Winter Weed Identification and Control in Bermudagrass Pastures Q&A

By: Margaret A. Bell, Livestock Agent - Craven & Jones Counties

Adapted from Leon Warren’s “Winter Weed Identification in Coastal Bermudagrass Fields” presentation at CCA Training.

*Why should I be concerned with grass weeds and broadleaf weeds?

Grass weeds interfere with hay drying and growing pure stands. Grass weeds are not typically a health concern except johnsongrass. Broadleaf weeds are noxious, toxic, and due to their prickly nature, make it hard or impossible for livestock to graze them.

*Why is it important to identify your weeds early?

Early identification will help you control the weeds before your actual crop gets thinned out. You may be able to save money because younger plants usually require less herbicide. Some mature plants can not be controlled by herbicide no matter the rate. Weed seeds will not be killed by herbicides, just the parent plant- not offspring.

*When is the best time to control weeds in winter annuals and cool season perennials?

Usually October through December because weeds are young and actively growing. There are many factors that affect the best time to control weeds such as germination. Another good time to control winter weeds is February through April because they are starting their final growth spurt. However, you don’t want to wait too late by allowing the weeds to seed out.  

*When is a bad time to try to control weeds in winter annuals and cool season perennials?

Usually December through February is a bad time to try to control your winter weeds. However, you can apply glyphosate and paraquat to winter weeds on dormant bermuda during these months.

*Is it permitted to pump hog waste on dormant bermuda in the winter?

No, because nitrogen will not be utilized and you increase the potential for runoff in streams and ditches. However, you can apply hog waste to cover crops such as cereal grains and winter grasses because they are actively growing in the winter.

*What are several common winter weeds that I need to look out for?

Henbit – winter annual broadleaf; common chickweed – winter annual broadleaf; white clover – perennial broadleaf; curly dock – perennial broadleaf; wild mustard – winter annual broadleaf; wild radish – winter annual broadleaf; Carolina geranium – winter annual broadleaf; Shepard’s purse – winter annual broadleaf; spiny sowthistle – winter annual broadleaf; hairy bittercress – winter annual broadleaf; common dandelion – perennial broadleaf; buckhorn plantain – perennial broadleaf; buttercup – annual / perennial broadleaf; horseweed – annual broadleaf; vetch – winter annual or perennial broadleaf; cutleaf evening primrose – biennial broadleaf; wild garlic – clump forming perennial.

***ALWAYS READ LABELS. Cooperative Extension agents can help you identify your weeds and help recommend a weed control program. However, it is very important you always read labels and adhere to restrictions – in livestock, especially hay and grazing restrictions. For more information, contact your local Cooperative Extension livestock agent.

Handling Swine Safely

By: Margaret A. Bell, Livestock Agent

Craven & Jones Counties

Adapted from “Safe Animal Handling, Pork Checkoff and Pork Information Gateway Fact Sheet.”

There are many opportunities for workers to get hurt while handling swine. This could happen at any age and stage of the pig, when the worker is moving pigs, unloading / loading pigs, and processing pigs. In this article, we will discuss different responsibilities of workers and how to avoid being injured while performing their duties.

General

When pigs are being transported, they become very stressed. They should be moved as quickly, quietly, and efficiently as possible. However, you don’t want to move the pigs too fast, as to cause injury to either the pigs or the handler. Pigs have a range of vision that spans almost 360 degrees, so it is a good idea to have chutes and ramps with solid sidewalls so they will not get distracted. In addition, pigs have a tendency to move to well-lit areas from dimmer areas. Many producers will put spotlights onto a ramp so pigs will move more easily. Always move pigs in a manageable size group. For example, when you are moving pigs into the nursery, do not move more than 20 pigs at the time. When entering the finishing barn, do not move more than 10 pigs at the time. When you are leaving the finishing barn, do not move more than five pigs at the time (think about how big they are now!). When you are moving breeding stock, do not move more than five pigs at the time.  Most of the injuries on hog farms happen when handlers are interacting with pigs. There are several items to keep in mind to avoid injuries. You should know the characteristics of the pigs hearing and vision, maintain clean and organized houses, and when you are around the pigs, stay calm and touch them gently. Don’t move quickly or expose the pigs to loud noises, clutter alleyways, or overcrowd chutes / pens.

Farrowing

In the farrowing barn, workers must be careful with various hazards as well. These include power washing, electrocution, fires, and stressed animals. Always pay close attention to plugs, cords, and electrical outlets. Employees should receive proper training on how to safely work with electrical fixtures. Make sure to always replace temporary cords with permanent cords. It is also important if you wash sows to be very careful. Be aware of where you place yourself in relation to the animal.

Processing

During processing, there are many potential hazards that could affect the well-being of the workers. These include needle sticks, cuts, punctures, etc. while giving shots, clipping teeth, cutting tails, ear notching, castrating, and tattooing. Ensure workers are taking ample breaks to reduce fatigue as well as properly handling and holding the animals.

Injecting Pigs

Many times workers will injure themselves when they are injecting sows in crates by getting their hands caught between the crate and the sow. Immediately report any accidental injection or antibiotic injections to the supervisor. When injecting pigs, try to keep your hands in a neutral position, always read labels, and only use products the way they are meant to be used. Don’t carry needles in your pockets or put your hands between a sow and the crate.

Breeding

Many injuries occur because of boars. Injuries to the boar could occur do to slippery floors. The boar could also become aggressive if other boars are around or if he has trouble mounting the sow. When workers are breeding animals, they should always use sorting panels, be able to get out of a specific area quickly, not be in between the boar and the sow, and make sure the boar’s tusks are removed. When removing dead animals, try to get them out as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the harder it is to move them. Do not pull or strain your muscles pulling a dead pig out. It is helpful to use a hog cart or a hand truck before using only human assistance. Keep pens clean and dry when breeding pigs and always watch out for the boar. Don’t sit down to collect semen or stand too close to the boar.

Weaning and Nursery

Always keep animals in a small, manageable group and get assistance when possible to move or lift animals. Try not to lift pigs alone and if you have to then position yourself parallel to the pig you’re lifting. Always use good lifting techniques as to not injure your back.

Finisher

Make sure you properly load and unload animals in the finishing house, as they could be nearing 300 pounds at this stage of life. Always use sorting panels and don’t try to stop pigs from getting past you with your knees. Try to remain calm and only load small groups at one time. Pigs are harder to handle, the more stressed they are.

Managing the Overweight Horse

Adapted from "Trimming the Fat: Weight Loss Strategies for the Overweight Horse, Fact Sheet, Maryland Cooperative Extension." 

Horses that carry excess body weight are at an increased risk for many health problems. These include laminitis, decreased athletic and reproductive performance, and a greater risk for heat stress. In this overview, you can learn about ways to combat overweight horses. However, you should always work closely with your veterinarian to determine the cause of obesity in your horses. It may be related to their exercise level and diet or it could be related to their metabolic and physiological condition.

It is very important to periodically evaluate your horse's body weight and body condition score (BCS). There are three different ways you can measure body weight. 1) livestock scale 2) heart girth weight tape or 3) calculate body weight by using the measurement of the horse's heart girth (HG), and body length (BL). Use this equation: W = ((HG) squared x (BL)) / 330. Body condition score is also very important. It is measured from 1 - 9 with 9 being extremely fat. This score measures the amount of fat that a particular horse stores a different locations including withers, shoulder, ribs, loin, neck, and tailhead. Horses that are nearing a BCS of 7 are at a higher risk of developing health problems.

Various methods for reducing your horse's weight:

* Set a target weight loss
* Increase exercise level
* Reduce feed intake
* Change the type of diet
* Reduce access to pasture
* Feed horses separately
* Use drugs, medications, and supplements as a last resort

Horses need to lose excess weight gradually and over several months. Horses can safely lose one BCS per month (about 50 pounds). Horse owners need to be careful with their horses losing weight too rapidly, as they may develop bad behaviors (wood-chewing, bedding ingestion, etc.). Try not to monitor your horse's weight loss too often (weekly is too often) because it could discourage you. It is very important that a horse maintain it's ideal body condition once it reaches that weight / BCS. Horse owners should be diligent to watch their horse's rations, needs that arise that may change or alter the quantity of feed the horse receives, and the animal's overall health. Don't forget to contact your veterinarian to discuss the best weight loss plan for your horse.

See the full article here.

Submitted by: Margaret A. Bell, Livestock Agent
Craven and Jones Counties

Are you ready for HURRICANE season?

As Hurricane season is full steam ahead, have you stopped and thought "Am I prepared?" Being prepared ranges from gathering extra batteries and filling your bathtub with water to locating rabies records for your pets and making sure you have a plan for them as well. Think about it: A Hurricane is barreling towards eastern NC (never heard that phrase before, have you?) and you have goats and cattle. What are you going to do? What about your cats and dogs? To better prepare yourself and your pets / livestock, please visit the websites below that tell you how to do just that. Remember: PLAN AHEAD and STAY CALM :) Hurricanes let us know when they are coming, so you have plenty of time to get ready.

Craven County and Jones County have a plan. It is called the CARTs (County Animal Response Team) plan and it involves Cooperative Extension, local government and local Emergency Management, Department of Social Services, local Health Department, Animal Control, local animal shelters, NC Department of Agriculture veterinarians, American Red Cross and local volunteers. Read on to see exactly what the CARTs team does.

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At the end of August 2011, Hurricane Irene descended upon eastern North Carolina. We knew she was going to hit hard at the coast. We decided to push forward with our Jones CART plan and open the animal shelter as a part of the human shelter – a co-location shelter. We had several people bring their dogs with them before the storm. We registered them and housed the animals in a separate part of the building in their crates with food and water. Just as we thought the storm was passing over, we started to hear a terrible sound within the building. We looked outside and noticed hundreds of small pieces of insulation blowing all around in front of the building. It was then that we heard the roof blow off of the building where the animals were. As it turns out, we were able to safely move all of the animals to another building, as well as we had to relocate our human shelter. As you can imagine, the people and animals that attended this shelter came from homes that would not have fared even as well as the Civic Center did (where the shelter was located). It is important for your county to have a plan in place, and volunteers available, as well as have a good working relationship with local government, especially the Department of Social Services and the local Red Cross, who will be in charge of opening a shelter once given the authority to do so.

For NC Cooperative Extension's disaster website, click here.

For EDEN's (Extension Disaster Education Network) disaster website, click here.

For the Animal Health Network website, click here.

For the NC Department of Agriculture's animal sheltering website, click here.

Goat Biosecurity

The Importance of Biosecurity on your Goat Farm

By: Margaret A. Bell, Livestock Agent

Craven & Jones Counties

Adapted from “APHIS Biosecurity on U.S. Goat Operations.”

Have you ever thought about biosecurity on your farm? What is biosecurity? Biosecurity is various different practices you can implement on your farm to reduce the risk of introducing disease into your herd. This is a very important part of your herd’s health. Even one animal having a disease on your farm could affect the rest of your animals. Read on to learn more about how to make biosecurity improvements to your herd and your farm in general.

Herd Additions

Every time you add a new animal to your herd, you run the risk of introducing disease. There are three good practices to fend off disease from new animals. First, you can choose to have a closed herd, meaning the only way you add animals is through kidding on your farm. Obviously, this is not ideal for all farms because there is no way to add new bloodlines or improve genetics in a closed herd. Second, new animals should be quarantined and checked for signs and symptoms of disease for at least 30 days. Lastly, health management practices are a good way to help ensure your herd stays healthy. These may include: veterinary exams, deworming, vaccinations, and testing for disease.

Usage of Needles

By reusing needles between animals, you greatly increase your risk of disease transmission. The best practice would be to not reuse needles. However, if this is not possible, you can reduce your risk of disease transmission by disinfecting needles between each use.

Veterinarian – Patient – Client Relationship

It is very important to have a veterinarian who has a good client – patient relationship with you and your goat herd. Veterinarians are a good source of information about the goat industry as well as goat health. Regular farm visits by your veterinarian may help improve your herd, genetics, and provide a great opportunity for you to ask questions about your herd.

Farm Visitors

When visitors come to your farm, it is very important that they take precautions not to spread disease. Disease agents can be spread through various locations such as clothing, hands, boots, vehicles, or instruments. You can require that visitors take any and all of the following precautions: change into clean boots, use shoe covers, wash hands before touching the animals, don’t park near the goat area, and use a footbath before entering goat area.

Kidding Management

It may be a very good idea to keep does that are kidding for the first time away from the rest of the herd because if they become infected with bacterial pathogens while pregnant, they could abort, have abnormal kids, or kid early. Also, it is important to promptly remove placentas and aborted fetuses because they can hold infectious organisms that could possibly spread to other goats.

You should also consider taking precautions with your goats having physical contact with other animals including raccoons, skunks, and opossums. These animals can carry disease and infect your herd. Also, it is very important to make sure your animals are properly identified with an identification number, such as a Scrapie tag. Various forms of identification are required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture when animals are sold or moved from the farm.

These are just a few ways you can make your farm less susceptible to disease. Follow these steps to help raise biosecurity at your farm: work closely with your veterinarian, isolate new animals, disinfect or do not reuse needles between animals, limit outside animal contact as well as visitor contact, use proper animal identification, and properly manage kidding areas to reduce disease transfer. If you have any questions about how biosecure your farm is, feel free to contact your local Cooperative Extension agent.

and the winners are...

i am so proud of my skillathon team and beef showmen i can hardly stand it! please help me congratulate the following youth from jones county: logan murphy, cheyenne pike, paul pike, jonathan murphy, ashley murphy, evan andrews, and megan downs for placing FIRST in the jr. skillathon competition and FIRST in the intermediate skillathon competition as well as jonathan murphy for placing 4th overall in intermediate, paul pike for placing 2nd overall in jr. and logan murphy for placing 3rd overall in jr. also, help me congratulate logan murphy and brandon gillen for competing in the jr. beef roundup. brandon's heifer placed 1st in her class; logan's heifer placed 2nd in her class and both got to go back for divisional championships. brandon and logan competed in the ultimate heifer makeover as a team of 4 and placed 3rd overall! logan placed in the final round of showmanship. nicholas gillen competed in a coloring competition and received a ribbon. please help me congratulate all of these wonderful youth on their accomplishments this past weekend. jones county was very well represented! i am so proud of ya'll :)

Integrity of Horse & Livestock Trailers

Click here to read the full article on why horse trailers need to be properly maintained and checked after each time you haul your animals. WARNING: Some images may be too graphic for young viewers.

Farming at a Young Age

Do you remember what you were doing when you were two years old? I bet you weren’t running your own business like Melody Mauney who sells her chicken eggs. Not only does this teach her responsibility for caring for animals, but also financial responsibility. Read on to learn how Melody’s parents describe her entrepreneurial skills at such a young age.

Some of life’s best lessons can be learned on the farm and it is never too early to start.  A “farm” doesn’t have to encompass a lot of acreage or involve a lot of animals.  We define our “farm” as our little chicken coop and 18 chickens and the garden.  It is more of an agricultural experience than a farm but we like to call it the farm.

Our daughter, Melody, bought her first set of chickens when she was almost 2 years old with some of her birthday money and we constructed a coop with scrap wood and metal from a home project.  She picked out the chicks herself and was tickled to give the cashier her money.  She took great care to play with them everyday and has never been afraid to pick them up.  Melody even lets them sit on her head and shoulders, and the luckiest chick gets taken up the ladder and down the slide!
          A friend of ours gave her a rooster and she has purchased numerous other chickens from various other places over the past year giving her 4 different chicken breeds.  She collects the eggs and feeds the chickens with help almost everyday.  Melody sells her eggs to about 10 different customers for $1.50 per dozen.  She collects the money herself and always says, “Thanks for being a customer.” 

We are trying to teach her how to take care of her money.  Uncle Matt gave her a piggy banking system for her to store the money.  There are three banks, Give, Save and Spend.  We help her divide her money into the banks and she puts 10% in the Give, 50% in the Save, and 40% in the Spend.  The Give money goes to God.  Melody takes the Save money to the bank, puts it through the change machine and gives the cash to the teller for her account.  The Spend money goes with Melody to the feed store to buy chicken feed.   Hopefully by the time she is older she will make enough money to do more than reinvest the money.

This is a very simple system and we weren’t sure when we started if she would be able to grasp the concepts of saving and spending but Melody has a great grasp on money management for a 3 year old. 

Our “farm”, though very small is already teaching Melody about financial responsibility and how to care for animals. We have enjoyed watching and helping her learn these skills.  Our hope is that she will remember and use these lessons as she grows through her teenage years and beyond.  

If you have any questions about raising your own chickens, please contact Margaret A. Bell at the Jones County Cooperative Extension Office at (252) 448.9621.

North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.  In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation.  North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.

Check out the Spring Issue of Fencelines!

Here is the Spring issue of Fencelines, the Livestock Newsletter of the Southeast. There is also a calendar of upcoming events. Enjoy :) Click here.

Equine Infectious Anemia & Floating Teeth

           Have you floated your horse’s teeth lately? Have you gotten your horse’s  Coggins test done this year? Do you know what equine infectious anemia is? If you have horses, you need to know the answers to all of these questions. If you have had horses all your life or are just getting started, we have the clinic just for you. Read on below to learn more about these common veterinary horse terms and an upcoming equine Coggins and dentistry clinic.

            Coggins testing is very important because it tests your equine for equine infectious anemia (EIA). EIA is a viral disease that could be fatal to your horse. Currently, there is no vaccine or treatment for the disease. Signs that your horse may have EIA include: anemia, weakness, weight loss, and fever. Horseflies, deerflies, or other large biting insects typically transfer EIA from one horse to another. It can also be transferred by contaminated equipment, such as needles, with blood from an infected horse. It is possible for a horse to be a carrier of the disease and not exhibit the same signs as a horse with a greater concentration of the virus. By taking a blood sample, veterinarians are able to use the “Coggins” test to determine if an animal is positive or negative for EIA. Annual testing is recommended for equine owners.

            Do you know if your horse’s teeth are in good shape? Do you have an older horse that seems to be dropping feed more often? By having a dental examination of your horse’s teeth (free at the upcoming clinic!) you can see if your horse needs dental care. Floating your horse’s teeth is another term for filing your horse’s teeth. If your horse is outside grazing pasture all day, they are continuously eating, meaning they are wearing their teeth down daily. This can eventually cause your horse to have teeth that do not fit together, making it harder for your horse to properly chew and break down feed. Scheduling regular dental checkups, typically at your horse’s annual examination, is a good way to ensure your horse’s teeth are in proper working order.

            Livestock Veterinary Service’s Dr. Justin Martin has partnered with NC Cooperative Extension and REINS (Regional Equine Informational Network System) to present a Coggins and Dentistry Clinic to be held Saturday, March 17, 2012 from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM at the Lenoir County Livestock Arena. Dr. Martin will be available for vaccines, dental examinations and floating, as well as Coggins testing. Please call any of the following three contacts: Dr. Justin Martin (Livestock Veterinary Services) at (252) 933.1483, Gina Cox (REINS Coordinator) at (252) 286.4241 or Margaret Bell (NC Cooperative Extension) at (252) 448.9621 to reserve your spot and for a price list.

            If you have any questions, please contact your local Cooperative Extension Office at (252) 448.9621 and speak with Livestock Agent Margaret A. Bell.

            North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.  In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation.  North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.

Equine Coggins & Dentistry Clinic

NC Cooperative Extension has partnered with local large animal veterinarian Justin Martin, DVM from Livestock Veterinary Services in Kinston, NC and REINS (Regional Equine Informational Network System) Coordinator Gina Cox. This is a great opportunity to get your horse's vaccines and Coggins test and receive a free dental examination. Please call me (Margaret A. Bell) to register at (252) 633.1477.

Saturday, March 17, 2012
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Lenoir County Livestock Arena
Please RSVP by March 8, 2012

Please see me for the price list at Margaret_Bell@ncsu.edu. Look forward to seeing you all there!

2012 Horse Elluminate Series

Please help me spread the word:

We will have the fourth Horse Elluminate Series this coming Tuesday night, January 17, 2011, at the Craven County Cooperative Extension Office from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. Elluminate is a computer-based learning module that will be taught by NC State University horse specialists. This is a great opportunity to learn more about various horse topics whether you are a horse owner or not. Elluminate is beneficial for horse 4-H clubs, horse enthusiasts, new horse owners and old alike. Please help me spread the word about this series so we can have a great turnout. The event is free and available to the public. Please call the Craven County Cooperative Extension Office to pre-register for the series at (252) 633.1477.

This week's topic will be taught by a speaker from NC State's College of Veterinary Medicine.

Fencelines Winter 2012

Hello all! There are lots of great events coming up in NC Cooperative Extension. Please check out the newest issue of my Fencelines newsletter. If you would like to receive a hard copy of this newsletter, please email me at Margaret_Bell@ncsu.edu. Enjoy! Click here: Fencelines Winter 2012