Intensified Cow/Calf Production Systems in the Southern Great Plains

Transcription

1 Intensified Cow/Calf Production Systems in the Southern Great Plains

2 Low Input (Extensive) System Native rangeland 13.4 acres per cow calf unit Represents low stocking rate requiring little to no hay and minimal drought risk Winter protein supplement and mineral yeararound Wean July 15

3 Intensive System

4 Intensive System Period Planned Grazing Actual Grazing Feed/forage Winter Dec. Mar. 15 Dec. 9 - Mar. 28 Dry lot and limit-grazed wheat Spring graze-out Mar. 15 May 15 Mar. 28 May 7 Wheat Early summer May 15 - July 15 May 7 July 15 Rangeland Cover Crop July 15 Aug. July 22 Aug. 22 Legume + summer annual Fall pasture Sep. Nov. Aug. 22 Dec. 4 Rangeland Initially 7.8 acres per cow plus imported calories (hay)

5 Dry Lot/Limit Grazing

6 Dry Lot/Limit Grazing Dry lot = prairie hay Wheat pasture grazing 4 h: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 1 acre per cow/calf pair Calves have continuous access to wheat pasture through creep gates

7 Spring Wheat Pasture Grazeout Ad libitum access to wheat pasture Stocking rate 1 acre ha/pair

8 Early Summer Native Pasture Graze native range until weaning Stocking rate 3.4 ha/pair

9 Results

10 Weight, lb Cow Weight Change P Initial Winter Spring Early Summer Intensive Extensive

11 BCS Cow BCS Change P Initial Winter Spring Early Summer Intensive Extensive

12 Winter Cow Performance Intensive Extensive

13 Weight, lb Calf Performance P < Initial Winter Spring Early Summer Intensive Extensive

14 Intensive Dry Lot Hay Net Disappearance During Winter Limit Grazing Hay Net Disappearance East 23.9 Center 25.3 West 24.4 Average 24.5 *Net Disappearance in lbs. as-fed

15 Intensive Wheat Consumption During 4-hr Limit Grazing Wheat Consumed (DM) Percent Body Weight Forage % DM Cow % 36.8% Calf % 39.9%

16 Summer Cover Crop Grazing (July 22 - August 22)

17 Summer Grazing Steer calves from Extensive system grazed native pasture with no supplement Intensive system cattle grazed cover crop Initially cows had access to 0.33 ac and calves 0.7 ac with 0.33 in reserve (fenced off) Cows were limit-grazed daily (4 hr) Harvested reserve 0.33 ac for hay (Aug. 4) Harvested the steer 0.33 ac after grazing ended (Aug. 21)

18 Summer Cover Crop Grazing

19 Cover Crop Grazing Steer Performance Intensive Extensive

20 ADG, lb Cover Crop Grazing Weaned Steer Performance ADG Intensive 1.7 ADG Extensive

21 Hay Yield

22 Sorghum-Sudan Hay Production (lb/ac) Rep Early Cutting (Aug. 1) Late Cutting (Aug. 21) East Center West Average About 3,160 lb per cow or about 53 d of dry lot feed that doesn t have to be purchased this year

23 Problem: How to distribute nutrients in this system?

24 Sorghum-Sudan Hay Quality DM Basis Early Cutting Late Cutting %CP 9 9 %TDN %Ca %P.18.17

25 Implications Excessive cow weights provide opportunity to restrict calorie intake substantially (in a good year!) Decrease wheat intake (winter and spring) Further restrict hay intake The sorghum/sudan cover crop was expensive and timing for grazing/excessive forage harvest is a challenge Calf performance was disappointing, likely due to timing challenges (forage maturity). May be better suited as part of the cow system? In first year, cost vs income was about the same This year, Intensive cost will be substantially reduced due to less hay purchased

26 Winter Performance Year 2

27 Dry lot/limit Grazing Dry lot consuming sorghum and prairie hay Increased stocking rate 1 ac/pair to 0.8 ac/pair Graze wheat Monday, Wednesday and Friday Limit grazing duration Dec. 4 Jan. 1 = 4 h/day Jan. 2 Feb. 20 = 3 h/day Calves have continuous access to wheat through creep gates

28 Cow Weight Between Systems Time Period Intensive Extensive December February Change

29 Cow BCS Between Systems Time Period Intensive Extensive December February Change

30 Weight, lbs. Calf Weight Between Systems ADG ADG Intensive Extensive Gain Initial

31 Intensive System Wheat Consumption During 3 hours Limit Grazing Wheat Consumption (DM) Percent Body Weight Percent Forage DM Cow Calf

32 Intensive System Dry Lot Hay Net Disappearance (As-fed/day) Grass Sorghum Total East Center West Mean

33 Questions?