Association of Consulting Foresters of America Inc., Merrick Printing, Marshall, Morgan and Shelby County Cooperative Extension offices. Contact: Billy Thomas,

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