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In areas where stacks of hay for winter feeding are common, all-season grazing may have potential for boosting beef profitability, says an Iowa State University researcher. "It appears that in Iowa with proper management, it takes very little stored hay to maintain the condition of a cow herd," says Jim Russell, a nutritionist and grazing systems researcher. The single-largest cost of cow-calf production is stored feed, accounting for up to 40 percent of expenses, Russell notes. "Anything you can do to reduce that cost should improve profitability." Although Russell's research results are specific to south central Iowa, he says lessons from his work can be applied just about anywhere. "If you can graze 30 days longer in the fall or begin grazing 30 days sooner in the spring, that's a significant reduction in the amount of stored feed that you need," he says. In his most recent three-year study, Russell compared a grazing system that required a minimal amount of land supplemented by harvested forage to support a cow herd, with a year-round grazing system that involved more land for rotational grazing and grazing of crop residues. The minimal land system is typical to the way many Corn Belt cow-calf producers manage their herds and forage resources. "In many areas, the amount of land available is not a limiting factor in beef production," Russell notes. "But using that land in a way that limits expenses and generates the most profit is a key." In the minimal land system, half of the season's first pasture growth was cut for hay and cows were allowed to graze the other half. After 60 days, cows were allowed to graze the entire pasture. In November, calves were weaned and finished in the feedlot and cows were placed in a dry lot and fed hay from the system. The pasture was a mix of bromegrass, orchardgrass and birdsfoot trefoil. In the year-round grazing system, cows, calves and yearling calves started the season by rotationally grazing a similar trefoil-combination pasture. In June, pastures seeded to tall fescue, alfalfa and red clover or smooth bromegrass-red clover are harvested for hay. In July, cows, calves and bulls rotationally graze the red clover combination pastures while yearlings remain on the trefoil-combination pastures. In August, cows with calves are moved back to the trefoil-combination pastures for rotational grazing and the red clover-combination pastures are allowed to stockpile for winter grazing. Yearlings are placed in the feedlot to be finished. In November, calves are weaned on hay and cows strip-graze cornstalks until January when they are moved back onto the red-clover combination pastures to eat the forage that had grown there in the late summer and fall. In the minimal land system, an average of 3,600 pounds of additional hay per cow had to be procured for winter-feeding. The year-round grazing system produced nearly that much excess hay per cow and provided feed for yearling calves. The minimal land system produced about 170 pounds of growing animal per acre per year while the year-round grazing system produced about 123 pounds of growing animal per acre. "If you adjust for the hay deficit in the minimal land system, there is no difference in the production rate of the two systems," Russell notes. "But the costs are significantly cheaper in the year-round system." Russell admits that the system is not for every beef producer. The amount of residue and the land base varies from farm to farm. But every day the grazing season can be extended will reduce production costs," he says. And the profitability of the system will vary from year to year. "Weather conditions play a role," Russell explains. "We had no problem with 9 to 12 inches of snow, but a quarter inch of ice will do you in." During those times, cow nutrient needs may be met by feeding hay, but could also be met by feeding harvested crop residues with supplement or limit-feeding such grain byproducts as corn gluten feed or wheat midds. |
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