Feed costs represent the major cost in most livestock production systems. A recently completed analysis of 225 Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA) Beef Cow Records on herds in Illinois and Iowa showed that feed cost was the overriding factor determining profitability, explaining over 57 percent of the herd-to-herd variation

Ballard, Edward N.

English

University of Kentucky

  GRAZING OPTIONS FOR FALL AND WINTER  Ed Ballard Animal Systems Educator University of Illinois Extension, Retired Phone: 217-246-1902 E-mail: Edward@consolidated.net    Feed costs represent the major cost in most livestock production systems.  A recently completed analysis of 225 Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA) Beef Cow Records on herds in Illinois and Iowa showed that feed cost was the overriding factor determining profitability, explaining over 57 percent of the herd-to-herd variation.   Eight Financial Measures Capable of Explaining Over 82% of Variation in  RLM in Beef Cow Enterprise DEPENDENT VARIABLE              R2               Feed Cost Depreciation Cost Operating Cost Calf Weight Capital Charge Calf Price Weaning Percentage Herd Size .567 .086 .049 .046 .024 .027 .017 .007 Total .823 A. Miller, R. Knipe, University of Illinois SPA, 2004   Typically the cost of supplying nutrients to ruminant livestock is much greater using harvested feedstuffs as opposed to grazing pastures or crop residues.  The primary function of a grassland farm is to convert solar energy to marketable livestock products in the most efficient manner.  The fewer steps between the animal product and the solar energy, typically, the more economically efficient the production systems will be.   Providing grazable forage, in a cost-effective manner to the animal, for as many days of the year as possible should be the goal of the grazing manager.  - 20 -    EXTENDING GRAZING IN THE FALL AND WINTER   Several strategies can be employed to supply forage into the fall or early winter and effectively extend the grazing season by 60 to 90 days, thus reducing the need for stored feeds.  These strategies can be categorized into three major groups: 1) utilizing forage crops that continue to grow into the fall and early winter, 2) utilizing crop residues, 3) or stockpiling (conserving cool-season forages in late summer for use in the fall and winter).  FALL GROWING FORAGE   The growth of some forage species is not adversely affected by cooler fall weather and shorter day lengths, as are many cool-season types of forage.  The species, which seem to grow best in the fall, are perennial ryegrass, small grain cereal crops such as rye, wheat, oats and triticale, and certain brassica crops like turnips, fodder radish, rape, swede and kale.  Extending Fall and Winter Grazing:  Table 2.  Daily and seasonal forage costs for alternative wintering strategies at typical yields, costs, and period of use based on 100-cow autumn-calving herd. Winter feeding period from Dec 1 to April 10  Forage Source  Hay  Cornstalks Stockpiled tall fescue Ryegrass + cereal rye $/cow/day $1.32 $0.05 $0.31 $0.61 Days of use 130 hay 60 stalks 90 graze 90 graze  70 hay 40 hay 40 hay Wintering cost $172 $122 $70 $108 SOURCE:  Jim Gerrish, University of Missouri.  SMALL GRAINS  The use of winter cereal crops such as wheat, rye, spring oats, barley, or triticale can provide fall or early winter grazing opportunities. However, certain management practices need to be modified from what is normally done for grain production.  When small grains are used for grazing, plant them three to four weeks earlier than for grain production.  Increase the seeding rate to 2 ½ to 3 bushels per acre and apply nitrogen at the rate of 40 to 60 lb/N per acre at planting time.   Rye will be more productive than wheat or triticale for both fall and spring production.  However, grazing quality will be better with triticale than for rye. Some producers are also choosing triticale over rye because it is easier to manage in the - 21 -    spring.  Spring oats seeded in the fall can be very productive but will die out over the winter.  However, with adequate fall moisture, grazing should be available from October through December and then again in early spring for the rye, triticale and wheat.   Stocking rate and time of grazing will be somewhat determined by the intended use of the crop.  If you are planning to take a silage or grain harvest, grazing should only be moderate.  Heavy grazing can reduce grain yields. Moderate grazing in the fall will not result in significant silage or grain losses provided that moisture and soil fertility are adequate.  In fact, fall pasturing can be beneficial where the small grain was seeded early and has made excessive growth and soil conditions are dry.   Spring grazing may be started when growth resumes.  If a grain or silage crop is to be harvested, grazing should be discontinued when the plants start to grow erect, just before jointing (growth stage).  Grazing at any time after their growing points are above the ground will injure small grain plants.   Brassicas   Brassicas are annual crops that continue to grow during the fall and into the winter.  They are highly productive and digestible and contain relatively high levels of crude protein.  Sheep producers probably more commonly use these than cattlemen.  Early to mid-August establishment is best suited for November-December grazing.  Animals will readily consume the plant tops and will also grub the root bulbs out of the ground.  The plants tops will typically contain 16-18 percent crude protein and the roots are highly digestible carbohydrates.  These crops are best suited for crop rotation pastures or no-tilled into light sod.  Total dry matter yield is very variable and is highly dependent upon soil type, fertility, time of seeding, and precipitation.   Turnips grow fast and can be grazed as early as 70 days after planting. They reach near maximum production level in 80 to 90 days.  Some of the newer forage type turnip varieties can often be grazed in 30 to 45 days including spring oats or cereal rye with the turnips increases the total production, durability and digestibility of the forage.  The proportion of top growth for turnips to roots can vary from 90 percent tops/10 percent roots to 15 percent to/85 percent roots.  Moisture content is almost always greater than 90 percent.  This is why they work so well in mixtures with small grains or with crop residues.  Turnips can be seeded any time from when soil temperature reaches 50 degrees until 70 days prior to a killing frost.  Ideal time for fall seeding is sometime between August 15 to August 25 in Kentucky.  - 22 -     Table 3.  Cost of grazing Turnips, Oats, and Cereal Rye Land Charge, $ /acre Grazing days/acre/animal units 50 100 150 200 $0 1.10 .55 .37 .28 $50 2.10 1.05 .70 .53 $100 3.10 1.55 1.03 .78 3 locations for 3 years, grazing days range from 64 to 213 days per acre,  Average 118,  A. Miller, J. Sexten, E. Ballard, U of I, 2008   How to Graze   When possible, turnips should be strip-grazed (size of available grazing are controlled by temporary electric fencing) during the growing season, much like a rotational grazing system.  During the growing season strip grazing with a break wire in front of and behind the animals can be used to control consumption, allowing regrowth, preventing wastage, and conserving available dry matter.  Strip grazing limits grazing damage to the root and lower leaf, allowing leaf surface for regeneration of plant growth.  If regrowth is desired, at least two inches of leaf should be left intact.  Generally animals will consume the leafy portion of the plant before progressing to the root portion.   Stockpiling Tall Fescue   Tall fescue is a deep-rooted, long-lived, sod-forming grass that spreads by short underground stems called rhizomes.  It is drought resistant and will maintain itself under rather limited fertility conditions.  Animals readily graze tall fescue during the fall and winter, but show some reluctance to graze it during the summer months of July and August.  Some of this reduced summer palatability, which results in poor animal performance, is associated with the presence of a fungus in the plant (endophytic).  Endophyte-free varieties are now available.  Tall fescue is the best-adapted cool-season grass for stockpiling.    Tall fescue will maintain more active growth at lower temperatures than most other cool-season grasses and so will continue to accumulate yield later into the year.  In response to shortening day length and cooler night temperatures, tall fescue accumulates a high level of soluble carbohydrates in both the leaves and stem bases.  With up to 20 percent of the dry weight of the plant as free sugars, the nutritive quality of fall grown tall fescue is quite high.  The heavy waxy layer or cuticle on the leaves makes the plant more resistant to frost damage than most other cool-season grasses.   To stockpile tall fescue, don’t graze it from early to mid-August through mid-October.  Cattle and sheep perform less than optimally on it during this period.  Tall fescue is also very responsive to nitrogen fertilization.  To produce a high yielding, high quality stockpile, the pasture should be grazed or clipped fairly short and 40 to 80 - 23 -    pounds of nitrogen per acre applied 60 to 90 days prior to the end of the growing season.  Normally, that is early to mid-August.  If soil moisture is favorable, the higher rate of N may be applied.  If the summer has been dry, application of more than 40 lb. N/acre may not be profitable.     If the red clover component of a mixed fescue-clover pasture is greater than 30 to 40 percent, it is probably not cost effective to apply additional nitrogen.  Some recent work has indicated that a mixture of Orchardgrass and tall fescue can be stockpiled for early fall grazing.   CROP RESIDUES  Corn Stalks   In mixed crop and livestock operations, corn and grain sorghum stalk fields can be used to supply substantial grazing days.  As grassed waterways, terraces, and field borders become more widely used, this option becomes even more attractive.     The crop residues represent about one-half of the plant dry matter and, therefore, a field producing 120 bushel corn grain will have close to 3 to 4 tons of roughage dry matter per acre.  The optimal grazing allowance on corn crop residue fields is dependent on the weight gains necessary to obtain a desired body condition.   With low supplementation, cows can maintain bodyweight with as little as .5 acres corn crop residues per cow per month, but may need as much as 2 acres per cow per month if bodyweight gain is necessary.     Because grazing cattle will select the portions of crop residues with the highest digestibility and protein concentration, needs for supplemental feeds beyond trace mineral salt and vitamin A are likely to be minimal for the first month of grazing.  Simultaneous grazing of stockpiled grass or legume forages (late summer growth) may also supply protein and energy and, thereby, reduce needs for supplementation.  As winter progresses and crop residue quality decreases because of grazing selection and weathering, supplementation of protein and phosphorus may become necessary.    Grazing Dormant Alfalfa   Another option that has become increasingly popular for extending the fall grazing season has been to graze the regrowth of alfalfa hay fields or pastures after cold weather has ensured dormancy. Usually 2 to 3 days of successive temperatures in the 24-27 degree Fahrenheit range should be experienced before grazing alfalfa.  It is important to graze early enough to utilize the forage while still in a leafy palatable state.  If grazing is delayed until freezing has desiccated the plants and caused most of the leaves to drop, then the cows or sheep had just as well be kept off.  An added benefit to fall grazing alfalfa is that research and farmer experience indicates a reduction in alfalfa - 24 -    weevil populations the following spring.  This is due to removal of some of the stems where weevil egg masses overwinter.  Some points of concern when grazing alfalfa hay fields are not to graze when the soil is saturated, as this will cause long term stand damage and roughen the field.  Enough stubble, 3 to 4 inches, should be left to catch and hold snow to reduce winter damage to the plant crowns and minimize temperature fluctuations, which result in plant heaving.  - 25 -    References  Miller, R. Knipe, University of Illinois SPA, 2004  Missouri Grazing Manual, 1999, Edited by Jim Gerrish and Craig Roberts  Pasture Management for Livestock, Iowa State University, 1998  Maximizing Fall and Winter Grazing of Beef Cows and Stocker Cattle, The Ohio State University, Bulletin 872     - 26 -  

Grazing Options for Fall and Winter

https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1018&amp;context=ky_grazing

Grazing Options for Fall and Winter

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