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Page 1 August/September
Agriculture Newsletter
August / September 2015
Oklahoma Quality Beef Network fall sales Gant Mourer, Oklahoma Beef Value Enhancement Specialist
Once again the Oklahoma Quality Beef Network
(OQBN) is preparing for fall sales. Last winter
proved to be challenge for many in the state due to
lack of rain, but thankfully many parts of the state
received starting in late spring and continuing
through the summer. Pasture conditions are in good
shape and we have only seen a handful of days over
100 degrees. At this point many producers are decid-
ing how to market calves this fall. With the record
high cattle prices the decision to precondition calves
prior to shipping will be much harder for some.
Many management options exist and even with in-
creased prices those management options are still
valuable to producers and may have more value than
we think.
The Oklahoma Quality Beef Network (OQBN) is
available to aid producers in making preconditioning
decisions and capturing value of preconditioned
calves when it becomes time to market. OQBN is a
program, which began in 2001, and is a joint effort
by Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
(OCES) and the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Associa-
tion. At its core, OQBN provides improved commu-
nication among producers of all segments of the beef
industry and allows for increased education while
providing tools to improve access to value-added
programs. One way in which this is done is through
the OQBN Vac-45 health verification program. Cat-
tle meeting the management requirements are veri-
fied through OCES and can be marketed as OQBN
Vac-45 cattle. Once verified producers have the op-
tion but are not obligated to market cattle in a
certified OQBN sale.
The program benefits both buyers and sellers in
several ways, including reduced shrink, improved
immune system, and weight gain during the
weaning period increased market demands and
feedlot performance. In addition to healthier,
heavier calves when sold, sellers may earn higher
prices per/cwt. In 2012, OQBN participants real-
ized almost $9/cwt premium over cattle that had
no weaning or health history. Light weight calves
realized a record high premium at over $20/cwt.
As cattle prices increase so does risk and buyers
are willing to spend 60-70$ more a head to de-
crease the risk of health problems on those calves.
The following page has a list of several OQBN
sales scheduled this fall across the state. For a
producer to take advantage of these value-added
opportunities, the cattle must be enrolled in the
OQBN Vac-45 program, follow one of three
health protocols, weaned by the deadline, and
third party verified by extension personnel.
For additional information or questions about the
Oklahoma Quality Beef Network, contact Alfalfa
County OSU Extension Office (580-596-3131) or
Gant Mourer, OQBN Coordinator at
405-744-6060.Additional information may also
be found at www.oqbn.okstate.edu
Prussic Acid Poisoning is a Concern After a Light Frost
Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist
It was discovered in the early 1900s that under
certain conditions sorghums are capable of releas-
ing hydrocyanic acid (HCN) or commonly called
prussic acid. Prussic acid when ingested by cattle,
is quickly absorbed into the blood stream, and
blocks the animal's cells from utilizing oxy-
gen. Thus the animal dies from asphyxiation at
the cellular level. Animals affected by prussic
acid poisoning exhibit a characteristic bright red
blood just prior to and during death.
Lush young re-growth of sorghum plants are
prone to accumulate prussic acid especially when
the plants are stressed such as drought or freeze
damage. Light frosts, that stress the plant but do
not kill it, are often associated with prussic acid
poisonings. Producers should avoid grazing fields
with sorghum type plants following a light
frost. The risk of prussic acid poisoning will be
reduced, if grazing is delayed until at least one
week after a "killing freeze". As the plants die
and the cell walls rupture, the hydrocyanic acid is
released as a gas, and the amount is greatly re-
duced in the plants. One can never be absolutely
certain that a field of sorghum is 100% safe to
graze. Sun-curing of hay will reduce HCN, especial-
ly if the hay is crimped. The complex that binds the
HCN is hydrolyzed and the HCN evaporates in gase-
ous form.
Cattle that must be grazed on sorghum pastures dur-
ing this time of year should be fed another type of
hay before turning in on the field, and should be
watched closely for the first few hours after turn
in. If signs of labored breathing, such as would be
found in asphyxiation, are noted, cattle should be re-
moved immediately. Call your local veterinarian for
immediate help for those animals that are affect-
ed. Be certain to read OSU Fact Sheet PSS-2904
(Prussic Acid Poisoning) before turning cattle to po-
tentially dangerous fields.
Beef Cattle OQBN Meeting
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Noon—Lunch Provided
Alfalfa County Fairgrounds
Alfalfa County Exhibit Building
Cherokee, OK
Topics & Speakers
“Oklahoma Quality Beef Network” OQBN
Gant Mourer
OSU Asst. Livestock Specialist
“Prussic Acid Or Nitrates”
Dana Zook
NW Area Livestock Specialist
“Alfalfa—Soil & Forage Testing”
Tommy Puffinbarger
Alfalfa County Extension
For more information contact the Alfalfa County OSU Extension office at
580-596-3131. Oklahoma State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, State and Local Governments cooperating. Oklahoma Coopera-
tive Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender,
age, disability or status as a veteran, and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Page 5 August/September
Beef Cow Herd
September
Fall Calving
1. Separate cow herd into management groups for the
calving season and the winter feeding period (i.e., first
calf heifers, mature cows, open heifers).
2. Monitor the herd closely for health problems.
3. Monitor first calf heifers closely for calving difficulties.
Assist heifers after one hour of labor, and cows after 30
minutes.
4. Thirty days before breeding, vaccinate replacement
heifers with7-way Clostridial, Leptospria/Campylobacter
vaccine, IBR, BVD, PI3, and BRSV vaccines and other
diseases the veterinarian prescribes.
5. Treat for internal and external parasites, as needed.
6. Weigh yearling heifers. Adjust weights and calculate
ratios. Base selection on both weaning and yearling
information. Purebred breeders should send performance
data to the national breed association office.
7. Prepare for herd sire selection and procurement as
outlined in August.
8. Conduct fertility check and provide a breeding soundness
exam for all herd sires.
Spring Calving
1. Continue to creep graze calves on sudan or other high
quality pasture.
2. Prepare for weaning. Purchase needed veterinary supplies.
Give calves pre-weaning vaccinations. Prepare
equipment and facilities for weaning. Reevaluate marketing
and retained ownership alternatives.
3. Identify and record unsound cows that should not be kept
for another year.
4. Weigh calves, adjust weaning weights, and calculate
ratios. Identify and cull bulls that have sired groups of
calves that are significantly below the herd average in
weaning weight or feedlot and carcass performance.
Purebred breeders should send records to the national
breed association for processing.
5. Continue creep feeding program for calves (OK Sil-
ver).
6. Wean calves from thin young cows. Supplement one
pound of high protein feed (38-41%) to thin cows in
order
to allow increase in body condition before winter.
General Recommendations:
1. Treat for cattle grubs, if not previously done.
2. Obtain laboratory analysis on hay to be fed during the
winter. Borrow the special core sampler from the
Extension office to obtain representative samples. Re-
quest protein, TDN, Ca, and P analysis, and nitrate lev-
els on sudan and sudan hybrids.
3. Plant clean-tilled small grain pastures in early Sep-
tember, if they are intended for winter grazing.
4. Establish hairy vetch, clovers (white, crimson, subter-
ranean arrowleaf, and red), alfalfa, and fescue during
September and October. Consider planting fungus-free
fescue rather than endophyte infected fescue.
5. Remove fescue and bermuda forage growth by hay-
ing, mowing or grazing. Fertilize fescue and bermuda
pastures before Labor Day with 50 lbs. N/acre plus P
and K, according to soil tests.
6. Do not graze weeping lovegrass between September
1 and December 1.
7. With stockers, rotation graze fescue throughout the
winter. With cows, stockpile fescue for grazing after
December 1.
Page 6
Landscape and Maintenance
August • Water all plantings thoroughly unless
rainfall has been adequate.
• The fall vegetable garden is planted
now. (HLA-6009)
• Divide and replant spring blooming per-
ennials.
• Irrigated warm-season lawns may be
fertilized again. (HLA-6420)
• Hedges and shrubs can be pruned, if
necessary, about mid-August.
• Young trees and shrubs may be ferti-
lized again.
• Discontinue dead-heading roses by mid-
August to help initiate winter hardiness.
• Brown patch disease of cool-season
grasses can be a problem. (HLA-6420)
• Meet water requirements of turf. (HLA-
6420)
• For areas being converted to tall fescue
this fall, begin spraying bermudagrass
with glyphosate products in early-August.
(HLA-6419 & HLA-6421)
• White grub damage can become visible
this month. Apply appropriate soil insecti-
cide if white grubs are a problem. Water
product into soil. (EPP-7306)
• Watch for a second generation of fall
webworm in late-August/early-
September.
• Pre-emergent herbicides for winter-
annual weed control in warm-season
grasses can be applied in late-August.
Water in the product after application.
(HLA-6421)
September • Last nitrogen fertilizer application of
the year on warm-season grasses should be applied no later than September 15.
(HLA-6420)
• Brown patch disease of tall fescue can
still be a problem. (HLA-6420)
• White grub damage can become visible
this month. Apply appropriate soil insecti-cide if white grubs are a problem. Water
product into soil. (EPP-7306)
• Continue bermudagrass spray program
with glyphosate products for areas being converted to tall fescue this fall. (HLA-
6421)
• Meet water requirements of turf. (HLA-
6420)
• If pre-emergent control of winter-
annual weeds is desired in lawns, the
application should be completed by the
2nd week of September. Note: Do not
treat areas that will be seeded in the fall.
(HLA-6421)
• Plan to seed bluegrass, fescue, or
ryegrass as needed in shady areas in late
-September through mid-October. Fall is
the best time to establish cool-season
lawns. (HLA-6419)
• Choose spring flowering bulbs as soon
as available.