SG_USA_October_2018

WE DON’T HAVE TO FEED HAY ... BUT MOST OF US DO SANTA GERTRUDIS Product ion

By Randy L. Stanko, Ph.D., Texas A&M University-Kingsville A ccording to Texas A&M University AgriLife researchers and Exten- sion specialists, there are many ways to ensure cattle are well

months. The 12-month plan will definitely include actively grow- ing warm season grasses *(Bermuda or similar; graze April to November); deferred grazing of stockpiled warm-season grasses (graze late October to end of January); and either cool-season grasses (tall fescue, north of I-20 up to I-40), combining annual clovers (crimson, arrowleaf, ball, white) with Bermuda or Bahiagrass sod (graze clover Febru- ary/March to May), or over-seeding and/or establishing a prepared seedbed for small grains (wheat, oat, rye; graze December/January to May) or annual ryegrass (graze mid- winter to mid-May). Some cattle producers may be in a posi- tion and location to use several of the above suggestions. How can a 12-month grazing plan be successful? First, I think it would be wise to have at least a one-month hay supply on hand in case of an emergency. If stored properly, the hay should not lose much quality and could be used over several years. Second, a producer must know the active growing period for the warm-season grasses, which will serve as the base for this 12-month grazing plan. Third, what other forages and small grains are available to complement and offset seasonal forage production? Fourth, how many pastures (acres) will be needed for proper stocking rates, for the ability to stockpile warm-season grass, to establish a prepared seedbed or to sod-seed a winter forage? Fifth, does it make economic sense to prepare, establish and maintain (fertilize) a seedbed pasture for small grains, or do you cur- rently own the proper implements? Rouquette has provided estimated costs to create a small grain pasture: site prep/planting costs $25 per acre; seed (100 pounds per acre) costs $40 per acre; and nitrogen fertilizer (two applications) costs $60 per acre. Rouquette’s estimated total cost is $125-$175 per acre. A hay-less beef cattle management system may not work for your particular beef operation, but it is worth pondering. Your ranch’s location will dictate the diversity of forage types available (more is better). There is no doubt this manage- ment system will require more pastures and possibly more land to graze the current herd (more land does not equal more cattle). The overall goal of this grazing system is to match the nutritional needs of the herd with realistic seasonal forage production. A 12-month gazing system must be flexible and have emergency and contingency plans ready to implement. Buying hay each year is obviously easier but may not be economically prudent. Regardless, we need to consider all possible alternatives to buying and feeding hay because it may mean more money in our pockets.

fed during winter other than putting out round bales. To avoid relying on round bales as the major source of forage, cattle producers will need plenty of extra pastures and/or farm implements. For those producers who have neither, purchasing and feeding round bales over the winter (or during

periods of less rainfall) is a reality that we deal with annu- ally. Feeding hay to cattle is not a bad thing as long as costs are accounted for and justified, and waste is minimized. Not all cattle producers have access to extra pastures or have a desire to become a farmer. A good rule of thumb is do not procure hay more than 50 miles from the ranch. Hauling hay farther than that is not economical. Moreover, “hire it” to be done. You do what you do best and let others do what they do best. This summer, a good friend of mine purchased some beautiful hay-grazer round bales about 100 miles south of his ranch. Two loaded- down, gooseneck, flatbed trailers later, he and his son-in-law were on the road headed home. Long story short, it took eight hours and $1,000 worth of blown tires, plus a roadside ser- vice charge to get 50 round bales home. He would have been better off hiring two semitrucks to haul even more bales.

How do you avoid feeding hay? According to Larry Redmon, Ph.D., Extension program leader, and Monte Rouquette, Ph.D., professor of forage physiology, both with Texas AgriLife Research and Extension, a 12-month graz- ing plan or system is the first step. Grazing 12 months per year will require multiple pastures that will support different cattle-production stages and forage species during different

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16  George West, Texas (361) 566-2244 lacampanaranch.com campana@granderiver.net

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