A4 - THE PERKINS JOURNAL, Thursday, March 12, 2015
Opinions
(C
Thank You
We would like to express our thanks and appreciation
to those who sent cards , food, flowers, plants, and to
those who spoke the kindest words that any friend could
say during the loss of our Mother, Rose Marie Stan-
ton. Special thanks to Walmart Store #0137 on Perkins
Road for the food and associates who helped serve the
meal that day. We are honored to be a part of the Walmart
family.
The Stanton Kids -
Fred "Leroy," Jim, Terry and families
By Charlavan
This is what I have been soon. I'll let you know.
doing lately. The fact that What I am sure of is
this pic is about 50 years that now I have an uncom-
old or so shouldn't matter, men appetite. I wake sev-
Right? I can come with a eral times during the night
lot of reasons for being so and EVERY time I think I
lazy but the only one I really should eat a bite (or several)
like is "I am big enough to before I go back to sleep. If
do whatever I feel like." it were celery and lettuce I
I am not really used to wouldn't mention it but it
being coldbecausesouthem is Ice cream, candy, half
California weather is nor- and half, anything choco-
mally more user friendly, late, or the like. There is
That plus getting a light- getting to be a bit more of
weight electric blanket for me to love.
Christmas makes it hard to Since I am normally a very
figure out how why I should light eater, the volume I
get Out of bed. require right now is impres-
This is the first time since sive. All my life I have
I was a teenager I haven't stuck to the opinion that
held down a job. I am fortu- I can't sleep on an empty
nate to live alone and have stomach. (Hey, it is my
no one to cook for or clean story.)
up after simply justifies my Being at the computer this
decision to go back to bed early in the day must mean I
where it is warm (and it may be headed for my pre-
loves me). set norm. But you can take
I will admit though that my word for it when I say I
I am a little tired of that am going to need a warm-up
nothingness so I am sure my nap pretty soon.
lifestyle will change again G-nite.
Charlavan at age 30.
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Extension Corner
By Payne County Extension Educators
Nathan Anderson, Agriculture Educator
Den Rash, FCS Educator
Brenda Brantlel/, 4-H Youth Development
Keith Reed, Horticulture Educator
Suzette Barta, Rural Development
http://oces.okstate.edu/payne
AG NEWS
2015 Beef Production
Smaller Than Expected
So Far
USDA estimates beef
production through the
end of February to be
down 5.2 percent from
the same period last year.
Total cattle slaughter is
down 7.0 percent year
over year including a
6.4 percent decrease in
steer slaughter and a 8.7
percent decrease in heifer
slaughter. Total cow
slaughter is down 6.6
percent including a 4.0
percent increase in dairy
cow slaughter and a 17.9
percent decrease in beef
cow slaughter.
Overall cattle carcass
weights are currently
20 pounds above year
ago levels. Average
cattle carcass weights
are a function of both
the carcass weights of
various classes of cattle
and also the composition
of slaughter by class of
cattlel Currently, steer
carcass weights are up 19
pounds over last year and
heifer carcass weights
are up 15 pounds. Cow
carcass weights are up
29 pounds year over year
mostly the result of more
dairy cows in the cow
slaughter total. So far
this year dairy cows rep-
resent 58 percent of total
cow slaughter compared
to 52 percent one year
ago.
Increased steer and
heifer carcass weights
reflect feedlot response
to market conditions
the past several months.
Feedlot inventories have
been slightly above
year earlier levels since
November, mostly as a
result of delayed feed-
lot marketings of cattle.
Total feedlot placements
of cattle the past six
months are down 3.8
percent year over year.
In the same six months,
feedlot marketings are
down 7.2 percent, Data
from Kansas feedlots
shows that feedlots fed
cattle an extra 16 days
the past six months com-
pared to the same period
a year earlier. This
led to increased final
weights despite the fact
that placement weights
were smaller. Interest-
ingly, feedlot perfor-
mance was poorer during
the past six months with
decreased average daily
gains, increased feed/
gain ratios and increased
death loss.
What to expect in the
coming months? Fed
cattle marketings typi-
cally increase seasonally
from February to June.
Current estimates sug-
gest that total marketings
wi.ll increase seasonally
through May but could
be slightly smaller than
the same period last year
with February and March
marketings up slightly
year over year and down
from year ago levels in
April and May. Carcass
weights also typically
decline to seasonal lows
in April or May. While
feedlots to have some
incentive to feed cattle
longer, winter weather
may pull cattle and car-
cass weights down faster
than expected in March.
The current cold and
snow across much of
the country will have
impacts in the majority
of cattle feeding areas.
Winter weather may
have also affected Feb-
ruary feedlot placements.
In Oklahoma, combined
auction receipts in Feb-
ruary were down 17 per-
cent from last year with
auc'tion volumes down
47 percent in the last
two weeks of February,
in part due to adverse
weather and road con-
ditions. Though some
wheat pasture cattle
moved to market in late
January and early Febru-
ary, some wheat pasture
cattle may have been
pushed into early March.
Most wheat in Oklahoma
is at or near first hollow
stem and cattle need to be
removed immediately for
grain harvest in dual-pur-
pose wheat.
Prolapses In Beef Cows
Prolapses occur occa-
sionally in beef cows.
Most prolapses occur
very near the time of
calving. Two distinct
kinds of prolapse exist.
Uterine prolapse usu-
ally occurs at calving
or soon after calving.
If the uterus becomes
badly traumatized before
treating, the animal may
die from shock or hem-
orrhage. Uterine pro-
lapse requires immediate
attention and if treated
soon, most animals have
an uneventful recovery.
Some may suffer uterine
damage or infection that
prevents or delays con-
ception and should there-
fore be culled. If they
subsequently rebreed
and become pregnant
on schedule, there is no
reason to cull animals
suffering uterine pro-
lapse after calving. Uter-
ine prolapse is not likely
to reoccur. Female off-
spring are not genetically
predisposed to prolapses.
Vaginal prolapse, how-
ever, that which occurs
before calving is a herita-
ble trait and is likely to
reoccur each year during
late pregnancy. Such
animals should not be
kept,in the herd. The
condition will eventually
result in the loss of cow,
calf, or both, plus her
female offspring would
be predisposed to vaginal
prolapse. Call your local
large animal veterinarian
for proper treatment, or
advice about culling of
any beef female that has
been found to have a
prolapse.
Research (Patterson, et
al, 1981) from the USDA
station at Miles City,
Montana, reported that
153 calvings of 13,296
calvings from a 14-year
span were associated
with prolapse of the
reproductive tract. Of
those 153 prolapses, 124
(81%) were vaginal pro-
lapses and 29 (19%) were
uterine prolapses. The
subsequent pregnancy
rate following prolapse
among first calf heifers
was 28% and the preg-
nancy rate among adult
cows following a pro-
lapsed was only 57.9%.
Read more about
Calving Time Manage-
ment for Beef Cows and
Heifers by downloading
Oklahoma State Univer-
sity Extension Circular
E-1006.
Checking For First
Hollow stem
First hollow stem occurs
just prior to jointing and
is the optimal time to
remove cattle from wheat
pasture. First hollow
stem usually occurs in
mid to late February in
southern Ollahoma and
early March in northern
Oklahoma. Grazing past
first hollow stem can
reduce wheat grain yield
by as much as 5% per day
and the added cattle gains
are not enough to offset
the value of the reduced
wheat yield.
Similar to previous
years, we will moni-
tor occurrence of first
hollow stem in our wheat
plots at Stillwater and
report the findings on
this biog. There is also
a new first hollow stem
advisor available on the
Oklahoma Mesonet that
can assist in determining
when to start scouting.
Checking for first
hollow stem is fairly
easy.
You must check first
hollow stem in a non-
grazed area of the same
variety and planting date.
Variety can affect date of
first hollow stem by as
much as three weeks and
planting date can affect
it even more.
Dig or pull up a few
plants and split the
largest tiller longitudi-
nally (lengthways) and
measure the amount of
hollow stem present
below the developing
grain head. You must
dig plants because at
this stage the developing
grain head may still be
below the soil surface.
If there is 1.5 cm of
hollow stem present , it
is time to remove cattle.
1.5 cm is about the same
as the diameter of a dime.
Detailed information
on first hollow stem can
be found at www.wheat. :'
okstate.edu under 'wheat i
management' then 'graz
ing'
Community Develop-
ment Events:
QR Codes: What you
need to know: This lunch
program will be held
Tuesday March 24 at
noon at the Payne County
Administration Build-
ing. The program will
be presented by Payne
County Extension Edu-
cator, Suzette Barta. If
you would like lunch, the
cost is $10 at the door,
but please RSVP. If you
do not want lunch, there
is no cost to attend.
Basic Customer Service
Training (PRIDE Pro-
gram): Extension Edu-
cator Suzette Barta will
offer this popular cus-
tomer service program
on behalf of the Cushing
Chamber of Commerce
on Thursday April 2,
9:30am- 12noon. Con-
tact the Cushing Cham-
ber to register.
For more information
about any of these pro-
grams, contact the Payne
County OSU Extension
office at 405-747-8320.
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