Fall 2001



Foot and Mouth Disease

Know the Signs of FMD:

Loss of appetite
Slobbering
Lameness
Blisters on tongue, mouth and hooves

The tremendous media coverage about Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) has died down, but you need to know the facts about this disease, why it is so important that we keep it out of this country and what steps should be taken to prevent an out break on your farm.This disease could have a devastating impact on the US livestock industry.In Europe 3.8 million animals have been slaughtered since the disease broke in February, and the disease is still not under control.Of those slaughtered, there have been 2000 confirmed cases of FMD, the rest were on neighboring farms.An additional 1.5 million animals were killed for welfare reasons because movement restrictions would not allow the animals to be sent to market or to new pastures.

Foot and mouth disease, sometimes referred to as hoof and mouth disease, is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. This disease causes a severe reduction in animal performance, milk production and even death. Although this disease does not affect humans, all animals with a cloven hoof such as cattle, sheep, deer, and hogs are susceptible. The only livestock species not affected by FMD is horses.

If we were to get an outbreak it could very difficult to control. The disease can spread for miles through the air or by anything that comes in contact with infected animals. Animals can be infected by contact with contaminated water, feeds, body fluids, manure as well as fresh meat and milk products. Even semen from infected males and embryos from infected females can carry the virus. For this reason, USDA has banned all fresh animal products from nations with FMD outbreaks from entering this country. Everything on a farm that comes into contact with animals and their body fluids can be contaminated. This virus can persist on contaminated items such as clothing or equipment for up to a month and still infect animals that come into contact with it.

Nearly all of the animals that come in contact with Foot and Mouth Disease become infected and become carriers of the disease. Once infected, animals can shed the virus for months after recovery. Most mature animals can survive infection, but young animals are much more likely to be killed. There is no cure for the disease and no commercial vaccination available. There are 7 separate strains of Foot and Mouth and about 60 variations of these strains as well. There is no 7-way Foot and Mouth Vaccine available at this time, and it would be very difficult to develop one due to the numerous variations of strains. The other problem is that the vaccine does not protect animals against FMD infection; it is designed to protect animals from developing the clinical symptoms of the disease. This means that if a vaccinated animal encountered the disease in circulation, the animal could still harbor the virus for several months or years in its upper respiratory tract.

Foot and Mouth Disease causes fever and blisters in the mouth and hooves. The most obvious signs are excessive salivation or drooling and lameness. Animals will go off feed due to the sores in the mouth. The disease can cause abortions and a severe reduction in milk production. In younger animals inflammation of the heart causes severe sickness and often death.

What can we do to prevent the disease? We must protect our borders and prevent animals and fresh animal products from entering into this country. Limit visitors from other countries on tours unless they disinfect their shoes. Learn the signs of the disease (excessive slobbering and tender feet or lameness) and report anything suspicious immediately to the Department of Agriculture so that an immediate diagnosis can be made.

There is good reason for such concern in Florida and all across the US with Foot and Mouth Disease. If a tourist from England has walked on a farm before traveling to Florida, they could carry the disease on their shoes and bring it into the US. The most likely ways that the disease might be carried in is through live animals, international tourists, fresh meat, used equipment from England or Argentina, or garbage containing contaminated meat on board ships that is not properly disposed of.

If you travel, do not bring animal products back with you from other countries. Travelers should also shower and shampoo prior to and again after returning to the United States from an FMD-affected country. Launder and/or dry clean clothes before your return to the United States if possible. If you visited a farm or had any contact with livestock on your trip, you should avoid all contact with livestock, zoo animals, or wildlife for 5 days after your return to the United States. The same also goes for pets that traveled with you.

Ranchers should also take precautions to prevent this and other diseases from getting into their herds. If you have visitors, especially international guests, it would be advisable to disinfect their shoes before allowing them on the farm. The FMD virus cannot live in high or low pH (above 11 or below 6.5), so acids or bases can kill the virus on contact.

USDA recommends the following disinfectants:

Product Mixing Instructions
Household Bleach 2 gallons of bleach to 3 gallons water
Acetic Acid or Vinegar Use vinegar alone or mix 6.5 ounces of glacial acetic acid to one gallon of water
Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate) 1 pound of soda ash to 3 gallons of water
Lye (Sodium Hydroxide) add 1/3 cup of Sodium Hydorxide pellets to 1 gallon of water
Farnum’s Virkon-S Follow label directions

Soda ash can dull painted or varnished surfaces and Lye solutions are highly caustic and should not be handled without protective clothing. Always add lye to water. Never pour water over lye.

If you suspect an animal might have FMD, or have more questions about this disease, contact the State Veterinarian’s Office at 850-410-0900 or the USDA’s Animal Division in Gainesville at 352-333-3120. The USDA has also established a web page with various information relating to this disease. USDA also has a web page devoted to BSE or Mad Cow Disease.

Return to top


Factors that Affect Market Prices for Weaned Beef Calves

Marketing can be one of the most important parts of ranch management, and is a key element in determining profitability. There are many factors that affect the price received at the local livestock market and through other means of marketing calves. There are also some basic management practices that can improve the average price received for calves by preventing discounts.

One question often asked is which month is the best to sell cattle in. I calculated the average price paid for cows and calves in Florida by month over the past 12 years. On average, the highest prices were received in March and April. The lowest prices were in October and November. This is simply supply and demand. The vast majority of the cow herds in the US calve in the Spring and wean in October and November. By March and April most areas of the country do not have calves to sell, so the price goes up. Having weaned calves to sell in March and April for most ranches is not very practical, but prices over the summer are not too bad. Selling in the summer months allows ranchers in Florida to take advantage available forages and still receive better prices than they would later in the year. The main point is to avoid the periods of low prices during the year.

One way to improve the price received is by selling uniform claves. The way to gain uniformity is through a planned breeding season, a planned breeding program, and by developing a uniform breeding herd. If all of your calves are born in three months time, you will have larger groups of calves that are more similar in size to sell. This gives you more options that just selling a few at the time. You also need a true breeding program with set breeds and traits to select for. Don’t join the "Bull of the Month Club" where you change breeds or even have multiple breed bulls in with the herd. Pick breeds that fit what your ranch goals are and stick with them. Utilize heterosis (hybrid vigor) by having a planned crossbreeding system. Otherwise you end up with a mongrel or Hienz 57 breeding herd. Select replacement bulls and females that fit the pattern you are looking for. If the breeding herd is uniform in size, color, structure and conformation it only stands to reason that the calves they produce will follow. Shopping for deals may save a few dollars now, but you will lose money over the long run by trying to sell a mix matched set of calves.

Oklahoma State University had a research study of local livestock markets in Oklahoma. This study followed the prices or discounts on a number of important traits. The study was made in 1997. Prices differences (discounts) have changed since then, but I did not change the prices they used because the discounts vary from year to year depending on demand.

First let’s look at the largest price differences. The largest discounts noted in this study came from the health status of calves sold at the market. Since buyers normally don’t know the history of the animals in the sale ring, they severely discount calves that are at the greatest risk for sickness and death loss. In Oklahoma calves with rough or muddy hair coats were discounted almost 3 ¢/lb. over vigorous, healthy looking calves. Stale calves were discounted about 7 ¢/lb. and calves with bad eye (s) were discounted around 10 ¢/lb. The largest differences were for lame and sick calves that were discounted from 22-28 ¢/lb. below the average price of healthy calves.

Price Factors for Calves at the Market Differences on Calves at OK Markets in 97
Bulls vs. Steers -4 ¢/lb.
Light Muscled vs. Heavy Muscled -26 ¢/lb.
Horned vs. Dehorned -3 ¢/lb.
Very Thin vs. Avg Flesh -13 ¢/lb.
Sick/Lame vs. Healthy -22-28 ¢/lb.
Group of 2-5 vs. Single +4 ¢/lb.
Group of 6-10 vs. Single +6 ¢/lb.
11 or more vs. single +7 ¢/lb.

Oklahoma State Study of the effect of selected characteristics on the sale auction market prices of feeder cattle in Eastern Oklahoma—Smith, Gill & Bess 1997.

Gender also has an affect on the price received for calves at the markets studied. Bull calves were discounted almost 4¢/lb below the price of steers in the same weight range. Bull calves are a higher risk because they will be castrated so late and have a greater chance of infection and performance loss. These weaned bull calves also send the message to the buyer that the calves have not been vaccinated making them a riskier purchase. Heifers sold for almost 11 ¢/lb. below the value of steers. The carcass price difference for heifers however, is virtually the same as steers, so why the big discount on heifers?Heifers grow slower and less efficiently than steers, and they come into heat every 3 weeks in the feed yard making them more expensive to feed. Accidents happen, pregnancy is another problem with heifers in the feed yard, which may result in lower profits.

Castration is a simple procedure that can add value to the bull calves you produce. Steers most of the time are worth $10-20 more than bulls at 500 pounds. This difference in price for larger calves makes it affordable to hire someone to castrate calves if need be, and still come out ahead. This is a fast and simple procedure that anyone can learn to do. It can be done faster than implanting or dehorning. With a calf chute, 3 people can castrate and work 300-400 calves in a day easily. If you castrate though, make sure you allow enough time for the calves to heal prior to weaning. You do not want to add the stress of castration to the normal stress that comes from weaning and selling calves. Stress not only causes weight loss but also reduces the effectiveness of the immune system making these calves even more at risk for shipping fever or diarrhea.

The study results from Oklahoma also showed differences in the prices received based on muscling scores. Light muscled beef calves were worth 26¢/lb less than heavy muscled calves. The simplest way to improve muscling is through the bulls you buy. This is one way you do get paid for buying better bulls. You can also improve muscling in the calves sold by incorporating at least one breed in yourcrossbreeding system that is known for muscling like Charolais, Limousin, Gelbveihs or Simmental.

Another simple method to improve the price received for calves sold at the market is to dehorn. Horns cause bruises in during transportation and in working pens. They are also signs to buyers that the cattle have never vaccinated. In the Okalahoma State study, there was a 3 ¢/lb discount on the price of calves with horns. Just as with castration, make sure calves are healed before selling them. If you are not going to be able to wait 10 days before selling calves, don’t castrate or dehorn them.

This same study showed that thin and fat calves are also discounted. Calves that are very thin were discounted 13 ¢/lb, because these calves are normally sick and severely stressed. Basically, they are a risky purchase. The interesting thing the study also showed was that fat calves were also discounted 6 ¢/lb. So you don’t want to waste feed making calves fat either. Feeders and stocker operators want cattle that will gain quickly, so they want cattle that they can fatten, not necessarily those who have already gained more than their potential to do so economically. The main point here is to sell cattle in good condition, not too thin or too fat.

The most common way to improve the average price received is by selling in groups. Selling truckload lots is the best method, but you have to have at least 50,000 pounds of uniform calves to sell this way. You can sell split loads of steers and heifers, but the price will be lower than on uniform sex and weight loads. There are ways to get truckload sized groups:by selling with neighbors, through board sales or by forming co-ops that utilize video, Internet and direct sales to buyers. This type of co-operative selling takes a fair amount of organization, however.

You can also receive premiums for selling smaller groups at the local market. The idea here is that order buyers have to package together 50,000-pound load lots, so if you group calves this makes their job easier. Uniformly grouped calves make it easier for the buyers to put together calves that perform on feed more similarly. The Oklahoma study showed that even small groups of calves that are the same weight, size and sex bring premiums over selling single lots. Groups of two to five calves sold for 4 ¢/lb. more than single lots. Larger groups added more value to the calves sold in Oklahoma. Calves sold in groups of 8-10 sold for almost 6 ¢/lb more than single lots, really making it worth the trouble of sorting. If you sold 12 head of 450 pound steers one at a time using 97 prices you would have received $3910 but those same calves as a group would have sold for $4298 or $388 more. You could easily pay for sorting pens and the added labor even with a fairly small herd. This also goes back to the point of having a controlled breeding season where all of the calves are weaned at about the same age and weight.

One of the key losses to calves sold through the local market is shrinkage often called simply shrink. Weaning is very stressful to calves. They lose weight from the moment you go get them out of the pasture and separate them from the mothers. Research trials where calves were weighed at different times have shown that calves shrink as much as 6% the first 12-14 hours after weaning. As their body’s burn up the food they have eaten over the last 12 hours the shrinkage is fairly rapid. As time goes by they shrink less.

If you weaned calves on Sunday, held them in the pens overnight and then hauled them to the market on Monday to sell later that afternoon (28 hours later), you can expect them to have lost at least 7% less of their original weight when they actually go across the scale in the sale ring. So, a calf that weighed 450 pounds on the ranch would sell weighing 419 pounds the next afternoon. Every method of selling factors in shrinkage, but most on farm sales, video or Internet sales are based on 2-3%, where as at the market it varies based on the time it takes to get the calf from the cow to the ring.

The bottom line here is to sell as quickly after weaning as possible. The convenience of taking calves to the market a day ahead, or weaning them and holding them for the next day may cost more than it is worth. If you don’t take anything else from this article, here is a simple way to increase the value of your calves through added weight gain. Growth implants can return $7-8 for every dollar spent. There are very few other management practices that can provide better returns. Most implants are effective for 90-120 days depending on the product you buy. Implants increase the amount of growth hormone produced by the animal and increase the rate of gain from 4-8% on calves over 3 months of age. You can even re-implant calves at or near weaning and get further increased gains. Cleanliness is a key to how well they work. Use iodine on a sponge to wipe the implant gun after each calf. Implants delay puberty to some degree, so if you know which heifers are going to be kept for replacements, it is not advisable to implant them. Most ranchers don’t know when they work their calves at 4 months of age which heifers will be kept, so they implant all the heifers. You definitely would not want to re-implant replacement heifers at weaning time.

The take home message is to sell calves and cows in the spring and summer to avoid low prices; and to optimize the price received by selling healthy calves in uniform groups, dehorning, castrating, using growth implants, while minimizing shrinkage as much as possible. These are proven methods that can improve the price received for calves in any sized herd.

Return to top


Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus Hit North Florida Horses Hard This Year

This weather this year has been strange. This spring was very dry, but then the tropical storm came through and things went from very dry to wet in the low-lying areas in a hurry. With this drastic change came a fast increase in the mosquito populations that serve as a vector for two devastating diseases that affect horses. Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV) are viral diseases that are spread by mosquitoes. The mosquitoes become infected when they first feed on infected wild birds and then later on horses. These viruses are not spread from horse to horse, but are carried by the biting mosquitoes. Both of these diseases are somewhat similar in the way they are transmitted and with the symptoms of the disease. EEE and WNV cause a swelling of the brain. Symptoms of the diseases include:wobbly gait or staggering, weakness, difficulty in rising after lying down, depression or listlessness, facial paralysis or twitching, teeth grinding, blindness, and fever in about 1/3 of the cases.

Of the two diseases, EEE is the most life threatening, but both diseases have killed a number of horses in Florida this year. As of September 27, there have been 106 confirmed cases of West Nile Virus in Florida and 32 confirmed cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitus. Another 137 horses are suspected to be infected with eiter EEE or WNV. Most of these cases have been in the Panhandle. These diseases are also a threat to people. Horses are much more commonly infected, but 7 cases of WNV and 3 cases of EEE have been diagnosed in people this year in Florida.

There is no treatment for these viruses once infected. The horses simply have to fight them off, so older and very young horses are most at risk of death. Veterinarians can prescribe treatments for the symptoms to lessen the severity of the infection, but ultimately the horse’s immune system has to fight off the disease. Still, you should call a vet as soon as you suspect an infection. Early detection may be the only way to save the horse’s life.

So what should you do to prevent these diseases in your horses and your family?The horses can be protected through vaccination. EEE vaccines can be purchased at most any livestock supply dealer. The Department of Agricutlture is recommending giving 3 EEE shots annually, instead of 2, due to the concentration of the disease in our area. If you have not vaccinated your horse within the last year, you will want to also give a booster shot 3 weeks later. Viral vaccinations require two doses initially 21 days apart to be effective, so the horse is not protected until it gets the booster shot. Recently a WNV vaccine was released for use in Florida. This vaccine is currently only available through a veterinarian. If you have not already vaccinated your horses, contact your vet and do so immediately. Again you will need to provide a booster shot to protect your horses this first time. The EEE vaccine provides no protection against WNV and vise versa, so you will need to purchase both to adequately protect your horses. As with any vaccine, protection is not 100%. Use of permethrin based repellents is still a good preventative measure as well.

Currently there is no vaccination for use in humans, so the only protection we have is to avoid exposure to mosquitoes and to use repellents when outdoors, especially around dawn and dusk. Any thing that holds water around the house or barn should be kept dry or cleaned out frequently to prevent mosquitoes from hatching out. With the cooler weather the numbers of mosquitoes has declined, but they are still around. Our area is still under a medical alert for these diseases.

Return to top


Forage Notes

Ann Blount, Forage Agronomist, NFREC

Cool Season Variety Recommendations for Pastures or Wildlife Food Plots

There is tremendous interest in wildlife forages nationally, but Florida lends itself to a different set of challenges for successful cool season forage or food plot plantings. Our light, sandy soils, hot and humid summers, and distinct seasonal droughts make our selections of forages for cattle or wildlife unique and challenging to suit our climate. We recommend using adapted varieties developed for our particular growing conditions. We also suggest the use of forage blends to increase the longevity and stability of grazing, or to supply variety to suit multiple wildlife components.

Cool Season Legumes

Winter legumes are more dependable on the heavier clay soils of northwest Florida or on sandy soils that are underlain by a clay layer as compared to deep upland sands or sandy flatwoods. But, white clover and ryegrass overseeded can also be grown successfully on certain flatwoods areas in Northeast Florida.

Inoculation of any legumes used is very important since you do not want to unnecessarily have to supply nitrogen when legume plants will manufacture what they need if the proper inoculant (Rhizobium bacteria) is used. Many clovers and alfalfas come pre-inoculated. This is when the proper bacterial culture has already been applied to the seed in a clay-coating. If the legumes that you intend to use are not pre-inoculated, there are commercially available inoculants that are specific to each legume variety. Using a sticker to make the inoculant adhere to the seed is important (sugar water or soft drink will suffice). Purchase the inoculant and sticker when the seed are obtained. The inoculant is heat sensitive, so keep it refrigerated or in a cool storage area until used. Also, it is advisable to use fresh inoculant each year, as the viability of the bacterial may have declined.

Crimson Clover – This is a well-adapted legume for north Florida. It is an excellent forage producer and can reseed itself each year, if weather conditions permit. It is an annual clover that is adapted to fertile, well-drained soil. Of the clovers, it appears to be the least sensitive to soil pH. It has a relatively short grazing season, so it may be grown in combination with ryegrass, clovers or a small grain crop to extend the period of forage availability. Recommended varieties are Flame, Dixie, Chief, Tibbee, and AU-Robin.

Red Clover - is a winter annual under most north Florida conditions, but some reseeding may occur. Similar to Alfalfa, non-dormant (or low dormancy) varieties are recommended. Red clover does not tolerate flooding, and the Florida variety Cherokee, appears to be very well adapted to north Florida. Recommended varieties are Cherokee, Kenland, and Redland III. (Cherokee, developed in Florida, is an earlier and higher yielding cultivar.)

Alfalfa – This high quality legume is usually grown as a winter annual in Florida. Several new varieties have been selected under grazing by cattle and are low-dormancy types. Low dormancy means that the alfalfa will sprout and grow in our mild winter climate. Many food plot blends sold commercially include mid or high dormancy type alfalfas which do not grow well in the southern U.S. Alfalfa requires adequate soil pH of 6.5-6.8, high soil fertility and good management, which makes it often difficult to manage in wildlife food plot situations. It will not tolerate flooding or a high water table. Alfalfa’s acreage is low in Florida, because of these cost and management requirements. Recommended varieties are Florida 99, Alfagraze and Amerigraze 702.

Arrowleaf Clover - is an annual that is similar to crimson clover in soil adaptation, management and fertility requirements. It is mainly grown on heavier soils in Northwest Florida. It makes more growth in late spring than crimson. Recommended variety is Yuchi.

White Clover – White clover in Florida is usually a winter annual, but may act as a short-term perennial under optimum fertility and moisture conditions. It spreads quickly by stolons and is a good reseeder. It is adapted to moist soils throughout Florida. Nematodes and other pests can limit production. Recommended varieties are Osceola (developed in Florida), Louisiana S-1, and Regal Ladino.

Berseem and other miscellaneous clovers – There are many other small seeded clovers including roes, Berseem, hop, bur, subterranean and ball clover, which will work fairly well for wildlife food plots. Seed availability or high seed costs may be limiting factors. Generally these clovers produce less forage than crimson, white, arrowleaf and red clover and have a short duration growing season. Several types do reseed well in north Florida, particularly the ball and hop clovers.

Lupine - is an annual adapted to well-drained soils in North and West Florida. It is an excellent cover crop. In recent years seed supply has been low, and production has been limited by diseases and insects. Only sweet varieties are suitable for forage. Recommended varieties are Tifblue, Tifwhite, and Frost.

Vetch – Vetch grows best on well-drained, fertile, loamy soils. It has a spreading, viney growth habit and is an annual plant. The plant does reseed itself fairly well. Seed and foliage are consumed by many wildlife species. Recommended varieties are Cahaba White, Hairy, Common, and AU-Early Cover.

Winter Peas - This annual legume is best suited to well-drained soils with high clay content. They typically are not very cold hardy. Austrian is the recommended variety.

Cool Season Grasses

Cool season grasses generally include ryegrass and the small grains: wheat, oats, rye, and triticale (a man-made cross of wheat and rye). There are distinct differences between ryegrass and rye, although they are both often called "rye". Ryegrass is Lolium multiflorum, which is a very small seeded grass, and which grows in the winter and early spring. It naturally reseeds itself if not heavily grazed. Rye is Secale cereale, a small cereal grain similar to wheat in appearance and time of seasonal growth. It has a fairly large kernel and forage production is generally late fall and winter.

Oats - May be planted and grazed by wildlife earlier than rye. When seeded in mid-fall they should produce very palatable forage by late fall. Oats are not as cold hardy as rye or wheat and may be susceptible to freeze injury. It is important to choose recommended oat varieties. Many "feed" oats are sold and planted as "seed" oats, but often they do not have a guarantee on the percent germination and also may not have any resistance to the heavy disease pressure in Florida, particularly to rust and virus. Seeds from oats are often consumed by a number of wild game species in the spring. Recommended varieties are Florida 502, Florida 501, and Coker 820 for early season grazing. Horizon 314, Chapman, Harrison, Terral Secretariat LA495, Coker 227, Ozark, AR-County Seeds 833, 811,and LA604 for winter and spring grazing. Horizon 314 is a relatively new variety that has improved crown rust resistance, winter hardiness, and good grain and forage production for our area.

Rye - Rye is widely used for winter grazing for cattle, but may be grazed by deer as well. Rye is more cold tolerant than oats and generally produces more forage than either oats or wheat. Rye should not be planted as early as oats because of several disease problems that may occur in the early fall. It is best to wait until cool weather begins to plant. Choose locally developed varieties of rye, as rye from northern states will produce little forage in late fall or early winter, and will usually be severely damaged by leaf rust. Recommended varieties are Florida 401 and Florida Black for late fall and early winter grazing. Wrens 96, Florida 402, Wrens Abruzzi, Bates, Elbon, Bonel, Oklon, Maton, Pennington Wintergraze 70, Gurley Grazer 2000, and Grazemaster for winter and spring grazing. (Wrens 96, a recent cultivar release, is a good seed producer in Florida. Maton, Elbon, Bonel, or Oklon are very poor seed producers.)

Wheat – Wheat is an excellent winter grazing and seed producer for wildlife in the area. It is a very winter hardy grain and when early planted, it can be grazed in late fall. It is similar to oats in yield and palatability. Wheat should not be planted for grazing before October 15. Plant only Hessian fly resistant varieties, as early fall plantings may be infected by the Hessian fly which will result in stunted plants and loss of forage and seed production. Seed of wheat are excellent for wild birds. Recommended varieties for grazing are AGS 2000, Pioneer 26R61, Florida 304, Pioneer 2684, Coker 9835, Roberts, GA-Gore, GA-Dozier. AGS 2000 and Pioneer 26R61 are two new varieties available for the first time in 2000, and they have performed very well in cool-season variety testing.

Ryegrass - Ryegrass is a valuable and hardy forage crop for use on flatwoods soils or the heavier sandy loam soils in northwest Florida. Ryegrass may be seeded alone or with a small grain on a prepared seedbed or overseeded onto permanent grass pastures. Seeding ryegrass with small grains and clover lengthens the seasonal availability. Recommended varieties are Jumbo, Florlina, Surrey, Jackson, Magnolia, Rio, Southern Star, Big Daddy, TAM 90, Paseral Plus, Rustmaster, Stampede, Fantastic, Graze-N-Gro, King, and Prine. (Other new varieties may be suitable but have not been adequately tested in Florida.)

Triticale - This is a very high quality, robust small grain that resulted from a cross of wheat and rye. It is very well adapted to north Florida, has good disease and insect resistance and grows well even when late planted in December and January. Seed availability may be limited because seed production is scarce. Recommended varieties include Sunland and Florico.

Recommended Forage Blends for Cattle or Deer

UF-Best Bang for your Buck-#1

64 lbs (2 bu) oats

16 lbs ryegrass

6 lbs red clover

14 lbs crimson clover

UF-Best Bang for your Buck-#2

64 lbs (2 bu) oats

60 lbs (1 bu) wheat

6 lbs red clover

14 lbs crimson clover

UF-Double Threat (for upland sites)

8 lbs red clover

14 lbs crimson clover

UF-Triple Threat (for lowland sites)

2 lbs white clover

6 lbs red clover

4 lbs arrowleaf clover

(*use recommended varieties listed above)

Return to top