Poultry Judging

Our Seminole county 4-H Senior Poultry Judging team did so well at regionals that we were invited to the State event held this week. It was a tough contest but our youth represented us well.

Poultry Judging

Poultry Judgers went to Tifton this week to compete in Poultry and egg competitions. These 4-H’ers represented Seminole County well at the contest by placing 3rd with Seniors (High School) in the regional contest that usually ends up sending the state winner to nationals. Our Junior (Middle school) team did well, too with a 5th place finish.  They judged live birds(layers)and told judges why they placed them the way they did (reasons) in the order of which layers have laid the most eggs. They judged the interior quality of eggs by candling them. Exterior egg quality, Broken-out egg quality and ready to cook broiler quality. They had a written test and a Parts identification section as well.

We also heard from the UGA Poultry Science Department about careers in poultry science. We grow lots of chickens in Georgia and we grow lots of corn and soybeans to feed them.

Cattle A I School

ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION SCHOOL

 

THREE DAYS OF CLASS ROOM AND HANDS-ON BREEDING FOCUSING ON THE

MOST UP-TO-DATE CATTLE ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION METHODS

AT THE CALHOUN STOCKYARDS IN CALHOUN, GEORGIA

                        Dates:                         May 20 – 22, 2013, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

 

                        Classroom Work:      Calhoun, Georgia, Stockyards Indoor Sale Arena

 

                        Cow Practice:            Calhoun Stockyards holding pens

 

The ABS Global AI Management School offers students the opportunity to learn AI techniques and herd management under skilled supervision.  The curriculum includes Anatomy and Reproduction; Reproduction and Fertility; Heat Detection; Nutrition; Principles of Genetics and Sire Selection; Herd Management Success; Proper Semen Placement; and Insemination Practice.  Also, Synchronization of Beef Cattle and Planned Breeding of Dairy Heifers will be introduced.  This is a comprehensive course consisting of 24 hours of instruction: 14 hours in the classroom and 10 hours in lab working with cattle.

 

REGISTRATION FEE:  $350 for Adults and $300 for College and High School Students.  This covers the cost of supplies and practice cows used at the school.  This program is limited to 15 students in order to insure as much one-to-one help during practice as possible.  Therefore, registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. We offer a discount on the 2^nd or 3^rd attendee from the same family or farm operation.

 

Complete this form and return it with a check for the appropriate amount payable to:

Allen Southard      (678) 617-2945                         Chris Franklin   (706) 263-2008;  chris@feonow.com

                                    5040 Hwy. 52                                                        

                                    Gillsville, GA 30543                                              

Special note: Due to current cattle prices and limited availability of cows, we must have all forms and fees by May 10, 2013.

 

PLEASE ENROLL ME FOR THE AI MANAGEMENT SCHOOL

Calhoun GA  *  May 20 – 22, 2013

 

NAME                                                                                                                                                                       

 

ADDRESS                                                                                                                                                                

 

CITY                                                                           STATE                        ZIP                                                    

 

TELEPHONE NUMBER                                                                                                                                         

 

EMAIL ADDRESS                                                                                                                                                  

 

For those younger than 21 as of May 20, 2013:

 

AGE                                        DATE OF BIRTH                                                                                                     

 

Additional Note – You will need a change of clothes and a pair of rubber boots for the cow practice sessions.  In addition, please bring a note pad and pencil for lecture sessions.

 

All forms and fees due by May 10, 2013.

 

Allen Southard                                             

5040 Hwy. 52                                                

Gillsville, GA  30543                                     

678/617-2945

 

Caterpillars getting Fat instead of Cattle

There’s a problem right now with caterpillars, mostly Fall Armyworms (FAW), eating up winter grazing. I was out in a field of rye yesterday that was planted after peanut harvest and the caterpillars were eating away. It was mostly in patches, but you could find them easily over the field. It’s amazing how fast they can do a lot of damage to a field of small grains. They were chewing on leaves and in many cases the plants were cut off at just above the ground level.  I just got a report from County Agent Tim Moore in Miller county reporting problems there as well. Contact us for control information, if needed.

 The grower had the sprayer in the field before dark, because, as he said, “I’m not making any money on getting the caterpillars fat instead of my cattle.”

Areas of the field of rye starting to look bare.

Falls feeding on leaves and often cutting them to ground level.

 

Stinging Nettle – Stay Away

A terrible weed, Stinging Nettle is coming out strong right now so beware. It has put some folks in the hospital over the years. It feels like stinging fire on you and the sensation stays a while.  It’s a low growing herbaceous , tender weed. This is a photo of some that was brought in to me today for identification. Unfortunately I know it well as I have samples brought in every year where someone has experienced the pain from touching it and they want to know what it is and how to get rid of it. Usually repeated applications of glyphosate will do the job.

The tiny hairs on the plant have the chemical in them that causes the stinging.

The official name is SOUTHERN STINGING NETTLE (Urtica chamaedryoides)

Here’s some information from Fla Dept. of Ag concerning this weed.

“The urticating hair or trichome has a bulbous and very fragile tip which breaks off at an angle and results in a perfect

tool for piercing skin. Basically, the shaft of the hair resembles a glass tube due to the deposition of silica in the cell

wall during formation. When the urticating hair tip is broken, it has the action of a hypodermic needle

and injects the urticating substances which cause the intense pain and result in irritated skin rashes.”

2012 Beef Cattle Short Course

2012 TIFTON BEEF CATTLE SHORT COURSE

Tuesday, March 6, 2012 Tifton Bull Evaluation Center

PROGRAM          Presiding: Lawton Stewart

9:00 AM Registration

9:30 Welcome …………………….. Joe West

9:45 Byproduct Feeding: Research Update …. Lawton Stewart

10:15 Economics of Selecting Replacement Heifers …. Curt Lacy

10:45 Break

11:00 Beef: What Are We Facing As an Industry? .. Josh White

11:30 Recent Advances in Estrous Synchronization and Artificial Insemination ……… Cliff Lamb

12:10 Lunch

Presiding: Ronnie Silcox

1:00 PM Battling Weeds: New Herbicides for Pastures …………….. Tim Murphy

1:30 Advances in Genetic Evaluation Tools for Selecting Breeding Stock ….Ronnie Silcox

2:10 Understanding Respiratory Disease and the Need for Vaccination …….. Lee Jones

3:00 Adjourn

The location is 12.5 miles east of I-75 (exit 78) and 1.5 miles west of Irwinville on Georgia Highway 32.

MAKE PLANS TO STAY OVER FOR THE TIFTON PERFORMANCE TESTED BULL SALE ON MARCH 7.

Registration Fee: $10.00

Make checks payable to: GCA/UGA Short Course Mail to: Patsie Cannon, 2360 Rainwater Road, Tifton, GA 31793-5766

PQA+ and TQA

Pork Producers,

We will have a PQA+ Adult producer training at 9 am  and TQA Adult training at 10:30am in Donalsonville, Ga at the Adult learning Center , on  Wednesday Feb 8.

Dr. Robert Dove , UGA Animal Science , will be here to teach these sessions. Please call or email us if you would like to participate.

 Directions:

 From Points North

Travel South on Hwy 91 from Colquitt, GA to Donalsonville, GA , turn left onto Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, go to 4-Way Stop, turn north onto N. Friendship Ave.  (Friendship Cemetery will be on the North-East corner) go 1 block to 426 Friendship Ave. (Brick building on Left across from Cemetery.

 From Points East

  Travel on Hwy 84 from Bainbridge, GA to Donalsonville, GA , turn right onto N. Friendship Ave. go to 4-Way stop, stay straight on N. Friendship Ave.  (Friendship Cemetery will be on the North-East Corner) go 1 block to 426 Friendship Ave. (Brick Building on Left across from Cemetery