November 2013 Articles

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Plant Winter Annual Forages for Wintering Beef Cattle Even When You “Have Ple

Plant Winter Annual Forages for Wintering Beef Cattle Even When You “Have Plenty of Hay”
Source: Dr. Paul Beck, Professor, University of Arkansas
In the last three years, record acres of winter annuals (small grains like wheat, brassicas like turnips and/or annual ryegrass) have been planted by producers for wintering beef cattle due to hay and forages shortages related to the drought. Benefits identified by producers include reduced hay use, no need for concentrate supplements, improved cow body condition, stronger, faster growing calves and reduced total cost of wintering the herd compared to past years.
Summer this year has been kinder to us, at least in Southern Arkansas, and hay crop yields have been excellent. So, many producers have decided against planting winter annuals...because “they have plenty of hay.” If you notice, the list of benefits of winter annual forages includes several other benefits along with reducing hay needs...these benefits are just as real and just as important when you have plenty of hay.
The hay harvested in Arkansas generally is more deficient in digestibility and energy content than protein content. Analysis of over 500 hay samples from across Arkansas over the last three years indicates that crude protein is deficient for dry pregnant cows in only 10% of hays sampled, yet energy
is deficient for dry pregnant cows in 25% of hays sampled. For lactating cows, 40% of hay samples are deficient in crude protein and 75% are deficient in energy. This is because hays produced in Arkansas are usually introduced forage species that naturally contain moderately high protein levels but also have naturally high fiber content that decreases digestibility and thus energy content.
Winter annual pastures contain very high crude protein content (20% to 30%) and are very high in digestibility (75% to 90%). Although the protein of these forages is not usually required by our cows, the energy content can be used to supplement the low energy in our hays to meet the cows’ requirements.
When we just need to supplement beef cows fed low-quality

hay, we can plant 1/3 to 1/2 acre per cow of winter annuals and limit graze cows on these pastures two to three days per week while also providing free choice hay. As forage production increases in the late winter and early spring and cow requirements increase, cows can be allowed to graze more frequently to meet requirements and utilize extra forage. By early April, cows can be allowed fulltime free access to winter annual pastures and hay feeding can be discontinued. This program can meet the requirements of lactating cows with very high nutrient requirements even if fed low-quality hay. This will decrease total hay needs by about 25% and save $30/cow.
Management of cows in this program is surprisingly easy. Cows get the idea quickly. When you show up in the morning and open the gate to the winter annual pasture, they will often be waiting for you. In the afternoon when you want to remove them from pasture, the cows will readily leave the pasture when hay is offered and very little ‘cowboying’ is required. Winter annual pastures are very high in moisture and low in fiber, and cows will crave dry hay in many cases. Cows’ grazing behavior also changes with limit grazing. As cows learn they are on pasture for a short time, they will start grazing as soon as they enter a pasture and graze as rapidly as possible with very little selectivity of grazing.
Even with plenty of hay, there are still multiple benefits to planting winter annuals. Cost is usually much less than for purchased supplements...and you don’t have to drive a pickup into pastures to deliver it to the cows.