GREENER PA$TURE$ FOR COWCALF PRODUCER$

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GREENER PATURE FOR COW-CALF PRODUCER

• Rhonda R. Gildersleeve, Keith Vander Velde
• Agriculture Agents, UW Extension Beef Focus Team

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University of Missouri Forage Research Data

• Comparison of 3 vs. 12 vs. 24 paddock system for
  cow /calf production
• Greatest return from 12 paddock systemthe 24
  had the highest production but this advantage was
  offset by more labor and material cost

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University of Missouri Study, 1992- 1994
includes total pasture, animal interest
costs K.J. Moore J.R. Gerrish, 1995, American
Forage Grassland Council proceedings.
http//aes.missouri.edu/fsrc/research/afgc95km.stm
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Grazing Economics

• Beef-Cow industry looks very profitable in
  2000-2003 based on Cattle-Fax projections
• Opportunity to reduce debt
• One of the common pitfalls is increased expenses.
• If income goes up and expenses also increase we
  have lost a profit opportunity

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Grazing Economics

• Cow /calf economic factors are
• Reproductive efficiency
• Weaning weight
• Sales price
• Feed Cost
• Market Cycle
• Fixed Costs

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Grazing Economics

• Managed Intensive Grazing (MIG)
• Offers greater management Flexibility
• Comes at an added cost
• Fence
• Water systems
• Labor
• Higher level of management required
• Greater investment per animal

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Make it Profitable

• Stocking Rate Is Critical
• Goal is to maximize production per acre and
  production per head
• Greatest profits are not generated by the
  greatest production
• Economically optimum stocking rate will occur
  somewhere between the point of maximum output and
  maximum per head performance

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Calf gain under various grazing systemsIowa
State University

• Using a 100 cow herd for the analysis
• Return to operator labor, capital and management
  per acre
• Brome
• 99.53 w/high, 51.30 w/low intensity
• Mixed grass/legume
• 140 w/high, 119 w/low and 108 w/continuous

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Calf gain under various grazing systemsIowa
State University

• Two grazing intensities
• -high with one cow/calf pair per acre
• -low or continuous with 1.67 acres per cow/calf
  pair
• Two pastures-mixed legume and brome

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Calf gain under various grazing systemsIowa
State University

• Results
• -on mixed grass/legume, ADG was similar but gain
  per acre was 100 lbs higher with MIG pasture
• -on brome grass , ADG was greater for low
  intensity but gain/ac was 60 lbs higher for MIG
  pasture

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How Does Grazing Compete with Cropping Operations
and CRP

• ISU Adams County Demonstration Farm
• -- 13 paddock intensive grazing system with
  cow/calf pairs was the most profitable option
• --less intensive grazing was the 2nd most
  profitable system
• --CRP was third
• --One cropping option gave a positive return

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Importance of individual animal performance

• Stocker cattle rule of thumb
• It takes 150 lbs of gain for a stocker to cover
  its costs
• 200 lbs of gain returns 50 lbs of profit
• 250 lbs of gain returns 100 lbs of profit

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Many Pastures are Continuously Grazed

• This usually means
• Lower yields due to selective grazing
• Greater weed problems
• Potential for erosion problems in certain areas
• No management or poor management of forage
  resource

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Rotational Grazing

• Pastures are subdivided into smaller areas
  (paddocks)
• A portion of the pasture is grazed while the
  remainder rests
• Rest allows pasture to
• Recover from grazing,
• Rebuild energy reserves plant vigor
• Increase forage production

Lane
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Management Intensive Rotational Grazing
Management Intensive Rotational Grazing (MIRG)
involves even greater numbers of paddocks and/or
subdivision within paddocks to increase amount of
rest and decrease days grazing each rotation
Corral
Lane
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Stocking Rate (animals/acre)

• Can use formulas for actual numbers
• Thumb rule 1000 pound animal per 2-4 acres
• Intensive Rotational Grazing 1000 pound beef
  animal to 1-1.5 acres
• Traditional Under-managed pastures 1000
  pound animal to 5-10 acres

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Plan Use A Rotational Grazing System to Make
Money!!

• Make pasture foundation of your livestock
  production system and use hay as supplemental to
  the systems, not vice versa
• Pasture 6 - 7 months/year in Southwest WI (April
  15 - November 15) with minimal supplementation if
  managed properly
• Graze hay fields after youve secured your winter
  feed supply rather than spending more time
  money cutting hay
• Stockpile some pastures beginning in mid summer
  to use for late season grazing. Plan to stockpile
  for 70 - 90 days prior to use so that quality is
  acceptable

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Plan Use A Rotational Grazing System to Make
Money!!

• Plan grazing by our pasture seasons
• Spring (April - mid-June)
• Mid-summer (July - August)
• Late summer (September)
• Fall (October - snow)
• REST is a key component to maximize pasture
  production
• REST PLANT VIGOR MORE PRODUCTION
• Rotation results in better harvest efficiency
  than continuous grazing (60-70 versus 30)

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The Rest Period

• Should vary according to plant growth
• In general, must increase as growth rate slows
• Relates closely to seasonal forage growth
• Need to rotate between paddocks every 3-6 days

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Relationship of rest period to pasture mass
during periods of rapid vs. slow growth
Lbs. DM / acre
Optimum Rest Period
0 5 10 15
20 25
Period of fast plant growth (days)
0 10 20 30
40 50
Period of slow plant growth (days)
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ForageGrowth Curve
Quality
Yield
Best time to graze
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Seasonal growth patterns in forages
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Plan Use A Rotational Grazing System to Make
Money!!

• Less hay to make, store feed out (or more hay
  to sell!)
• Lower feed costs with pasture-based systems
• Other benefits
• Vigorous pastures have fewer weeds
• Use rotation to develop a CLEAN calving area each
  year
• A more environmentally friendly system for SW
  Wisconsins hills than row crops (less erosion)
• Match forage supplies to herds nutrient demand
• More options for calves with excess forage/hay,
  can carry calves longer on grass or stored
  forages and capitalize on those cheap feeds and
  better cattle prices at other times of year. Calf
  price annual lows are typically in fall when
  everyone weans and sells.

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Stretching the Grazing Season with Crop Residues

• Utilize Cornstalks
• 2-2 ½ acres per cow should get you 40-75 grazing
  days
• Weather will affect grazing conditions
• Cornstalks grazed directly after harvest are
  highest in nutrients
• Cattle will select grain first, then husk and
  leaf and finally cob and stalk

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Use Nitrogen on Pastures

• Use of N in early spring stimulates grass growth,
  especially for unimproved (bluegrass/quackgrass)
  pastures
• Use of N in mid- late June will stimulate summer
  grass growth of taller pasture grasses
  (orchardgrass, fescue, etc.)
• Some folks use N in August on pastures that they
  plan to stockpile for fall grazing
• 50 -80 N/acre per application is typical and
  adequate
• Pastures with gt 40 legume may not need N
  fertilizer

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Mineral and Salt

• White salt is not enough!!
• Mineral needs will change consider a different
  mineral mix during winter hay feeding season.
• Work with a nutritionist and test forages if
  necessary to get an idea on appropriate mineral
  mixes

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Soil Fertility

• Soil test every 3 - 5 years to monitor pH, P, K
• Apply fertilizer as needed
• Pastures will use applied N more efficiently if P
  and K fertility is adequate
• Maintain pH above 6.0 to keep legumes in mix
• P is important for root vigor of all pasture
  species and supports N fixation in legumes

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Consider the New Fencing Technology
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Useful Life of Fencing Materials
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Fencing Cost

• One of the largest expenses in Grazing
• Many different options but some rules apply
• Have secure perimeter fence
• Use temporary or portable fence in cells
• Use the lay of the land to your advantage
• Be flexible in cell sizing

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Cost of Fencing

• Cost of quarter mile of fence(Source Iowa State
  University )
• 48 woven wire, one barb-----------1.07/foot
• 5 barbed wire fence------------------0.83/foot
• High tensile 8 strand 12.5 gauge---0.76/foot
• High tensile 5 strand electric(12.5)0.57/foot
• Polywire fence(interior use only)--0.03/foot
• Cost of Pasture Renovation
• Many options
• Complete plowing, disking, drill and pack
• Interseeding using drill or special seeder
• Frost seeding

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Shape effect on Fencing Requirements
744 feet
836 feet
1007 feet
951 feet
Length2 X Width 888 feet
Length4 X width 1,040 feet
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Cost of Reseeding

• Most sources recommend frost seeding as the best
  and most cost effective method of establishing
  and improving pastures
• With frost seeding the costs are primarily the
  cost of the seed

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Cattle Pasture

• Protein and energy supplements are usually
  unnecessary
• Provide free choice salt AND minerals
• Be careful not to let cows and heifers get too
  fat. Fat cows will have problems at breeding
  time, fat heifers will produce less milk as cows

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What about Equipment

• One of the primary benefits of Grazing is the
  Machinery necessary
• Many producers limit themselves to a
• Tractor with loader
• Manure spreader
• One hay making set of equipment(square bales or
  round baler)

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Time Requirements

• Remember Cattle Need to be Moved
• Make sure you have the time and labor to move
  cattle to new paddock
• You must learn to know when is it time to move
  them
• Timing will vary with the amount of available
  pasture

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Winter Feed Supply

• Winter feeding often accounts for 70 of the
  total feed cost for a beef cow-calf operation
• As a grazer our goal is to reduce the amount of
  feed brought to the cow and to have the cow go
  get it herself
• this reduces costs
• gets the manure in the field

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Wintering Costs

• Stockpiling forage is recommended
• Set pastures aside for late fall and winter
  grazing
• Consider corn stalk grazing or other refuse
  grazing
• Consider windrowing in Nov and let the cows eat
  the forage out of the windrow when snow is present

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Reducing Winter Feed Cost

• Purchase cheap hay not suitable for dairy and
  horse owners during the summer
• Substitute cheap corn and oats for forage
• Remember 10 lbs of a 50/50 corn oats mix is only
  .30 with today's grain prices
• Look at cheap alternatives, i.e. potato waste,
  sweet corn silage, candy waste

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Cutting Winter Feed Cost

• Figure out a way to feed a cow for 100 or less
  from Nov-April
• Have some pasture available for April 1 grazing
• Try to keep the manure out of the feeding area
  and in the pastures where it will fertilize next
  years forage supply

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Grazing Management Tips

• Learn To Manage Your Pastures
• Avoid over or under grazing
• Apply fertilizer as needed (take a soil test)
• Re-seed pastures if necessary

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Grazing Management Tips

• Commit Yourself Totally To Making It Work
• Make The Transition Gradually
• Solicit A Lot Of Advice, But Make Your Own
  Decisions
• Stay Flexible And Keep Investments Low
• Plan, Plan, Re-plan

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Make good quality hay

• Maintain soil fertility and pH levels
• Harvest at proper growth stage to optimize yield
  and quality--for beef cattle, you can cut alfalfa
  at 1/10th to 1/2 bloom and make good quality hay
  while maximizing tonnage

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Consider storage options for hay

• Dry matter losses of 10 - 50 are common in round
  bales stored outside
• Digestibility also declines with weathering
  spoilage
• Cover and elevation from soil (i.e. moisture)
  contact is important
• Barn storage can be cost effective

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Barn Storage Example

• 1000 bale _at_ 85 dry matter and 54 digestibility
• (1000 x .85) x .54 459 digestible dry matter
  at baling
• Stored outside
• expect 30 dry matter loss, 45 digestibility
• (850 x .70) x .45 268 digestible dry matter
• Effective loss 1 (268/459) 42

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Barn Storage Example

• 50 x 100 barn with 14 sidewalls
• cost 20,000 5,000 ft2 _at_ 4.00/ ft2
• Annual costs
• Depreciation 20,000/20 years 1,000
• Interest (10 of ave. value) 10,000 x .10
  1,000
• Taxes Insurance (3) 20,000 x .03
  600
• Total Annual Cost of building 2,600

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Barn Storage Example

• Assumptions
• Hay valued at 60/ton of dry matter, storage _at_
  85 moisture.
• Effective dry matter digestibility loss 42
  if stored outside.
• Bales are 5 diameter x 4, weigh 1000 and are
  stacked 3 high (on end), so that 240 tons can be
  stored in barn.
• Total dry matter stored 240 tons x .85 204
  tons
• Forage saved 204 tons x .42 86
  tons
• Value of forage saved 86 tons x 60/ton 5,160
• Net annual savings 5,160 - 2,600 2,560

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If You Must Store Round Bales Outside...
Bright sunny location, no trees or other objects
to slow drying after rains Storage area located
on gently sloping, well drained
site Hay/soil contact avoided by placing bales
on rock, wooden pallets, etc. Fire risk can be
reduced by storing hay in more than one location
by maintaining a no vegetative zone of at least
3 feet around the storage area
No objects nearby to attract lightening Flat
ends of bales butted tightly together Bale rows
run up down slope with north/south orientation
a southern orientation is best High bale density
resists water penetration Tops sides of bales
can be protected from rain with a number of
different types of covers.