Garrard Coffey

It is hard to believe that winter is right around the corner. If you are a horse owner, you should already be preparing your winter hay supplies. How do you estimate the amount of hay you will need? If you have mature horses at maintenance level, you want to feed a mainly forage diet. The estimate would be similar to a 1,100-pound horse eating 2 percent of its body weight. That equals 22 pounds of hay per day. Feeding for 120 days, December through March would equal 1.3 tons of hay per horse. You can do a few things to make the best of your hay inventory. A feed test is a...

Lady beetles are widely recognized as beneficial insects. In the fall, they congregate to spend the cold winter months in sheltered sites: rock piles, tree holes, etc. However, the multicolored Asian lady beetle has a nuisance side. It is attracted to prominent terrain features, such as a vertical rocky outcropping. Following this visual cue leads many beetles to homes and buildings. After landing, the normally helpful insects crawl around searching for cracks or crevices to enter before settling for several months of inactivity. Some enter via gaps around windows, doors, and through ventilation openings. They will stay there during the winter and will remain active in the warm surroundings. Adult Asian...

Timely tips - planning for the fall-calving cow herd • Spraying or using a pour-on for flies while cattle are gathered can supplement other fly control methods. Remember to work cattle early in the morning when it is cool and handle them gently to minimize stress. • Continue to watch for pinkeye and treat if necessary. Minimize problems by clipping pastures, controlling face flies and providing shade. Monitor the bulls’ activity and physical condition as the breeding season winds down. • Fescue pastures tend to go dormant in August, so look for alternatives like warm season grasses during this period of time. Try to keep the young calves gaining weight. Go to...

U of K Poultry Specialist stresses sanitation in multistate salmonella outbreaks Salmonella outbreaks associated with contact with live poultry in backyard flocks that began in early June are now affecting people in 45 states, and Kentucky appears to have the highest number of illnesses. University of Kentucky poultry specialists are stressing the importance of preventing bacteria for backyard flock owners. “The most important thing poultry owners can do is review their sanitary measures,” said Jacqueline Jacob, University of Kentucky Poultry Extension Project Manager for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “Many of the cases in the current outbreak are linked to backyard flocks, so we want to remind folks of simple...

Maintaining a controlled breeding and calving season can be one of the most important management tools for cow-calf producers. A uniform, heavier and more valuable calf crop is one key reason for keeping the breeding season short. Plus, more efficient cow supplementation and cow herd health programs are products of a short breeding season. However, converting from a year-long breeding season to a shortened 2 to 3 month breeding season should not be done haphazardly. A system for converting from year-round to a 75-day controlled calving season over a period of two years would present less loss and fewer problems than to try to convert in one year. The following...

Summer months are the harvest season for blueberries and blackberries, both of which have the potential to grow very well in Kentucky. Harvest time for blueberries, which are native to North America, is from early June through early August. Blackberry harvest is from mid-June to early October. These delicious fruits offer several health benefits, and they capture the essence of summer in their sweetness. Blueberries are an excellent choice for both home and commercial growing. They are long-lived as fruit trees and have few pests or diseases. They also have a late blossom time, so frost rarely causes damage on well-chosen sites. Blackberries also have a long fruit-bearing life and...

Carpenter Bees are good pollinators, but… Male and female carpenter bees are becoming active after spending winter in last year’s tunnels. These large yellow and black bees have shiny, bare abdomens in contrast to the ‘hairy’ ones of bumblebees. Female carpenter bees can sting if handled roughly, but they do not aggressively defend their nests or otherwise pose a threat. They focus on developing nesting tunnels and collecting pollen. Males, recognizable by the yellow spot on their face, stay near nesting sites and often investigate intruders who enter ‘their’ space. While an intimidating sight, they do not have stingers. Carpenter bees are important wild pollinators. However, their nesting habits can cause unacceptable damage...

Protect your home from termites Springtime brings warmer temperatures and more abundant rainfall, and it is typically when many winged termites emerge inside homes and other structures. Termites swarm from their colony to disburse, fall to the ground, find mates and start new colonies in the soil. Through May, you might see swarms of winged termites, called swarmers, inside your home, signaling an infestation that can cause extensive and costly damage. Since swarmers are attracted to light, you often see them or their shed wings around windows, doors and light fixtures. You may also see winged ants in the springtime. By examining the insect you can determine whether it is a termite...

Storing and feeding hay and commercial grains and feeds Storing Hay You can store hay indefinitely if the stack is managed correctly; although, in humid climates, using hay within three years of harvest is ideal. Hay growers need to bale it at correct moisture levels because if it is baled too damp the hay will generate heat, which leads to molding. Barn storage, especially long term, is best as it will prevent damage from weather. Rodents and other animals should be kept out, and hay should be stored off the floor. Bales placed directly on concrete could sweat and, if placed on the ground, might wick up moisture, which could result is...

How much fertilizer do you really need to use on your lawn and garden? If you are just making a guess, you could be using too much. But how can you know for sure? A simple and inexpensive soil test can tell you all you need to know to make your lawn and garden look great and to protect the environment from runoff of excess nutrients. Soil fertility testing is a program designed to provide homeowners, landscape contractors, turfgrass managers, greenhouse managers as well as others with a soil management tool to determine fertilizer requirements of their lawn, garden, trees and shrubs. The University of Kentucky Division of Regulatory Services...