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Who would have thought South Louisiana would have kicked off 2025 with snow?!?! I know some of you were concerned about your ryegrass, but after discussing with a few producers, it seems as though most have bounced back pretty well! Generally, it is a great idea to graze the ryegrass if you know harsh weather is coming. The cattle will be well fed, and grazed or clipped grass took less of a hit in the weather event. Spring calving is underway. Remember to monitor calves even a few days after birth to ensure they are up and nursing. Also, keep heavy traffic areas, particularly around hay rings, under surveillance for calves getting bogged down in the mud.
Forward Planning:
Based on information from Dr. Ashley Edwards- LSU AgCenter Livestock Specialist
Hay Meadow Management
Annual Grasses: Late January to Early February is a great time to apply pre-emergent herbicides for controlling annual grasses such as crabgrass, foxtail, goosegrass, barnyard grass, etc. Apply a second application immediately after the first hay cutting.
Buttercup Control: January through March is the perfect timing for buttercup control. Apply where white clover is present
Individual Tallow Tree Control: Year-round, including dormant winter. Hack and squirt or basal bark are the best methods for treatment.
Summer Broadleaf Weed Control in Hay Meadows or Pastures: Apply from May to early September, with May and June being optimal months. A follow-up treatment may be necessary in early August if the weeds are not drought-stressed.
Fence Rows
Fence Rows- Apply herbicides during the growing season, from April to September, using foliar applications. A recommended mixture is triclopyr and glyphosate at a 1-2% solution in water. The application rate should be adjusted based on the level and maturity of the infestation. If soil residual is needed, include imazapyr at a 0.5-1% solution. Note that imazapyr can harm desirable trees if sprayed within their dripline.
If you were a consigner in one of the last 3 heifer sales, you should be receiving a letter in the mail to attend a meeting taking place on Thursday, March 25th to discuss the possibility of starting this sale again in March of 2026. If you or someone you know has F1 Brahman heifers that may be interested, please reach out to our office to be included in any further information that may be sent in regards to the sale. More info to come!!
Ed Twidwell, PhD, Extension Forage Specialist- LSU AgCenter
Winter pastures are an important part of life for most cattle, sheep, horse and dairy producers in Louisiana. Their seasonal distribution to animal nourishment and productivity is widely recognized. They are also important because of the expense they cause to producers and because they are not onehundred percent reliable. Too often, producers remark to me that their winter pasture is just not providing the grazing they expected. This article points out some of the more common reasons for poor performance in the hope it will help you recognize and prevent poor performance in future years. Poor performance in winter pastures can be caused by many problems that generally manifest themselves through either poor stands or poor growth of established stands or a combination of the two. Poor stands can be due to several causes. One of the most fundamental causes is poor seed quality. Seed with poor germination or low seedling vigor are a poor investment, regardless of the price. Planting only seed from a bag showing high germination in a recent test, a high purity, and certified to a variety should help prevent seed problems. One of the most common causes of poor stands is poor planting. Inadequate seedbed preparation, failure to cover seed, planting too deep, and planting outside of the recommended dates are all poor planting practices. Seed of wheat or oats and seed of clovers should not be planted at the same depth for instance. If clovers are planted 1 to 2 inches deep as is desired for wheat or oats, few of the clover seeds are likely to produce seedlings. On the other hand, if wheat and oats are covered with only ¼ inch of soil as is ideal for clovers, the small grains are likely to fail unless frequent showers keep the soil moisture at an ideal level for two weeks or longer. Ryegrass and tall fescue are intermediate between clovers and small grains in the needed amount of soil coverage. Coverage of ½ to 1 inch is optimum for these grasses. Recommended planting dates for cool-season pastures are late-September to mid-October if these crops are being planted into prepared seedbeds. Planting during these times helps provide a long period of suitable soil temperatures and minimum weed competition. Planting into sod requires that planting be delayed to minimize competition to the seedlings from the sod. Mid-to-late October planting of grasses and clovers is more suitable for planting into sod. Of course, the weather in any one year can be different from the average so there is always some risk of unsuitable weather for stand establishment. Drought, excessive rainfall, and low soil temperatures during and immediately following planting can lead to poor stands. Published research results from Texas showed the devastating effects of high temperatures on several clover varieties. Some varieties that had over 95% germination at day/night temperatures of 68/50 degrees had less than 20% germination at day/night temperatures of 95/78 degrees. Poor seedling growth after establishment is frequently due to inadequate fertilization and liming or unfavorable weather. Soil testing followed by application of the needed lime before planting or the needed P and K either before or at planting can help ensure that pastures grow well. Nitrogen of course can be applied after the crop has emerged. It is very necessary for good growth of grasses and many ryegrass pastures perform poorly due to inadequate N application through the fall and winter months.
A second cause of poor seedling growth in Louisiana is excessive water in some fields. Saturated or even submerged soils are often found because of the frequent fall and winter rains. Site selection for planting winter pastures is very important and the likelihood of flooding should be kept in mind. Finally, overgrazing is too often the cause of poor pasture growth during the winter. Seedlings grazed below a height of about 3 inches are likely to recover slowly. Cold weather can further slow the growth. Because of this, it is wise to control grazing to keep ryegrass, small grains, and/or clovers at a height of 3 inches or taller during the winter. They can be grazed shorter to a height of 2 to 3 inches during the spring when growing conditions are more favorable. Conditions mentioned in this article are not the only factors that can contribute to poor pasture growth. If you are experiencing pasture growth problems, check with me.
If you have any questions regarding the content in this article, please reach out to Dr. Twidwell at
etwidwell@agcenter.lsu.edu.
Have something you are looking for or want to get rid of? Submit your classfied ad to cbrady@agcenter.lsu.edu to be included in the next issue of this newsletter. Contact Camille for more information.
Joshua Salley, Assistant Extension Agent, Livestock and Forages- LSU AgCenter
Proactive beef cattle producers are always on the watch for means to earn a larger profit when it is time to market their calves. One of these means is the process of creep feeding. Creep feeding provides supplemental feed in the form of forage and/or grain to nursing calves. This can be accomplished with the use of creep feeders or creep gates which allows calves of certain sizes to access the feed or forage while keeping mature cattle out. Beef cattle producers often utilize creep feeding during times of nutritional stress such as drought conditions or during fall calving seasons when forages may not be readily available. Creep feeding may also be used when calves are born to first-calf heifers to supplement the lower milk supply or when cattle are placed in dry lot conditions. The logic behind creep feeding is quite simple, to improve the weight gain of calves before weaning which should result in heavier weaning weights for the cattle producer. Cow-calf producers are paid on a per-pound basis with many producers selling calves at the time of weaning. Others may choose to wean calves and place them on feed for a specific time and then send the calves to market. There are multiple forms of creep feeding which include pre-mixed rations, protein supplements in the form of liquid or tubs, and creep grazing planted forages such as ryegrass or oats. Cattle producers should analyze their creep feeding program to compare the cost of their improved weaning weights to the expected increase in the performance of their calves at weaning. Creep feeding has several advantages as well as disadvantages and each cattle operation is different. What works for one producer may not be beneficial to their neighbor. Before implementing a creep feeding system into their operation, cattle producers should take into consideration how they plan to market their calves. Will they be sold at weaning or will they be preconditioned? Will heifers be retained in the herd as replacements? Calves that will be entering a stocker program may benefit from being creep-fed before weaning. Creep feeding these calves will get them accustomed to eating grain which will result in a smoother transition during weaning. Research has shown that calves that were creep-fed experienced fewer respiratory issues during the preconditioning phase when compared to non-creep-fed calves (Stewart, 2017). Calves that have been creep-fed will often express an increase in marbling once they have been slaughtered and placed on the rail also. Calves should continue being fed a grain based diet immediately after weaning and adjusted to a feedlot finishing diet within 28 days after weaning to experience the greatest positive impact on the level of marbling. Replacement heifers should not be placed on a creep feeding program. Research trials have proven that creep-feeding heifers a high-grain diet can result in decreased milk production which will result in lighter weaned calves. In a research trial conducted to determine the effects of creep feeding on reproductive performance and lactation, first-calf heifers that had been creep fed while nursing their dams had a lower (P<.05) daily milk yield at 120 d post-partum than those that did not have access to creep feed (Hixon et al., 1982). If heifers are not expected to reach their target weight for breeding, creep feeding may be beneficial. This is often the case for fall-born heifers.
Creep grazing is another form of creep-feeding calves. In a creep grazing program, a designated area of pasture would be prepared and planted, usually with either a warm season annual such as alyceclover or pearl millet, or a cool season annual such as ryegrass. The variety of forages planted would of course depend on the calving season of the operation. Creep gates can be placed along the perimeter fence to allow calves to enter the planted fields while keeping mature cattle out. A single strand of electric fence wire may also be used. When placed approximately 36 to 42 inches above the ground, calves are allowed to walk under while cows cannot. Creep grazing is generally cheaper than creep-feeding grain to calves. With high-quality forages, creep grazing can add 10 to 20% gains, however, calves typically do not gain as much fat in a creep grazing system as compared to being on grain which would be beneficial for feeding replacement heifers (Stewart, 2017). While it may be obvious that creep feeding can be advantageous in adding pounds to pre-weaned calves, the most important topic for cattle producers is whether it is profitable. Cattle producers are often more likely to implement creep feeding during stronger calf markets with the assumption that the potential additional pounds gained from creep feeding will increase their profit margin. This isn’t always true. Creep feeding may result in increased economic returns when drought conditions are present with limited amounts of forage or when calves are nursing poor milking cows or heifers. Calves have a genetic limitation on the amount of gain that they can achieve. When nursing heavy milking cows on lush forages, the additional expense of creep feeding may not equate to more profits for the producer. Another misconception is that creep-fed calves will not nurse as much therefore by creep-feeding, some stress is alleviated on the cow. Research trials have proven that calves will continue to consume similar amounts of milk even when being creep-fed or with creep grazing. As previously stated, creep feeding is not always a one-size-fits-all practice. It is a management tool for producers to utilize under the right circumstances. Cattle producers can potentially gain the most from creep feeding during times of drought when calves are nursing poor milking cows, and when ownership of calves will be retained through slaughter. Fall-born calves may also benefit from being offered creep feed. This management tool can prove to be profitable for many cattle operations when used properly, however, if careful consideration isn’t given to the cost of gain, creep feeding may cost producers more than what can be benefited from the practice.
References
Harborth, K. (2018, January 5). Animal Industry News Update - June 2012. LSU AgCenter.
https://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/livestock/anima...
Halfman, W. (2024, September 12). Should you consider creep feeding calves? Drovers.
https://www.drovers.com/news/should-you-consider-c...
Wyatt, W. E., Thompson, D. L., Blouin, D. C., & Harpel, R. A. (n.d.-b). (tech.). Effects of Breed Type, Creep Feeding and Growth Implants on Heifer Pre- and
Postweaning Growth and Reproductive Performance.
Hixon, D. L., Fahey, G. C., Kesler, D. J., & Neumann, A. L. (1982). Effects of creep feeding and monensin on reproductive performance and lactation of beef
heifers. Journal of Animal Science, 55(3), 467–474. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas1982.553467x
Jaborek, J. (2022, January 21). Rumen development of calves.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/rumen-development-of...
Stewart, L. (2017, March). Creep Feeding Beef Calves.
https://secure.caes.uga.edu/extension/publications...
Johnson, M. Z. (2023, July 17). Creep grazing. Drovers. https://www.drovers.com/news/beefproduction/creep-...
What a more exciting way to kick off my new role here than with 7+ inches of snow?!?! I enjoyed watching my kids’ excitement. They played outside just about the entire time they were off from school! I was quickly over the snow and all of the extra farm chores that it brought along with it, but seeing my kids having the time of their lives made it worthwhile! Below are a few pics of the kids and some of their show animals during the snow. For those I haven’t had the opportunity to meet yet, I an Assumption High School and LSU alum. I taught Agriculture in Iberville Parish for 5 years right out of college, then went on to be a 4-H Agent in Ascension. 4-H and FFA were huge parts of my life growing up. My husband, 3 kids, and myself live on a very small farm in Assumption parish. I am very happy to be in this new role as a Livestock and Forage Agent. I would love to visit your farm, learn more about the area, figure out your needs as a producer, and get a feel for how I can best serve you. Please, give me a call to set up a farm visit! As I visit different producers, I would love to spotlight you guys and what you do for our fellow producers. I hope to start a producer spotlight in each issue of this newsletter. This will help all of us to learn more about each other! If you are interested in sharing your story, please complete the form in the back of the newsletter.
Sincerely,
Camille Brady
USDA Aligns Deadlines, Streamlining Delivery of Livestock Disaster Assistance Programs Deadlines
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated three livestock disaster assistance programs to synchronize deadlines and streamline program delivery. The changes take effect for the 2024 program applications for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP), Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is now accepting applications for ELAP, LFP and LIP until March 1 following the end of the calendar year in which the disaster circumstances occurred. For 2024 program applications, which are being accepted at FSA offices across the nation right now, the deadline to apply for this assistance is March 3, 2025, because March 1 falls on a Saturday.
ELAP Policy Clarification
FSA is clarifying the feed transportation provisions of the program. In 2022, ELAP policy was revised to recognize the impact of adverse weather, including drought, on producer expenses associated with the need to transport feed to livestock, or livestock to new forage resources. To be eligible for assistance, producers must have a loss resulting from the cost to transport livestock feed to eligible livestock for mileage above normal or transport livestock to feed resources outside the adversely impacted area. The policy clarifies what is considered an eligible feed expense under the feed transportation provisions and what is considered eligible documentation for claiming feed transportation expenses. This clarification also provides a program standard for calculating feed transportation costs based on the expected feed needs of eligible animals.
Programs Overview
ELAP provides financial assistance to producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish to assist with the impacts of adverse weather and disease that are not covered by other FSA programs. ELAP also helps dairy producers who incur milk production losses due to H5N1 infections in their dairy herds. LFP provides financial assistance to livestock producers who suffer eligible grazing losses on land impacted by qualifying droughts or are restricted from grazing federally managed lands due to wildfire. LIP provides financial assistance to producers who face livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather or attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government.
More Information
The updates to ELAP, LFP and LIP are detailed in this Jan. 17, 2025, notice in the Federal Register. Producers who have questions about these program policy changes, including producers who previously submitted ELAP, LFP or LIP applications for 2024, should contact the FSA at their local USDA Service Center for additional information prior to the March 3, 2025, application deadline.
Caitlyn Rogers of CJR Farms
About their Farm: Caitlyn and her dad, Craig, have been working and raising cattle in some aspect all of our lives. They raise mostly Brangus and Braford cattle with a few dairy nurse cows as well. Their end goal is to efficiently produce high-end beef for consumers and to produce high-quality replacement heifers to continue improving their herd year-to-year
About Caitlyn: Caitlyn is the current secretary for the Lafourche Cattlemen’s Association, and she is also on both the Lafourche and Terrebonne Advisory Leadership Councils for the AgCenter. Caitlyn’s favorite thing about raising cattle and just being in the industry overall is the kids. They have several nieces and nephews, as well as her first goddaughter, Brayleigh, who genuinely enjoys everything about raising cattle, and they just want to continue to fuel their passion for it!
Any recommendations for other local producers? The one thing Caitlyn would recommend to anyone is to take advantage of the AgCenter! She said to “Get to know your extension agents, take advantage of any classes that the AgCenter offers, and form relationships with fellow cattlemen. I’ve learned so much by doing all these things and can’t wait to continue learning and growing as a producer!”
March 7: Breeding Soundness Exam; Dominique’s Stockyard’s (Opelousas) Pre-register by calling the Lafayette office at (337-291-7090) or Brittany Zaunbrecher at (337-948-0561). BSE cost is $55 and a BSE plus trichomoniasis test is $120.
March 25: Central South Louisiana F1 Brahman Female Sale Planning Meeting
April 2-4: AI School; Hill Farm Research Station (Homer, LA) Contact Lee Faulk (afaulk@agcenter.lsu.edu) or Ashley Edwards (akedwards@agcenter.lsu.edu) to be placed on the waitlist. Registration cost is $300 with a $150 deposit.
June 12: Hay Day; focus on forage and hay production with live equipment demos from various manufacturers. Coushatta, LA
