Clay County Homemakers: remember to pay

your dues of $12.00 by December 12th. Lora has

to send dues to the State by December 15th.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

►Painting Snowmen will be December 12th at

5:30 pm at the Extension Office. If you enjoyed the

Painted Pumpkins, Jan Hoskins has volunteered to

show us how to paint a snowman. You will have a

snowman to use for decorations all winter. Cost is

$3.00 and you must call 598-2789 to register. Class

is limited to 15.

►Decorating with the Williamsburg Look is

December 13th at 6:00 pm at the Extension Office.

Come enjoy an evening of Christmas decorating

ideas that you can use fresh evergreens. If you have

decorating tips or ideas that you use, please come

prepared to share with us. Free and open to the

public, but you must call 598-2789 to register.

►Reading in a Winter Wonderland is December

16th at the EXCEL Building at 6:00 pm. Come join

us for an evening of family fun. We will be doing

crafts, coloring pages, games, snacks, pictures and

reading. Each child that attends will go home with a

book. Free and open to the public. We may have a

special visitor, if he is not too busy!!

►4-H Teen Club Meeting

will be held on December

19th at 6:00 pm at the

Extension Office.

►Family Mealtime—How

important are family meals?

Research shows that families that eat together have

less problems with children’s drug and behavior

issues. Be looking for the notice on our face book

page (Clay County Extension) in January for the

program Family Mealtimes.

►Make Your Home A Universal Home will be

January 12, 2017 at 6:00 pm at the Extension Office.

Are you thinking of remodeling or building your

home? Do you have to remodel due to an accident

or disabled member of the family? How can you

make your home a home for all ages and increase

your resale value? Free and open to the public but

you must call Lora at 598-2789 to register.

►Woven Stools Workshop will be January 17th

at 5:30 pm at the Extension Office. Come learn how

to weave reed to make a woven stool. These stools

can become family heirlooms, and if woven

correctly, will last forever. Class is free and limited

to 10 participants. Please call 598-2789 to register.

►Know the 10 Signs of Alzheimer's program

will be held on January 24th at 6:00 pm at the

Extension Office. Worried about yourself or a loved

one? Know a relative that was diagnosed with

Alzheimer’s? Attend this learning session to

educate yourself about Alzheimer’s. Please call

Lora at 598-2789 to register. Free and open to the

public.

Agriculture/Natural Resources • Family & Consumer Sciences • 4-H/Youth Development

Cooperative Extension Clay County P.O. Box 421 69 Jameson Road Manchester, KY 40962 (606)598-2789 Fax: (606) 598-2695 http://clay.ca.uky.edu

Extension

News

December 2016

Homemaker Clubs Rolling Pin Bakers—1st Mon. 5:30 pm

Burning Springs – 3rd Thurs. – 1:00 p.m. Pins & Needles – 3rd Sat. – 10:00 a.m. Happy Homemakers – 2nd Sat. – 2:00 p.m.

Homemakers: Just a reminder that if school is cancelled due to bad weather, homemaker activities are cancelled also.

2

►Plate It Up Cooking School will be January

26th at 6:00 pm at the Extension Office. Come

enjoy a demonstration on three (3) Plate It Up

recipes. These fruit and vegetable recipes can be

grown in Kentucky gardens in the spring, summer or

fall and are nutritious for you! Class is free and

open to the public but you must call 598-2789 to

register.

►The Clay County Homemaker’s Council

Meeting is scheduled for January 30th at 5:00 pm

at the Extension Office. We will be discussing our

plans/activities for 2017. This will be a great year

for Clay County Homemakers. Lora is looking

forward to seeing everyone!

February programs you will want to attend:

●Biggest Loser: Weight That Is—February 13th,

20th and 27th at 6:00 pm at the Extension Office.

●Food Storage for Emergencies—February 16th at

10:00 am at the Extension Office.

Make Your Holidays Green

O ften we associate environmental topics with spring time, but you can be environmentally friendly any time of the year. Between

Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, household waste increases by about 25 percent in the United States. The holidays are a great time to reduce your waste and get young people interested in the environment. Here are some ways you and your children can reduce your impact on the environment while still enjoying the season and showing loved ones that you care.

...When giving gifts, encourage your children to offer their time. Many older adults enjoy spending time with younger children more than receiving gifts from them.

...Have your child consider doing chores or errands, such as babysitting, instead of giving a tangible gift.

...Encourage your children to get creative and make gifts like scrapbooks or cookbooks with favorite family recipes to give to others as gifts.

...Bake items with your child to give away as gifts.

...Bring your reusable shopping bags when you go to the store.

...Ask your child to package items in reusable materials such as dish towels, beach towels, backpacks or reusable bags.

...Have your child collect pine cones, branches and other natural items from your backyard as these can become holiday decorations that are attractive and fun to make, and they can be composted once the holiday celebrations are over.

We are taking orders for Apple and Pear Rootstock at $1.00 each. Rootstock is not a fruit tree that can be planted. Rootstock must have scion wood grafted onto it to be a tree. Call the Extension Office at 598-2789 for more infor-mation about grafting and to place your order.

3

As You Tighten Your Belt, Think of

Tightening Your Breeding Season

Dr. Les Anderson, Extension Professor, Beef Extension Specialist,

University of Kentucky

A fter a few years of record market highs for

feeder calves, the markets have suddenly

corrected and times have certainly gotten

tougher. We can’t control the markets but

we can control our productivity and our efficiency of

production. The primary factor that reduces

production efficiency for beef cow-calf producers is a

low reproductive rate.

The first step to increasing reproductive rate is

establishing and limiting the breeding season.

Controlling the breeding season increases revenue and

decreases cow costs leading to an increased

opportunity to profit. What steps need to be taken to

control and shorten the breeding season?

•Set the dates of the breeding season. Since it is

fall, a great example would be to breed over a

70-day window beginning November 22 and

ending on February 1.

•Determine which cows are going to be “problem”

breeders. Problem breeders are those cows that

are anticipated to be anestrus at the start of the

breeding season. These cows include all two-

year-old cows (first-calf heifers) and any cow

that calves after October 1. Thin cows are also

a problem regardless of when they calve. If

cows calved thin (body condition score < 5),

they need to be separated and fed to gain

weight at least through the first 30 days of the

breeding season.

•Determine which cows are going to be “extreme

problem” breeders. Extreme problem cows are

those that are anticipated to be anestrus for

more than half of the breeding season. These

are mainly cows that either calve right before

or during the breeding season. These cows

need to be managed separately from the

breeding herd if at all possible.

Order Your Kentucky Tree Seedlings Now By Billy Thomas, Extension Forester, UK Forestry Extension

T here is a saying that the best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago and the

second best time is as soon as possible. If you have been thinking about a

tree planting project, consider using seedlings from one of Kentucky’s state-

run tree seedling nurseries. The Kentucky Division of Forestry (http://

forestry.ky.gov) in addition to providing foresters to help woodland owners manage

their wooded property, fighting wildfires, and inspecting timber harvest operations also

maintains two tree seedling nurseries in Kentucky: one in the east (Morgan County)

and one in the west (Marshall County).

These professional state-run tree nurseries grow their tree seedlings by planting seeds that have been regionally

collected and planted in seedling beds which are maintained for one to three years depending on the species.

These seedlings are then gently lifted out of the ground during the winter and made available to Kentucky land-

owners from January to April. These high quality native tree species are adapted to our growing conditions and

when properly planted and cared for are highly likely to grow into mature trees.

In total, the Kentucky Division of Forestry grows 51 different varieties of trees. The wide selection of tree seed-

lings includes: conifers, fruit producers (including pawpaws), trees in the legume family, nut producers, and seed

producers. One-year-old seedlings can be purchased in bundles of 10 for $35, 5 bundles of 10 for $55, or bundles

of 100 for $70. In addition, a number of the 2 and 3 year old tree seedlings are available for a small price in-

crease. These tree seedling bundles are shipped free within the state of Kentucky and all prices include sales tax.

Availability of tree seedlings is on a first-come, first-served basis and is updated frequently so check back if your

preferred seedlings are not available at the moment. To learn more about the seedlings and to order please visit

http://forestry.ky.gov/statenurseriesandtreeseedlings.

4

December 2016 Health Bulletins

Adult Health Bulletin

Topic: Stop the Spread of Illnesses

Youth Health Bulletin

Topic: Staying Healthy During the Holidays

Parent Health Bulletin

Topic: Staying Healthy This Holiday Season

Family Caregiver Health Bulletin

Topic: Catch Your ZZZZZS

To check out these topics, please

visit our website at: http://

clay.ca.uky.edu/healthbulletins

Plan. Create a plan to improve the reproductive

performance of these three groups of cows.

•All cows need to be fed to maintain or

increase body condition score (slightly) and need to

be vaccinated (RDC, lepto, vibrio, etc.) and

dewormed. Vaccination against abortifacients needs

to occur at least 21 days before the breeding season.

•Early-calving mature cows need no additional

management. Just turn them out with the bull on

November 22.

•Problem cows need to receive a CIDR®

device for 7 days immediately prior to bull turn out.

So, November 14-21. Cows need to have calved

before November 1. Results from field trial work in

over 200 late-calving cows suggests that a exposure

of cows as early as 14 days after calving can

improve the rebreeding performance in 80% of

females treated. The average shift in calving interval

was 36 days earlier.

•Extreme problem cows need to receive a

CIDR® device for 7 days immediately prior to bull

turn out. Group the cows so that they receive a CIDR

device at least 14 days after calving. Thus, cows

calving in November would receive a CIDR device

on from December 14-21 and then taken to the

breeding pasture. Cows calving in December will

have limited opportunity to breed depending upon

their calving date. These cows can be treated with a

CIDR® device. If these cows calved by December

20, they could be treated with a CIDR from Jan 3-10

before exposed to the bull. These cows could may

still have two opportunities to breed by early

February.

Data currently being collected by the

University of Kentucky Beef IRM group

demonstrates that following this step-wise plan for

reproduction can improve pregnancy rate by 6% and

increase the pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed

to the bull by about 150 pounds. Revenue on these

farms increased by 34% even in today’s market.

Controlling reproduction pays regardless of the

market.

5

Why Have a Calving Season??

Dr. Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Extension Cattle Reproduction Specialist

O ne of the most asked questions in the cattle industry in the Southern United States: If I "pull" the

bulls out for part of the year, won't I lose an opportunity to get a few calves? Should I leave the

bull out with cows year-round?

Here is the answer: A research analysis of 394 ranch observations from the Texas,

Oklahoma, and New Mexico SPA (standardized performance analysis) data set provided insight into the age

old argument about "leaving the bull out" or having a defined breeding season. Oklahoma State University

and Texas A&M Agricultural Economists (Parker, et al) presented a paper at the 2004 Southern Association

of Agricultural Scientists. They found a positive relationship between number of days of the breeding season

and the production cost per hundredweight of calf weaned. Also they reported a negative relationship

between number of days of the breeding season and pounds of calf weaned per cow per year.

The data suggested that for each day the breeding season was lengthened, the annual cost of

producing a hundred pounds of weaned calf increased by 4.7 cents and pounds of calf weaned per cow per

year decreased by 0.158 pounds. The range of breeding seasons in the data set was from extremely short

(less than one month) to 365 days or continuous presence of the bull. The trend lines that resulted from the

analysis of the data give us an opportunity to evaluate the economic importance of a defined breeding season.

The producer that leaves the bull out year-round (365 days) would sell 45.82 fewer pounds of calf per cow

per year on the average than producers with a 75-day breeding season. That same producer would have

$13.63 greater costs per hundredweight of weaned calf than the producer that used a 75-day breeding season.

In this era of cost/price squeezes, a well-defined breeding and calving season provides a better opportunity to

survive the volatility of cattle prices and input costs.

“Scours” Vaccine - Give it Now for Protection in the Spring

Michelle Arnold, DVM (Ruminant Extension

Veterinarian, UKVDL)

A scours outbreak in baby calves on a cow/

calf operation can be a nightmare in real

life. Ask any producer who has been

through this ordeal and he/she will tell you

it made them want to quit the cattle business. Once the

outbreak begins, it spreads quickly throughout all of

the youngest calves. Bacteria, viruses and parasites can

attack the lining of the calf's intestine and cause

diarrhea and dehydration. Without a healthy gut lining,

essential nutrients are not absorbed from milk which

leads to weakness and weight loss. During a scours

outbreak, each day begins with finding and treating the

sick calves, recognizing new cases that are just

breaking, and sometimes having to find the remains of

a calf scavenged by coyotes or buzzards. Those calves

that survive may perform poorly for the remainder of

their lives when compared to healthy calves. Scours

vaccines are expensive yet very effective in preventing

this scenario if combined with proper nutritional

management of the cow during her pregnancy and a

reasonable effort to keep cattle out of a filthy

environment. Although there is not much one can do

about rain, mud, and manure, the goal is to keep cow’s

teats clean and dry to prevent the diarrhea-causing

bugs from entering the calf’s mouth. Fortunately, the

scours vaccine prepares the calf to deal with many of

these bugs in the likely event they do make it inside the

calf.

“Neonatal” calf diarrhea is defined as scours occurring

within the first 3 weeks of a calf’s life. Rotavirus,

coronavirus, bacteria (E. coli K99; Clostridium

perfringens Type C, Salmonella spp.) and the

coronavirus, Clostridium perfringens, and E. coli K99

with vaccines can significantly reduce sickness and

death loss due to calf scours. Most beef cows in good

body condition produce high quality colostrum but

sometimes it does not contain the “correct” antibodies

to fight the specific bugs that cause diarrhea. Scours

vaccines are formulated to be given to pregnant cows

and heifers late in gestation so they will make the

correct antibodies as colostrum is being formed.

6

The 3 most popular vaccines available are

ScourBos®9 and 4 (Elanco), ScourGuard®4KC

(Zoetis) and Guardian® (Merck). A first or primary

dose followed by a booster dose is required the first

year any scours vaccine is used (“Year One”). After

the first year, just one revaccination is required

(“Year Two and Beyond”) every year throughout

the cow’s life. Which product you choose often

depends on when you plan to work your cattle;

generally, Scour Bos® is

administered earlier

during pregnancy,

ScourGuard® is used very

late in gestation and

Guardian® is in-between

these two options.

Obviously not all calves

will be born the first week

of calving season but plan

to give the scours vaccine

based on when the first

calves of the season are

expected. If you have a

long calving season (greater than 90 days), consider

vaccinating the later calving cows closer to their due

date.

If the cow herd is not vaccinated and calf scours

develop, there are vaccines available to administer

to newborn calves. These vaccines are given by

mouth as quickly as possible after birth, preferably

prior to nursing and definitely within the first 12

hours of life. These will provide some immediate

protection in the gut but are not nearly as effective

as vaccinating the pregnant cows. None of the

products for calves protects against all 4 major

pathogens ( E.coli K99, rotavirus, coronavirus and

Clostridium perfringens Type C).

Preventing calf scours involves more than jump

starting the immune system of a newborn calf.

Excellent cow nutrition during and after gestation,

an easy calving process, and environmental

management factors all contribute to a successful

start. On the flip side, an inadequate quantity and/or

quality of colostrum, difficulty calving, poor

sanitation, cold, wet weather and overcrowding in

calving areas all contribute to a higher risk of

disease. Once the calf has received colostrum from

the dam, it is still important to prevent the “bad

bugs” (pathogens) in the environment from

overwhelming the calf’s immune system. Generally,

calf scour pathogens build up in the environment as

the calving season progresses. Calving in the same

area that older calves are in greatly increases the

risk to the newborn calf,

especially in wet or

muddy conditions as we

often see in the spring in

KY. If possible, pregnant

cows close to calving

should be rotated onto

clean pastures while cow-

calf pairs remain on the

old pasture. If calving in

a barn or shed, the

calving area should be

kept as clean and dry as

possible with frequent

changes of bedding to remove the build-up of

organisms. Make every effort to get the cow and

newborn calf out of the barn quickly to lessen the

chances of infection. Even the best calving

management practices will have no effect if the first

thing a calf ingests is manure from the calving area.

Consult with your veterinarian on the best choice of

vaccines for your operation.

The UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has an

excellent test to diagnose the cause of calf diarrhea.

A small sample of scours (in a leakproof container)

from a calf that has not been treated for diarrhea

with antibiotics is needed to run the test. This PCR

assay tests for bovine coronavirus, rotavirus, E. coli

K99, Salmonella and Cryptosporidium. The test is

run on Tuesdays and Thursdays with results

generally available within 2 days and costs $60 ($50

+ $10 Accession Fee). Visit the website at http://

vdl.uky.edu/TestInformation.aspx for more

information or call (859) 257-8283.

7

Let’s Talk Turkey Safety

I t’s time for the holidays, and soon delicious, juicy turkeys will

take center stage at many of our holiday meals. It’s so im-

portant that these birds are properly cooked and prepared, be-

cause we don’t want anyone to get sick from a food-borne ill-

ness.

It does not matter whether you purchase a fresh or frozen tur-

key. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has cooking safety tips for

both on its Food Safety and Inspection Service website. But if you

plan to purchase a pre-stuffed turkey, make sure it is frozen and has

a seal that states it was inspected by either the USDA or a state department of agriculture. The USDA does

not recommend that you purchase a fresh, pre-stuffed turkey, because if handled incorrectly, harmful bacte-

ria can quickly grow in the stuffing.

You can safely thaw turkeys in either the refrigerator, cold water, or the microwave if the turkey is

cooked immediately. You can safely cook a frozen turkey, but realize that will it need to cook at least 50

percent longer than a thawed one.

Once you are ready to cook your turkey, set the oven temperature no lower than 325 degrees Fahren-

heit and sit it on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. You can add one-half cup of water to the bottom of the

pan to keep the turkey moist. For optimal food safety, the USDA recommends that you cook the turkey and

stuffing separately, so you can make sure both reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit throughout each product.

Measure the internal temperature of the turkey with a food thermometer, even if it has a pop-up ther-

mometer in it. Check the temperature in several locations including the thickest part of the breast, the inner-

most part of the thigh and the innermost part of the wing to make sure the temperature is 165 degrees

throughout.

Remember to store leftovers within two hours after the meal. Discard any food that’s been left out

longer than that. To make reheating easier, divide leftovers into small portions. Eat leftovers within three to

four days if they are put in the refrigerator. Leftovers that are frozen will keep for two to six months. Re-

member when reheating leftovers, check that the internal temperature of the food is at least 165 degrees.

More food safety information and timetables for proper thawing and cooking is available on the

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service website at http://bit.ly/1uKfrNl.

8

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Clay County P.O. Box 421, 69 Jameson Road Manchester, KY 40962-0421 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

NONPROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE PAID MANCHESTER KY

PERMIT 96

Have a very Merry Christmas and a

Happy New Year from the Clay County

Extension Staff!