Audio Recording

‘Up With the Chickens’ is a weekly radio program that I prerecord to play each Saturday morning on KACO 98.5.  It was recorded in Chickasha, OK at KOOL Radio Station KACO 98.5.   The radio program consists of two recordings each 13 minutes long that relate to Extension Educational Material. The radio coverage includes 3 cities in SW Oklahoma; Anadarko, Chickasha, and Lawton and also covers most of rural Caddo County. Since April of 2019 I have recorded over 100 audio programs.  The program for this communication award entry was recorded on May 15, 2019 and played on KACO 98.5 at 7 am on May 18, 2019.  Nitrate (NO3) toxicity in cattle in Caddo County, Oklahoma is a serious problem.  There are approximately 125,000 head of cattle in Caddo County which are primarily fed forage sorghum hay through the winter months. In this area forage sorghum hay can be produced quickly and cheaply and is readily available.  If the hay was over-fertilized with nitrogen and results in nitrate levels over 5,000 ppm, then serious toxicity can occur causing late term abortions in pregnant cows and with higher nitrate levels even death. During the winter months when ruminal microorganisms have not had the opportunity to adapt to high nitrate, cattle become more susceptible to nitrate toxicity. Hungry cattle in the winter months, in this condition, may consume large amounts of hay quickly.  Reports of as many as 18 head of cattle dying from eating from one 1800 lb. round bale of hay have been documented.  The purpose of this audio recording in May is to educate cattle producers in a timely basis, about the effects of over-fertilization of hay by those producing forage sorghum hay and to warn about nitrate toxicity in cattle producers who are buying or feeding forage sorghum hay.  It also covers the need and process for producers to have their hay tested.