NC Cooperative Extension Service


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER EXTENSION CONNECTIONS 2002

Martha Judge Retires
Drought Assistance Approved for Livestock Producers
Revised Private Pesticide Application Rules
Acorn Poisoning in Cattle
Blue Tongue in Deer
Turkey Basic: Safe Thawing
Holiday Stain Removal
ECA Highlights
4-H/Youth Development
Fresh Cut Christmas Trees from Start to Finish
Plan Your Spring Bulb Garden Now
Energy Savers Quick Tips
Parents and Communities Together
Calendar of Events

Martha Judge

Martha Judge Retires

Martha Perry Judge, Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent, retired on September 30 with 29 years of service.

She has worked her entire professional career in Randolph County helping folks by teaching them about nutrition and wellness, family resource management, and budgeting. She most recently received the National Distinguished Service Award. We wish her luck in all new endeavors!

We hope to fill the Family & Consumer Science position. During the vacancy, our staff will be glad to help provide the information you need.



Congratulations to Shane Whitaker, Extension Advisory council member, on his selection to attend the 2002/2004 Phillip Morris Agricultural Leadership Development Program! The eleven session program is conducted by five Land Grant Universities in the south with NC State University leading. In addition to leadership development, the program focuses on public policy, global agriculture production & marketing, technology, and current research and development.

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Agriculture and Natural Resources

Extension Agents Barry Foushee and Troy Coggins

Drought Assistance Approved for Livestock Producers

On September 19, 2002, USDA Secretary of Agriculture announced the Livestock Compensation Program (LCP) to provide assistance to certain livestock producers experiencing severe 2001 and 2002 crop year feed and pasture losses because of drought. The following are eligible livestock: Beef Cattle, Buffalo, Beefalo, Dairy Cattle, Sheep and Goats and must have been owned a minimum of 90 calendar days and June 1, 2002 must be within the 90-calendar-day ownership period. Beef and dairy animals must weigh over 500 pounds as of June 1, 2002. Also, livestock that were sold or died after June 1, 2002, and that meet the requirements are eligible.

Following are specific criteria for the type of livestock:

Ineligible livestock include the following:

Sign up for LCP began October 1, 2002 and will continue until an ending date is announced. To sign up you must go by the FSA Office in the Federal Building at the corner of Sunset Avenue and Church Street. This program is NOT administered through the Extension Office. If you have any questions about the program please do not call our office, call the FSA Office at 629-4449.

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Revised Private Pesticide Application Rules
by Troy Coggins
Effective - October 1, 2002
There are two major private pesticide applicator rule changes that affect the private pesticide applicators of North Carolina:
  1. Farmers applying for initial private applicator certification to purchase and apply restricted use pesticides will be required to pass a written examination to prove competency. Any currently certified applicator will not be required to test so long as he or she maintains there certification.
  2. Farmers applying for renewal of their private applicator certification will need an additional two hours of recertification credits, making a total of four hours of training being required every three years.

The question that most private applicators are asking is when and where can I get this additional 2 hours of credit. The goal of this rule change is for applicators to get specialize training that best suits the reason he or she is certified. If you produce corn, soybeans, small grains or tobacco then you would obtain this additional 2 hours of training by attending a Tobacco or Corn/Soybean/Small Grain production meeting, tour, or field day. If this is you and you are not currently receiving my (Troy E. Coggins) newsletter for Corn, Soybean, and Small Grain growers, and/or Tobacco growers, you should contact Rita Wheeler, (336)318-6000, and ask her to add your name and address to the appropriate mailing list. I know there must be several Randolph County farmers that need to be added to one or both of these lists. You will then receive notification of events that will focus on specific commodity information and offer pesticide credits.

What if you are not a tobacco grower, or do not produce corn, soybeans, or small grains and have no interest in these crops? If you are a livestock producer (cattle, horses, sheep, etc.) or have forage crops (hay and pasture), contact Barry Foushee (336)318-6007, and ask him to place you on the appropriate mailing list. If your interest is fruits, vegetables, or ornamental plants, you should contact Amy-Lynn Bartel (336)318-6003 and ask her to place you on the appropriate mailing list. If you are a bee keeper, I would encourage you to join the local beekeepers club. If you are uncertain if you are on a mailing list that you wish to be on, go ahead and call to make sure. We want everyone to have the appropriate opportunity for training.

Private applicators are not limited as to where this training can be received. If you want to see what classes are available across the state for obtaining the additional hours of recertification credits, you can check out the following website: http://www.ncagr.com/fooddrug/pesticid/recert.htm

All private applicators should check their blue certification cards. Look for the “expiration date” in the bottom right-hand corner. If the expiration date reads 12/31/03 or later, then you must attend a 2-hour pesticide safety class and two hours of “private applicator specialty training” before September 30 of the expiration year to meet the new certification requirements. If you cannot locate your certification card or the expiration date is no longer readable on the card, then call the NCDA & CS Pesticide Section at 919-733-3556 to determine your status. If you have additional questions, please contact Troy E. Coggins in the Randolph Office at (336)318-6000 or in the Davidson office at (336)242-2083.

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ACORN POISONING IN CATTLE By Barry Foushee

There is a big acorn crop throughout the area this year because of the drought and there could be potential for poisoning of cattle this fall. Producers may encounter sick and/or dead cows or calves if the animals have access to oaks and are eating acorns. The poisoning develops about 4 days after an animal has eaten a large amount of acorns. Acorns cause a problem in some animals in any year because certain animals seem to love eating them, even when grass is good.

Generally, cows and large calves will be directly affected, but baby calves also appear to be affected through the milk and possibly before birth. Acorns can cause little or no milk in fall calving cows. Affected cattle will first show signs of constipation, followed by an abnormal (dark or yellowish) colored thick diarrhea, sometimes with blood. Most cattle that have the advanced gastrointestinal problems will loose condition rapidly, and have a starved, rough, “humped up” appearance with a diarrhea stained tail and rump.

In a mild case, gastrointestinal distress may be the only result, and the affected animals will sometimes recover. In severe cases, kidney damage occurs, and animals can die within several days. Severely affected calves may be found laying away from the herd, and are dull and listless. If a calf dies, it is critical to get a necropsy to rule out other factors that can kill large calves, such as blackleg. Sick cows should be blood tested to rule out anaplasmosis because symptoms can be similar, and occur at the same time of year.

The toxic compound in acorns seems to be related to tannic acid, and is thought to be a Gallo tannin. One mystery is why cattle can be poisoned, when hogs, deer and squirrels seem to not be affected. Hogs or squirrels are known to shell acorns and because the toxin is concentrated in the shell, this may explain their resistance to poisoning. They may also learn (or may be naturally select) to not eat too many.

A grain/protein based supplement containing 10% calcium hydroxide (hydrated or slaked lime) and fed at a rate of 4 lbs/hd/day for cows and 2 lbs/hd/day for calves has been used to prevent the poisoning. This has helped in some situations, but not in others, and probably should not be an alternative to designing a program to keep cattle from eating acorns. If pastures contain a substantial number of oaks, the trees should either be removed or fenced out. An alternative would be set up a management program that will keep cattle off those pastures from the time acorns start to fall, until several weeks after the leaves have fallen. Treatment is to get animals off of acorns. If kidney damage has occurred, recovery is rare, but animals may be saved if they are gotten up and fed a low ration in protein.

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Blue Tongue in Deer by Barry Foushee

Since the recent outbreak of blue tongue in deer I have had questions about whether it can affect cattle and other domestic ruminants (sheep and goats). Here is what I have found out from the virologist at Rollins Lab and also a wildlife biologist: