|
2002 Annual Report Grassland Section |
Dickinson
Research Extension Center
1089 State Avenue Dickinson, ND 58601 |
Pasture-Forage
Costs-Returns of Management Strategies for Lactating
Range Cows with Calves during Mid October to Mid November
Llewellyn L. Manske PhD
Range Scientist
North
Dakota State University
Dickinson Research
Extension Center
Introduction
The beef production industry
in the Northern Plains has a low profit margin. A logical response to this situation
is the scientific evaluation of management-practice effectiveness in reducing
production costs by reducing pasture and forage costs, which constitute the
greatest portion of the total annual production costs for a beef cow and calf.
Because the daily requirements for cows differ with production period, proper
evaluation of management strategies requires two steps: evaluation of pasture
and forage costs related to each production period and evaluation of the management
strategies for livestock production periods as components within a complete
12-month pasture-forage management system. Achieving reductions in livestock
production costs for range cows during the late lactation production period
requires an understanding of the production costs of common traditional practices
and the costs of alternative management practices.
Selection of a low-cost
management practice for the late lactation period during fall generates considerable
confusion. This production period occurs during the transition between summer
grazing and winter feeding practices, and whether to graze longer or to start
feeding harvested forages early is a difficult decision.
This study evaluated several
pasture-forage management strategies to determine the pasture-forage costs and
returns for lactating beef cows with calves during mid October to mid November.
The pasture management strategies were 4.5-month seasonlong, 5.0-6.0-month seasonlong,
6.0-month seasonlong, 4.0-month deferred, Altai wildrye, and cropland aftermath.
The harvested-forage management strategies were mature crested wheatgrass, early
crested wheatgrass, and forage barley hay. The management strategy costs evaluated
were pasture or land rent values per acre; production costs per acre; costs
per unit of dry matter; costs per unit of nutrient; land area per animal unit;
forage feed costs per day, per month, or per production period; and cost per
pound of calf weight gain.
Procedure
This study was conducted
at the NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center, located in western North Dakota.
Pasture-forage costs and returns were evaluated from cow and calf weight performance
data collected on seven grazing management treatments involved in pasture research
projects conducted between 1983 and 1998 and from forage production data collected
on three harvested-forage types between 1995 and 1999. The livestock weight
data used in this study were collected from grazing treatments researched during
two periods, 1983 to 1985 and 1993 to 1998. These two data sets were treated
separately. The research data collected during severe water stress or drought
periods were not included in this study.
Commercial Hereford and
Angus-Hereford cows with Charolais-sired calves were allocated to grazing treatments
each spring. Individual animals were weighed on and off each treatment and at
biweekly or monthly intervals during the grazing season. The livestock weight
data collected on the grazing treatments between mid October and mid November
were used to determine cow and calf weight performance. Range cow daily nutritional
requirements, which change with cow size, level of milk production, and production
period, were taken from NRC (1996). An assumed price of $0.70 per pound was
used to determine the economic value of calf accumulated weight.
Forage costs for three
harvested-forage types used as feed for lactating cows during mid October to
mid November were evaluated. Forage dry matter yield per acre and percent crude
protein data for perennial domesticated grass hay and annual cereal hay were
taken from a previous study (Manske and Carr 2000).
Pasture rent value of $8.76
per acre was used to determine costs for native rangeland and domesticated grass
pastures. Pasture rent value for cropland aftermath is not reported with other
North Dakota agricultural information, and placing a value per acre on this
forage source is problematic. Grazing on cropland aftermath is not without cost
even if the costs are charged to the harvested crop. The value of $2.00 per
acre was used for cropland aftermath grazing costs in this report. Land rent
values of $22.07 per acre for cropland and $14.22 per acre for domesticated
grass hayland were used in the determination of forage production costs for
the harvested forages.
Pasture and forage costs
of feed to meet livestock dry matter and crude protein requirements were determined
during this study. Production costs per acre were determined by adding average
land rent per acre, custom farm work rates, seed costs per acre, and baling
costs at per half ton rates. Costs per ton of forage dry matter (DM) were determined
by dividing production costs per acre by pounds of forage dry matter yield per
acre and multiplying the quotient by 2000 pounds. Costs per pound of crude protein
(CP) were determined in two stages: first, pounds of forage dry matter per acre
were multiplied by percentage of forage crude protein to derive pounds of crude
protein per acre; then, production costs per acre were divided by pounds of
crude protein per acre. Pasture land area per animal unit per month was determined
in two stages: first, pounds of forage dry matter per acre were divided by pounds
of forage dry matter required per animal unit per day to derive number of grazing
days per acre; then, the average number of days per month was divided by the
number of grazing days per acre. Harvested-forage land area per animal unit
per month or per production period was determined in two stages: first, pounds
of crude protein required per animal per day during a production period were
divided by percentage of crude protein of forage type to derive pounds of forage
dry matter to provide as feed per animal unit per day; then, pounds of forage
dry matter to feed per day were divided by pounds of forage dry matter per acre,
and the quotient was multiplied by 30 days per month, 30.5 days per month, or
the number of days per production period. Forage feed costs per animal per day,
per month, or per production period were determined in three stages: first,
production costs per acre were divided by pounds of forage dry matter per acre,
and that quotient was divided by percentage of forage crude protein to derive
cost per pound of crude protein; next, the cost per pound of crude protein was
multiplied by pounds of crude protein required per animal per day during a production
period; then, the feed costs per day were multiplied by 30 days per month, 30.5
days per month, or the number of days per production period. Costs per pound
of calf weight gain were determined in two stages: first, accumulated calf weight
gain was determined by subtracting calf live weight at the beginning of a growth
period from calf live weight at the end of a growth period; then, total pasture
costs or forage production costs for a calf growth period were divided by the
accumulated calf weight for the growth period.
Grazing Treatments, 1983-1985
The 4.5-month seasonlong
(4.5 M SL) management strategy grazed one native range pasture from mid June
until late October at an average stocking rate of 3.26 acres per cow-calf pair
per month. The 5.0-6.0-month seasonlong (5.0-6.0 M SL) management strategies
grazed one native range pasture from between mid May and mid June until mid
November at stocking rates between 2.23 acres and 4.04 acres, with an average
of 2.53 acres per cow-calf pair per month. The deferred (Def) management strategy
grazed one native range pasture from mid July until mid November at an average
stocking rate of 2.22 acres per cow-calf pair per month. The Altai wildrye (AWR)
management strategy was the complementary domesticated grass fall pasture associated
with the twice-over rotation system. The Altai wildrye pastures were grazed
from mid October until mid November at an average stocking rate of 1.55 acres
per cow-calf pair per month.
Grazing Treatments, 1993-1998
The 6.0-month seasonlong
(6.0 M SL) management strategy grazed one native range pasture from mid May
until mid November at an average stocking rate of 2.01 acres per cow-calf pair
per month. The Altai wildrye (AWR) management strategy pastures were grazed
by cattle coming off the twice-over rotation system. These pastures were grazed
from mid October until mid November at an average stocking rate of 1.39 acres
per cow-calf pair per month. The cropland aftermath (CA) management strategy
was the fall pasture type associated with the 4.5-month seasonlong treatment
grazed from early June until mid October. The crop aftermath consisted primarily
of annual cereal residue of oats, barley, and/or chopped corn stubble. Crop
aftermath pastures were grazed from mid October until mid November at an average
stocking rate of 6.63 acres per cow-calf pair per month.
Harvested Forages, 1995-1999
Harvested forages were
cut by swathing and were then rolled into large round bales. Mature crested
wheatgrass hay was cut at a mature plant stage. Early crested
wheatgrass hay was cut at the boot stage. Forage barley hay was cut at the milk
stage.
Results
Pasture-forage costs and
returns of pasture management strategies between mid October and mid November
are shown in tables 1 and 2. Costs per pound
of accumulated calf weight are shown in tables 1 and 2.
4.5-Month Seasonlong
Lactating cows that grazed
on the 4.5-month seasonlong treatment for 15 days between mid and late October
lost 0.52 pounds per day and lost 2.76 pounds per acre. Calf weight gain was
1.35 pounds per day and 6.17 pounds per acre; accumulated weight gain was 20.33
pounds. Each cow-calf pair was allotted an average of 3.26 acres per month,
at a cost of $0.95 per day, $28.56 per month, or $14.28 for the 15 days of late
October. When calf accumulated weight was assumed to have a value of $0.70/lb,
the gross return was $14.23 per calf, and the net returns after pasture costs
were a loss of $0.05 per cow-calf pair and a loss of $4.44 per acre. Each accumulated
pound of calf weight cost $0.70 on the 4.5-month seasonlong strategy during
mid to late October.
5.0-6.0-Month Seasonlong
Lactating cows that grazed
native rangeland on the 5.0-6.0-month seasonlong strategies for 30 days between
mid October and mid November lost 0.82 pounds to 2.65 pounds per day and lost
9.77 pounds to 39.50 pounds per acre. Calf weight gain ranged from 0.59 pounds
to 0.92 pounds per day and from 8.82 pounds to 10.90 pounds per acre; accumulated
weight gain ranged from 17.73 pounds to 27.60 pounds. Each cow-calf pair was
allotted from 2.01 acres to 2.53 acres per month, at a cost of $0.59 to $0.74
per day, or $17.61 to $22.16 per month. When calf accumulated weight was assumed
to have a value of $0.70/lb, the gross return was $12.41 to $19.32 per calf,
and the net returns after pasture costs were a loss of $2.84 to $5.20 per cow-calf
pair and a loss of $1.13 to $2.59 per acre. The cost of each accumulated pound
of calf weight ranged from $0.80 to $0.99 on the 5.0-6.0-month seasonlong strategies
during mid October to mid November.
4.0-Month Deferred
Lactating cows that grazed
on the 4.0-month deferred strategy for 30 days between mid October and mid November
lost 0.74 pounds per day and lost 9.96 pounds per acre. Calf weight gain was
0.77 pounds per day and 10.36 pounds per acre; accumulated weight gain was 23.10
pounds. Each cow-calf pair was allotted 2.22 acres per month, at a cost of $0.65
per day or $19.53 per month. When calf accumulated weight was assumed to have
a value of $0.70/lb, the gross return was $16.77 per calf, and the net returns
after pasture costs were a loss of $3.36 per cow-calf pair and a loss of $1.51
per acre. Each accumulated pound of calf weight cost $0.85 on the 4.0-month
deferred management strategy during mid October to mid November.
Native Rangeland
The cost of grazing native
rangeland during the fall is considerably higher than the cost of grazing native
rangeland during the summer. The weight of the herbage on fall pastures is only
about 40% to 60% of the mid summer herbage weight on grasslands that have had
no grazing all growing season. The number of acres required to provide sufficient
dry matter for each cow-calf pair during the fall is about double the number
required during the summer: on grasslands where 2.18 acres per month are required
by an animal unit during the summer, 4.40 acres per month will be required during
the fall. When the rent value per acre is the same for both summer and fall
pastures, the cost per ton of dry matter nearly doubles and the cost per pound
of crude protein quadruples on each acre of grassland grazed during the fall.
On fall-grazed native range pasture with rent at $8.76 per acre, the forage
portion of the herbage dry matter available for livestock intake costs $80.37
and $97.33 per ton during early and late fall, respectively. The forage dry
matter available for livestock intake costs $48.26 per ton on summer-grazed
native range pastures. During July, native rangeland has about 9.6% crude protein,
at a cost of $0.25 per pound of forage crude protein. The nutritional quality
of mature herbage during fall is about 4.8% crude protein. The forage portion
of the crude protein available for livestock intake costs $0.34 and $1.01 per
pound during early and late fall, respectively. About 1.2 pounds of additional
crude protein per day need to be supplemented for each lactating cow grazing
native range during the fall.
Altai Wildrye
Lactating cows that grazed
Altai wildrye pastures between mid October and mid November gained 0.22 pounds
to 1.57 pounds per day and 4.69 pounds to 30.27 pounds per acre. Calf weight
gain ranged from 1.24 pounds to 1.80 pounds per day and from 26.76 pounds to
34.79 pounds per acre; accumulated weight gain ranged from 37.20 pounds to 53.92
pounds. Each cow-calf pair was allotted from 1.39 acres to 1.55 acres per month,
at a cost of $0.41 to $0.45 per day, or $12.18 to $13.58 per month. When calf
accumulated weight was assumed to have a value of $0.70/lb, the gross return
ranged from $26.04 to $37.74 per calf, and the net returns after pasture costs
ranged from $13.86 to $24.16 per cow-calf pair and from $9.97 to $15.59 per
acre. The cost of each accumulated pound of calf weight ranged from $0.25 to
$0.33 on the Altai wildrye pasture treatments during mid October to mid November.
Altai wildrye pastures
have an average rent value of $8.76 per acre. The land area required to provide
adequate herbage for a cow and calf for 30 days was from 1.39 acres to 1.55
acres. The forage portion of the herbage dry matter available for livestock
intake cost $25.37 to $28.29 per ton, with an average of $26.83 per ton, and
the forage portion of the crude protein available for livestock intake cost
$0.13 to $0.15 per pound, with an average of $0.14 per pound.
Cropland Aftermath
Lactating cows that grazed
cropland aftermath of annual cereal residue between mid October and mid November
lost 1.26 pounds per day and lost 7.27 pounds per acre. Calf weight gain was
0.42 pounds per day and 1.90 pounds per acre; accumulated weight gain was 12.57
pounds. Each cow-calf pair was allotted 6.63 acres per month; when the value
of crop aftermath was assessed at $2.00 per acre, the cost was $0.44 per day,
or $13.26 per month. When calf accumulated weight was assumed to have a value
of $0.70/lb, the gross return was $8.80 per calf, and the net returns after
pasture costs were a loss of $4.46 per cow-calf pair and a loss of $0.67 per
acre. Each accumulated pound of calf weight cost $1.05 on cropland aftermath
during mid October to mid November.
Harvested-Forage Hay
Forage costs of harvested-forage
management strategies between mid October and mid November are shown in table
3.
Forage costs for a 1200-pound
lactating cow that required a daily intake of 27 lbs dry matter (DM) at 9.6%
crude protein (CP) (2.51 lbs CP/day) during mid October to mid November were
determined for three harvested-forage types.
Crested wheatgrass hay
cut at a mature plant stage has a crude protein content of around 6.4%. This
low-quality hay had production costs of $28.11 per acre, dry matter costs of
$34.80 per ton, and crude protein costs of $0.28 per pound. This late-cut hay
would need to be fed at 39.1 lbs DM/day to provide 2.5 lbs CP/day. Lactating
cows could not acquire adequate quantities of crude protein from this mature
hay, and animal performance would be unsatisfactory. An additional 0.78 lbs
of crude protein per day would need to be provided with mature crested wheatgrass
hay fed to meet the dry matter requirements. Production of mature crested wheatgrass
hay to feed a lactating cow during mid October to mid November required 0.73
acres per month and cost $0.70 per day, or $21.00 per month.
Crested wheatgrass hay
cut early, at the boot stage, has a crude protein content of around 14.5%. This
high-quality hay had production costs of $26.50 per acre, dry matter costs of
$40.80 per ton, and crude protein costs of $0.14 per pound. This early cut hay
would be fed at 17.2 lbs DM/day to provide 2.5 lbs CP/day. An additional 10
lbs of roughage per day would need to be provided. Production of early cut crested
wheatgrass hay to feed a lactating cow during mid October to mid November required
0.40 acres per month and cost $0.35 per day, or $10.50 per month.
Forage barley hay cut at
the milk stage has a crude protein content of around 13.0%. This hay had production
costs of $68.21 per acre, dry matter costs of $28.80 per ton, and crude protein
costs of $0.11 per pound. This forage barley hay would be fed at 19.2 lbs DM/day
to provide 2.5 lbs CP/day. An additional 7.8 lbs of roughage per day would need
to be provided. Production of forage barley hay to feed a lactating cow during
mid October to mid November required 0.12 acres per month and cost $0.28 per
day, or $8.25 per month.
Pasture-Forage Costs
Pasture and forage costs
of pasture and harvested-forage management strategies for range cows during
late lactation between mid October and mid November are shown in table
4. Costs per pound of calf weight gain are shown in table
4.
Production costs per acre
for harvested forages were greater than pasture rent per acre. Production costs
per acre for annual cereal hay were considerably greater than those for perennial
grass hay. Production costs for annual cereal hay include 68% for labor and
equipment expenses; the remaining costs consist of land rent values of $22.07
per acre. Production costs for perennial grass hay include 45% to 50% for labor
and equipment expenses; the remaining costs consist of land rent values of $14.22
per acre. Production costs for perennial grass pastures consist of pasture rent
values of $8.76 per acre. These relationships of forage production costs are
often interpreted to indicate that feeding livestock annual cereal hay is more
expensive than feeding livestock perennial grass hay, which in turn is more
expensive than grazing livestock on perennial grass pasture. Numerous types
of pasture-forage management strategies based on this interpretation of the
forage production costs per acre have been implemented in the Northern Plains
with the confident assumption that the management practices were the lowest-cost
alternative strategies available for beef production. However, neither production
costs per acre nor pasture rent per acre accurately reflects livestock production
costs because forage dry matter weight per acre and nutrient weight per acre
captured through grazing or haying vary with forage type and plant growth stage
and the variations are not proportional to these per acre costs.
The costs per unit of forage
dry matter reflect the relationship between pasture rent per acre or production
costs per acre and the amount of dry matter consumed by grazing livestock or
the amount cut for hay. Cost of harvested forage per unit of weight is commonly
used to compare different forage types, but cost of pasture forage dry matter
livestock consume by grazing is generally not considered by livestock producers
when they compare costs of management strategies. The dry matter costs of fall
forage on native range pastures were very high ($97.33/ton) and were considerably
higher than the dry matter costs of Altai wildrye pasture forage ($26.83/ton),
crested wheatgrass hays ($34.80 and $40.80/ton), and forage barley hay ($28.80/ton).
Traditional pasture-forage
management strategies have been designed to maximize the quantity of dry matter
removed by grazing or haying. The greater the amount of dry matter removed per
acre, the lower the cost per unit of weight. However, forage dry matter costs
per unit of weight do not accurately reflect livestock production costs because
of the variable quantity of nutrients contained within the dry matter and the
resulting differences in the amount of dry matter needed to provide adequate
quantities of nutrients for livestock. Mature crested wheatgrass hay has lower
dry matter costs than early cut crested wheatgrass hay, but costs to feed mature
created wheatgrass to lactating cows are double the costs to feed the higher-quality
early cut crested wheatgrass hay. Traditional harvested forages used as fall
and winter feed for beef cows are usually selected by the costs of dry matter
weight and are generally low quality and relatively expensive.
Cost per unit of nutrient
is an important indicator of livestock pasture-forage costs. Nutrient cost per
unit of weight is related to the forage dry matter cost and the quantity of
nutrients per unit of forage weight. Crude protein costs ($1.01/lb) on fall-grazed
native range pastures are very high because the aboveground herbage weight is
only about 50% of the mid summer herbage weight and the crude protein content
is very low, at around 4.8%. Crude protein costs for mature crested wheatgrass
hay are fairly high, at $0.28 per pound. Crude protein costs for Altai wildrye
pasture forage, early cut crested wheatgrass hay, and forage barley hay are
all less than $0.25 per pound, at $0.14, $0.14, and $0.11 per pound, respectively.
High-quality forages have lower costs per unit of nutrient than low-quality
forages at the same cost per unit of dry matter. Even high-quality forages with
a higher cost per unit of dry matter may actually be less costly feed because
less of the high-quality forage is needed to meet the nutritional requirements
of the livestock.
Land area per animal unit
has not been traditionally recognized as an important factor in beef production
costs. Costs of the land area required to provide adequate quantities of forage
for a cow-calf unit contribute substantially to total production costs. The
greater the quantity of produced nutrients captured from a land base, the smaller
the amount of land area required by an animal unit and the lower the production
costs.
The land area allotted
per cow-calf pair on the native range grazing treatments ranged from 2.01 acres
to 3.26 acres per month. These allotted land areas were less than the 4.40 acres
determined from herbage weight data to be needed for a cow-calf pair. The poor
performance of animals on the native range treatments between mid October and
mid November can be attributed to both the low quality and the low quantity
of forage available for livestock consumption. The land area required to provide
one month of forage for each cow-calf pair grazing Altai wildrye pastures was
between 1.39 acres and 1.55 acres, at land area costs between $12.18 and $13.58.
Production of mature crested wheatgrass, early crested wheatgrass, and forage
barley to provide harvested forage for a cow-calf unit for a month required
0.73 acres, 0.40 acres, and 0.12 acres, respectively, at land area costs of
$10.38, $5.69, and $2.65, respectively. The land area cost for the 4.40 acres
of properly stocked native range was $38.54 for one month of forage.
Livestock forage feed costs
on fall-grazed native range pastures were high, between $0.59 and $0.95 per
day. These costs were high because the forage quantity and quality were low.
The costs of calf weight gain on these management strategies were also high,
ranging from $0.70 to $0.99 per pound. Livestock forage feed costs for mature
crested wheatgrass hay were high, at $0.70 per day, because of the low quality
of the dry matter.
Livestock forage feed costs
on cropland aftermath were fairly low, at $0.44 per day, because of the low
value per acre assessed to this forage source. However, the cost of calf weight
gain on cropland aftermath was extremely high, at $1.05 per pound.
The pasture-forage management
strategies with livestock forage feed costs lower than $0.62 per day were Altai
wildrye pasture, early cut crested wheatgrass hay, and forage barley hay, which
had forage feed costs of $0.43, $0.35, and $0.28 per day, respectively. The
cost of calf weight gain on Altai wildrye pastures was relatively low, averaging
$0.29 per pound.
Discussion
The alternative management
strategies evaluated showed wide differences in pasture and land rent per acre;
production costs per acre; costs per unit of forage dry matter; costs per unit
of nutrient; land area per animal unit; forage costs per day, per month, or
per production period; and costs per pound of calf weight gain. Effectiveness
of a management strategy in reducing the costs of pasture and harvested forage
for livestock production can be evaluated a number of ways. The rankings of
the costs can be based on the input costs of the value of land rent and market
value of bulk weight of harvested forages, or the rankings can be based on the
costs related to the per unit cost of saleable product. Selection of a low-cost
management strategy to implement during mid October to mid November would differ
with the cost criteria used to formulate the decisions. When a traditional production
cost criterion of pasture or land rent per acre, production costs per acre,
or cost per unit of harvested forage dry matter is used, grazing native range,
grazing cropland aftermath, and feeding mature crested wheatgrass are identified
as the most cost-efficient management strategies. When cost per unit of nutrient;
land area per animal unit; forage feed costs per day, per month, or per production
period; or cost per pound of calf weight gain is the criterion used, grazing
Altai wildrye pastures, feeding early cut crested wheatgrass hay, and feeding
forage barley cut in the milk stage are identified as the most cost-efficient
management strategies. Selection of a cost-effective strategy for mid October
to mid November therefore requires that calculations be based on appropriate
criteria. Calculations based on traditional production cost criteria will identify
as cost efficient those strategies that are seemly inexpensive because they
require the smallest cash expenditure but are in fact not cost effective because
they yield low animal performance and low or negative net returns. Calculations
based on cost per unit of nutrient; land area per animal unit; forage feed costs
per day, per month, or per production period; or cost per pound of calf weight
gain accurately identify cost-efficient strategies: these strategies are seemingly
costly because they require a greater expenditure of cash than traditional practices
but are in fact cost effective because these alternative management strategies
yield strong animal performance and greater net returns.
Harvested forages are usually
viewed as expensive because the production costs per acre are greater than pasture
rent per acre and a high percentage of the harvested forage production costs
consist of labor and equipment costs. Interpretation of this information has
led to the common assumption that if the amount of harvested forages were reduced
and the length of grazing increased, the production costs for a cow would be
reduced. This assumption is not supported by the data in this study. Some harvested
forages are expensive, but not all harvested forages are high-cost feeds. Generally,
grass forages that are cut late, at a mature plant stage, in order to increase
the quantity of dry matter and reduce production costs per bulk weight are low-quality,
high-cost forages that increase production costs for a cow-calf pair. Grass
forages cut at an early plant stage are high-quality, low-cost forages that
reduce production costs for a cow-calf pair.
The pasture-forage management
strategies that efficiently capture nutrients produced on a land base and convert
these nutrients into a saleable product, like calf weight, will provide low-cost
forage for beef cow-calf production. These strategies will have low costs per
unit of nutrient; low land area per animal unit; low forage feed costs per day,
per month, or per production period; and low costs per pound
of calf gain. Implementation of such effective pasture-forage management strategies
can reduce cow-calf production costs and increase the profit margin for the
beef production industry in the Northern Plains.
Conclusion
Reductions in weight performance
of livestock on native rangeland during the later portion of the grazing season
result from decreases in the quantity and nutritional quality of the herbage.
The nutritional quality of grass plants diminishes sharply after
the flowering stage. During mid to late July the crude protein content of the
herbage on traditional grazing systems drops below the 9.6% required by lactating
cows. Cows draw on stored body fat to provide for a portion of their milk production,
and their weight decreases. The loss of weight leads to decreased milk production,
which results in reduced calf average daily gain.
Secondary tillers of grass
plants are less mature and have greater nutritional quality than older lead
tillers during the later portion of the grazing season. Stimulation of secondary
tiller growth requires grazing that is coordinated with grass growth stages
and removes a small amount of leaf material from the grass plants between the
third-leaf stage and flowering stage to trigger tiller development from axillary
buds located on the crowns. Grazing management strategies that stimulate secondary
tiller growth have improved livestock performance until late September or mid
October, but the biology of native grass plants does not permit extending this
improved performance longer. The nutritional quality of native range herbage
is below the requirements of a lactating cow after mid October, and grazing
animals must be moved to an alternative forage source if their nutritional requirements
are to be met.
Traditional grazing systems
do not stimulate growth of increased numbers of secondary tillers. Herbage production
and nutritional quality of the existing herbage continue a sharp decline from
late July until the end of the grazing season. Livestock weight performance
on these traditional management strategies follows the same sharp decline as
the herbage quantity and quality. The cows lose a considerable amount of weight,
the calves gain very little weight, and feed costs and costs per pound of calf
weight gain are high.
The traditional pasture-forage
management strategies used in the Northern Plains were developed during the
era of low-performance livestock. During the past several decades the type of
livestock in the region has shifted to a fast-growing, high-performance animal,
but pasture-forage management strategies have not been adjusted to take full
advantage of the livestock's genetic potential. The use of slightly modified
low-performance pasture-forage management strategies with high-performance livestock
results in calves with weaning weights below potential and in high annual expenses
for cow maintenance.
Attempts to produce high-performance livestock by using traditional low-performance management strategies have led to high production costs and low profit margins. Evaluation of production costs and profit margins from total cash expenses and cash receipts or from the information included on income tax and bank loan forms may be adequate to determine the financial status of a livestock operation, but these financial records do not provide adequate information for the evaluation of the effectiveness of specific pasture-forage management strategies. Traditional comparisons of pasture or land rent values, forage production costs per acre, and forage dry matter bulk weight costs do not accurately reflect livestock production costs and the effectiveness of pasture-forage management strategies.
High-performance pasture-forage
management strategies combine pasture and forage types so that herbage production
curves and nutritional quality curves coordinate with the twelve-month dietary
quantity and quality requirement curves of cow production periods. Such management
strategies meet the nutritional requirements of high-performance livestock during
the entire year at low costs per unit of saleable product. Evaluation of the
effectiveness of management strategies in reducing livestock production costs
can be accomplished through comparisons of costs per unit of nutrient; land
area per animal unit; forage feed costs per day, per month, or per production
period; and costs per pound of calf weight gain. Implementation of high-performance
pasture-forage management strategies will result in improved livestock weight
performance, reduced livestock production costs, and increased profit margins.
Acknowledgment
I am grateful to Amy M.
Kraus for assistance in the preparation of this manuscript. I am grateful to
Sheri Schneider for assistance in production of this manuscript and for development
of the tables.
Literature
Cited
Manske, L.L., and
P.M. Carr. 2000. Determination of costs of harvested forage types to
help reduce beef production costs. NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center.
Range Research Report DREC 00-1029. Dickinson, North Dakota. 18p
National Research Council. 1996. Nutrient requirements of beef cattle. 7th rev. ed. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.
Tables and Graphs
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