An Economic Comparison Of Year Round vs Conventional Grazing Systems In Iowa

Year round grazing systems that utilize stockpiled forage and/or crop residue are often promoted as a way for Northern and Western cow-calf producers to reduce winter feeding costs and improve overall profitability. This study compared the profitability of a conventional spring calving/summer grazing- winter drylot herd to a year round system that utilized both spring- and fall-calving herds with weaned calves retained as stockers. Forage supplies in the year round system were derived from stockpiled forage and corn crop residues. We developed a model that randomly generated production values with parameters based on the results of a 3-year study conducted at the Iowa State University McNay Research and Demonstration farm near Chariton, Iowa. The simulated production values were combined with livestock and forage prices prevailing from 1993-2001 to estimate income per head generated by each system. Average income over the nine- year period was equal. However, the year round system was economically superior in 3 years, equivalent in 1 year, and inferior in 5 years.

Effects of Pasture Conditions in Spring on Seasonal Forage Productivity

Fifteen beef cow-calf producers in southern Iowa were selected based on locality, management level, historical date of grazing initiation and desire to participate in the project. In 1997 and 1998, all producers kept records of production and economic data using the Integrated Resource Management-Standardized Performance Analysis (IRM-SPA) records program. At the initiation of grazing on each farm in 1997 and 1998, Julian date, degree-days, cumulative precipitation, and soil moisture, phosphorus, and potassium concentrations were determined. Also determined were pH, temperature, and load-bearing capacity; and forage mass, sward height, morphology and dry matter concentration. Over the grazing season, forage production, measured both by cumulative mass and sward height, forage in vitro digestible dry matter concentration, and crude protein concentration were determined monthly. In the fall of 1996 the primary species in pastures on farms used in this project were cool-season grasses, which composed 76% of the live forage whereas legumes and weeds composed 8.3 and 15.3%, respectively. The average number of paddocks was 4.1, reflecting a low intensity rotational stocking system on most farms. The average dates of grazing initiation were May 5 and April 29 in 1997 and 1998, respectively, with standard deviations of 14.8 and 14.1 days. Because the average soil moisture of 23% was dry and did not differ between years, it seems that most producers delayed the initiation of grazing to avoid muddy conditions by initiating grazing at a nearly equal soil moisture. However, Julian date, degree-days, soil temperature and morphology index at grazing initiation were negatively related to seasonal forage production, measured as mass or sward height, in 1998. And forage mass and height at grazing initiation were negatively related to seasonal forage production, measured as sward height, in 1997. Moreover, the concentrations of digestible dry matter at the initiation of and during the grazing season and the concentrations of crude protein during the grazing season were lower than desired for optimal animal performance. Because the mean seasonal digestible dry matter concentration was negatively related to initial forage mass in 1997 and mean seasonal crude proteins concentrations were negatively related to the Julian date, degree-days, and morphology indeces in both years, it seems that delaying the initiation of grazing until pasture soils are not muddy, is limiting the quality as well as the quantity of pasture forage. In 1997, forage production and digestibility were positively related to the soil phosphorus concentration. Soil potassium concentration was positively related to forage digestibility in 1997 and forage production and crude protein concentration in 1998. Increasing the number of paddocks increased forage production, measured as sward height, in 1997, and forage digestible dry matter concentration in 1998. Increasing yields or the concentrations of digestible dry matter or crude protein of pasture forage reduced the costs of purchased feed per cow

Effects of stocking rate and corn gluten feed supplementation on bred second-calf heifers grazing stockpiled tall fescue-red clover pastures

A winter grazing experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of bred 2-year old second-calf heifers grazing stockpiled forage at two stocking rates and two levels of supplementation during winter. Two 30- acre blocks containing \u27Fawn\u27 endophyte-free tall fescuered clover were each divided into four pastures of 6.25 or 8.75 acres. Hay was harvested from the pastures in June and August of 2003 and N applied at 40 lb/acre to initiate stockpiling in August. On October 22, 2003, twenty-four Angus-Simmental two-year old heifers, pregnant with their second calf, were allotted by weight and body condition score (BCS) to strip-graze for 147 d at 0.48 or 0.34 cow/acre and eight similar second-calf heifers were allotted to two drylots and fed tall fescue-red clover hay. Corn gluten feed was fed to maintain a mean BCS of 5 or 4.33 (9-point scale) for the high and low supplementation levels, respectively, or when weather prevented grazing. Mean initial forage yield was 3188 lb/acre and decreased 12.2 lb/acre/d in grazed areas of the pasture over 147 d. Mean seasonal concentrations of CP and IVDMD were greater (P \u3c 0.05) in hay than stockpiled forage, while the concentration of ADF was greater (P \u3c 0.05) in stockpiled forage. At the conclusion of winter feeding, animals grazing at the low stocking rate had greater (P \u3c 0.1) BW than those grazing at the high stocking rate, and the BCS of grazing animals was 0.42 lower (P \u3c 0.05) than animals maintained in the drylot. Animals in the drylot were fed 5944 lb/hd of hay. Mean amounts of corn gluten feed fed was 189.6, 19.1, 278.5, 16.9, and 5.2 lb DM/hd for the high stocking rate-high supplementation, high stocking rate-low supplementation, low stocking rate-high supplementation, low stocking rate-low supplementation, and drylot treatments, respectively, but did not significantly differ (P \u3e 0.1)

Storage Project of Wet Distillers Grains

On October 18, 2006, one load of wet distillers grains from Pine Lake Corn Processors LLC, Steamboat Rock, IA was delivered to the ISU McNay Research Farm southwest of Chariton, IA via walking-bed semi-truck. The analysis of that product is given in Table 1

Evaluation of Mixing Wet Distillers Grains with Ground Hay in a Bunker and Covering Modified Distillers Grains to Extend Storage Life—A Demonstration Project

The ethanol industry is rapidly expanding. As much as 40 percent of the energy cost is associated with drying of the feed co-products. Distillers grains are excellent sources of nutrients for the diets of beef cattle, but have a short shelf life. To expand the use of wet distillers feeds to more producers, longer term, low-cost storage methods are required. Studies done in 2006–2007 showed that bagging these products was an effective management practice, but was higher in cost than acceptable to some producers. Additionally, availability of bagging equipment is limited, thus encouraging other storage methodologies to be investigated

Evaluation of Bagging to Extend Storage Life of Wet and Modified Distillers Grains—A Demonstration Project

The ethanol industry is rapidly expanding. As much as 40% of the energy cost is associated with drying the feed co-products. Distillers grains are excellent sources of nutrients for the diets of beef cattle, but have a short shelf life. To expand the use of wet distillers feeds to more producers, longer term storage methods are required