January 2012 Articles

Archives by Months

Just Rambling

Just Rambling: I hope each of you had a very Merry Christmas and will have a great New Year. My Christmas and New Year thus far have been a mixed bag—oh yes, I had a great Christmas in most respects. All of my family were home, even my son, Cody, from Germany. We had several Christmas parties to attend, we ate plenty of good food and exchanged gifts, but most importantly we celebrated the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. With all of this you may be wondering why my Christmas... read more

Reviewing the Beginning 2011 Cattle Market Top Ten List

Reviewing the Beginning 2011 Cattle Market Top Ten List
Ross Pruitt, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Louisiana State University AgCenter
At the beginning of 2011, Dr. Darrell Mark of the University of Nebraska‐Lincoln offered up a top ten list for the cattle markets in 2011 in the first In the Cattle Markets of the year. (The predictions are available at the following website and searching the 2011 archive: http://www.lmic.info/memberspublic/InTheCattleMarket/CattleMktsframe.html).... read more

Cowherd Management Tips

Cowherd Management Tips
Dr. Karl Harborth, Beef Cattle Extension Specialist, LSU AgCenter
Cattleman’s New Year’s Resolution
As we prepare for the New Year, one thing that some do to start the year off is to make a list of New Year’s resolutions. While things are pretty good in the cattle industry with demand strong and supply reduced due to the drought, we can look forward to what should be a good year. While the value of our calves looks good for the next year, the cost of production... read more

La. farmers withstand drought, floods in 2011

La. farmers withstand drought, floods in 2011 Source: LSU AgCenter In a year marked by drought and floods, Louisiana farmers still managed to have a good year in 2011. Dry weather allowed for easy and efficient harvests of most crops, and overall yields were respectable despite challenges. LSU AgCenter... read more

Safety Around Horses

Safety Around Horses Mark Russell, Instructor - Equine
Whether working with a familiar gentle horse or an unfamiliar temperamental horse, safety is of the utmost importance. Horses are animals of prey, which explains many of the behaviors they demonstrate. For example, when afraid, their instincts tell them to either run or fight. Combined with a much different field of vision than humans, a hazardous situation can happen quickly. Safety and care become even more important when working with unfamiliar horses or stallions.... read more

Precipitation Patterns Over the Bayou State

Precipitation Patterns Over the Bayou State John M. "Jay" Grymes III, Climatologist (retired), Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, La
With an annual statewide-average rainfall of approximately 60 inches per year, only Hawaii receives more rain on an average statewide basis. Louisiana’s proximity to the Gulf of Mexico is the primary source for the state’s rains and makes her just slightly wetter than her central Gulf Coast sisters, Mississippi and Alabama –... read more

Redbud tree gives early flower color

Redbud tree gives early flower color By LSU AgCenter Horticulturists Dan Gill, Kyle Huffstickler and Allen Owings
Redbuds are one of our more popular early spring-flowering small trees. The most common redbud species is the Eastern redbud – Cercis canadensis –the one we primarily plant in Louisiana. Other redbuds include forms that are native to Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. Redbuds usually start flowering in mid-February in Louisiana and continue through late March.
Redbuds are very adaptable and easy... read more

Don't invite insects into homes during holidays

Don’t invite insects into homes during holidays Source: LSU AgCenter
Winter doesn’t seem like prime time for pests, but our habits around the holidays and during cold weather could bring bugs into our homes.
Christmas trees, firewood, potted plants, decorations from the attic – these all can harbor a host of insects, says LSU AgCenter entomologist Dennis Ring.
When freezes threaten, people bring in their tender potted plants – and with them, insects.
“If... read more

Mulching is good landscape practice

Mulching is good landscape practice By LSU AgCenter Horticulturists Dan Gill, Kyle Huffstickler and Allen Owings
Mulching flowers, trees and shrubs is a great sustainable landscape practice when done correctly.
Organic mulch materials, such as pine straw, pine bark, compost and chopped leaves, improve soil fertility as they decompose. In addition, mulch buffers soil temperature, keeping soils several degrees warmer in winter and cooler in summer. It can help maintain soil moisture by reducing evaporation and minimize water needs... read more

A New Use for Old Chicken Houses

A New Use for Old Chicken Houses
Raising Sheep and Lambing in Semi-Confinement Facilities in Old Chicken Houses Can Boost Lamb Supplies for Growing Markets in Eastern U.S.
The hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of out-dated chicken houses that dot the landscape throughout the Southeastern U.S. can be turned into profitable, semi-confinement sheep barns -- and help the ailing U.S. sheep industry at the same time.
It's easy to create a great lambing and finishing facility for (non-traditional) hair sheep, take advantage of market demand... read more

New National YF&R Committee Members Appointed

New National YF&R Committee Members Appointed WASHINGTON, D.C., December 14, 2011 – New members have been appointed to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s national Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee, for the 2012-2014 term beginning in March. The committee is comprised of 16 positions representing all regions of the U.S. An individual or a married couple may hold each committee position.... read more

LSU AgCenter names new director of School of Animal Science

LSU AgCenter names new director of School of Animal Sciences Gary Hay has been named the new director of the LSU AgCenter School of Animal Sciences effective Jan. 1, 2012. He had been serving as interim director since May 1, 2009, when he replaced Paul Humes, who retired on April 30, 2009 after 41 years with the AgCenter. A native of north Louisiana, Hay spent 20 years as an LSU AgCenter dairy specialist. He earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science from Louisiana Tech and his master’s degree in dairy... read more

Hay Feeding Helps Build Soil Fertility

Hay Feeding Helps Build Soil Fertility, Kenny Simon, Program Associate - Forages, University of Arkansas
Since 2009 the University of Arkansas conducted eight pasture nutrient and fertility management demonstrations. These demonstrations measured the amount of nutrients in a bale of hay then fed the hay in a manner to distribute the nutrients evenly across the field. Soil samples were collected in the designated hay feeding area before hay feeding began and again in the spring, when hay feeding was over. Records were kept on the number of bales fed... read more

Poultry Growers Gain New Protections

POULTRY GROWERS GAIN NEW PROTECTIONS
New rule issued by the USDA addresses unfair industry practices, leaves gaps A new rule issued by the Department of Agriculture protects contract poultry farmers from unfair practices, but restrictions placed on the USDA by Congress mean important sections were left out, growers and advocates say.
The rule was released this morning by the USDA Grain Inspectors, Packers and Stockyards Administration. The 2008... read more

Pigeon Fever cases in horses reported

Pigeon Fever cases in horses reported
Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., said more than 30 cases of pigeon fever in horses have been reported to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
Strain said the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine treated 10 cases of pigeon fever in horses and the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (LADDL) reported 20 positive cases from referring veterinarians. VTH estimated there were at least 100 cases in Louisiana in 2011 and... read more

Drought Assistance Possible For Livestock Producers

DROUGHT ASSISTANCE POSSIBLE FOR LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS
Livestock producers may be eligible for a payment due to the drought conditions in 2011, according to Willie Cooper, State Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency in Louisiana. All sixty-four Louisiana parishes have qualified to take applications from producers based on the U S Drought Monitor, Cooper said.
Parishes become eligible for the program when the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that a parish has been in a D2 intensity (severe drought) for 8 consecutive weeks, a D3 intensity (extreme drought)... read more

Cutting Corners

Carolyn’s Crawfish Soup
1 can mushroom soup 3 cans potato soup
8 oz cream cheese 1 pint 1/2 & 1/2
1 lb crawfish, peeled 1 stick butter
Onions Tonys
Melt cream cheese with onions and butter. Combine all ingredients, season with Tonys to taste. Cook in crock pot 3 to 4 hours.