Updated Publication for Calibration of Stationary and Traveling Systems

By: Emily Herring- Livestock Agent –Pender County, Publication courtesy of NCSU, AG-553-09 and Amanda Hatcher, Duplin County Livestock Agent

North Carolina State University has released an updated version of “Calibration and Uniformity Assessment for Animal Wastewater Application Equipment” to give updated information on hard hose travelers and solid set systems.  Irrigation systems wear and develop buildup, therefore affects their performance, both from an irrigation standpoint and from an economic standpoint.  Calibrations are required once every two years for swine facilities in North Carolina with a state general permit and required once a year for swine facilities with an NPDES permit.

Here’s a summary of things to keep in mind before starting a calibration:

·      A manufacturer’s chart for your system’s sprinkler and nozzle combination is needed for your irrigation design or wetted acreage determination.

·      Perform calibrations during periods of no to very light wind (less than 5 mph).

·      Check wetted diameter and flow pressure under periods of normal pressure.

Equipment needed to complete a calibration:

1.     Pressure gauge, either a mounted gauge or a handheld with pitot tube. (Which will cost roughly $38.00 offline.)

2.     Flow meter with in-line adapters IF field-measured nozzle pressure and manufacture’s charts will not be used to obtain flow rate.

3.     Measuring tape, 200-300 feet or wheel. (A measuring tape will cost roughly $25 offline.)

4.     Flags for checking wetted diameter. (Roughly $5 for a set of flags.)

5.     Caliper for measuring nozzle size. (Roughly costs $10.)

6.     Calibration forms for recording measurements.  These can be found at your local Extension Office.

For hard-hose travelers and stationary systems (solid sets), the following steps are needed:

1.     Measure the nozzle size of traveler guns.

2.     Measure pressure at the nozzle or sprinkler.

3.     Measure the wetted diameter of the nozzle or sprinkler.

4.     Measure the flow rate.

5.     Compare the measured pressure, wetted diameter, and flow rate against the manufacturer’s chart, irrigation design documents, and/or the wetted acreage determination.

Although the rain gauge method that was once needed every three years is not required now to determine uniformity, sprinkler spacing (or lane spacing for travelers) must be within design specifications and pressure must be within the ranges provided by manufacturer (Liu, 2009; 9^th SB 1217 Guidance Document, North Carolina 1217 Interagency Group, 2009).  To check for uniformity:

1.     Compare field-measured wetted diameter and pressure to manufacturer’s charts.

2.     Calculate the sprinkle or lane spacing as a percentage of field-measured wetted diameter to determine if spacing falls in the recommended range.

Field data sheets at the end of the publication help calibrations to go more smoothly.  If you would like to receive a copy of this publication contact or if you have any questions about calibrations, contact your County Extension Agent.  For a total estimated onetime cost of the equipment needed to do a calibration at the most roughly being $78 it would be a good way to save money on the farm versus paying a company to do it. 

Hardware Disease In Cattle

By: Margaret A. Bell, Livestock Agent – Craven & Jones Counties

Adapted from: ‘Hardware Disease in Cattle’ from Michigan Extension

Have you ever heard of Hardware Disease? Did you know that it could cause serious problems with your cattle’s health? Hardware Disease is when some type of sharp objet pierces the wall of the stomach and then has access to the heart. Then the object may pierce the heart sac causing even more problems.

So, what symptoms will your cows have if they have Hardware Disease? They will be depressed, have a poor appetite and will most likely be reluctant to move. Cattle may also have indigestion, or show signs of bloat. These symptoms may disappear but will most likely show back up within the next seven days. If you suspect Hardware Disease in your cow and the animal is slaughtered, it is possible to find a wire of nail that is poking through the reticulum wall. A cow has four compartments to its stomach and the reticulum is one of those four compartments.

What type of treatment is there for Hardware Disease? Treatment for this disease varies from animal to animal. If the animal is extremely valuable, you may consult with your veterinarian to see if a rumenotomy is recommended. This is when your veterinarian approaches the problem surgically to the reticulum. Also, they may palpate the area to verify a foreign object or some type of adhesions. If any object is found, it is possible for your veterinarian to make an incision into the wall of the animal’s ruminal wall and manually remove the object. Much care are needed with all of the above options, so please consult with your veterinarian and make sure you have a good patient – client – veterinarian relationship. Another option in a case where the animal is not exceptionally valuable would be to slaughter the animal and try to diagnose the problem that way and use it as an example for future possible cases of Hardware Disease in your herd.

As for prevention, a popular way routine is to use magnets in the reticulum. As with other procedures, it is recommended you ask your veterinarian to perform this procedure. The goal of the magnet is that it simply keeps foreign objects that are metallic and they will adhere together in a ball. This will reduce the chances that this object will penetrate the reticulum wall causing major medical problems.

The prognosis of Hardware Disease varies due to several factors. The main factor is how much infection is present and how long the animal has had the foreign object. However, if this is caught early enough, sometimes it can be fixed and the animal will live a normal life after.

Supplementing Cattle on Drought-affected Pastures

Submitted by Eve H. Honeycutt, Livestock Agent, Lenoir and Greene Counties

 Adapted from an article by Greg Lardy, Extension Beef Specialist, Department of Animal and Range Sciences, North Dakota State University

As I write this, it is too early to tell if the recent rain will do enough to improve the effects of the recent dry, hot weather on our forage crops.  With any luck, there will be more rain in the near future to increase soil moisture and forage yield.  But just in case, I thought some good information about drought affected pastures would benefit those of you with grazing animals.  Cattle producers generally have two main options for meeting the nutrient requirements of cattle on drought affected pastures and ranges. The first is to provide supplemental feed to ensure the cow herd has adequate energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals. The second is to reduce the nutrient requirements of the cow to a point where they can be met with available forage.

Drought-affected pastures generally do not produce adequate forage to maintain "normal" stocking rates, so producers must provide supplemental energy to meet the needs of the cow herd. Pastures that are dormant due to drought conditions may be low in vitamin A, phosphorus, and protein.  Meeting the need for these nutrients is important if cow herd productivity is to be maintained.  Reductions in stocking rate will benefit plants by reducing stress and will also provide more forage for the remaining cattle. When stocking rates are reduced in accordance with production, only small effects on weaning weight may be noted.

Providing Supplemental Feeds During a Drought

Minerals. Provide the same salt and mineral mixture during drought as you would during normal conditions. However, during drought phosphorus supplementation is critical.  A mixture of 50 percent trace mineralized salt and 50 percent dicalcium phosphate supplied free choice to the cow herd will meet the phosphorus requirement. The salt mixture should be placed close to stock watering locations.

Vitamin A. Lack of vitamin A may be a problem during fall and winter for cows that grazed drought-affected pastures during summer. Vitamin A is lacking in forages during drought and hay produced from drought-affected forages. Cows should receive vitamin A and D booster shots approximately 30 days prior to calving and their calves should receive vitamin A and D at birth.

Protein. Pastures dormant due to drought conditions may be deficient in protein. If these conditions occur during the breeding season, reductions in pregnancy rate can occur. Provide dry cows with approximately 0.5 to 0.75 pounds of supplemental crude protein and lactating cows with 0.9 to 1.2 pounds of supplemental crude protein per day. This can be fed as approximately 1 to 1.5 pounds of soybean meal for dry cows and 2 to 2.5 pounds of soybean meal for lactating cows. Protein supplementation may be necessary for optimum breeding rates during drought conditions. Alfalfa hay, sunflower meal, safflower meal, as well as other protein meals may also be used as protein supplements.

Energy. Since forage production is generally limited during a drought, energy may be the most limiting nutrient for grazing cattle. Several options are available for supplying energy to cattle on drought-stressed pasture. Hay, grain, and crop processing byproducts can all be used to supply energy to grazing cattle.

Grain processing coproducts, such as wheat midds, soyhulls, barley malt sprouts, beet pulp, and corn gluten feed, which contain highly digestible fiber provide energy while alleviating much of the negative impact that grain supplementation has on fiber digestibility. In addition, these byproducts provide protein which may also be limiting in drought-stressed forages.

Drylot Feeding. If pasture conditions are extremely poor, producers may consider feeding cows in drylot. This may be more cost effective than supplementation if large amounts of supplement must be transported and fed to cows daily. In addition, it may allow pastures a much needed rest period to begin recovering from the drought.

Weaning Lambs and Kids

submitted by 

Emily Herring- Livestock Agent, Pender County ,Adapted from Susan Schoenian, Weaning Primer http://www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/weaning.html

           

     Weaning is the act of taking milk away from an animal’s diet and is replaced by another form of feed that will become its main source of nutrition.  A producer decides on whether to wean early which is less than 90 days or late which is longer than 90 days.  Early or late weaning, either way, weaning is an important part of any farmer’s management plan.  There is no magic time to wean, therefore weaning needs to be based on the circumstances and production system that is in place on the farm.  The factors to consider  when weaning is age, breeding season, parasite problems, the market, facilities, labor, and forage ability on the farm.   It is better to wean kids when they are 2 to 2.5 times their birth weight, and lambs when they are 2.5 to 3 times their birth weight. 

Late weaning is also referred to as the doe or ewe weaning the young naturally.    An operation that is only kidding once a year with the lack of labor being a major problem then late weaning maybe the best option to employ for that farm.  The lambs and kids will continue to keep nursing until the doe or ewe’s body slows down production of milk and then that forces the young to go elsewhere to find food to forage on.  When the lambs/kids stop nursing then the doe/ewe will stop producing milk. The longer the kid/lamb is on the doe/ewe then in general the poorer the body condition of that mother will become over time due to the extra work she has to do maintain herself and a large, growing lamb/kid.   The risk of mastitis is much less.  Late weaning usually allows producers to take advantage of their forage to finish their lambs and kids. Pasture is the cheapest form of feed much more economical than hay and grain diets.  Management is simpler, as females and offspring can be maintained in a single group for a longer period of time.  But there is an increased risk of infection of parasites to the kids/lambs and more of an increased competition for forages between the older mothers and their young.

Early weaning is a desired management practice for producers who are in the sheep and/or goats as a business with breeds who have a high genetic potential for growth.  It takes the burden off of high-producing females making them less stressed and helps them return to a more ideal body condition for breeding sooner.  It has been noted there is less risk of parasites when lambs/kids are weaned early and fed in a dry lot.  When considering your pocket book, it is less expensive to feed lambs/kids than the dams with their offspring if you have to feed grain and hay. There is a greater risk of mastitis in the dams because they may still be in peak milking production time.  Early weaning causes a higher stress level in both the young as well as he dams and requires a higher level of management from the farmer.  Lambs and kids weaned early are usually finished on hay and or grain diets and are normally creep fed. 

  Weaning is a stressful time for the animals; therefore, take special care to make the process easier for them.  Creep feeding is a suggested practice to help reduce the stress level in the kids/lambs when they are weaned early.  When weaning, keep the young within their groups in familiar surroundings to reduce their stress and remove the dams.  Be sure not to change the diets of the young two weeks before or after weaning, this would upset their system and allow the incidence of disease to set in quicker when weaning.  Cocciodiostats should be given to the kids/lambs in their feed, mineral, or water before and after weaning because coccidoiosis is a serious concern for the young during this stressful time.  If the lambs are weaned early, their first vaccination for overeating disease and tetanus  (CD-T) should be given two weeks before weaning and then again four weeks after the first initial vaccine.  Early weaned does/ewes should be fed lower quality feeds and forages to help decrease her milking production before weaning time.  This helps her prevent mastitis and it is a huge no-no to allow newly weaned mothers to graze or have access to a beautiful lush pasture, this increases their risk of getting mastitis in their udder.

Spring Planting Considerations

submitted by

Margaret Bell, Extension Livestock Agent, Craven and Jones Counties

Over the years, most livestock owners have acknowledged crabgrass as a weed. Now, however, we are realizing the great nutritional value it has to certain animals, especially horses. As for the new herbicide product labeled just this past year, Metsulfuron Methyl & Nicosulfuron (Pastora), brings about quite the mountain of questions as well. In this article, we will discuss a few of the common misconceptions about both and discuss good planting options for the spring season.

     Crabgrass has a lot of advantages. Here are some facts you need to know if you want to plant crabgrass. It is very cheap and grows well in areas that drain appropriately. For crabgrass to get its optimum growth, air temperature needs to be between 85 and 95 degrees because it is a warm season grass. It will not grow very much when the temperature is below 60 degrees. Also, warm season grasses are more tolerant to moisture stress than cool season grasses. For the coastal plain, crabgrass needs to be planted from April to May 15. Make sure you plant only about ¼ of an inch deep as crabgrass is very sensitive to how deep or shallow it is planted. You will need about 3 – 4 pounds of seed per acre.

            As for Pastora, you need to do your research since it is such a new product. It is labeled for chemical weed control in hay crops and pastures in coastal bermudagrass (as found on the label): suppresses large crabgrass and goose grass, controls barnyard grass, broadleaf signal grass, foxtail species, Johnson grass up to 18 inches, panicum species, Italian ryegrass, sandbur, volunteer cereals, Pensacola Bahia grass, wild garlic, and many broadleaf weeds such as bitter sneezeweed, buttercup, geranium, chickweed, curly dock, dandelion, dog fennel, henbit, horseweed, jimsonweed, lambs quarters, morning-glory, pigweed, plantain, smartweed, and wild mustard. Consult with your local livestock agent for formulation amounts and how to properly apply these chemicals. Don’t forget to use a surfactant if the product calls for it. There are not any hay or grazing restrictions for Pastora use and it provides post emergent grass weed control. It also provides pre and post emergent broadleaf weed control. You should only apply it to established bermudagrass pastures and you could potentially injure your crop if you treat new growth more than two inches or after seven days following harvest. 

            Other spring planting considerations include taking a soil sample and sending it to North Carolina Department of Agriculture’s lab to be analyzed. Although right now is the busy time of the year for the lab, you can always take a sample and have the information to work with next year. They will send you an analysis and give you recommendations based on your soil type and what you want to plant. It is important to follow the recommendations of a soil analysis to ensure you are properly preparing your pastures for planting. If you would like to learn how to take a soil sample, like to pick up free soil sample kits, or would like to discuss the advantages / disadvantages of crabgrass and herbicides, or how to prepare your pasture for spring planting, please contact your local Extension agent. 

*Chemical Disclaimer

Recommendations for the use of chemicals are included in this publication as a convenience to the reader.  The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in this publication does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned.  Individuals who use chemicals are responsible for ensuring that the intended use complies with current regulations and conforms to the product label.  Be sure to obtain current information about usage and examine a current product label before applying any chemical.  For assistance, contact an agent of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension in your county.

Consider Beef Marketing Options

submitted by

Eileen A. Coite,, Extension Livestock Agent,

Wayne County

So, how do you market your beef?  There are so many options today, and lately beef prices have been high enough that everyone has benefitted, but will that trend continue?  Some say that prices have peaked and may not continue on this level.  Let’s take a look at many of the options available to producers today, and give thought to which might be the best choice for your situation. 

Many producers don’t give much thought into strategic marketing.  If its time to market a few calves or the bank account has dropped a bit, and its sale day at the weekly livestock auction, maybe its time to load up and head over there. This might not be a bad idea, but is it always the best choice?  That is a decision all producers have to make, and having this flexible option is great, especially when prices are high.  As I write this article, 5 weight steer calves brought on average 1.40 per pound this week.  Heifers brought 1.26.  Cull cows brought nearly 70 cents, and bulls brought 94 cents.  So if you are marketing cattle things are looking good right now.  What about when its not?

Marketing options increase for producers that follow a more stringent management system in their herd.  Things like having a designated breeding and calving season to increase uniformity in calves, a vaccination and de-worming program to keep everyone healthy, and a calf development program to have them “bunk broke” so they will be on feed earlier once they get to their backgrounding destination. 

The weekly livestock market is a great resource and probably the most used marketing option for beef producers. It gives flexibility of bringing small groups of cattle that might not be the same age, size or breed. There is also flexibility of being able to drop calves off on any given week.  The downside of this is that producers must pay a commission fee to the market for this service, which is a small percent of the animal’s sale value.  An understandable tradeoff for the convenient service the market provides.  If your calves are not uniform, or are not on a healthcare/vaccination program they will still be sold.  However, premium prices won’t be paid if your calves have been vaccinated.

Another option is marketing at one of the NC graded feeder calf sales.  These sales are coordinated by a combination of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the NC Cattlemen’s Association, NC Cooperative Extension, and participating livestock markets. Producers still have the option of bringing any number of calves, mixed sexes, sizes, and breeds, but the sales are on designated dates throughout the spring and the fall.  Calves are graded by a NCDA marketing specialist and sorted by sex, grade, and weight into pens of similar calves within 100 pounds of weight.  Graded sales most often ask for consigners to notify ahead of time how many calves they will be bringing, and sometimes have other requirements, such as vaccinations, dehorning, castration, etc.  The plus to the graded sale versus the weekly market is that calves often bring a few to several cents more per pound. 

Direct farm sales and tele-auctions are another option.  Producers with large numbers of like cattle most often benefit from this type of sale, as they must fill a semi-truck with calves from one location.  Video and tele-actions often also offer a way for the buyer to see the cattle ahead of time, as representatives from NCDA, Extension, or otherwise qualified and trusted verifier can assist with visiting the farm and confirm the number, size, health and quality of the cattle for the buyer. 

Another option that has grown attention more recently are cattle marketing alliances.  Many producers have increasingly become interested in learning more about these and deciding to participate.  In alliances, several producers work together to market their calves, by having similar breeding season, health and nutrition program, as well as similar genetics. There are stricter guidelines for each producer to follow to become an alliance member, but there are advantages that come with the requirements.  This is another appealing option to the buyer, knowing that the calves will be more uniform and knowing the history of these calves.  Because of this, the cattle bring a premium price over the weekly auction market and graded sales.

So, remember, things are looking great right now, but as in most years, prices that are high in the spring will drop off in the fall.  This has been very predictable over the years with the basic rule of supply and demand.  Studies have shown that cattle prices usually peak in the months of March to May, but then usually bottom out around October. As you enjoy the high cattle prices right now, keep in mind the many marketing options that might benefit you when prices drop off in the fall, because as well all know, history often repeats itself. 

Wastewater from On-farm Processing - HB 162 Approved

Eve H. Honeycutt

Extension Livestock Agent, Lenoir

and Greene Counties

Farmers generating small quantities of waste water from on-farm processing activities such as making goat cheese or wine may now dispose of that water through land application so long as the application does not run into surface water or violate our ground or surface water standards.

NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources will be putting together information regarding best management practices.  Cooperative Extension and NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will get that information out to farmers.

Please note that HB 162 arose from comments from farmers across the
state to NC Farm Bureau, to the North Carolina Sustainable Local Food
Council, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, NCDA&CS folks, NCSU
Extension agents, and more.  NC Farm Bureau led the effort with support
from the greater agricultural community.