Numbered Publications: ASC
ASC-169: Beef Sire Selection Manual, 2021
Darrh Bullock | Apr. 1, 2021 (Major Revision)
In principle, genetic improvement is a straight-forward exercise that results from using above-average selection candidates as the parents of the next generation. In practice, the devil is in the details. Both bull breeders and bull buyers need to consider their breeding objectives, defining the list of traits that need to be modified to advance the towards their goal.
ASC-245: Feeding Soybeans to Beef Cattle
Jeff Lehmkuhler, Katherine VanValin | Mar. 24, 2021 (New)
Various factors such as delayed planting, early frost, drought or suppressed market prices may lead one to consider feeding soybeans to cattle. Soybeans can be fed to beef cattle as an energy and protein source. Depending upon the stage of development, soybeans will have varying degrees of feed value and a feed test for nutrient content is recommended.
ASC-244: Feeding Distillery Stillage to Beef Cattle
Les Anderson, Darrh Bullock, Kevin Laurent, Jeff Lehmkuhler | Jun. 1, 2020 (New)
The growth of the bourbon industry has provided an increase in distillery byproduct feedstuffs that can be utilized by cattle as a source of energy and protein. Learning the nutritional characteristics of these feedstuffs will facilitate proper feeding, allowing for improved cattle performance.
ASC-243: Managing Dry, Open Ewes
Debra Aaron, Don Ely | Jul. 25, 2019 (New)
Ewes on vacation should remain healthy, but not become obese. Keeping them in a BCS of 1.5 to 2.0 will not be an easy chore because all they have to do is graze and deposit body fat. Limiting forage dry matter consumption to 2.0% of body weight daily through stocking rate management and rotational grazing is the best way to keep ewes from becoming excessively fat. If ewes have an optimum BCS at the beginning of nutritional flushing, and are flushed correctly, 95 to 98% of the ewes will conceive in a short period of the breeding season and lambing rate can be increased by 15 to 20% above that of less intensely managed ewes.
ASC-242: Composting Poultry Litter in Your Backyard
Jacquie Jacob, Tony Pescatore | May. 2, 2019 (New)
Keeping laying hens in the backyard is popular, but along with a daily supply of eggs, the hens also produce a large supply of manure. Fresh poultry manure has an unpleasant odor and will attract flies. Bedding material, such as pine shavings, is put down on the coop floor to help control odors and flies, but eventually the litter (manure and bedding material) needs to be replaced. While poultry manure can be an excellent fertilizer, it should not be used fresh. "Raw" manure can burn plants and may contain pathogens that could contaminate any plants being grown for consumption. Composting makes the manure safe to use as a fertilizer on any lawn or garden. Composting involves a process by which billions of beneficial soil organisms decompose the organic material. Simply piling up waste is not really composting. With the right proportions for materials, the process has minimal offensive odor and destroys most of the pathogens in the manure. Compost is both science and art.
ASC-237: Breeding Habits of the Ewe
Debra Aaron, Don Ely | Dec. 7, 2018 (New)
Reproduction is the beginning of a series of significant events involved in the production of lambs for market. Obviously, the higher the reproduction rate in ewes, the greater the chances of achieving maximum profit. A knowledge of the mating (breeding) habits of the ewe can improve the chances for higher reproductive rates, marketing more pounds of lamb per ewe, increasing the efficiency of labor use, and ultimately increasing the chances of greater profit.
ASC-238: Beginning a Sheep Operation
Debra Aaron, Don Ely | Dec. 7, 2018 (New)
Kentucky has the resources required for successful sheep production systems. The state has a vast forage production potential, under-utilized labor and facilities, and access to a well-established market. Many Kentucky farmers should consider the sheep enterprise and its benefits, particularly if they want to make more efficient use of their forages, labor, and facilities. In developing this enterprise, the following must be considered: feed supply, labor, facilities and equipment, foundation stock, and the production system.
ASC-241: Urban Poultry
Jacquie Jacob, Tony Pescatore | Dec. 4, 2018 (New)
The terms urban poultry and backyard poultry both refer to flocks kept on a residential lot. Keeping chickens in urban areas is becoming increasingly popular throughout the country. The main reasons given for keeping chickens are as pets and for egg production--pets with benefits. Small numbers of hens kept in the backyard can provide an urban family with entertainment, eggs, and fertilizer. For those with children, backyard poultry flocks can also teach them responsibility and be used for 4-H poultry projects.
ASC-240: Blanketing Horses: Do's and Don'ts
Fernanda Camargo | Nov. 1, 2018 (New)
Blanketing can be a hot-button topic among horse owners and caretakers. Some people are adamant about blanketing and some people are the exact opposite: unyielding about not-blanketing their horses in the winter. So the question remains, do horses NEED to be blanketed when the weather turns cold?
ASC-239: Warm Up Ring Etiquette
Fernanda Camargo | Oct. 24, 2018 (New)
While it is understood that the warm up ring is a chaotic place to be, warm up ring etiquette should be expected at every show, and taught in every lesson program. A good warm up is extremely important for the health of the horse, and it helps the rider and horse to get acclimated with the new environment. So in the name of having a more productive ride both in the warm up ring and then later in the show ring, there are some rules (sometimes untold rules) that everyone should follow.
