Winter this year is going to be a rough time for producers. Worries about the continuing drought and how it has affected forage production have taken a large part of our thoughts. Because of this, there will be limited to no stored forage available to feed cattle this winter.
Due to this issue, producers will need to be more efficient with their supplements. It will not be feasible just to put out some feed and hope for the best. Hay or standing forage intake must be estimated to calculate winter feed needs.
It can be very tempting to go with the cheapest option, expecting it to be the best option. The goal is to be the most efficient rather than the least costly. Going with the cheaper option can often lead to more costs down the road. Here are four things that you can look to make it through this winter in a relatively good position.
Reduce your stocking rate.
Reducing the number of cows is a viable option in conditions like we have experienced. What you are doing is reducing the demand for the forages, which will allow them to be more productive. As with most things, it is how you reduce your stocking rate, which will depend on how well you can bounce back. You will need to follow a system rather than just picking some cattle to get rid of.
Using stocker calves is an option. Using stocker calves as part of your regular stocking rate can allow you to be more flexible. A flexible stocking rate is essential in conditions such as droughts and bad markets. If things are good, you can increase your number, and when it turns bad, you can reduce it just as quickly. When forage production becomes limited, you can sell the stockers, reducing the number of culls you need to eliminate.
Selling your replacement heifers should also be considered during this time. Though they may have potential, they will only provide a marketable calf for a year. Not to mention that they are still growing, which means that they will need more nutrition than a mature cow.
Culling the right way
In order to cull the herd to a number you can afford to winter, try getting rid of the old, less productive cows. They are often past the point where they no longer match the investment. In order for cows to stay strong and healthy during the fall calving season, they will need more nutrients. If you are looking for more strategies on how to do this, check out my previous post, “How destocking can ease your pain”.
One more thing that I would like to mention is that even if you have the acreage, you can still carry that many cows. Things like brush overgrowth and even rock formations can affect the overall carry capacity of your place. If you are looking to find out how to estimate your actual grazing capacity, check out my previous post, “Estimating your grazeable acreage”.
Plant cool-season grass for winter
Cool-season forages can help reduce how much hay you need during winter and early spring. You can extend your grazing season from November to May, depending on which species you go with. If you go with this, the key is to let them establish before you turn the cows out. Letting them get 6-8 inches before grazing will provide excellent forage for use during this time. Forage will reduce the amount of hay needed.
Depending on how you choose to plant them, you will want to plant them 4-6 weeks before the first killing frost. Here in Texas, that usually happens in November. Whenever you are going to be planting, it is always a good idea to do a soil test to know what nutrients are needed. Phosphorus is necessary if you are starting out. A good phosphorus fertilizer will promote vigorous root growth.
Going with this option is best for your younger growing animals. Stocker calves, replacement heifers, first-calf heifers, etc., will benefit from the extra nutrition. You can limit graze to 2 hours per day for your fall-calving cows. Or for 4 hours every other day during winter as a protein and energy supplement. Expense makes it unsuitable for mature, dry cows.
The Texas AgriLife Extension Service has a paper with some tips on how to get your cool-season forages started on the right foot.
Calculate the amount of hay needed.
In this step, you will want to take an inventory of how much hay you currently have. After that, you will want to figure out how much you can feed daily for the expected period. You may not need to purchase more hay if you can only provide as little as 10 pounds of hay per cow per day.
In determining how much hay to use, it will be essential to consider the quality of the hay. Higher-quality forages have more significant concentrations of certain nutrients. This more substantial concentration means that animals eating it will more likely be able to meet their nutrient needs just from the forages. The drawback is that higher quality will increase intake. Consumption of low-quality forages will amount to 1.5% of body weight. In comparison, consumption of high-quality forages will amount to 2% of body weight.
To know what is being provided, you should test your hay. In order to determine what your cows will require, you will need to see the quality of what you are providing them. Knowing the nutrient output is also essential, so you will see if you need to give some other supplements like range cubes.
Develop your winter supplement program.
Now that you know what nutrients are provided by your forages and hay, you can set up your winter supplement program. To be the most efficient, you will want to “fill in the gaps” rather than just using an overall blanket supplement.
The type of supplement you will be using will depend on your available resources. Things like Tripp hoppers, feed bunks, and how much time you have to do it need to be considered. Speaking of. When figuring out the cost of supplements, you should also factor in your pay. I mean, you do not want to be doing this for free, do you?!
