TOPEKA, Kan. — Educational sessions for the August 24 Kansas Livestock Association/Kansas State University Ranch Management Field Day near Eskridge will focus on using late-season burning to control sericea lespedeza, tips for managing external parasites for cattle and enhancing wildlife habitat on ranches. The event will be held on the Gunbarrel Ranch, owned and operated by Joe and Norma Hoagland, their son, Dirck, his wife, Natalie, and their two children, Dayton and Reed.
Located in the Flint Hills, controlling sericea lespedeza is extremely important to preserving the health of the native prairie that supports the ranch’s commercial cow-calf and stocker operation. Therefore, the Hoagland family has been working with K-State extension beef cattle nutrition and management specialist KC Olson to study how the use of late-season burning may help combat the invasive plant species. Olson also is analyzing the impact burn time may have on average daily gain of stocker calves. He will discuss his research and walk field day attendees through a pasture where late-season burning has been utilized.
Cassandra Olds, assistant professor in the department of entomology at K-State, will be on hand to break down various external parasite management methods for cattle. Flies, ticks and other external parasites not only are an annoyance, but also can have a substantial economic impact if not properly managed. Olds will take an in-depth look at cost concerns and the realistic expectations for each management practice.
Enhancing wildlife habitat on the Gunbarrel Ranch has been a priority for the Hoagland family, who has worked closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) on several projects. USFWS Fish and Wildlife Biologist Greg Kramos, KDWP Small Game Coordinator Kent Fricke and KDWP District Wildlife Biologist Darin Porter will discuss what has been developed on the ranch, as well as various other concepts and financial incentives available to improve and preserve wildlife habitat on any operation.
To round out the program, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Jerry Bohn, a farmer and feeder from Pratt, will give an update on industry issues being discussed in Washington, D.C., including cattle marketing and tax policy.
The field day at Gunbarrel Ranch will begin with registration at 3:00 p.m. and include a free beef dinner at 6:30 p.m. All livestock producers and others involved in the business are invited to attend.
To get to the event site from Eskridge, head south on Allen Road for 1 mile, then turn west (right) onto Old K-4 Road for 5 miles. (This will include a curve south and west.) The tent will be set up on the south (left) side of the road. Directional signs will be posted. For exact GPS coordinates or more information, go to www.kla.org and click on Events & Meetings.
Other field days in the 2021 series will be held August 17 at the Deseret Ranches’ “Kuhn Ranch” near Satanta and August 19 at Roth Farm and Ranch of Sterling. All the field days are sponsored by the Farm Credit Associations of Kansas.
KLA is a trade organization representing the business interests of independent beef producers at the state and national levels. Members of the association are involved in all segments of the livestock industry, including cow-calf production, backgrounding, cattle feeding, swine, dairy and sheep.
— Kansas Livestock Association
For more news from Kansas, click here.