News — summer

Nitrate Poisoning: What Livestock Producers Need to Know Submitted by: Gilbert Barrett   As we move through the growing season, livestock producers acrossNortheast Georgia and the Southeast should remain aware of the risk of nitratepoisoning in both grazed and harvested forages. While nitrate accumulation is oftenassociated with drought-stressed crops, several common forage species can developdangerous nitrate levels under a variety of growing conditions. Forages Most Commonly Associated with Nitrate AccumulationSeveral warm-season annual grasses are particularly prone to accumulating nitrates,including:SorghumSudangrassSorghum-Sudangrass HybridsJohnsongrassPearl MilletCrabgrassHowever, producers should not overlook perennial forages. Under certain conditions,nitrate levels can also become elevated in:Tall FescueBermudagrassAnnual RyegrassSmall Grains such as...

FLY CONTROL INCLUDES A MULTI-STEP PLAN I love the growing season, but one thing I really dislike about late spring and summer are FLIES!  Flies are annoying because they invade your personal space and will even bite you.  There is no one practice or a magic wand to make them go away, but there are some practices we can implement to help minimize their adverse affect on our cattle herds.   Biting flies are carriers of such diseases as anaplasmois and bovine leukosis virus.  Face flies can spread Moraxella Bovis which causes pinkeye.  The economic loss from each horn fly biting...