Last summer was a challenge for livestock. Kentucky recorded over 35 days with temperatures that exceeded 90⁰F and our temperature-humidity index was in the dangerous category for livestock for most of June and July. The impact of heat stress on livestock has been extensively studied over the last several decades. Heat stress reduces growth rate, can shorten gestation, increase lameness, disease, and death rates. Perhaps the most dramatic impact of heat stress is the marked reduction in reproductive efficiency.
Now is the perfect time to start planning to overcome heat stress. When I first got to UK, our Angus cows were involved in a variety of trials examining the impact of consuming endophyte-infected fescue on reproductive rate. For several years, these cows were synchronized for AI around June 10 and then exposed to a bull for 70 days. Cows consuming only endophyte-infected fescue had 55-62% pregnancy rates at the end of the breeding season. Similarly, Dr. Burris at Princeton demonstrated that the conception rate of cows decreased from 70% in early spring (April 1 – June 1) to 35% in the summer (June 20 – August 1) resulting in a pregnancy rate decrease from 90% to 58%. Heat stress reduces pregnancy rate by increasing the abortion rate of young, developing embryos and fetuses. Extreme heat stress results in embryonic/fetal loss for at least the first 45 days of pregnancy. If you are a spring calver and your cattle are consuming endophyte-infected fescue, your cows may have struggled to get pregnant this spring/summer. Plan now to determine pregnancy and hope for the best. Fall-calving cows are not immune to issues with heat stress. Heat stress and consumption of endophyte-infected fescue can induce early parturition (30-40 days premature labor), increase the thickness of the placenta, and increases calf death loss. 
How can we manage heat stress? Are there management protocols that can help? Understanding solutions begins with understanding the problem. Cattle have difficulty dissipating heat effectively because they don’t sweat as well as other animals. Since they don’t sweat well, cattle dissipate heat by increasing their respiration rate, decreasing their activity, dilating their blood vessels near their skin so they can more effectively radiate the heat from their body, and eating less. Eating and digestion generates heat so they intake less feed to reduce the internal blood temperature. In Kentucky, and the rest of the “fescue belt,” heat stress is heightened by consuming endophyte-infected fescue. Endophyte is a fungus that grows in fescue plants and this fungus produces chemicals, generically called alkaloids, that have a variety of negative impacts on animals. One of the main impacts of consumption of endophyte-infected fescue is the alkaloids constrict the blood vessels of the animal which reduces the ability of the animal to dissipate heat via radiation. So, if we want to alleviate issues with heat stress, we need to find management protocols to help cattle dissipate heat.
Fortunately, we have options! Logically, the first place to start is simply do not graze endophyteinfected fescue during the summer but this is often not a viable option for many cattle producers. The breeding season can be shifted to earlier in the spring (April – June vs May – August) but this will lead to cows calving earlier in the winter, which may not be an acceptable option either. Cows supplemented with high fat supplements (ex. whole soybeans, liquid fats supplements, distiller's products) during heat stress can increase pregnancy rates in beef cows. Providing a complete mineral mix containing a blend of sodium selenite and selenium yeast, like the UK Beef IRM mineral has been shown to increase hormone concentrations necessary to support early gestation. Also, the USDA-ARS research group in Lexington has demonstrated that consumption of red clover can aid cattle during heat stress. Red clover leaves contain chemicals called isoflavones that dilate peripheral blood vessels, reduce heat stress, and can increase pregnancy rates. Most legumes have these isoflavones but the chemicals vary in the bioavailability and concentrations of the isoflavones. Whole soybeans and soyhulls also contain isoflavones and can be used to help reduce the impact of fescue toxicosis.
We cannot control the temperature, but we can plan to help our cattle withstand heat stress. Develop a heat mitigation plan by limiting cattle access to endophyte-infected fescue and/or providing access of cattle to supplements or pastures that contain fat or isoflavones. Contact your veterinarian and set dates to determine pregnancy in our herd. If you have several open cows, adding a short fall-calving season is an option. We can also use this experience to help develop a plan for heat stress in the future. This cattle market is hot, and producers need to maximize their pregnancy rates and heat stress is the main factor that reduces pregnancy especially in the summer. A little planning, a little tweak to your management plan will pay huge dividends.
​For more information, contact your local county ANR Agent. 

FRANKFORT (Dec. 20, 2024) – The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board approved $7,823,767 for agricultural diversification and rural development projects across the Commonwealth at its monthly board meeting.

"By creating new opportunities for agricultural producers across the state, we are building a stronger economy," said Commissioner of Agriculture and Kentucky Agricultural Development Board Chair Jonathan Shell. "The projects approved by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board are key steps toward opening those pathways and securing a better future for Kentucky."

• Kentucky Beef Network, LLC was approved up to $2,316,516 in state funds to continue to provide programs to cattle producers that will enhance their net returns through increased marketing opportunities, data management, education and comprehensive farm management systems. For more information, contact Becky Thompson at [email protected].

​​The West Kentucky Select Bred Heifer Sale will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary Sale on November 23 at KY-TN Livestock in Guthrie, KY. To commemorate this milestone, I thought it would be appropriate to share a few observations and a little history of the sale. First the history.
Back in the late 1990’s when Dr. Roy Burris gave me the charge of starting a bred heifer sale in Western Kentucky, I knew this could be quite a challenge. Several attempts had been made to start commercial bred heifer sales on our end of the state and none had gained any traction. We sought advice and input from several sources. One being Glen Mackie, County Agent from Bourbon County who at the time was working with the well-established Elite Heifer Sale at Paris and his input was invaluable. As we began to plan the sale, Dr. Burris was of the opinion if we could just find the right consignors who not only had quality cattle, but most importantly were committed to buyer satisfaction and long-term success of the program, we could make this work. Enter Paul Beauchamp and Ova Alexander. Beauchamp & Alexander were well-respected Beefmaster and Angus breeders from Breckinridge County and had a long history and relationship with Dr. Burris and UK Extension. Paul and Ova took a leap of faith and were the major consignor that first year. That first sale held in November of 2000 sold 112 head for an average price of $968. The following year, Mr. John Bartee, County Agent in Montgomery County, Tennessee brought in another key consignor from “south of the border” in Sammy Bryant of Bryant Brothers Farm, Adams TN. Both of these consignors became vital fixtures in the sale and over the years have served as examples of producers who are committed to quality cattle and customer satisfaction. The final piece of the puzzle that helped establish the sale was the unwavering support of Mark Barnett and KY-TN Livestock Market.
With any special sale, whether it be feeder cattle or bred heifers, if the stockyard is not behind the effort, it will not survive. From the very beginning and through the years I never had to question the support from the Barnett family and KY-TN Livestock.
A lot has changed over the last 25 years from those humble beginnings. In 2006 a spring sale was added for fall calving heifers, and since 2000, there have been 43 sales, and 8183 heifers sold. Some of our management requirements have also been changed or tweaked to keep up with current technology. We went from using Birth Weight EPDs to Calving Ease Direct (CED) EPDs to genomically enhanced EPDs for our service sires which resulted in higher accuracy and less change in the CED numbers. We began testing for PI-BVD. We implemented a mineral requirement for better immune response to vaccines and added a Lepto booster prior to sale. And somewhere in the future we may add some form of genomic testing of the heifers.
Since the beginning, our consignors have been the backbone of the sale. They have always embraced recommended changes to make the sale and the heifers better and their commitment to customer satisfaction has been second to none. But obviously no sale can be successful without the support of the buyers. What is most satisfying is seeing the number of repeat buyers in the seats at every sale. Over the years, what the buyers put priority on has in some ways remained consistent but, in some ways, has changed a bit. High quality, docile, early bred, heifers will always be in demand. What seems to be changing, however, is more buyers are wanting to know more about the background and breed makeup of the heifers. Crossbred heifers with known breed compositions seem to be in more demand. I crunched a few numbers to see if this could be born out in real dollars from past sales. The table provided shows data from the 23 sales held since 2013. The first line of the table is data from 11 sales beginning in May of 2013. The second line includes data from the more recent 12 sales from November 2018 through November of 2024. 
These numbers seem to support the notion that buyers are placing more emphasis on crossbred replacements. If this is the case, this is good news since having a crossbred female with maternal heterosis is one of the most profitable breeding strategies cow calf producers can implement. Additionally, it seems the value of an F-1 female (a female with 100% maternal heterosis) is starting to be more readily understood and appreciated as well by heifer buyers. 
Realize when looking at raw data and averages such as these, that there may be confounding factors affecting the numbers. Consignor reputation, overall appearance and quality, disposition in the sale ring, along with a multitude of factors could be affecting price. So, it can be hard to definitively determine the effect of one trait or management practice on price.
I do know looking back on 25 years of heifer sales, the success of the program has a human or people element that can’t be quantified. Many folks have had a role in the continued success of this sale, from the consignors and buyers to the extension and stockyard personnel. I only have to think back of the days riding through the Tennessee countryside with Mr. Bartee screening heifers and watching his example on how he encouraged and related to producers, to remind myself that having a successful heifer sale, like most extension programs, is more about people and relationships than just the dollars and cents. Here’s to 25 more years. 

It seems early to be thinking about stockpiling cool-season grasses for winter grazing, but how we manage pastures now can have a profound impact on fall growth. How closely and frequently we graze pastures this summer can either enhance or reduce our ability to stockpile grass this fall. The objective of this article is to provide some tips that will help to keep cool-season pastures healthy this summer.
​Fertilize and lime according to soil test. If you have not already done it, take a soil sample and apply any needed phosphorous, potassium, and lime. Avoid summer applications of nitrogen to cool-season pastures. They are generally not economical since cool-season grasses are not actively growing during the summer months. In addition, they can inadvertently weaken cool-season grass stands by promoting the growth of summer weeds.
Do NOT graze cool-season pastures too closely. Grazing pastures closely during the summer months can weaken cool-season grass stands and promote the growth of warm-season grasses such as bermudagrass or crabgrass in these stands. There is nothing wrong with warm-season grasses, but we want to minimize them in pastures that will be stockpiled for winter grazing. Maintaining 4 to 6 inches of residue in cool-season pastures can also moderate soil temperature and conserve soil moisture.
Rest cool-season pastures during the summer month. Resting pastures during the summer months allows them to acclimate to the hot and dry conditions often found in Kentucky. It allows plants to replenish and maintain stored carbohydrates (energy reserves) that can be mobilized in late summer and fall to full rapid growth during the stockpiling period.
Graze warm-season grasses during the summer months. During the summer months, warm-season grasses will produce about twice as much dry matter per unit of water used when compared to coolseason grasses. The beauty of warm-season grasses is that they allow you to get off of cool-season pastures when they are most susceptible to overgrazing.
There are several perennial warm-season grasses that can be used, but in western Kentucky the most productive, persistent, and tolerant to close and frequent grazing is bermudagrass. Johnsongrass is another warm-season perennial grass that can provide high quality summer grazing. I am going on record to make clear that I am NOT encouraging anyone to plant johnsongrass, but sometimes it is just there. Because johnsongrass is extremely palatable, it can be grazed out of pastures if not rotationally stocked.
Warm-season annual grasses like pearl millet, sorghum-sudangrass, sudangrass, and crabgrass can provide high quality summer grazing. The primary disadvantage with summer annual grasses is that they need to be reestablished every year, which costs money and provides the chance for stand failure. The exception to this is crabgrass that develops volunteer stands from seed in the soil. Although most people don’t realize (or want to admit it) crabgrass has saved many cows during dry summers in western Kentucky.
eed hay in sacrifice area. During the summer months, it is tempting to just open the gates up and let the cattle free range. However, a better plan is to confine animals to the weakest paddock that you have and feed hay. You will likely damage this paddock, but it will allow you to maintain strong and vigorous sod in the others. This sacrifice area can then be renovated in late fall.
When it comes to stockpiling cool-season grasses for winter grazing, what you do during the summer months really does matter! So, as we roll into the hottest and driest part of the grazing season, make sure and give your cool-season pastures a little tend loving care. It will pay big dividends this fall!
More information on stockpiling can be found at your local extension office or by visiting UK Forages Webpage or KYForages YouTube Channel.