getting the most out of your forage acres - mu …extension.missouri.edu/ozark/documents/getting the...

Getting the Most out of Your Forage Acres

Robert Kallenbach

University of Missouri

Forage-Livestock Systems are Complex

So…Is 365 Days ofGrazing Possible?

• Perhaps, but it takes substantial management

• Variations in weather make it more difficult

some years

• Might not always be the most cost effective

Getting the Most out of Forage

• Avoid over stocking

Stocking Rates

• Prepare a pasture

growth budget

• Monitor forage

production

• Overstocking can

be costlyApr Jun Aug Oct Dec Feb

Fall-calving

Spring-calving

• Understand what nutrients your stock need and when

they need them

Pasture Budgeting

• What do you expect from your pasture?

– When do you expect to get it?

– How do you plan to deal with deficits in forage production?

– How are you going to deal with excess forage production?

Tall Fescue MonocultureFeed Budget for a Stocker Operation

Number of stockers 400.0 % of Farm Acres

Number of acres 400.0 100% 400

Beginning weight of stocker calves (lb) 450.0

Expected average daily gain (lb/d) 2.0

Start date of grazing 4/1/2005

End date of grazing 9/1/2005

Total 100% 400

GRAZING WEDGE Lbs. of Dry Matter Grown Per Day Per Acre (Conservative Estimate)

1-Apr 15-Apr 1-May 15-May 1-Jun 15-Jun 1-Jul 15-Jul 1-Aug 15-Aug

Tall Fescue 20 50 80 70 60 50 40 15 5 5

TOTAL FOR DAY 8,000 20,000 32,000 28,000 24,000 20,000 16,000 6,000 2,000 2,000

TOTAL FOR PERIOD 120,000 300,000 480,000 420,000 360,000 300,000 240,000 90,000 30,000 30,000

Expected Dry Matter Intake/Calf/Day 18.9 20.1 21.4 22.6 24.0 25.2 26.5 27.7 29.1 30.3

Lbs. Dry Matter Needed for calves daily 7560 8030 8568 9038 9610 10080 10618 11088 11659 12130

Lbs. Dry Matter Needed for calves/period 113400 120456 128520 135576 144144 151200 159264 166320 174888 181944

Grass Surplus/Deficit (daily) 440 11970 23432 18962 14390 9920 5382 -5088 -9659 -10130

Grass Surplus/Deficit (period) 6600 179544 351480 284424 215856 148800 80736 -76320 -144888 -151944

Forage

Tall Fescue

Forage balance = 447 tonsExcess to be harvested = 634 tonsExcess to be fed back = 187 tons

Monitor Pasture Growth

• Look at the entire system weekly

– Does pasture growth meet your expectations?

• Some folks even measure it.

– How do current weather forecasts alter growth for the next week to two weeks?

– How has your system responded historically at this time of year?

Pasture Monitoring Website

http://plantsci.missouri.edu/grazingwedge/

Provides:• Daily forage growth rate

• Forage available on farm for grazing

• Real-time feedback on grazing management

Helps producers manage:• Pasture rotation

• Hay or silage making operations

• Supplemental feed

• Fertilizer

Pasture Monitoring Website Reports

• Choose the right species

• 70 to 85% of grazing area in cool-season

grass/legume mixture

• 15 to 30% of grazing area in warm-season species

Cool Season Grasses

Apr Aug OctJun

Feb Dec

Tall Fescue

Orchardgrass

Smooth Bromegrass

50/50 Tall Fescue/Smooth BromegrassFeed Budget for a Stocker Operation

Beginning weight of stocker calves (lb) 450.0 50% 200

Total 100% 400

Tall Fescue 20 50 80 70 60 50 40 15 5 5

Smooth Bromegrass 20 50 80 80 50 30 20 15 5 5

TOTAL FOR DAY 8,000 20,000 32,000 30,000 22,000 16,000 12,000 6,000 2,000 2,000

TOTAL FOR PERIOD 120,000 300,000 480,000 450,000 330,000 240,000 180,000 90,000 30,000 30,000

Forage

Tall Fescue

Smooth Bromegrass

Nitrogen for Cool-season grasses

April August OctoberJune

100% Tall Fescue + 60 lb/acre N in SpringFeed Budget for a Stocker Operation

Total 100% 400

Tall Fescue + 60 lb N 70 110 125 110 95 70 40 15 5 5

TOTAL FOR DAY 28,000 44,000 50,000 44,000 38,000 28,000 16,000 6,000 2,000 2,000

TOTAL FOR PERIOD 420,000 660,000 750,000 660,000 570,000 420,000 240,000 90,000 30,000 30,000

Forage

Tall Fescue + 60 lb N

Cool Season Grass with Legumes

Apr Aug OctJun

Feb Dec

Tall Fescue Red Clover

White Clover

Lespedeza

70/30 Tall Fescue/Red Clover Feed Budget for a Stocker Operation

Total 100% 400

Tall Fescue 20 50 80 70 60 50 40 15 5 5

Red Clover 5 30 70 80 75 60 30 15 5 5

TOTAL FOR DAY 6,200 17,600 30,800 29,200 25,800 21,200 14,800 6,000 2,000 2,000

TOTAL FOR PERIOD 93,000 264,000 462,000 438,000 387,000 318,000 222,000 90,000 30,000 30,000

Grass Surplus/Deficit (daily) -1360 9570 22232 20162 16190 11120 4182 -5088 -9659 -10130

Grass Surplus/Deficit (period) -20400 143544 333480 302424 242856 166800 62736 -76320 -144888 -151944

Forage

Tall Fescue

Red Clover

Introduced WarmSeason Grasses

Apr Aug OctJun

Feb Dec

Tall FescueCaucasianBluestem

Bermudagrass

Native WarmSeason Grasses

Apr Aug OctJun

Feb Dec

Tall Fescue

IndiangrassSwitchgrass

Big Bluestem

Indiangrass Monoculture

Feed Budget for a Stocker Operation

Total 100% 400

Indiangrass 0 0 10 25 50 75 80 80 70 60

TOTAL FOR DAY 0 0 4,000 10,000 20,000 30,000 32,000 32,000 28,000 24,000

TOTAL FOR PERIOD 0 0 60,000 150,000 300,000 450,000 480,000 480,000 420,000 360,000

Grass Surplus/Deficit (daily) -7560 -8030 -4568 962 10390 19920 21382 20912 16341 11870

Grass Surplus/Deficit (period) -113400 -120456 -68520 14424 155856 298800 320736 313680 245112 178056

Forage

Indiangrass

75/25 Tall Fescue/IndiangrassFeed Budget for a Stocker Operation

Total 100% 400

Tall Fescue 20 50 80 70 60 50 40 15 5 5

Indiangrass 0 0 10 25 50 75 80 80 70 60

TOTAL FOR DAY 6,000 15,000 25,000 23,500 23,000 22,500 20,000 12,500 8,500 7,500

TOTAL FOR PERIOD 90,000 225,000 375,000 352,500 345,000 337,500 300,000 187,500 127,500 112,500

Grass Surplus/Deficit (daily) -1560 6970 16432 14462 13390 12420 9382 1412 -3159 -4630

Grass Surplus/Deficit (period) -23400 104544 246480 216924 200856 186300 140736 21180 -47388 -69444

Forage

Tall Fescue

Indiangrass

A System

Apr Aug OctJun

Feb Dec

Tall Fescue Red Clover StockpiledTall Fescue

Warm-season grass

• Utilize pasture growth efficiently

• Typically 65% utilization compared to less than 40%

• More important to utilize forage efficiently when pasture growth is limiting

Utilize Pasture Growth Efficiently

• Play winter smart

• Cycle cow weight, utilize winter pasture efficiently,

and minimize hay feeding losses

Key Performance Indicators

Profitability of Producers

Low ¼ Average High ¼

Return - $cow -145 10 128

Feed cost - $cow 265 195 146

Stored feed – lb/cow 4388 3722 3509

Pasture cost - $/AUM 12.33 9.22 6.47

Reducing Winter Feed Costs

Hay is expensive costing $1-1.50 hd-1 d-1

1. Equipment cost

2. Transportation cost

3. Storage cost (Horner, 2005)

Stockpiled tall fescue is inexpensive costing

$0.45 hd-1 d-1

1. Extends the grazing season (Fribourg and Bell, 1984)

2. Reduces winter labor cost (Van Keuren, 1970)

3. Almost eliminates the need for hay (Clark, 2003)

However, tall fescue is commonly infected with a fungal endophyte, known to caused animal health disorders

Tall Fescue in Autumn• Almost entirely leaf

• Grows rapidly from early September until November – 1 to 2 tons per acre with good management

• More fall growth than other CSG’s

• Waxy layer on leaves slows deterioration

Cuticle Layer of Tall Fescue

Bulliform Cells

Stomata

Vascular Bundles with

Bundle Sheath

Bottom Cuticle

Top Cuticle Layer

Tall Fescue Qualityin Autumn and Winter

Dec Jan Feb Mar

Typical Hay

Stockpile

Choosing the Best Fields for Stockpiling

The Recipe

How Much N?

• Generally, 40 to 80 lb/acre

• Higher rate for fields with high water holding capacity, few weeds, little legume, low endophyte

• Lower rate for fields with low fertility, little soil depth, weedy, high legume content, high endophyte

Strip Grazing

Perimeter Fence

Winter Water

Temp Fence

Allocation Utilization

days %

Utilization Rates ofStockpiled Tall Fescue

Type Daily Req.

% of BW

Dry beef cow 1.75 to 2.0

Lactating cow/calf pair 2.25 to 2.5

Stocker calf ? 3.0

Allocating Stockpiled Tall Fescue

Fall Calving Cows onStockpiled Tall Fescue

• Treatments– Four forage allowances

1. 2.25 % body weight day-1 in DM

2. 3.00

3. 3.75

4. 4.50

– One hay treatment

fed ad libitum – GOOD QUALITY

• Grazed from December through February in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006

Stockpiled Tall Fescue After-grazing Appearance

3.75 4.50

Pasture Utilization andCow Average Daily Gain

Summarized from Curtis et al., 2008, J. Anim. Sci. 86:780-789

y = -8.40x + 90.50 R² = 0.9630

0.02.25 3.00 3.75 4.50 Hay

Cow ADG

Pasture Utilization

Conception Rate of Cows

Treatment Conception Rate

2.25 93

3.00 91

3.75 94

4.50 92

Hay 92

Summarized from Curtis et al., 2008, J. Anim. Sci. 86:780-789

Cow Condition the Following July

Treatment Year 1 Year 2

-- Body Condition Score --

2.25 6.6 7.3

3.00 6.7 7.1

3.75 6.7 6.9

4.50 6.6 7.3

Hay 7.0 7.0

LSD (0.05) NS NS

Calf Average Daily Gain

Treatment ADG Gain per acre

--------- lb/day --------- -- lb/a --

2.25 1.4b 138a

3.00 1.6a 118b

3.75 1.6a 96c

4.50 1.8a 87c

Hay 1.7a -

SE 0.1 8

Uncontrolled Access

• Feeding losses run from 30 to 70%

• Typical feed costs run from $3 to $8 hd/day

• Feed quality and utilization falls throughout the season

• “Dead spots” in feeding areas

Bale Rings or Feeders

• Feeding losses run from 5 to 8%

• Additional labor/cost depending on where hay is stored compared to where it is fed

• Daily feeding not necessary

• Need to ensure a slot for each cow

Spaced Hay Bale Feeding

• Idea is to reduce labor during winter

• Bales “pre set” in feeding area

• Poly tape or ploy wire used to keep stock from unfed bales

• Feeding area a mess in spring

Unrolling Bales

• Feeding losses about 12% if fed daily

• Over or under feeding a problem

• Mud can make feeding difficult

• Moves nutrients around the farm

Losses from Feeding Hay

Bale Type With Rack or Ring Without Rack or Ring

1 day supply 7 day supply

1 day supply

7 day supply

Small Square 3.9 4.1 6.7

Large Round 4.9 5.4 12.3 43.0

ItemHours per day cowsallowed to eat hay

4 8 24

Hay lb/d 22.5 32.2 35.7

% of 24-hr 63 90 -

Cow Wt. Change (lb.) -125 -62 -44

Limit Feeding Hay(mature cows)

ItemHours per day heifers

allowed to eat hay

Hay lb/d 14.8 16.6

% of 24-hr 89 -

Heifer Wt. Change (lb.) 173 192

Limit Feeding Hay(developing heifers*)

* Heifers offered 4.4 lb/d distillers grain based supplement

Limit Feeding Hay Rules

• Be sure to have plenty of bunk or ring space – timid cows can starve

• Works better with cows in good condition than those in poorer condition

• Heifers and thin cows should be fed separately and allowed more feed

• Limit feeding over a longer period is better than waiting until supplies are severely limited

• Works best with good – not poor – quality forage

Reducing Hay Feeding Losses

• Feed hay in small amounts or in a feeder to minimize waste

• Feed hay in well-drained areas

• Feed hay stored outside before hay stored inside

• Sort hay by quality and match supplies accordingly to livestock

• Play winter smart

• Cycle cow weight, utilize winter pasture efficiently,

and minimize hay feeding losses

getting the most out of your forage acres - mu …extension.missouri.edu/ozark/documents/getting the...

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