55 Years And Counting From The Tractor Seat

 By bill whitman

 What a summer this has been so far for making hay. Every year I learn something new and every year I think, “why didn’t I think of that?” This year, the weather during first cut was hot and humid, hotter and more humid than I can ever remember for June. What I learned is that if you’re packing hay into your round bales and the temps are extreme, it affects the baler belts. We tore three belts, all three in the same place (pulled the splice apart on the pressure side) and realized that the heat and humidity was affecting the rubber the belts are made of.

I had a neighbor suggest that if I baled either later in the evening or early in the morning, I could avoid the problem that was plaguing us day after day. The more I pondered this and considered the belts and how they had pulled apart, the more it made sense. Another possible solution was to lighten the bale pressure and not pack so much hay in the bale. The problem there is that kind of defeats my idea of the more weight in a bale the better value and quality hay is made.

This article is more about the quality and priority we place on raising our cattle. Forage is key but not the only reason we raise discounted cattle and not valued on par with western cattle. The reason is simple, eastern cattle are not taken care of like western cattle. They are not fed like western cattle, and they are not backgrounded like western cattle. I must admit, I can’t argue with the rationale that dictates this belief in the lack of quality cattle East of the Mississippi.

Don’t think that this is a blanket indictment of all eastern cattle. There are some producers that put out good feeders. But my point here is that they are few and far between. The majority produce calves without regard to quality or even the basics of backgrounding. Some would argue that the buyers in the east won’t pay for the type of care western cattle get. Those that do produce quality cattle generally have a buyer familiar with the producer’s cattle.

Now I want to encourage each of us to consider doing what we can to improve the quality of the cattle we grow. I know that a lot of guys feed forage and little else and that forage is fescue, orchard grass, and clover. I went to a forage seminar several years ago where the variations in nutritional values in fescue were significant based on what stage the forage is harvested and baled. But rarely do eastern farmers put up hay based on nutritional quality but based on the availability of time. Rarely is forage prioritized as a cash crop. That type of thinking needs to change. No matter what you’re feeding, the better quality of feed, of forage, will improve the quality of the livestock being fed.

In talking with west/Midwest feed yards and growers, they often complain that the Eastern cattle come to them eating 20-30 percent less than western cattle on a daily basis. They need cattle eating at a rate to allow maximum gains per day. So, since everything revolves around end product profitability, our cattle are discounted to absorb their extra costs for bringing eastern cattle on scale with the market needs.

Unless we improve the quality of the cattle that we’re sending to the feedyards, we will continue to lose cow/calf producers and continue being paid a discounted price for our cattle. I think the answer to this dilemma in terms of breaking this down into manageable pieces for improvement. First, meet with your veterinarian and see what the necessary requirements are to grow quality cattle. Then look at your operation and determine what you need to change to meet the goals set out by your veterinarian. With each change necessary, prioritize change by the impact the change will have on production quality. In many cases, forage and the quality of that forage will make the greatest difference. Most of the farmers I know have a good grasp of how to make good hay. They just don’t look at the timing from the perspective of plant nutritional value. This is a significant first step and you’ll be surprised at the immediate impact it will have on the way your cattle look.

Other items you’ll find on your list of improvement goals are weaning times, breaking calves to the bunk, vaccination programs, and marketing. We’ll look at these goals in the coming weeks.

IndianaAg@bluemarble.net