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Complementary Forage Programs

Complementary Forage Programs. Paul Beck Department of Animal Science SWREC, Hope. Complementary Forages. Managing or adding forage resources to complement base forages. Extend grazing season Reduce hay requirements Increase forage quality Reduce supplemental feed

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Complementary Forage Programs

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  1. Complementary Forage Programs Paul Beck Department of Animal Science SWREC, Hope

  2. Complementary Forages • Managing or adding forage resources to complement base forages. • Extend grazing season • Reduce hay requirements • Increase forage quality • Reduce supplemental feed • Graze animals with higher nutrient requirements

  3. Southern Arkansas • Most forage is warm-season grasses • Most cow herds are spring calving • Matches forage resource • Best production (quality & yield) = Highest need • Need cool-season grass to complement.

  4. Spring born cows in N Arkansas • Cool-season grass is forage base • Grass contains toxin that decrease forage intake and limit production • Toxin highest when cow needs are greatest. • Not a great fit for spring calving herds

  5. Adding Warm-Season Grass • Research from 1990’s in Arkansas • Spring calving cows • Bermuda only, Tall Fescue only, or Rotation (June-Oct; Nov-May) • Stocked at 2 acres/cow • 200 lb Ammonia Nitrate applied • Bermuda May & July • Tall Fescue March & October

  6. Effect of Complementary Forage on Calf Performance

  7. Current AR Research - NE+ fescue • appear to be a viable solution to tall fescue toxicosis • adoption of NE+ technology has been slow • expense • soil limitations • insufficient economic information • insufficient persistence information • other alternatives???

  8. Treatments • Spring calving – all E+ pasture • Spring calving – 75% E+, 25% NE+ pasture • Spring calving – all NE+ pasture • Fall calving – all E+ pasture • Fall calving – 75% E+, 25% NE+ pasture • based on total pasture acreage

  9. Method • groups with 25% NE+ • moved to NE+ in mid-April • grazed until early to mid-June • Spring 25% NE+ • bulls added in early May while grazing NE+ • moved to NE+ again in mid-September for 3 to 4 weeks • calves weaned in mid-October

  10. Method • Fall 25% NE+ • calves weaned in mid-May • moved to NE+ again in October • bulls added in late November immediately after removal from NE+

  11. Calf performance Fall Calving item 100E+ 25NE+ Weaning Wt, lb 528 557 Preweaning ADG 1.93 2.05 Wean value $/head $572 $581

  12. Calf performance Spring Calving item 100NE+ 100E+ 25NE+ Weaning Wt 581 490 500 Prewean ADG 2.15 1.80 1.83 Weaning Value per head $549 $490 $493

  13. Calving Rates, %

  14. WW per cow exposed

  15. Adding Complementary Forages • Increase in cow and pre-weaning calf performance. • Save additional feeding costs • Allows additional areas that can be used for retained ownership of calves. • Current economic conditions • Increased feedlot cost of gain increases value of heavier calves

  16. Interseeding winter annual pasture into warm season grass sod P. Beck, S. Gunter, M. Phillips, and B. Stewart University of Arkansas, Southwest Research & Extension Center, Hope

  17. Establishment • Sod-seeding is the most common method of planting legumes and other cool season annuals. • This can be accomplished by broadcasting or no-till planting • Grass sod must be grazed as short as possible to remove canopy. • Interseed cool-season annuals in early to late fall

  18. Interseeding Cool-Season Annuals • Most annuals are interseeded into warm season grass pasture • To decrease competition b/t WSG and CSA seedlings • Delay planting date until mid-October • Reduces fall growth • Delays stocking • Force WSG into dormancy by spraying with paraquat or glyphosate

  19. Effect of Roundup at planting

  20. Effect of Planting Date

  21. Species Comparisons • Wheat, Rye, and Oats were planted with ryegrass • Interseeded into bermudagrass sod October 15-20 at 2 bu small grain and 20 lb ryegrass/acre

  22. Effect of species interseeded into grass sod Winter and Spring ADG

  23. Tall Fescue • Toxic Kentucky-31 does not fit stocker programs • Persistent & High Quality Forage! • Poor Livestock Performance • Native toxic fungal endophyte • Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue • Persistence and High Quality • Good animal performance • Selected non-toxic fungal endophyte

  24. 2.46 Average Daily Gain 1.91 1.99 1.89 1.95 1.97 1.38 0.98 0.94 0.75

  25. Conclusions • There are various options available • Depends • labor, machinery, soil types, animal requirements, and management ability • Be sure overall herd management and marketing plans and forage program fits with forage resources

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