LEXINGTON, Ky. -- There are many fall grazing conferences which focuses on crops, soils, weather……you name it. The upcoming Kentucky Fall Grazing Conference has a completely different slant – that of low-stress livestock handling.

Cattle producers have two opportunities this fall to learn more about low-stress livestock handling during the Kentucky Fall Grazing Conference Oct. 31 at the Hardin County Extension office in Elizabethtown, Ky., and Nov. 1 at the Fayette County Extension office in Lexington.

Keynoting the talks will be Curt Pate, a low-stress livestock handling expert, who will discuss his unique focus on how to reduce stress in grazing systems.

 “Low-stress cattle handling is a new connotation, but it’s actually not new,” Pate said. “People have been at it since Biblical times. Back then they were good stockmen and handled their stock in a good way. Low-stress makes an incredible difference in the quality of life for the animal and the producer.”

Pate said the core of his work is attempting to show cattle producers how to take advantage of some of the natural instincts of cattle.

“A lot of people call this low-stress livestock handling and that’s kind of a pretty term, a nice term, but that doesn’t really do anything for me. Effective stockmanship is what I try to call it. There are certain things you can do to make cattle work well and there are certain things you can do that don’t make them work well. And that’s what I try to get people to understand.

 “I think most farmers and ranchers do think about the stress in their animals. The more progressive they are the more they think about it. It not. With our management practices we can help our animals so they eat more, won’t be stressed when humans come around, so they ruminate more. There’s something to say about having cattle that aren’t afraid of you so they’re a lot better physically. Just like humans, when we’re relaxed and in a good frame of mind life is much better and we’re much more productive. Farmers and ranchers need to read their animals and try to learn what they are trying to ask for or telling them, then provide those needs.”

 Pate says he gives roughly 100 such talks a year about low-stress handling in cattle.

 “My life has been a life learning about livestock from cattlemen, cowboys, cow buyers, rodeo stock contractors, rodeo coaches, rodeo cowboys, butchers, hog farmers, sheep herders, sheep farmers, dairy farmers, plus more than I can remember,” Pate said. “I not only learned about livestock, but also about all kinds of different styles of management or many types of agricultural operations.”

 Four other speakers will take the podium as well, including Lewis Sapp, a national recognized fencing expert with extensive experience in both temporary and permanent fencing systems.

 Jeff Lehmkuhler, a University of Kentucky beef specialist and award-winning extension educator with more than 20 years of experience, will talk about designing flexible watering systems.

 Chris McBurney is a livestock facilities expert with more than 25 years or experience in designing, fabricating and installing livestock facilities throughout the eastern United States.

 Greg Brann, owner of Big Spring Farm in Allen County in Kentucky, has more than 40 years of experience and extensive knowledge of grassland ecosystems, grazing management, and mixed-species grazing.

 A hot topic, speakers say, might be that of rotational grazing systems.

 “Rotational grazing systems require producers to move animals on a regular schedule,” said Chris Teutsch, associate professor for the UK Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. “It is critical that we have infrastructure in place that facilitates animal movement that reduces stress on both the animal and producer.”

Events at each location starts with registration at 7:30 a.m. and runs until 3:30 p.m. Participants should pre-register. Advance registration is $45 per person, and $60 on the day of registration. Student registration is $15.

 For more information email info@kfgc.org or call 513-470-8171.