Kentucky Conference to Address Rising Costs
US - Livestock producers have been some of the hardest hit by skyrocketing fuel, input and feed prices. To help producers get through this economic crunch, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture specialists and industry professionals will offer cost-saving information on pasture management during the ninth Kentucky Grazing Conference.
4 November 2008
1 minute read
The conference is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 at the Fayette County Cooperative Extension Service in Lexington.
"With the high costs of fertilizers and fuel inputs, cost savings from grazing is more important now that ever," said Ray Smith, UK extension forage specialist. "We want to give practical advice that producers can directly use to improve the management of their livestock operations. It's not just theories but rather practical applications."
As fertilizer prices have risen, more producers are becoming interested in legumes, which are also sources of nitrogen. Garry Lacefield, UK extension forage specialist, will discuss how producers can save on nitrogen costs by using legumes and how producers can enhance legume growth in their pastures.
Feed supplements have also risen in popularity, but the costs of these supplements have sharply risen. Roy Burris, UK extension beef specialist, will talk about how grazing can help producers cut supplemental feeding costs and the nutritional benefits of both.
Glen Aiken, an animal scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, will discuss his new research on practical grazing management and feeding strategies that can lessen fescue toxicosis, a fungus found in tall fescue that affects livestock by decreasing their feed intake, thus lowering the animal's weight gain.
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