2012 Sandhills Farm Tour

Summer has arrived and even though that means warm days and nights it also means that the kids are out of SCHOOL! So what can a family do on a budget without breaking the bank? They can go to the 2012 Sandhills Farm Tour! For just $15.00 (before June 22nd) and $18.00 the day of, they can take the entire family to visit over 17 different farms located throughout Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, and Anson Counties. Families can sample delicious local food, learn about farms, and take a hay ride! This year we will be starting the Sandhills Farm Tour at the Sandhills Research Station located at 2148 Windblow Road, Jackson Springs, NC 27281. 
The Research Station will host a Grand Kick Off Event, featuring LIVE music from Will McCanless! There will also be hay rides and tours of the Orchards and fruit plots. The Farm Tour will be from 9am-2pm so be sure to attend the 2nd Annual Tour!

For more information on to purchase tickets contact the Montgomery Cooperative Extension Office at 910-576-6011. 

So I Tested My Hay. . .Now What?

You had your hay tested to make sure it will meet the nutritional needs of your animals . . .now what?  What do all those numbers mean?  Hopefully this will help!

Dry Matter (DM) is the amount of dry matter in the forage.  It should be at least 80% but 85% and above is preferable to prevent heating during storage, forage deterioration and combustion.

Crude Protein (CP) is the amount of Nitrogen.  It varies depending on species, stage of maturity and fertilization but is generally between 15-23% for legumes and 8-18% for grasses.

Unavailable Protein is the portion of protein that is bound and therefore un-useable by the animal.  Small percentages of unavailable protein are normal.

Adjusted Crude Protein is the value used to evaluate the forage and balance rations.  It will usually be the same as the Crude Protein value, unless significant heat damage has occurred.

Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) uses 2 of the fiber components of the cell wall - lignin and cellulose, to determine how well the animal will be able to digest the forage.  The higher the ADF, the lower the digestibility will be. 

Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) is the total cell wall – lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose and is used to determine how much dry matter the animal can eat.  As NDF increases, the dry matter intake usually decreases.  This could affect the ability of the equine to eat enough feed to meet the daily nutritional requirements.

Digestive Energy (DE) is just a hint of what the actual amount of energy the animal has available for use might be.  It is the gross energy in the forage minus the energy that is lost in feces. 

Total Digestive Nutrients (TDN) is the sum of the digestible portions of protein, fat, fiber and other nutrients and gives us an approximate energy value of a forage.  The higher the TDN, the better quality forage.

Non Fiber Carbohydrates (NFC) is the measure of the starch and simple sugars in a forage.  These are particularly important for horses that are prone to laminitis and those that are insulin resistant.

Ash is the total mineral content of the forage.  This includes the minerals inside the plant (internal) and those that are in the dirt picked up during the harvesting process (external). The average internal ash for legumes is around 8% and 6% for grasses, anything more would be from the external sources (dirt/soil accumulated during harvesting, raking and baling).  The average ash content for all types of hay is between 9-10%.

Minerals are essential to the health and wellbeing of all animals.  Most feed reports analyze forages for Calcium, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Copper, Iron, Manganese and Zinc.  The daily recommended values of these minerals will change depending on age, weight and activity level so you should check with your veterinarian or local extension agent after receiving your results to see if your forage will meet these needs.

For more information about how to test your hay and interpret the report, contact your local livestock agent.

Got Bagworms?

Bagworms are one of North Carolina’s most pesky insects. Bagworms damage a variety of ornamentals but they are often witnessed on Leyland Cypress, arborvitae, as well as other conifers. Homeowners find bagworms troublesome because getting rid of them requires understanding their life cycle. Timing is everything and most treat bagworms at the wrong time causing frustration, loss of money, and waste of insecticide.  Bagworms are identified by their cone shaped bags made of silk and host plant debris, some confuse this as the host plants cones. Usually bagworms are not identified till it is too late, once they are barricaded inside their bags insecticides are useless.  To prepare your conifers it is best to look for their bags in early spring or fall before they hatch their eggs. If you see older bags they could be empty or contain 500-1000 eggs, if there are only a few bags it may be best to use hand removal and destroy them, but be careful if they are located in the upper branches. About May through June insecticides containing Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.), spinosad, or azadirachtin can be used and are not harmful to beneficial insects. If you use products containing bifenthrin be cautious because even though it kills bagworms it will also kill beneficial insects. For more information on bagworms or assistance in identification contact your local Cooperative Extension office.

Animal Waste Management System Operators Continuing Education Training

January 20, 2012

Montgomery County Cooperative Extension

8:30-9:00am - Registration

9:00-10:00am - Pasture Weed ID and Control

10:00am-11:00am - Fire Ant Control on Livestock Farms

1:00am - Noon - Screening Plants for Livestock Operations

Noon-1:00pm - Lunch on your own

1:00-2:00pm - Frequently Asked Questions About Lagoons and

                         Reports

2:00-3:00pm - Record Keeping with Computers

3:00-4:00pm - Cost Share Opportunities Through NRCS

One hour of K, N, O, D and X pesticide credits will also be offered at each session from 9:00am-Noon for a total of 3 hours pesticide credits.

For more information or to register for this event, please contact Jamie D. Warner (576-6011).

  

2012 NC Forage and Grassland Council Winter Conference

The NC Forage and Grassland Council has announced their 2012 Winter Conference Series.  The three sites for this year's events are Kenansville, Greensboro and Morganton, NC.  The Keynote speaker for each event will be Ray Archuleta, Conservation Agronomist with NRCS in Greensboro, NC.  His presentation, "Healthy Soils Reduce Chemical Inputs on Grazing and Cropping Systems" will be offered in conjunction with a tradeshow and local producer panel "Dealing with High Input Cost".  Registration is $15 for members of the council, $25 for non-members and only $10 for students.

Tradeshow and registration will begin for each event at 12:30pm, the program will be from 1:00-6:00pm and the social hour from 6:00-7:00pm.

For more information on this event, or to attend one of these sessions, please call Jamie (910-576-6011).

2011 NC Southern Piedmont Area Beef Cattle Conference

North Carolina Cooperative Extension is pleased to announce the 2011 NC Southern Piedmont Area Beef Cattle Conference.  The event will be held at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center on December 13, 2011 from 1:00-5:00pm.  The registration fee for the event is $10 and is payable at the door.  A light meal and refreshments will be included as well as a tradeshow.

The speakers for this event are Dr. Garry Lacefield and Dr. Don Ball, authors of Southern Forages, Modern Concepts for Forage Crop Management, and Dr. Matt Poore, Ruminant Nutrition Specialist with NC State.

Registration for the even begins at Noon.  Please come mingle with fellow cattlemen while you learn how to make your forages profitable!

For more information on this event, please contact Jamie D. Warner at 910-576-6011.

North Carolina Equine Activity Liability Statute

 For many North Carolinians horseback riding and equestrian events are relaxing and fun.  The last thing anyone wants to think about is getting injured.  However, accidents do happen and the best way to be prepared is to know the law and how it is going to affect you.  The North Carolina Equine Activity Liability Statute can be found online at http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bychapter/chapter_99e.html.

All horse and equine owners should read and be familiar with this law.  Just because you are unaware of your legal responsibilities, does not excuse you from them.  According to the law “equine” includes horses, ponies, mules, donkeys and hinnies. Be aware that the statute protects but only to a limit.  It covers injuries categorized as “inherent” risks but not those caused by negligent acts.  Inherent risks are those that are an “integral part of engaging in an equine activity”.  They consist of damage or death caused by unruly animal behavior and the reaction of the animal to its surroundings specifically sounds, movements, unfamiliar objects, people and other animals but does not cover accidents involving motor vehicles.  Just because the injury falls into one of the categories above does not mean that an owner will not have a lawsuit filed against them by the injured.

All equine owners should always have appropriate insurance coverage.  Talk to your local insurance agent to make sure that your current policy covers injuries sustained by your animals.  If not, you may seriously think about upgrading it.  The law requires a specific warning be posted “in a clearly visible location” anytime an equine professional or equine activity sponsor holds an event.  Signs can be purchased through the NC Horse Council online (http://www.nchorsecouncil.com/store.htm).

For more information on the statute, please feel free to contact the NC Horse Council in Raleigh by calling 1-800-529-9206.