Beef cattle feeding and care have always been a critical
aspect of cattle production in the Midwest. Meeting the most basic needs of
livestock – adequate feed for efficient production and well-being – represents the
major cost to and activity of producers.
"That makes hay and forage, the basic cattle feed, more
valuable today, whether it is standing in the pasture, rolled into a bale or
packed into a bunker," said Doug Hanson, ProHarvest Seeds forage seed lead
and Illinois Forage and Grassland Council director. "As such, it may
deserve greater attention in valuing its costs, and maximizing its use and
value."
It is often said that a properly fertilized pasture or
hayfield is the cheapest forage you can buy. With current land values and high
input costs (seed, fertilizer, diesel fuel) it is important to get the most out
of land that has been dedicated to forage production.
Historically, hay and forage have been abundant and
inexpensive, but finding 1,200-pound quality round bales for $25 to $30 per
bale is no longer an option. With forage values ranging from $120 to over $200
per ton it is important to manage forage production with the same intensity as
corn and soybeans.
Pastures
Pastures will increase production with added fertility. Hanson
recommends using use 200 pounds of ammonium sulfate in either spring or fall.
“Mid to late August is the best time to apply ammonium
sulfate in Illinois. Spring fertilizing can be done in late February through
mid-March, which is around the same time that wheat is being fertilized. This fertilizer
will provide around 40 pounds of nitrogen along with some sulfur,” he said. “Legumes
will respond to sulfur like grasses respond to nitrogen.”
Ammonium sulfate is often the cheapest source of nitrogen
and can be used in the granular or liquid forms depending on availability from
your supplier. According to Hanson, encapsulated Urea (ESN) or comparable types
of time released products are another good source of nitrogen. He recommends consulting
your supplier if you want sulfur mixed in with your ESN.
To maximize pasture forage performance, try a mixture of
legumes and grasses.
“Legumes can make up as much as 35 percent of the pasture,
but I caution beef producers if grazing at this level. With legumes, you can increase tonnage, but
also the opportunity for bloat,” he said. “I would recommend more in the 20 to
25 percent range with good management.”
If a pasture is in need of a legume, Hanson recommends
adding white clover or red clover seed at the same time as spring
fertilization.
“Three to five pounds of a good white clover (not dutch
white clover) is more than enough. If using
red clover I would go with eight to 12 pounds,” he said. “A mix of three pounds
white and five pounds red is a good way to hedge your opportunity. I have seen
years where one type of clover will do better one year and the other type will
do better the next. Therefore, this
reduces risk and provides more variety in the pasture.”
It’s important to
plant early, and provide good weed control and fertility to increase yield
potential.
Hay Fields
Two hundred pounds of ammonium sulfate applied to a grass alfalfa
mix hay field is an excellent way to increase hay tonnage and create more
healthy roots. The alfalfa will respond to the sulfur and it will respond to
the nitrogen early in the season before nitrogen fixation takes place. The
grasses will also respond to the nitrogen.
If a hayfield is under-performing, it is best to add grasses
or red clover in the fall. It will compete against the existing plants better
and will have minimal weed pressure.
“If you realize after first cutting that a field suffered a
high percentage of winter kill it is going to be too late to help the hay field
for the rest of the summer and it will probably be economically wise to
terminate the field after the first cutting,” Hanson said. “Terminating the hay
field and planting it to a high quality summer annual could yield anywhere from
six to 10 tons of good quality feed. If you add your first cutting tonnage to
that number you will see why summer annuals can really help meet a farms forage
needs.”
He adds that a normal producing hay field will yield three
to six tons of hay depending on management, soil type and Mother nature.
Approximately 45 percent to 55 percent of the yield is in the first cutting.
Therefore, taking one and one-half to two tons of hay and then using a summer
annual and getting another six to 10 tons of feed can be a no brainier.
Hanson adds to consider planting a high yielding summer
annual that can be grazed or harvested such as Brown Mid-Rib (BMR) Sorghum
Sudan Grass, Sudan hybrids and Hybrid Pearl Millet.
Cover Crops
Cover Crops by nature are designed to scavenger nutrients. They
can be an excellent tool for doing so, but if you are planning on harvesting a
cover crop for forage you may need to add fertility.
Hanson shares an example of a family in 2013 that planted
and harvested 100 acres of winter rye. It was on their poorest ground
which also has poor drainage. It was treated like most cover crops and did
not receive fertilizer. They made baleage from all 100 acres and harvested
420 bales. He admits that this is a lot of feed, but the family was actually
hoping for more tonnage and it could have yielded 50 percent to 75 percent more
if it had been fertilized. Another
family planted 10 acres of winter rye in a field next their cattle barn and
this field was popular for spreading manure. Their field yielded 80 bales,
which is twice the production of the first family. They did not add fertility
in 2013, but all the years of spreading manure is better than any source of
synthetic fertilizer and this is where cattle producers have a real advantage. Hanson
was able to view both fields the day before they were harvested and it was
apparent that added fertility is important in producing quality forage and it
also has a direct relationship to tonnage.
“In order to increase our chances at profitability, cattle
producers must reduce feed costs and this can be done most effectively through
aggressive management of our forages. The best returns from pasture
fertilization will depend on effective utilization through well-managed
livestock and forage programs,” he said. “Fertilization is important in any
efficient, highly productive forage program.”
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