#Mindful health solutions driver

As temperatures increase water intake will increase creating more demand on your water system. Ensure stocker calves always have access to clean water. Calves that donвЂ™t shed will be more susceptible to heat stress. Recently, researchers from the southeast reported breed differences in hair coat scores when grazing tall fescue with Charolais-sired calves having less hair than Hereford-sired calves. Several factors may be involved with shedding of winter hair including fescue alkaloids, genetics, plane of nutrition, and others. Studies show that lower hair coat scores, better shedding, improve daily gains during the grazing season. Reducing stocking density or implementing a managed grazing system to better manage forage residual heights may help cool-season forages be more persistent.Д«e mindful of feeder calves that are not shedding winter hair coats. Close clipping led to an increase in warm-season annual forages such as crabgrass due to the temperature stress on the cool-season forage. TeutschвЂ™s research with tall fescue at the Princeton Extension and Research Center demonstrated that clipping forage weekly to 1вЂќ versus 4.5вЂќ height weekly increased plant crown sensor daily maximum temperature by 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Close grazing or mowing exposes more soil to direct sunlight increasing soil surface temperature. More importantly, research has demonstrated thatВ soil surface temperatures can have a larger effect on photosynthesis than air temperature. These warmer temperatures slow forage growth of our perennial cool-season forages.

Several days in June, July and August are normally going to be 86 F or warmer. Areas in Kentucky had eight days in May during 2021 that had daytime high temperatures of 86 or higher. Photosynthetic rates of tall fescue can be reduced when temperatures reach 86F/77F degrees Fahrenheit, day/night. Previous research demonstrates that the photosynthesis of plants is negatively impacted by increasing temperatures. As we move through the spring months and begin to see temperatures increase, forage growth slows.

#Mindful health solutions driver

These continued drought conditions will continue to limit forage growth in these regions.Д¬ontinued drought conditions will continue to limit forage growth in some regions.ДЇorage availability is a key driver of stocker calf performance followed by forage quality. Precipitation and soil moisture continues to be a struggle in the western half the United States as shown in the Monthly Drought Outlook figure from the National Drought Monitoring website. This spring has been a bit cool slowing grass growth, but warmer temperatures will certainly begin to kick grass growth into high gear within the next couple of weeks. As I am writing this, bluegrass has flowered, and IвЂ™ve seen fescue plants with flowers emerging.