Faulkner County Agriculture Update
April 12, 2024
General Conditions
Weather

We were predicted to get over two inches of rain this week but we didn't quite get that much. It did rain but the system that came through on Monday night didn't rain very much at all. Most of the rain fell Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The wind blew pretty hard yesterday and if that continues we could dry out a little before the next chance and maybe get a few things done.
Temperatures really warm up this week ahead of another system that is supposed to bring us more rain. Hopefully we can get dried up enough to get in a few more acres of crops before the rain starts up again.
Arkansas River
Drought Monitor
Row Crop
Rice Update

The first rice was planted in the county this week. Everyone I have talked to that has planted got command out ahead of the rain, so we should be in good shape with weed control. Hopefully the ground will dry up enough to get in a few more acres ahead of the next rain.

Below is Dr. Jarrod Hardke's Arkansas Rice Update for April 6.
Herbicide Trainings

Anyone that applies Enlist, Dicamba, or Paraquat are required to go through additional education hours. The Enlist and Dicamba training is done online through the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Paraquat is done through the National Pesticide Safety Education Center and there is a $25 charge.

For Enlist and Dicamba follow the link to our Pesticide Training Page. On the left side of the screen there is a menu that links you to Enlist and Dicamba training. I have also added the link to the NPSEC website for the Paraquat training.
Rice Seeding Rates
Beef, Small Ruminants, & Forages
Marketing Bulls as Feeder Calves? The Market will Charge You for It
Kellie Curry Raper, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist

An important aspect of the Oklahoma Quality Beef Network is detailed data collection on OQBN sale dates for both OQBN and non-OQBN cattle. And one thing that data is telling us is that more lots of uncastrated males have come through the sale ring as of late. The charts below illustrate data from the 2019-2023 fall sale seasons and indicates a sharp increase in the number of bulls marketed as feeder calves beginning in 2021. Note that OQBN certified cattle are required to be castrated and healed prior to marketing, so this increase in bulls is coming from non-program cattle.

The numbers in Figure 1 indicate that the share of bulls as a percent of male feeder calves increased - both in terms of number of lots and as measured by head count.
Figure 1. Bulls as Percent of Male Feeder Calves, 2019-2023

In fact, the proportion of bull lots nearly tripled from 8.7% in 2019 to 24.4% in 2023, while the proportion of bulls as measured by head more than doubled from 4.3% to 10% over the same time period. These numbers reflect an overall increase in the proportion of bulls coming through feeder calf sales.

Research indicates multiple animal performance benefits linked to earlier castration (birth to 3 months), including shorter initial weight loss periods, lower disease susceptibility, and higher post-weaning ADGs. Additionally, the process is less stressful for calves at younger ages when the calves are lighter, posing less risk of harm to both the calf and the producer. Figure 2 takes a closer look at how the increase in bull lots is distributed across weight classes.
Figure 2. Bulls by Weight as Percent of All Male Feeder Calf Lots, 2019-2023

The far right segment of each bar represents steers as a proportion of all male feeder calf lots in that year, falling from 91% in 2019 to only 76% in 2023. Note that the bar truncates at 25% to provide a closer look at how the proportion of bulls has changed across weight classes. In 2019, the highest proportion of bull lots in the OQBN data were 4- and 5-weight lots. This holds true as the proportion of bull lots in all weight categories increased in general by 2023. However, the accompanying increase in the other weight classes, including 6- and 7-weights, is substantial.

Perhaps some of the increase in the number of bull feeder calf lots can be explained by weather events. Management protocols may get delayed or discarded because of extended periods of extreme cold stress during calving season, such as in 2021. Drought-induced marketing decisions may prioritize the urgent need to move cattle over implementation of typical management practices. Beyond weather, the enticement of higher feeder calf prices may also play a role in that producers are satisfied with earning revenue substantial enough to be willing to ‘take the money and run’ rather than taking time to castrate those bull calves. Even so, calves coming to the sale ring as bulls are discounted by buyers. An analysis of recent OQBN data puts that value at $11.25/cwt. That’s over $56/head for a 500 pound animal. Whatever the reason, if you are marketing uncastrated bulls as feeder calves, the market will charge you for it.
Brucellosis Vaccinations

Brucellosis, also known as Bang’s Disease, is a disease caused by the bacteria Brucella abortus. It is a contagious disease of cattle and other ruminant animals that can also affect humans. Infection spreads rapidly by ingestion of the organism and causes many abortions in unvaccinated cattle. The bacteria may enter the body through mucous membranes, conjunctivae, wounds or intact skin in both people and animals. In an effort to control the spread of disease, federal and state programs have been implemented and require vaccinations, testing and strict quarantine. Producers should have all heifer calves between 4 and 12 months of age vaccinated.

We will offer another chance for producers to get heifers vaccinated by the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission free of charge on May 7 and 8th. The deadline for registration is April 25th. Please call our office if you would like to be added to the schedule or contact Mindy Beard at rbeard@uada.edu.
Arkansas River Valley Small Ruminant Conference

The Arkansas River Valley Small Ruminant Conference is coming up April 13, 2024 at Arkansas Tech. The agenda follows and there is a registration link.

8:15 - Registration, coffee, and doughnuts 
8:50 - Welcome - Arkansas Tech University 
9:00 - Improving small ruminant production in Arkansas - Dr. Dan Quadros, UADA
9:45 - Breeds and genetic improvement - Dr. Jim Morgan, Round Mountain Consulting
10:30 - Break 
10:45 - Gastrointestinal parasites management - Dr. Joan Burke, USDA-ARS
11:30 - Farm loans to finance small ruminant operations - Marshall Rye, Farm Service Agency/USDA
11:40 - Producer panel: Sharing positives and negative experiences 
Amanda Goodwin, Arkansas Goat Association/The Arkansas Traveling Goat Farrier/Goodwin Family Farms
Debbie Taylor, Dairy goat producer
Stacy Kirk, Arkansas State Sheep Council/Kirk Club Lambs
Tanya Feagin, South Central Katahdin Association/Rocking TLC Farms 
12:30 - Lunch with lamb burgers
North Central Arkansas Small Ruminant Conference

Damascus, AR, April 19th (Friday). No cost.
Address: Damascus Road Cowboy Church, 170 Tindall Ave, Damascus, AR 72039.
Registration at 9:00 am
Welcome 9:30 am
9:35 am Dan Quadros - Vaccinations, nutrition, and weaning of the spring lambs/kids
10:20 am Joan Burke - Latest research at Dale Bumpers Center and parasite control strategy at the Center
11:05 am Break
11:15 am Janeal Yancey - Marketing of lambs and goats through Farm to Table programs
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm - Forage production for small ruminants
1:45 pm - Eva Wray - Fecal sampling (how to) and fecal egg counts
2:45 pm Evaluation & Adjourn
Livestock Market Report

The weekly livestock market report is available on the Arkansas Department of Agriculture website.
Pesticide Applicator Training
There are two PAT trainings scheduled for Faulkner County. All trainings will be held at the Extension Office located at 844 Faulkner Street in Conway.

The dates are:
May 14, 2024 - 2:00 pm

To register you can call the office at 501-329-8344 or email my administrative assistant Mindy Beard at rbeard@uada.edu.

The training will cost $20. If you bring a check please make it out to Faulkner County Extension Office.

The online course is still an option also. If you want to use the online options, the link is below.

If you happen to miss ours, I have a flyer below with the dates and places of the ones in Conway and Perry County also.
Upcoming Events
Pesticide Applicator Training - May 14, 2024 at 2:00 pm at the Faulkner County Extension Office, 844 Faulkner Street Conway. To register call 501-329-8344 or email Mindy Beard at rbeard@uada.edu.

River Valley Small Ruminant Conference - April 13, 2024 - 9:00 am - 12:00 pm at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville.

North Central Arkansas Small Ruminant Conference - April 19, 2024 - Damascus Road Cowboy Church in Damascus
Contact Kevin Lawson, County Extension Agent–Agriculture, Faulkner County | Kevin Lawson