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| Kentucky cattle suffering from extreme heat stress |
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| By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent
LEXINGTON, Ky. — And the heat goes on - along with extreme drought in most of Kentucky causing farmers continued stress and worry during this growing season.
According to the University of Kentucky (UK) Agricultural Weather Center, “record and near-record temperatures dominated with most locations approaching and exceeding the 100-degree (F.) mark ... for the third heat wave this growing season. Princeton, located in western Kentucky, hit or exceeded 100 degrees 11 times so far this growing season. Somerset, in south-central Kentucky, hit 106 degrees for the extreme high temperature.”
The center also reported that last week 73 percent of the state was considered to be in the extreme hydrologic drought category, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, making it the fourth straight week with above normal temperatures and below normal rainfall.
In some portions of the state, more than 11 inches of rainfall would be needed to pull out of the drought conditions.
Earlier in the month, UK Agricultural Meteorologist Tom Priddy issued a livestock heat stress advisory for all of Kentucky as heat indices rose to the 100-105 degree range. Some northern counties experienced indices that were closer to 110 degrees.
Kentucky cattle farmers, facing a shortage of hay and pasture, have sold 88,153 more head of cattle in the past two months than in the same period last year, according to Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s (KDA) Market News Service.
As cattle producers are now beginning to cull or liquidate their herds, all is not lost, said UK Extension Beef Cattle Specialist Roy Burris.
“The biggest concern right now is a feed shortage,” he said. “Some producers are using their winter feed right now. Farmers need to decide what they are going to do, and they need to make some of those decisions now and have a plan for it. The overriding thing you need to do is meet the nutritional needs of the cow. It’s going to come back to haunt you if you don’t.”
Burris explained that the Easter Freeze caused many of the problems creating a shortage of hay long before the drought hit.
He also warned that farmers who buy hay should have it tested to ensure they are getting a good quality product.
“If you’re going to pay for something, pay for something worth the money,” said Burris. “Poor quality hay in large bales is not good. We should spend our feed dollars better. It concerns me what shape our cows will be in after the winter.”
Limiting hay and supplementing the diet with concentrates like byproduct feeds can work to meet the animal’s basic nutritional needs and stretch the hay supply, Burris suggested.
“The best approach is to blend these products and feed a balanced ration,” he said. “Balance it for protein and energy and in the least-cost way.”
Culling old or open cows to reduce the herd size may be an option, but unless a farmer is retiring, he should not consider selling the herd. Burris said it can take years to again develop a quality herd.
“I have no problem with culling the herd, especially since cattle prices are still good, but you just don’t get in and out of the cattle business,” he said. “Farmers may have to downsize, but liquidation is rather severe. I don’t think we have to do that.
I think we can come out of this but it’s affecting a lot of us psychologically; it’s tough.”
Last week Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer and Gov. Ernie Fletcher sent a request to USDA Secretary Mike Johanns asking him to make disaster assistance available to Kentucky farmers affected by this year’s drought.
Some southern counties have already received such assistance due to their location along the Tennessee border, where all 95 counties have been made eligible for disaster assistance.
“Kentucky farmers will need help to get through the winter,” Farmer said. “I will use my personal relationship with Secretary Johanns and my status as president of the Southern Assoc. of State Departments of Agriculture to seek the assistance our farmers need.”
Farm Bureau President Marshall Coyle, on behalf of the organization, also sent a letter to Johanns, making the same request. In a correspondence with Fletcher, Coyle suggested the Governor direct state and federal agencies to place emphasis on hay and pasture establishment and to encourage the Kentucky Agriculture Development Board to consider funding projects that would rebuild hay and pasture stocks. He also told Fletcher that forage losses valued from $250 million to $400 million are possible
“Even if we get fall rains, we will face a serious shortage of livestock forages well into 2008,” Coyle wrote.
Kentucky hay and pasture fields were rated 71 percent poor or very poor, the Kentucky field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported last Monday. In July, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture opened a Hay Hotline to help livestock producers find hay to buy. The number is 1-888-567-9589.
This farm news was published in the Sept. 5, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. |
| 9/5/2007 |
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