Cornstalk Residue Grazing with Weaned Calves, Dry Pregnant Cows or Pairs – What Supplementation Do They Need?

Karla H. Wilke, UNL Cow/Calf Systems and Stocker ManagementMary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems SpecialistKacie McCarthy, UNL Cow-Calf Specialist Cornstalk residue is an economical forage resource across Nebraska, which can help producers reduce annual cow costs. Photo credit Troy Walz. With approximately 9.8 million acres of corn yielding an average of 182 bushels/acre, cornstalk residue can be an accessible and economical winter grazing forage option for producers in Nebraska. Historic research at the…

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The Goal: Feed Less, Graze More

Winter; time to catch up on reading and sharpening the pencil and mind. I often talk about upcoming grazing conferences this time of year. Right now, meetings in person are scarce and perhaps rightly so. I still encourage you to continue learning whether it’s from watching YouTube videos, reading books or articles, or attending a virtual meeting or conference. It is also the time of year when I start thinking more about finding…

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Effect of Energy and Protein Supplementation on Body Condition Score and Reproduction

Steve Boyles, OSU Beef Extension Specialist Feeding a balanced diet to beef females in the last trimester of pregnancy through the breeding season is critical. Nutritional demands increase from early gestation to lactation. Reproduction has low priority among partitioning of nutrients for the subsequent pregnancy. Consequently, thin cows at calving typically remain thin because excess energy in the diet is directed to milk production first. The common theme is, at least for spring-calving…

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Reducing Winter Feed Costs

Clif Little, OSU Extension Agriculture Natural Resources, Guernsey County (this article was originally appeared in Farm and Dairy) Stockpiled fescue with small round bales can be utilized for winter strip grazing. Photo by Clif Little Winter feed represents one of the largest components of annual cow cost. Approximately seventy five percent of the annual feed cost for cattle is winter feed. One way to increase the profit potential in the cow herd is to…

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Valuing Corn Stalk Bales

Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Educator What value should be put on baling corn residue? Photo credit Troy Walz. With dry conditions still plaguing much of the state, baling corn residue following harvest might be an optional roughage source if hay supply is getting tight.  What value should be put on baling corn residue? Figuring out the true value of corn stalk bales can be a bit tricky, but breaking down the costs can…

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Do You Know the Difference Between 9% and 7% Crude Protein Hay?

Hannah Greenwell, Nebraska Extension Educator What is the crude protein content of your hay? Photo credit Troy Walz. Listen to a discussion of the content in this article on this episode of the BeefWatch podcast. You can subscribe to new episodes in iTunes or paste http://feeds.feedburner.com/unlbeefwatch into your podcast app. When feeding harvested forages to the cow herd, you need to know what you have in order to know what to feed. This is vital when faced with…

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Plan Your Winter Cattle Feeding Program and Save Money

By Robert Wells, Ph.D.Livestock Consultant How would you like to save $15 per cow on your winter feeding bill? What if I said you could easily do it by making one timely change to what you are feeding your cows grazing on native grass pasture? Many people only buy one feed type during the winter. This mindset may be costing a 50-head cow herd the equivalent of the value of a $750 calf. Remember…

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Cautions for Cattle Grazing Frosted Forages

Troy Walz, Nebraska Extension Educator Photo credit Troy Walz. When some forages are frosted, the potential for bloat, toxicity, and nitrates may increase for grazing cattle. Bloat When grazing alfalfa in the fall, bloat remains a potential problem, especially during the first three to five days after alfalfa has been exposed to freezing temperatures. In general, the risk of bloat will be minimal only after a significant portion (about 50-70 percent) of the…

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Getting Ready for Winter on the Range

Sean Kelly SDSU Extension Range Management Field Specialist With much of South Dakota experiencing drought conditions this past summer and now continuing into fall, the opportunity for winter grazing may be very limited or not available at all. A ranch manager must try to ensure that enough residual plant height and vegetation cover of the soil surface is available through the winter to aid in recovery of the rangeland. In order to capture…

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