By MEGGIE I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor CLEMSON, S.C. — Just as Labor Day signifies the end of summer and the beginning of school, the September holiday also means cattle producers need to transition animals off droughty Midwestern pasture and ready the barn with fall and winter forages.
A recommendation released by the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Clemson University encourages producers to develop a plan of action to feed cattle through the close of the year, especially in drought conditions when pasture quality is poor and hay yields are low.
In agreement, Keith Johnson, a Purdue University agronomist, specializing in forages, recommends producers test their forages in order to best remedy nutrition during or following a summer drought.
Johnson indicated Midwestern hay supplies “may not be as low-quality as we think, the first cutting took a tremendous loss, but the second and third cuttings didn’t suffer as much as people think.”
However, Johnson insists that it truly depends on the individual situation, whether intake is limited, or quality is unbalanced, a producer should consider testing forage and add alternative feed supplements as needed.
“People tend to get comfortable with what they have,” admitted Johnson. “You really need to test (forage) in order to know the quality you have, realizing any deficiencies or toxicities in what you’re feeding.”
Cost, Johnson said, is the biggest worry producers often have with testing forage.
“If you’re looking at reducing feed costs or have to spend money to supplement the quality of the feed, then it’s money and time well spent to help maintain the health and well-being of the animal,” he added. “My recommendation is to work with a trained nutritionist to find a balance to deal with your animals’ needs.”
Alternative feed additives
After testing the quality of the forage, Clemson animal nutritionist say to estimate the amount of feed on hand then figure the daily requirements needed to carry the cattle, whether beef or dairy.
“If you’re going to run out before next year, start stretching your supplies and looking for alternative feed sources,” said H.D. Hupp, professor of animal and veterinarian sciences at Clemson.
In their memo, Clemson nutritionists encourage producers to consider using extenders such as equal parts of corn, soybean hulls and cottonseed hulls. The analysis of such a feed mix is about 8.6 percent crude protein, 30 percent fiber and 42 percent Total Digestible Nutrients (DTN). According to Clemson experts, this feed is equivalent to an average quality hay.
For example, when feeding a 1,000 pound cow up to 25 pounds of this feed should serve as the maximum amount offered per day. This amount should be lower if some hay or forage is available, experts add. A feeding rate of 8-10 pounds per cow is suggested to help extend the life of available pastures and hay supply.
The memo recommends the use of other co-product feeds as well such as: corn gluten, hominy, wheat midds, citrus pulp, peanut hulls, soybean hulls, stale bread and cookies from a bakery thrift store, and brewers grains.
According to Clemson nutritionists, there are seven critical nutrients to look for when supplementing cattle feedstuffs during a drought: minerals, vitamin A, protein, energy and alternative feeds.
Johnson encourages producers to contact the Purdue agronomy department at 765-494-434-4800 for more information on testing forage and for nutrition experts in the beef and dairy industries, contact the Purdue animal science department at 765-494-4817 or 765-494-9478.
This farm news was published in the Aug. 29, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. |
