A cow’s body conditions affects cold stress.

According to Mary Drewnoski, University of Nebraska Beef Systems Specialist, cold stress increases a cow’s energy requirement and can pull down her body condition. We think many cow/calf producers will experience this issue this winter. While we don’t know what mother, nature has in store for us this year, it is good to think ahead and have a plan. A good start is to evaluate body condition score (BCS) now, and if cows are not at a 5 to 5.5 body condition score, then taking steps to improve body condition score before cold weather hits can help reduce the impacts of cold weather on the cows. Your local extension agricultural agent can assist you determining the body condition score of your cattle if needed.

The threshold at which cattle have to start using energy to maintain their body temperature is called the lower critical temperature (LCT). Cows in good condition which have a heavy winter coat that is dry, do not need to use extra energy to maintain body temperature until the wind chill index is below 19°F.

Having cows in good body condition is a risk management strategy and affects the lower critical temperature. A thin cow with a body condition score of 4 and a dry winter coat has a lower critical temperature of 27°F versus the 19°F of a cow in body condition score 5. Getting cows into good condition early in the winter can be useful for managing risk of bad weather, in that they have condition they can lose, but also because cows with higher body condition score will lose less than those with lower body condition. Additionally, a practical management strategy may be to consider putting thin cows in a group with your first calf heifers as both have higher energy requirements in the winter, which can allow for strategic supplementation of extra feed.

It is also important to understand that a wet hair coat is a completely different ball game. A wet coat increases the lower critical temperature of a cow in good condition to 53°F. Thus, anytime a cow’s coat is wet in the winter they will be using more energy to maintain body temperature. Therefore, in winters with more precipitation, especially freezing rain, we often see much greater decreases in body condition score.

By providing wind protection, you can decrease energy needs by removing wind as a negative factor. If cows have protection from wind, the ambient temperature can be used to determine energy needs. Providing wind protection in the winter can be huge for reducing supplementation needs due to cold wind chills.

It is not advisable to change rations daily, but for extended cold or wet periods, consider feeding more of the same ration, if cattle can eat more of the typical ration. If not, then providing an energy supplement is a good idea. When feeding lower quality hay, dormant range or corn stalks, additional feed will be needed. One option is to change to feeding a higher quality hay source, if available. Free choice really high-quality hay can work down to temperatures of -15°F for cows in good body condition with dry hair or 19°F with good body condition and wet hair. Only by forage testing can you determine actual nutritional value, see your extension office for more information about forage testing.

If cows are grazing, then supplementation with a high energy feed may be desirable. While corn can be used to provide more energy, it comes with risk. Feeding more than 2 to 3 pounds per animal per day can decrease forage digestion, and upset stomachs, especially if the forage is lower in protein. This means that one could make up the difference of about 15°F between the lower critical temperature of the cow and the wind chill index temperature. For a cow in body condition score of 5 with a dry coat, corn supplementation would cover the increased energy requirement down to 5°F, or for a cow with a wet hair coat only to about 38°F. If using corn, it should be fed daily, starting with a low amount, and slowly increased over time.

Distillers grains are another option. Distillers is a good source of energy, it has more energy than corn, and because it is high in protein, it does not cause as much of a substitution effect (will not decrease intake of the forage much) Limitations on the amount of distillers that could be fed would be more based on budgetary concerns than digestive effects.

When wind chill temperatures are extremely cold or the cow has a wet hair coat, a lot of supplement would be needed to make up the greater energy needs and maintain body condition. For instance, if the wind chill was -10°F and the cows had a wet hair coat, 8.6 pounds of dry distillers would be needed to account for the increased energy requirement. However, feeding these levels is likely impractical. A better approach would be to provide a smaller amount of supplemental feed and to continue to feed the extra feed after the weather has moderated to allow cows to regain energy lost during the storm.

It is also important to remember that milking cows have a much greater energy requirement than pregnant cows, not yet milking. Given this, the combination of cold stress and lactation can pull down body condition score very quickly. Thus, if lactating (milking) cows are also subjected to cold stress, increasing their energy intake prior to observing noticeable loss of body condition is advisable. For questions on body condition scoring, lower critical temperature, or supplemental feeding, contact your local extension office.

Program to be Offered to Support Family Caregivers

A couple of months ago I wrote an article on supporting family caregivers. You might remember that I mentioned family caregivers, often referred to as informal caregivers, provide 90% of the long-term care offered in America. The value of the unpaid care they provide runs into the hundreds of billions of dollars.

Caregivers frequently experience the need to ‘do it all’. ‘Doing it all,’ from the caregiver’s perspective, may not include caring for themselves so they can thrive, and not just survive during their caregiving experience.

The Southwind Extension District is joining the Wildcat Extension District and also Sedgwick County Extension in offering Powerful Tools for Caregivers. This educational program is designed to support family caregivers in taking better care of themselves while caring for a relative or a friend. The program can benefit participants who are helping a parent, spouse, child, friend or someone who lives at home, in a nursing home, or across the country.

The 6-session course will be offered virtually on Thursdays, January 14 – February 18, 2021, from 1:30-3:00 p.m. A $5.00 registration fee covers the postage for sending out the Caregiver Helpbook. The helpbook includes topics on: Hiring in-home help, helping memory impaired elders, making legal, financial, and care decisions, understanding depression, and making decisions about driving.

Caregiver tools provided as part of the sessions include: Helping the caregiver reduce stress; communicating effectively; encouraging ways for the caregiver to take care of themselves; reducing caregiver guilt, anger and depression; helping the caregiver to relax; making tough decisions; setting goals and problem solving.

Register online by going to https://bit.ly/tools4care or call the Yates Center Southwind office at 620-625-8620. Class size will be limited. Registering early will allow staff to help participants be able to participate virtually and to receive the Caregiver Helpbook prior to sessions beginning.

The program is being offered at a reduced cost thanks to partial funding by the K-State Research and Extension Adult Development and Aging Program Focus Team and the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas.

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

K-State Research and Extension Southwind District Agent Joy Miller

620-223-3720 or [email protected]

Just rattle off how many pounds you want to lose, what pant size you want to wear, how much weight you want to squat, or the date you need to look photo-ready and you are on your way. That is how most people set goals. Typical resolutions and goals often lead to feeling lost, confused, overwhelmed, and crushed by ‘should’. Continue reading for tips on how to create your 2020 blue print to build the skills you need to reach your goal this year.

When someone is asked about their fitness goals, most people start with the outcome(s) they want: lose 20 pounds, six pack abs, binge less often, bench press a certain amount of weight. Outcome goals describe how we want things to be at the end of the process. There is nothing wrong with starting with the end in mind but we may not have control on how things turn out.

Set a behavior goal to focus on the things you do have control over. They represent your commitment to practice a particular set of actions or tasks every day, as consistently and regularly as possible. Examples: Lose weight (outcome), eat until satisfied instead of stuffed at each meal (behavior). Squat more weight (outcome), squat 3 times a week at various intensities (behavior). Want a better relationship with a partner (outcome), have a date night once a week (behavior).

Both outcome and behavior goals are trackable. Behavior goals are usually more effective because they give you something to do and track each day.

Avoidance goals, you know the ones-stop drinking soda, absolutely no sugar, stop smoking. Avoid goals are nice and straightforward, seems logical they would push you away from something bad or something that threatens what you want to achieve. This type of goal is a lot of psychological work, taking up mental and emotional real estate and energy. All you think about is what you are not doing or shouldn’t do but really want to do.

Turn avoidance goals into approach goals. Approach goals pull you toward something desirable, focus on feeling good or about doing good for ourselves. Revisiting the stop drinking soda (avoid) an approach solution could be drink a glass of water with meals each day, the benefit may be headaches are gone.

Performance goals are similar to outcome goals and usually associated with external validation such as wanting to get good grades or win a competition. Performance goals can be fun for a while, pushing yourself to be your best. It can also be demotivating if they don’t work out. Just like outcome goals, performance goals are often limited by factors outside your control. Performance goals also put our happiness and satisfaction in the hands of someone or something else. This may be pleasing a coach or parent, beating a competitor, social media likes, etc.

Instead of setting performance goals, create mastery goals that emphasize the process of getting a little bit better each day at a particular skill. Mastery is gratifying because no matter what others think or do, you can still feel good about your own personal progression. Mastery goals involve words like ‘work on’, ‘build’, and ‘practice’.

To help with your health and fitness goals this year, visit Southwind.k-state.edu for upcoming programs such as Stay Strong Stay Health and Walk Kansas. The Southwind District has other upcoming events and resources to help you work toward your goals of health, finance, and overall well-being.

The amount of grain left in the field for cattle to eat after harvest has been reduced considerably in recent years through modern farming improvements. However, weather conditions can result in significant ear drop or plant lodging. Before turning cattle out for grazing, scout fields to look for piles of grain on the ground and determine if there is over 8-10 bushels of grain on the ground. If so, management should be taken to remove these piles prior to turning out cattle on the residue. Be sure that cattle have had access to plenty of hay before turning them out into cornfields, to keep hungry cows from gorging in grain.

Any grain available, in the field after harvest, would have the highest protein content followed by the leaves. The cob has the lowest protein and energy value. The stalk and husks have similar crude protein content, but more energy is available from the husks than the stalks due to the lower lignin content. In general, leaves from milo sorghum residue have higher protein content than corn leaves. The stalks of corn and sorghum are similar in protein, but digestibility is somewhat higher in sorghum than corn.

To ensure adequate residue to protect soil remains on the field after grazing, we can use animal weight and grain yield to determine the amount of grazing available. Cattle will readily remove approximately 15% of the residue (leaves and husk), but can be forced to remove more if desired. The goal should be to leave at least ½ of the total amount of residue on the field.

If corn yield is 180 bu/acre, a rule of thumb is to divide by 3.5 to get grazing days for a 1200-pound cow. In this case, 180 bu/acre corn residue should provide approximately 51 days of grazing (180/3.5 = 51) for a 1200 lb cow. The harvest index is similar for both corn and grain sorghum, so an 85 bus/acre dryland sorghum divided by 3.5, would provide approximately 24 days of grazing (85/3.5 = 24). A lactating cow or a heavier cow will consume more dry matter and the days of grazing would be adjusted downward. And of course, a smaller animal could graze longer.

Cattle will selectively graze the crop residue, eating the highest quality portions first, grain then leaves and husks. Depending on the stocking rate, amount of grain available, and nutrient demands of the cows, no energy or protein supplementation may be needed early in the grazing period for dry cows with a body condition score of 5 or more. Contact your local extension office for more information about body Condition Scoring. Southwind Extension District Agent Christopher Petty is available for farm visits to explain this process using your cow herd. Weathering and trampling will decrease quality over time and this loss is greater with moisture and high humidity.

Cattle will cause soil compaction in paths leading to and around a water source. These compacted areas will only be surface compaction in the top 2-inches of soil. These compacted areas can be remedied by shallow tillage or spreading manure on the trafficked area if no-till is used. Results on soil compaction from grazing have shown mixed results. A study near Bushland, TX found surface compaction in a no-till system reduced crop yield after several years of grazing. While grazing studies from Nebraska found no increase in compaction and increased crop yield. Studies from western Kansas found compaction to only occur in the top two inches when grazing occurred on wet soils and shallow tillage removed any compaction. Compaction will be less on frozen, dry, sandy soils. It is best to remove cattle from the field to a nearby perennial pasture if the field stays wet and not frozen. Also, the farmer should be open to using light tillage should compaction occur.

Nutrient removal from grazing – Another common concern about grazing residue is nutrient removal. Nutrient removal will vary by the type of animal, with a growing calf requiring more nitrogen than a mature dry cow. Dry cows will typically be used to graze residue, which will remove between 1 and 2 lbs of nitrogen per acre (depending on crop yield) and few other nutrients. Crop residue is low in phosphorus; thus, farmers will likely supply a free-choice mineral, resulting in an increase in the amount of phosphorus and calcium left in the field.

When used properly, harvested corn and milo fields can work effectively to decrease the amount of hay needed to feed hay throughout the winter months. Unfortunately, soybean stubble is of little to no value, and cannot be used in the same manner. For more information about grazing grain stubble, contact your local extension office.

On Sunday, November 10th, numerous Uniontown 4-H Club members attended the Southwind 4-H District achievement banquet in Fort Scott.

The following members received their Member in Good Standing achievement pins:

Tucker Sutton, Jack Endicott, Seth Shadden, Hailey Shadden, Will Maycumber, Austin Maycumber, Mackinlee Bloesser, Marley Sutton, McKinley Sutton, Calvin Walker, Jewell Endicott, Kendyl Bloesser, Maddie Ard, and Bariegh Farrell.

The following members received Kansas Award Portfolio recognition:

 Kendyl Bloesser, Mackinlee Bloesser, Marley Sutton, McKinley Sutton, Austin Maycumber, Will Maycumber, Jewell Endicott, Maddie Ard, and Bariegh Farrell

The following members received an officer book award: Reporter- Marley Sutton and  Historian- Mackinlee Bloesser

Melanie Bloesser and Sara Sutton received leadership recognition.

The Kansas Forest Service is offering low-cost conservation tree and shrub seedlings for purchase again this year. These seedlings are to be used in conservation plantings, such as home/livestock windbreaks, living snow fences, Christmas tree plantations, firewood lots, habitats for game birds and wildlife, barriers to reduce noise pollution, blocking ugly views, marking property lines and creating habitat for songbirds.

These plants are 1 or 2 years old, and their sizes vary from 5 to 18 inches, depending on species. Most of the trees are bare-root seedlings, however some are available as container-grown seedlings such as Ponderosa pine and Southwestern white pine. Some of the deciduous trees that are available include: bald cypress, black walnut, bur oak, cottonwood, hackberry, redbud, and sycamore. Shrubs available include American plum, chokecherry, lilac, and sand hill plum. This is not a complete listing of available trees and not all trees are recommended for this area.

The Kansas Forest Service also offers tree “bundles” for purchase. The Quail Bundle offers a variety of shrubs designed to attract quail, including American plum, fragrant sumac, golden current and chokecherry. It was created in cooperation with Quail Forever to provide excellent food and habitat for upland bird species in eastern Kansas.

New this year, a pollinator bundle is being offered. Designed to improve the habitat for a diverse array of pollinating insects, it primarily focuses on native bees, honey bees, butterflies and moths. This bundle is composed of seven species of shrubs and small trees – American plum, chokecherry, golden currant, false indigo, elderberry, buttonbush and eastern redbud.

Not certain what you would like to order? Then stop by the Extension office and pick up a brochure that has color pictures of various trees and shrubs at maturity. Orders for conservation trees are accepted now through the first full week of May, with shipments beginning in March. However, I recommend that you order early to ensure availability of trees. Order forms and price sheets are available at the Southwind District Extension Office in Erie, Iola Fort Scott, and Yates Center or can be mailed or e-mailed.

Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Agricultural agent assigned to Southwind District. She may be reached at [email protected] or 620-244-3826.

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.