Your link to the Universities for ag extension and research information

Ag Connection - Other Issues Online

Publishing Information
Ag Connection is published monthly for Central Missouri Region producers and is supported by University Extension, the Commercial Agriculture program, the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station and the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, UM-Columbia. Editorial board: Maryann Redelfs, Managing Editor; Parman Green, James Rogers, Mark Stewart, Melvin Brees, Don Day and Ron Alexander.

Comments or Suggestions?
Please send your comments and suggestions to Maryann Redelfs, Agronomy/Information Technology Specialist, University Outreach and Extension, 608 E. Spring Street, Boonville, MO 65233, call 660-882-5661, or send messages by e-mail to: redelfsm@missouri.edu.

To send a message to an author, click on the author's name at the end of an article.

Cost-Share Practices for the Livestock Producer

You may be aware of Soil and Water District (SWCD) cost-share practices such as terraces, tile outlets, and waterways. The SWCD office in your county may also be a source of cost-share/incentive payments for management practices to help you with your forage and livestock production.

Pasture establishment, pasture improvement, watering systems and fencing (cross fencing, riparian and woodland protection) are practices which livestock producers may find useful. These practices are all incentive-based and come with some constraints. They are worth looking into.

Contact your local SWCD office for complete details on the soil conservation practices listed at right. Each local SWCD board sets its own docket of practices. Therefore, all the practices listed may not be available in your county.

Author: Mark Stewart, Livestock Specialist

[This Month in Ag Connection] [Ag Connection - Other Issues Online]

Managing Heat Stress in Dairy Cattle

Summer heat stress causes many problems in the dairy cow. Heat stress reduces feed intake, decreases milk production 20 to 30 percent, and drops butterfat content along with total milk solids significantly. It also reduces cow activity during estrus, making heat detection more difficult.

This stress can be estimated using the “heat index” developed for humans by the Weather Bureau, also known as the “temperature-humidity” index (THI), Livestock Heat Index, or the “humidity-temperature” index (HTI).

A dairy cow begins to show heat stress when the THI is above 72 (approximately 75 F, 60% humidity). With heat stress, cow body temperature can elevate to 106 F and respiration rates increase to 120 per minute (normal temperature is 101-102 F and normal respiration rates range from 30 to 60 per minute). At this point the cow’s body is more concerned with survival than producing 80 pounds of milk!

Water

Daily water consumption can increase from 15 to 40 gallons per cow. Dairy cows require approximately 3 to 4 pounds of water for each pound of milk produced. Factors limiting water intake include a high salt content, high iron or sulphur, and stagnation. Some blue green algae are even toxic.

Management practices that improve water intake include:

1. Locating the cows’ water near the feeding area. Placing a small water tank in a corner of the holding pen has increased milk production 2 to 4 pounds per cow.
   
2. Shading the water tank. Researchers from Texas A&M observed that when cows were offered cool water versus warm water, cows drank more, consumed more feed, and milk yield increased 4.8%.
   
3. Providing adequate watering space — at least one watering space or 2 feet of tank perimeter for every 15 to 20 cows.
   

Shade

Properly constructed and maintained shades are effective in reducing heat stress. A north-south orientation with 30-40 square feet per cow will provide adequate shade. Shades should be a minimum of 10 feet high and no more than 30 feet wide to allow for drying underneath.

A portable shade can be constructed using nylon mesh which blocks 70 to 90% of the sunlight. The advantages of the mesh screens are that they allow for air movement and drying underneath, and only cost approximately 25 to 30 cents per square foot.

Freestall Barn Management

A correctly designed and managed freestall barn can provide relief from heat. Design criteria should include a roof slope of 4/12, eave height of 12 feet, and a ridge opening relative to the width of the building. Freestall barns should be constructed with curtains on the sides so that the barn can be opened to improve air movement.

Air Movement
Fans can greatly enhance evaporative cooling and cow comfort. Locate fans above the freestall. Large fans should be 3 to 4 feet in diameter, providing 500 to 600 CFM (cubic feet per minute) per cow. A rule of thumb for effective air movement for a fan is ten times the diameter in feet, ie., a 3-foot fan will move air for approximately 30 feet.

Freestall Beds
Straw is hot — sand is cool. If bedding with sand, be sure to place at least 4 inches in the stall and add sand every 2 to 4 weeks. Sand should not be used with some types of waste handling systems. A sand or rubber filled mattress is another option. Sprinkle a little bedding on the mattress to keep the surface clean.

Sprinklers
Sprinklers can help with evaporative cooling. It is important to thoroughly wet the hair coat. This enhances the evaporative cooling of the cow. Sprinklers should be installed above the cows over a hard surface area, ie., near feed bunks or feeding alley. Suggested on:off time is approximately 15% on, 85% off, controlled with a timer. Sprinklers should be located approximately 8 feet above the cow at 4 to 6 feet from the feeding area; water pressure from 10 to 25 PSI with nozzles delivering 1½ to 4 gallons per minute.

Foot Management

Foot problems resulting from summer heat stress may be due to lack of effective fiber in the diet, abrasive concrete surfaces and hairy heel warts. Under wet conditions, cows are even more prone to foot troubles. Dairy producers may wish to use a 5% copper sulfate foot bath (11 gallons water plus 5 pounds copper sulfate) once per week.

Author: Barry J. Steevens, State Dairy Specialist, UMC

[This Month in Ag Connection] [Ag Connection - Other Issues Online]

Composting Dead Animals

Do you need to update your method of disposing of dead animals to comply with Missouri Dead Animal Law? The law requires that a dead animal carcass be properly disposed of within twenty four hours.

In Missouri there are five acceptable methods of carcass disposal. The Missouri Dept of Agriculture lists this order of preference: 1) rendering; 2) composting; 3) approved landfill; 4) approved incineration; and 5) burial with restrictions.

Composting has proven to be a safe and convenient method for disposing of swine and poultry carcasses. Some farmers have also successfully composted larger animals in a sawdust composter. With this system, large animal carcasses need to be cut open or quartered.

Sawdust is an excellent carbon source for the composting process. Another property of sawdust is its insulation value. With good management it will maintain the proper composting temperature of 130 to 160 F during the winter.

For more information, ask for guides WQ0216: Composting Poultry Carcasses in Missouri and WQ0351: Composting Dead Swine at your University Extension Center.

Author: William Buehler, Farm Management Specialist

[This Month in Ag Connection] [Ag Connection - Other Issues Online]

AgrAbility Program Continues to Help Farmers with Disabilities Get Back to the Land

Many people working or living on the farm have disabilities or limitations which affect their productivity and quality of life. Thanks to the AgrAbility Project, farmers with disabilities may not need to park their tractors permanently.

The Missouri AgrAbility Project (MAP) has recently been refunded to continue coordinating an array of services for agricultural workers and their families with disabilities that allow them to remain active on the farm or in an agricultural-related occupation.

The AgrAbility Project was authorized through a provision of the 1990 Farm Bill, and funded by Congress in 1991. AgrAbility was created to assist the more than 500,000 people with disabilities employed in agriculture, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Washington, D.C. For the past six years, grants have been awarded to selected Land Grant University Extension Services that have linked with nonprofit disability organizations to provide outreach, education, training, information dissemination, and technical assistance to agricultural workers and family members with disabilities. The Missouri AgrAbility Project was first funded for a three year period in 1994.

The MAP provides needed education, assistance, and support to disabled farmers and their families. Through the combined dedication and expertise of the University Extension System and services provided by nonprofit disability organizations during the past three years, the MAP has helped hundreds of Missouri farmers overcome barriers that confront them as they seek to continue in their chosen professions in agriculture.

Funded for an additional four-years by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under special project number 97-EDFA-1-0116, this unique program is a partnership between The College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, Departments of Occupational and Physical Therapy, as well as the Extension county offices and Regional Specialists, and the nonprofit disability organization, Services for Independent Living.

The objectives of the MAP are to: provide direct education and assistance to individuals with disabilities who engage in farming and farm-related occupations; provide specialized education programs to enhance the professional competencies of rural agricultural, rehabilitation, health care, and vocational professionals; assess machinery, agricultural work sites, operations, and living environments and suggesting modifications; mobilize and coordinate rural volunteers, community-based service providers, peer counseling, and support groups.

The project will target agricultural families affected by disabilities, extension specialists, rehabilitation professionals, independent living specialists, service providers, and others committed to assisting those families.

Any Missouri resident who is engaged in farming, ranching, or in an agricultural-related occupation with a disease, disability, or disorder can participate and receive services from the Missouri AgrAbility Project.

Additional information is available by calling the toll-free number set up through the office of Agricultural Engineering Extension, University of Missouri-Columbia, 800-995-8503 or you can visit our web site at http://www.fse.missouri.edu/agrability/

Author: Willard Downs, Extension Agricultural Engineer, UMC

[This Month in Ag Connection] [Ag Connection - Other Issues Online]

Tweedie Commercial Ag Farm

Author: Parman Green, Farm Management Specialist

[This Month in Ag Connection] [Ag Connection - Other Issues Online]

As economies and communication become more global, metric measurements and weights are appearing with increasing frequency in educational, scientific, and governmental literature. The following is a collection of metric to imperial conversion equivalents which you will find helpful.

Author: Parman Green, Farm Management Specialist

[This Month in Ag Connection] [Ag Connection - Other Issues Online]

Ag Connection - July 1997
http://outreach.missouri.edu/agconnection/newsletters/is-97-07.htm -- Revised: July 1, 1997
daydr@missouri.edu