by Dr. Jerusha Lay, DVM Heat stress can have many negative effects on not only the health of livestock but also the production. The major production losses we see come in the form of decreased weight gain, lowered milk production, increased susceptibility to diseases and, most commonly, decreased fertility. During times of extreme heat, animals tend to spend more time laying around and less time up grazing; in combination, metabolic changes create less energy available for g

The KY Farm Launch program began the second round of cohorts in March. The program is designed for beginning farmers who have land and not sure what to do with it, or people who are still looking for property but want an enterprise in mind before purchase. Cohort started the first 6 weeks learning about business structure, record keeping, tax filing, marketing, business plans, and basic requirements for vegetable, beef, and small ruminant production. In May the participants b

by Sarah Carr, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Kentucky State University Figure 1: Crossbred Boer x Kiko kid. Crossbreeding is not just randomly mixing breeds and hoping that the offspring do well. Rather, crossbreeding is a deliberate management technique that can have significant impacts on production outcomes. Generally, when implementing a crossbreeding program, the goal would be to maximize specific attributes such as carcass characteristics or material traits. Crossbreed

It's time to start planning your summer fiber adventure! The Bluegrass Yarn & Fiber Crawl returns July 24 through August 2.