March 2011 Articles

Archives by Months

A Plan for Feeding Cattle From Now Until Spring

A Plan for Feeding Cattle From Now Until Spring? Shane Gadberry, Ph.D., Associate Professor, UofA Examining the most recently published U.S. Drought Monitor (September 7, 2010), it appears most of Arkansas is classified either abnormally dry or in a moderate drought. Based on recent phone calls regarding hay feeding and stretching short hay supplies, there are areas of the state that the ranch owners would categorize as a more severe situation. Recent rain is providing some hope for potential relief, but it hasn't sufficiently restored conditions to offset hay feeding that has already been implemented on many ranches across the state. There are several factors to consider when dealing with insufficient pasture forage and a shortage of hay.
Plan for cool-season grass production and winter annual establishment. Fertilize fescue pastures to stimulate fall production. Setting aside additional acreage for stockpiling may be hard to budget; however, stockpiled fescue quality is greater than the quality of an average fescue bale of hay. Spring calving herds are close to weaning and the beef cow's nutritional requirement is low, so consider weaning calves early and confining cows to hay until pasture conditions are restored to a grazeable state. The short canopy of warm-season grasses creates a good environment for planting wheat, rye and ryegrass. As the hours of daylight become shorter and nights cooler, warm-season forages will not be as competitive with the establishment of the annual grasses. One of the most common mistakes with managing the establishment of cool-season forages is turning cattle in too soon.
Plan to wean early. Adequate condition (body fatness) at calving is vital for a cow to be able to produce a calf each year. Weaning reduces the beef cow's nutritional requirement and gives her more time to recover body condition from weaning to calving. Early-weaned calves respond well to nutrient dense diets, so when planning a winter feeding program, partial budget the cost and returns of backgrounding early-weaned calves this winter.
Plan to compensate for hay deficiencies. Feeding hay not only leads to energy and protein deficiencies but also vitamin A deficiency when fed long term (> 3 months). Forage testing is the best method of managing protein and energy supplementation strategies. Use a free choice mineral supplement that contains vitamin A and consider a vitamin A injection if cattle are run through a chute this fall.
Plan to stretch hay supplies with alternative feedstuffs. Due to the shortage of hay on some ranches, various methods to stretch hay supplies are being considered. Planting winter annuals (0.1 acre/cow) and grazing twice per week reduced hay consumption by 13% at the Southwest Research and Extension Center in 2005. Research in Ohio and Arkansas demonstrated limit feeding high concentrate diets to cows can maintain performance but reduce winter feed cost. If you are interested in this concept, acquire FSA3036, Substituting Grain for Hay in Beef Cow Diets, from a local county Extension office. Mixtures of broiler litter and corn or soybean hulls may also be considered; however, check with the poultry feed mill to ensure nothing is being fed to the chickens that cannot be fed to beef cattle. Research in Alabama successfully demonstrated the use of rice mill feed balanced with soybean hulls as an alternative to poultry litter in growing cattle diets.
Plan to choose alternative feedstuffs wisely. During periods of short hay supplies, some cattle producers make the mistake of trying to stretch low-quality hay with cheap feed such as rice mill feed. Cheap feeds are cheap because of their lower nutritional content, and the end result is cattle sacrificing body condition, which ultimately affects reproduction. While these feeds can be effectively formulated into a complete diet, they are not effective as sole substitutes. Beware of grain choices if choosing to use grains to stretch hay supplies. Aflatoxin is being reported in the Arkansas corn crop. Purchasing corn directly off a farm comes with the danger of high moisture content and aflatoxin. Request information regarding both of these items before making the purchase. Breeding beef cattle are restricted to no more than 100 ppb aflatoxin in the diet. Many will opt to purchase hay or baled crop residue. Baled crop residue should be avoided due to its extremely low nutritional value. In addition, residues from chemicals that are routinely used on crops, such as fungicides, are not labeled for pasture or hay use. Local hay for sale often becomes scarce quickly. Hay markets in Oklahoma and Kansas are reason able; however, shipping cost must be considered. Round bales that weigh on the light side (< 1,000) will result in a payload much lighter than grain or byproduct. There are numerous options available for managing the herd besides reducing cow numbers when hay supplies are scarce. For assistance regarding any of these management strategies, contact a local county county agricultural agent.