Bullitt County Farmers,

I wanted to take this

opportunity to introduce

myself. My name is Marlee

Kelley, and I’m the new

County Extension Agent for

Agriculture and Natural

Resources. I graduated from

the University of Florida in 2017 with a degree

in Animal Science. I recently completed my

Master’s from the University of Kentucky in

Animal and Food Science. I specialized in

Meat Science, specifically looking at how

feeding different vitamins can affect the meat

quality of livestock. While at UK, I had the

opportunity to work under Dr. Gregg Rentfrow,

the Extension Meat Science Specialist, and

coach the Meat Judging Team.

I’m excited to join the University of

Kentucky Cooperative Extension family here in

Bullitt County. I look forward to meeting

everyone so please feel free to call, email or

stop by and see me!

Sincerely,

Bullitt County Extension Agent for Agriculture

and Natural Resources

Phone: (502) 543-2257

Email: marleekelley@uky.edu

Upcoming Meetings

Bullitt County Ag Development Council

1st Thursday of Each Month at 7pm

Bullitt County Cattlemen’s Association

2nd Tuesday of Each Month at 7pm

Young Farmers

1st Tuesday of Each Month at 7pm

February 20th Alfalfa and Stored Forage

Conference- Hardin County Extension

Office, Elizabethtown, KY

March 17th Cow-Calf Profitability

Conference- Taylor County Extension

Office, Campbellsville, KY

March 18th Cow-Calf Profitability

Conference, Warren County Extension

Office, Bowling Green, KY

March 19th Cow-Calf Profitability

Conference- Hardin County Extension

Office, Elizabethtown, KY

March 19th Novel Tall Fescue Renovation

Workshop- Lexington, KY

March 30th A Grower’s Guide to Kentucky

Hemp Production- Hardin County Extension

Office, Elizabethtown, KY

April 21st-22nd Kentucky Grazing School-

Princeton, KY

On-Farm Composting of Animal

Mortalities

Dr. Stephen Higgins, UK Biosystems and

Agricultural Engineering Specialist

Why should you Compost. Composting can

provide animal producers with a convenient

method for disposing of animal moralities and

also provide a valuable soil amendment. In

addition, the finished compost can be

stockpiled and reused to compost other

mortalities.

Rules and Regulations. Kentucky Law KRS

257.160(1) (f) allows disposal of animal

carcasses by composting if the disposal is

performed in accordance with state

administrative regulations (302 KAR). A permit

and registration with the State Veterinarian is

no longer required for agricultural operations to

compost animal mortalities in Kentucky if the

composting operation is not being used for a

commercial purpose. Kentucky Administrative

Regulation 302 KAR 20:052 states that all

facilities should be constructed to meet the

requirements of the Kentucky Agriculture

Water Quality Act. Kentucky law (302 KAR

20:052) also requires that reasonable cost-

effective efforts be taken to prevent odor,

insects, and pests. For more information about

rules and regulations, contact your local

Cooperative Extension Service, conservation

district, or other county officials.

Choosing a Site. The composting area should

not be built in a floodplain, within 300 feet of a

water well, stream, sinkhole, pond, property

line, or public road, or within 1500 feet of

churches, schools, businesses, or any other

public use area. When choosing a site,

consider that any runoff lost from the compost

pile should be diverted to an existing manure

storage structure or to a vegetated filter strip.

In addition, if the composting structure is

located within a pasture, fencing is required to

exclude livestock from both the composting

pad and the filter strip.

Materials. Two basic ingredients are

necessary for composting animal mortalities:

animal carcasses and a bulking agent. The

bulking agent soaks up the leachate produced

by the decomposing carcass, provides

aeration, and increases the carbon-to-nitrogen

(C:N) ratio. Some sort of ground-up wood

product makes the best bulking agent. The

carcass contains a high concentration of

nitrogen and water, and the wood product, high

in carbon, wicks up the moisture. Traditional

bulking agents include sawdust, wood

shavings, and wood-based bedding and

manure.

Composting Process. At least 2 feet of

bulking material should be placed below the

carcass, and at least 2 feet of bulking material

should cover and surround the sides of the

animal. Completely covering animal parts will

help control odors and deter scavengers from

exhuming the carcass. A typical pile for a large

animal (more than 1,000 pounds) should have

a height of approximately 6 feet.

Adding Mortalities. Mortalities may be added

until the pile reaches the upper limits of

manageable height, which depends on the type

of equipment you have and the composting

structure itself. If a producer adds an additional

fallen animal to an existing pile, the producer

may expose un-composted material that was

on the inside of the pile to the outside, which

will attract vermin and flies to the pile. Anytime

un-composted material is exposed to the

outside, it should be top dressed with

additional bulking material, manure, or finished

compost. The rumens of all ruminant animals

may be vented before composting. This

venting will prevent carcass explosion from

trapped gases, which would expose it.

Management. Composting of animal

mortalities does not involve a lot of ongoing

maintenance, but it does require active

management. The pile should be periodically

checked for temperature, moisture, odors, etc.,

as optimum conditions are needed for

decomposition.

Correct Temperature. Place a long-stemmed

compost thermometer near the carcass to

determine internal pile temperatures, which

need to reach temperatures of 140° to 160°F

and be maintained for five days to ensure

destruction of pathogens. Temperatures will

increase within two to four days of loading

carcasses in the pile. Temperatures will remain

at 140° to 160°F for approximately two weeks,

followed by a gradual decline in internal pile

temperature.

Maintaining Moisture. Moisture is the most

important condition when composting. To

estimate moisture level, collect some compost

in your hand and squeeze it. If moisture drips

from your hand, the pile is too wet. If your palm

does not get wet, the pile is too dry. When your

hand is wet but not dripping, moisture is

optimum.

Finishing Compost. If all goes well for the

producer, the mortalities will be sufficiently

broken down approximately three to six months

after the pile is loaded to 6 feet. The time frame

will vary depending on the size and surface

area of the carcass. At the end of the two-to-

three-month period, the moisture level and

temperature will have substantially decreased.

The pile may need to be turned and moisture

added to increase temperatures and re-

establish composting bacteria. Two to three

months after this midpoint turning, you will

have a product that can be stored or applied to

land.

Using the Compost. If the composted material

is to be land-applied, it should be applied as a

fertilizer source and incorporated into your

nutrient management plan. Along with land

application, composted material is also good

for topdressing new additions to the compost

pile, which prevents foul odors from escaping.

Soil Sample

Now that we are into winter, it is a good

time of the year to sample your fields, gardens,

or lawns to see what type and how much

fertilizer you need to make the soil as

productive as possible. Besides nitrogen, now

would be a good time to apply any necessary

nutrients (phosphorous, potash, lime if needed

to raise the pH).

For each sample you want to submit, we

need at least one pint (sandwich bag) of dry

soil 4-8 inches below the soil surface. We have

soil sampling bags here at our office if you

want to stop by and pick some up before you

sample. We have soil probes for loan, as well.

Bring those in now so that you can get

the results more quickly and in some cases go

ahead and apply the fertilizer now so that the

soil will be ready for your yard or crops. This is

a free service provided by Bullitt County

Cooperative Extension District Board for

residents of Bullitt County.

Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

The new Hardin County Extension Office will

be hosting the 39th Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored

Forage Conference on February 20, 2020.

Topics include:

Managing Alfalfa Nutrient Uptake

Don’t Let Insects Eat Your Alfalfa Plant

Fertilizing Profitable High Yield Alfalfa

Getting the Upper Hand on Diseases of

Alfalfa and Grasses

Updates on an Online Alfalfa

Management Tool Under Development

What’s New in Alfalfa Weed Control

Advances in Hay Mechanization

Making a Profit with a cash hay Alfalfa

Operation

Early Registration is just $30 until February

13th, 2020. After February 13th it increases to

$40.

The event begins at 7:30 am and will last until

3:45 pm (EST). You can register at:

www.KYAlfalfa2020.eventbrite.com

2020 Noel Tall Fescue Renovation

Workshop

8:30-4:30 Thursday, March 19, 2020

UK Veterinary Diagnostic Lab 1408 Bull

Lea Rd. Lexington, KY 40511

Toxic tall fescue reduces livestock

weight gains and lowers reproductive

performance. This one day workshop will give

you the tools and information needed to

improve your management of toxic tall fescue

or to remove it and replace it with novel

endophyte varieties. Speakers include local

producers, company representatives and

extension specialists from across the country.

Topics include:

Fescue toxicosis

Economics

Testing

Establishment

Management

Products

Incentives

Early registration is $65 before March 11,

2020. After March 11th it increases to $80.

Registration includes all materials,

refreshments, and lunch. Register online at:

http://TallFescueKY2020.eventbrite.com

For more information, visit forages.ca.uky.edu

or www.grasslandrenewal.org

Pesticide Training

Spencer County is hosting a Private

Pesticide Training. If your card has expired, will

expire this year, or if you need to get certified

for the first time, then you will need to attend

one of the meetings below.

February 20, 9:30 a.m. or 6:00 p.m.

Please call Spencer County at (502) 477-2217

to register for either of these sessions by

February 14.

Forage Timely Tips: February

Continue grazing stockpiled tall fescue if available.

Assess grass stands. If thin, consider frost seeding clover (6-8 lb/A red + 1-2 lb/A ladino white clover).

On pastures with lower fertility, consider adding 10-15 lb/A annual lespedeza with the clover seed.

Consider applying nitrogen at first green-up to promote early growth.

Sign up for shared use drills for spring renovation.

Service and calibrate no-till drills.

Apply lime and fertilizer according to soil test.

The USDA NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) in Kentucky accepts year around

applications through the environmental quality incentives program (EQIP).

EQIP is a conservation program that provides financial and technical assistance to farmers who

face threats to soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land. Through EQIP, NRCS

develops contracts with agricultural producers to voluntarily implement conservation practices.

Persons engaged in livestock or agricultural production and owners of non-industrial private

forestland are eligible for this program. Eligible land includes cropland, pastureland, private non-

industrial forestland, and other farm lands.

For more information about EQIP or other programs offered by NRCS, visit us on the web at

www.ky.nrcs.usda.gov or contact your local NRCS service center at 2001 Buchannan Blvd.

Bardstown, KY 40004, contact number (502) 348-3363 Ext. 3

Cooperative Extension Service

Bullitt County

384 Halls Lane

Shepherdsville, KY 40165-6263