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Making Cattle Feeding
Decisions in a
Low Hay Producing Year
By
Laura Skillman
 HARDINSBURG,
Ky., (July 25, 2007) – A late spring freeze followed by dry
weather and high corn prices have left many Kentucky cattle
producers in a quandary over how they will feed their animals.
In recent weeks, Roy Burris, a University of Kentucky College of
Agriculture beef cattle specialist, has been traveling the state
visiting with producers to discuss feeding alternatives they
might want to consider to stretch their hay supply. Burris
cautioned producers not to panic and buy poor quality hay for
high prices when better alternatives are available.
“Farmers need to decide what they are going to do, and they need
to make some of those decisions now and have a plan for it,”
Burris said. “The overriding thing you need to do is meet the
nutritional needs of the cow. It’s going to come back to haunt
you if you don’t.”
The first thing farmers need to do is inventory their hay to
know how much they have in order to determine how much
additional feed they will need. Burris said there are several
strategies, and it is likely that a combination of them will be
best for most operations.
He told farmers not to give up on grazing just yet. With some
timely rains such as those this past week in many areas of the
state, pastures could rebound this fall. If they do, then adding
some nitrogen to encourage growth may allow for some stockpiling
of fescue pastures to carry cattle into late fall and winter.
This could be one means of reducing the need for hay. Grazing
corn stalks after harvest is also a good way to extend the
grazing season.
“Don’t give up on rotational grazing,” he said. “If you have to
overgraze one field to spare others, that’s OK.”
Winter annuals such as ryegrass or cereal crops such as oats or
rye can be an option. They may help with some grazing in late
fall and again in early spring. But, Burris said he does not
think they offer any real advantages over stockpiling fescue.
Farmers who buy hay should have it tested to ensure they are
getting good quality hay. Limit-feeding hay and supplementing
the diet with concentrates like byproduct feeds can also work to
meet the animal’s basic nutritional needs and stretch the hay
supply.
Consider availability, cost, and transportability when deciding
what feed alternatives to use. Alternatives include corn,
soybean hulls, corn gluten and distillers grains. Corn is among
the most popular but not necessarily the best for the cow. Other
products are a better option, Burris said.
“The best approach is to blend these products and feed a
balanced ration,” he said. “Balance it for protein and energy
and in the least-cost way.”
Culling old or open cows to reduce the herd size may be an
option. But Burris said unless a farmer is retiring he would not
consider selling the herd, because it can take years to again
develop a quality herd. Early weaning spring calves may help as
well because it takes some of the pressure off the cows
especially if the cows are losing body condition. The calves can
be creep fed on soybean hulls.
Burris outlined an example of a feeding plan mixing several
feeding strategies during a recent meeting at the Breckinridge
County extension office. He suggested grazing corn stalks for 40
days then moving cattle to strip graze stockpiled fescue for 80
to 90 days. This would mean going into mid-February before the
need to feed hay, unless snow covers the fields.
“This is something we ought to be doing every year,” he said.
“What we try to do at the UK Research and Education Center in
Princeton is graze 10 months out of the year. That way you are
less dependent on purchased feeds.”
A farmer is then left with about 60 days when he will need to
feed hay. Limit-feeding hay at 6 to 10 pounds per cow along with
a balanced feed concentrate will allow a farmer to stretch his
hay while meeting the animals’ nutritional needs. The final step
would be to get them grazing again in early spring either by
using winter annuals or fertilizing fescue fields to get an
early flush of growth.
Burris said while hay and pasture shortages exist, farmers
should not panic and make bad decisions. Taking the time now to
make a plan for winter feeding can prevent last minute searches
for feeds that may be costly and may not be the best nutritional
option for the cattle.
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Contact: Roy Burris, 270-365-7541, ext. 208
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of Agriculture, through its land-grant mission, reaches across
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