John Dhuyvetter
NCREC
 Situation
 Stockpile
roughage
 Other sources
 Stretching supply
 Reducing need
 Japan
to accept beef under 30 months
 Feedlot
 Cargill
 2013
 Hay
placements lower than expected
closes Texas plant
cattle prices expected to rise
stocks lowest in five decades
 Drought
widens and worsens
Large ND carryover of 2011 record hay crop
Good hay crop over much of state in 2012 with
large harvest of CRP
 Extreme shortage to south resulting in huge
movement on pipe truck back hauls to SD, NE,
WY, CO
 Prices variable and generally twice what are
typical



NDASS survey hay prices
 10/11
 10/12

alfalfa $71
alfalfa $141
National 2012-2113 $195/t
other $53
other $87
larvae
adult
 Very
disappointing
first cutting
 Marginal or no
second cutting
damage
 Low
cost / low quality
• Straw
• CRP
• slough
 Drained
 Plastic
site / rowed
twine/net
 Early-opportunity
purchases
PRINCIPLES

Grazing readiness
BENEFITS

• 3 leaf, late May

Stimulatory light grazing

• June 1 –July 15

Growing season rest

• 30-50 days

Maintain residual cover

• stock to take half / leave
half

3-4 pasture, twice over

Greater root reserves and
development
Greater infiltration and
stored moisture
Faster nutrient cycling and
greater N status
Reduced soil temps and
evaporation
Less impact of drought with
some banked grazing and
greater production
June 30, 2006.
2.04” rain to date.
2.3 AUM/acre during 2005 grazing
season
No use as yet in 2006

Corn stalks for dry
cows
 1-1.5 acre/cow/month

Annual forage
 Millet, oat, sudex
 Swath graze
Graze Hay land
 Damaged/abandoned
crops
 Post harvest cover crop
 Move cows to better
region


Use
• Hay or graze

Season
• Cool or warm

Input costs
• Seed
• Fertilizer
• Herbicides

Other
•
•
•
•
Drought tolerance
Establishment
Diversity/complexity
Toxicity
2006 Hay Quality Survey
Type
ADF
NDF
%CP
%TDN
CRP
42
68
7.1
55
Hay Barley
34
60
13.0
62
Oat Hay
35
61
10.6
61
Oat/Pea
32
56
12.8
65
Wheat Hay
32
59
14.0
64
Millet
34
64
11.1
63
Sudex
30
54
13.3
66
Alfalfa
41
54
15.6
56
Alfalfa/Grass
37
60
12.0
57
Cereal Straw
50
78
4.2
44
Pea Straw
52
66
5.4
43
Slough Hay
38
66
7.5
52
Crop
stage
Yield
TDN
CP
Forage pea
Flat pod
1.4
65
21
Forage oat
Early milk
3.6
62
13
2.8
62
13
3.5
61
14
Oat-pea
2.6
66
16
Barley-pea
2.5
64
17
Triticale-pea
3.2
60
14
German millet
2.8
62
12.8
Pearl millet
2.4
62
15.5
Sudan grass
3.0
59
11
Sorghum sudan
3.0
61
12.4
BMR sorgxsud
2.4
61
12.5
Forage barley
Forage triticale
flower
 Stocking
rates
 Destocking
plans
• Evaluate forage
growth
• Target dates
• Target animals
 Consider
weaning
120-150 days
 Conserve 3-4 lbs/d
pasture forage for
cows
 Maintain cow
condition
 Excellent calf gains
and health
 Added costs ?
 Trait
optimums
 Selection/culling
• Mature size
• Open/late
• Milk
• Condition
• type
• production
 Daily
feeding
 Limit feeding
 Processing
 Feeder options
1
2
Mixed hay
4


6
Grass hay
CRP hay
3
20
32
5
6
Corn Silage
30

Wheat straw
10

Feed barley
12
Corn DDGS
2
2
mineral
.1
.1
.3
32% liquid
1.5
$/day
1.60
1.54
1.48
1.90
lb/day
33.6
27.1
46.2
20.4
CP/TDN
8/53
10/59
9/57
12/74



Inventory hay
Allocate to
remainder of feeding
period by limit
feeding
Minimum 5-10 lbs
Cost compare
available feed
alternatives
Balance energy and
protein needs with
limit fed grain and or
byproducts
Use straw or stalks as
free choice filler
Provide bunk space
 Water
 Mineral











Oct 2011
Dec 2011
Apr 2012
Jun 2012
Jul 2012
Jul 2012
Jul 2012
Aug 2012
Aug 2012
Sep 2012
Dec 2012
bought cheap CRP hay
rented some additional pasture
rented more pasture
sorted out old pairs
sold old cows early weaned calves
found hailed winter wheat to buy
limited heifer breeding to 1 cycle
contracted DDGS
shipped cows to better area
placed calves in feedlot early
building partial partial confinement
 Try
to bank some low cost feed when
opportunity arises
 Expand forage base with residue and
annuals
 Inventory, test, evaluate, and plan, plan,
plan
 Stock conservatively and be prepared to
cull, wean, sell
 Protect the condition and value of cattle
and range