Catawba Valley Cattlemen’s Association
(Eat Hamburgers,  & learn BQA  on the 2^nd Tuesday of this month)
This month’s meeting is on Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., June 8, 2021
Location: Dennis & Tyler Lutz Load-out Facility
GPS address: 3217 Rocky Ford Rd., Newton, NC  28658
6:30 Short Business Meeting,  6:45 Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Training with Live Demo

Meeting Agenda (Bring your own chairs if you don’t want to sit on metal folding chairs)

5:30 p.m.  Hamburgers served at the Dennis and Tyler Lutz Load out Facility
Weather : ? (Dress to your comfort – outside)  If rain, call the Extension Office or  Cell 405.219.1902
6:30 p.m. – Business Meeting: Brandon Bowman, President and Dr. Amanda Whitener, Treasurer.
6:45 p.m.  – BQA Training through the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association. (NCCA) Test at end for all who want to be  certified.
Cost:   NCCA Members : $15.00;      non-members: $40.00
Trainer: Ms. Laura Elmore, Iredell CES Crops & Livestock Agent. (She’s one of our own, daughter of Jeff Elmore!)
Live Demonstration:  Amanda Whitener, DVM
8:00 p.m. – Meeting adjourned. Except those taking the test which will be done between 8 to 8:30.

Announcements                                 

Ø  CVCA is taking an order for minerals. Price this time is:  $18.01/bag. Make your check out to Bartlett Milling Company. Checks will be mailed or carried into our office and Mrs. Natalie Cline will mail all checks at one time to the supplier. Mailing address: Cooperative Extension Service, P.O. Box 389 Newton, NC 28658. We plan to mail checks by June 14. Mineral order will be place by Friday, 11^th. Most likely minerals will be arriving the next week at Gary Abernethy’s barn. We order every quarter so the next order will occur in Sept. Please plan accordingly.

Ø  Sonny Clark would like to invite all to attend a program on his land to learn about growing Native grasses. The Location is 806 High Shoals Rd, Lincolnton, NC. June 15, Tuesday, Meal 6 p.m. RSVP required. 704.922.2118

Ø  June 18 The Prospect Lamb & Goat Show will be on June 18^th at 6 p.m.

Ø  June 19 The Beef Expo will occur on June 19, 2021 with Showmanship occurring late morning (10:30 a.m.)  and cattle shows immediately after lunch. Make plans to stop by and encourage our youth.

Tips for Keeping Hayfields and Pastures Productive and Long-Lived.
               Matt Booher, Virginia Cooperative Extension & Glenn Detweiler, North Carolina Cooperative Extension,  Area Agent
Maintain proper potassium fertility. Hay removes a lot of potassium (K), and many fescue based hayfields in North Carolina are chronically low in it. It is simply hard to keep up, especially when fertilizer prices are high, but keeping K in the medium range based on a soil test will make your fields more productive and long-lived. (Cattle grazing pastures return ~80% of K via manure.)
Nitrogen. Grasses need nitrogen for proper aboveground and belowground growth. Unless you can rely on significant residual nitrogen from a manure application, you can bet that each cutting of hay has removed with it the bulk of whatever nitrogen you previously applied. You’ll almost always want to apply nitrogen for the next cutting unless it looks like we are headed into a drought (or flood as occurred these past winter months. Legumes can of course provide nitrogen, but it is directly proportional to their size and prevalence (30% legumes provide nitrogen needed if spread evenly) within the field. (Handouts are available to figure out the percent legume in your fields and pastures.)
Cutting height. Cutting too low is the kiss of death for many hayfields, particularly orchard grass and Timothy. Leaving a 4″ stubble allows our bunchgrasses to retain enough leaf area for quick regrowth and also preserves the energy that is stored as carbohydrates in stem bases. (fescue is a bunch grass). Cut too low, and the plant is less able to deal with stresses such as insects, heat, and drought. Cut too low for too long, and plants will eventually die. Also, weed seedlings will sprout due to sunlight hitting weed seeds on the ground which is normally shaded by healthy blades of desired grass. Next thing you know, weeds outcompete the grass crop for moisture and nutrients and we see very little grass.
Fescue is Dormant during the summer months and seed of Ky 31 fescue are toxic to ruminants. I encourage you to try some Big Bluestem (Native grass). It requires no lime, no fertilizer, (or very little, if desired) It produces very well with quantities similar to fescue per year, but only in June and July. Grazing is the best option. If cutting for hay, that would occur July 4 and August 4. Whenever trying a new grass, always experiment with 1-2 acres. Wildlife specialist, Jason Smith, will help in establishment. Last year with excess rain, the 1-acre demo produced 8 – 800 pound bales. 5 in July and 3 in August. No lime$ and no fertilizer$!! $$  (If you have access to chicken manure it may be better $ to plant some Bermuda grass for summer grazing or hay making.)
JUNE——REMINDERS*** SPRING‐CALVING HERD
       * *Breeding season is almost over   *Continue pasture rotation and avoid high‐endophyte fescue during this month for best rebreeding performance. *Remove bulls from the cow herd by the end of the month. This will eliminate summer‐born calves and help prevent nursing heifer calves from becoming pregnant.
** Midsummer working opportunity (when the herd is gathered to remove bulls): * To avoid heat stress, work cattle early in the morning. *Consider deworming cows and calves (mid‐July is optimum) * Re‐implant calves. *Vaccinate calves for clostridial diseases (blackleg) if not done previously. *Spray for flies while cattle are gathered (if not using other control methods).
***FALL‐CALVING HERD            * *Weaning period    *Finish collecting cow and calf weights at weaning. * Pregnancy test cows if not done previously. * Consider selling open cows and heifers, cows weaning lightweight, poor‐quality calves and problem cows. Inform tax preparer if the cows and heifers were raised or purchased. * Make initial selection of replacement heifers.
***CONSIDERATIONS FOR ALL CATTLE      * * Prevent/control pinkeye: *Clip tall, mature grass. * Reduce flies with adequate fly control. * Treat problems quickly. * Consider vaccinating. * *Control flies. Methods may include:
* Back rubbers, spray, dust bags, pour‐ons. * Insecticide ear tags (two per animal). * Salt‐mineral mix containing oral larvicides. * *Maintain a clean water supply and check it routinely. Water is extremely important in hot weather. ***FORAGES    * Continue hay harvests. * Clip pastures for weeds and remove seed heads as needed. * Rotate pastures as needed. * Protect round bales of hay from weather damage to minimize storage losses of yield and quality.