Utilizing Stockpiled Bermudagrass to Reduce Hay Feeding Costs

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Utilizing Stockpiled Bermudagrass to Reduce Hay
Feeding Costs
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Why all the interest in stockpiling?

• Cow/calf enterprise has been profitable 9 out of
  past 16 years.
• Cattle Fax
• We must do something different!

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Cost of feeding hay?
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Cost of feeding hay?1200 lb round bale example

• Nutrients removed 13.68
• Harvesting 14.00
• Stacking and feeding 2.32
• Storage loss 6.00
• Feeding loss 4.00
• Total 40.00

Or 66.67 per ton
Source Redmon, OSU and Coffey, Noble Foundation
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Harvested forage is used to preserve forage
quality and fill gaps in forage availability
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Can we manage standing forage for adequate
quality and availability to maintain gestating
cows?
Can we do this at a lower cost compared to
feeding hay?
Stockpiling is not a new idea for Oklahoma
cattlemen
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How well does bermuda quality hold up?Likely
dependant on weather, fertility and stage of
maturity at frost.
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Bermuda Yield by N Fertilization Rate
DM Yield, Tons per Acre
N fertilizer/Lb. per acre
Source OSU Fact Sheet 2587
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Late Summer FertilizationHarvest October 23
Crude Protein,
N fertilizer/Lb. per acre
Source Woods, OSU
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Late Summer Fertilized Bermuda Protein Content
Crude Protein,
Sampling Date
Source Taliaferro, OSU
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Current 2 Year Study Materials and Methods
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Objectives

• Determine forage production and quality of late
  summer fertilized bermuda
• Determine supplemental protein required to
  maximize forage utilization throughout the winter

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Management Timeline
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
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Locations
Stillwater
Average wt.1203 lb.
Average BCS5.5
Haskell
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Pasture Preparation

• Pastures were grazed heavily through August to
  remove standing forage
• Excess forage at Stillwater was clipped both
  years
• Last week of August, 50 LB of actual N
  fertilizer per acre was applied to the pastures.

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Grazing Management

• Grazing period
• Experiment 1 Nov. 4 to Jan. 22 (77 days)
• Experiment 2 Nov. 3 to Feb. 2 (90 days)
• Grazing technique
• Stillwater Frontal grazing
• Haskell Rotational
• 7-14 day forage allowance

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Treatments

• CONT no supplement
• L 2 lbs of 12.5 CP supplement
• M 2 lbs of 25 CP supplement
• H 2 lbs of 37.5 CP supplement

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Supplement Composition, of Dry Matter

• Treatments L M H
• Soyhulls 92.5 60.4 30.6
• Soybean
• Meal 0 31.9 62.2
• Molasses 3.6 3.6 3.6
• Dical P 2.5 2.0 1.0
• Ca CO3 0.5 1.0 2.0

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Feeding

• Cows were individually fed in portable supplement
  wagons.
• Supplements were prorated to 4 d/wk feeding.
• No harvested forages were fed throughout the
  experiment.

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Results
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Weather, Forage Production and Utilization
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Mean Temperature Versus 10-yr Average
Stillwater
Haskell
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Mean Precipitation Versus 10-yr Average
Stillwater
Haskell
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Forage Production
Location effect P lt .05
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Stock Density and Harvest Efficiency
Exp 1 Exp 2 Stw Hsk Stw Hsk Stocking
Density AU/Acre .73 .57 .40 .85 Harvest Effic
iency, 61 60 65 62
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Forage Quality
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Forage QualityCrude Protein
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Forage QualityDegradable Protein
Cow requirement assumes diet is 50 TDN
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Forage QualityDigestibilitya, Exp 1
aIn vitro dry matter disapearance Linear decline
P lt .05
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Forage QualityDigestibilitya, Exp 2
aIn vitro dry matter disapearance Quadratic
decline P lt .05
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Animal Performance
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Period Wt. ChangeExperiment 1
Weight lbs.
Treatment
Period 2 C VS Sup P lt .01 Period 2 Protein Effect
Plt.05
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Overall Wt. ChangeExperiment 1
Weight. Lbs.
-44.0
Treatment
C VS Sup P lt .05
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Period Wt. ChangeExperiment 2
Weight lbs.
Treatment
Periods 2 and 3 C VS Sup P lt .01
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Overall Wt. ChangeExperiment 2
Weight. Lbs.
Treatment
C VS Sup P lt .05
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Summary of Animal Performance

• Only during period 2 of Exp. 1 did increased
  supplemental protein further increase performance
  over 12.5.
• In both trials, any supplement improved forage
  intake and animal performance.
• Supplemental energy was the limiting nutrient as
  suggested by forage quality data and cow
  performance.

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Comparison of Beef Cow Wintering Systems
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Cowboy EconomicsAssumptions

• 120 days summer grazing
• 100 days fall / winter grazing
• Forage availability 2800 lb / acre
• Harvest efficiency 60
• Stocking rate 1.6 acres / cow
• .63 cows / acre
• Annual rental rate (bermuda) 18 / acre
• Fall N Fertilizer at 50 lb/acre 12.00
• Stockpiled Bermuda 20.18 / acre

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Cowboy EconomicsAssumptions, Cont.

• Native pasture rent 10 / acre
• Native stocking rate 10 acres / cow
• Bermuda hay 50 / ton
• 25 cubes 130 / ton
• 38 cubes 170 / ton

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Native Pasture Supplement
3 acres deferred pasture 27.40 2 lb. 38
supplement, 75 d 12.75 Total 40.15
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Good Bermuda Hay OnlyNo Supplement Required
100 d at 25 lb. per day 62.50 Hay feeding
waste _at_ 15 9.38 Total 71.88
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Hay, Native Grass (50/50) and Supplement
1.5 acres pasture 13.70 12.5 lb. bermuda hay
31.25 Hay feeding waste _at_ 15 4.69 1.0 lb.
38 sup, 75 d 6.38 Total 56.02
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Hay, Native Grass (25/75) and Supplement
2.0 acres pasture 18.27 6.25 lb. bermuda hay
15.63 Hay feeding waste _at_ 15 2.34 1.5 lb.
38 sup, 75 d 9.56 Total 45.80
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Stockpiled Bermudagrass Supplement
1.6 acres pasture 32.29 2 lb. 25
supplement, 70 d 9.10 Total 41.39
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Summary

• Native pasture and supplement 40.15
• Stockpiled bermudagrass 41.39
• Hay, native pasture 25/75 45.80
• Hay, native pasture 50/50 56.02
• Hay only 71.88

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Short Term Grazing

• Objective
• Utilize stockpiled forage within 60 days (late
  Oct. through late Dec.) before moving to
  different forage base
• Assumptions
• Same as 100 day grazing program with following
  exceptions
• Harvest efficiency 65
• Stocking rate 1.2 cows per acre
• .83 acres per cow

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Stockpiled Bermudagrass Supplement (60 days)
.83 acres per cow 16.75 2 lb. 25
supplement, 30 d 3.90 Total 20.65
Or....34 per head per day
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