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By Jeremy Kichler Colquitt County CEC I have had forage producers love or hate crabgrass over the years. If you are a hay producer, crabgrass can provide us with some production challenges such as slower drying time compared to other summer forages. If you are in need of some summer grazing, it can be a…
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By Will Lovett Bacon County CEC There are several perennial warm-season grasses that are native to the Eastern United States. The Native Warm Season Grasses (NWSG) most commonly used for forage are switchgrass, eastern gamagrass, indian grass, big bluestem and little bluestem. These NWSG are clump-forming, bunchgrasses that grow during the summer. They can provide…
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By Jeremy Kichler Colquitt County CEC Summer annual forages can provide high yields of good quality forage during late spring and summer for both beef and dairy producers. Most of the warm season annual grasses emerge and establish quickly and are very drought tolerant. They can be used for grazing, hay or silage. Producers need…
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By Adam Speir Madison County CEC Internal parasites can cause significant production losses in livestock, which results in significant economic losses for livestock producers. These parasites affect cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. Many times, the effects are subclinical and may go unnoticed, but severe infestations can cause disease and death. Subclinical effects caused by internal…
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By Carole Knight Bulloch County CEA It’s a match made in grazing heaven – the ruminant animal and the forage producer. No digestive system is better suited for a diet of grasses and legumes. The ruminant animal is uniquely designed to digest fibrous, high roughage feedstuffs through fermentation. An understanding of how the ruminant digestive…
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By Ray Hicks Screven County CEC As we wind down from the summer it is time to start looking at budgets for next year. As a cattle producer, feed is always one of the most costly inputs. Now as Dr. Dennis Hancock, Georgia Extension Forage Specialist, says “Grass grows Grass! And the most efficient way…
Posted in: Hay -
By Carole Knight Bulloch County CEA In Georgia, one of our advantages in the cattle industry is the ability to grow and graze forage during the winter months, drastically cutting the need for stored forages and cutting supplemental feed costs. However, to get the most potential out of winter annuals it takes the right management…
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By Will Lovett Bacon County CEC Its fall again! That means it is time for planting winter forages. Proper Drill adjustment and maintenance is critical for successful stand establishment. We will discuss a step by step approach to clean and prepare your drill for use. Seed Cups and Drop tubes In my experience, seed cups…
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by Adam Speir and Dennis Hancock Humans are creatures of habit, and farmers are no different. We tend to make purchase decisions by looking at the immediate ticket price without considering long term costs. When considering winter annual seed costs, consider not only upfront seed costs, but also the overall costs and benefits of those…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
I received an email (see note below) earlier this week that had a common question about bermudagrass stem maggots. His question is below, along with my comments in bold. Some parts of the question have been altered to ensure anonymity. “I have (several) acres of Russell (bermudagrass) in (a county in northwest GA). Stem Maggots…
Posted in: Uncategorized