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FORAGE PRODUCTION IN SOUTH GEORGIA. PASTURES CAN PROVIDE:. INEXPENSIVE HIGH QUALITY FEED IN THE FORM OF GRAZING, HAY OR SILAGE PASTURES AND HAY CAN SUPPLY ALL THE FEED NEEDS FOR COW-CALF OPERATION SUPPLY A LARGE AMOUNT OF FEED FOR BEEF STOCKER AND DAIRY HERDS.
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PASTURES CAN PROVIDE: • INEXPENSIVE HIGH QUALITY FEED IN THE FORM OF GRAZING, HAY OR SILAGE • PASTURES AND HAY CAN SUPPLY ALL THE FEED NEEDS FOR COW-CALF OPERATION • SUPPLY A LARGE AMOUNT OF FEED FOR BEEF STOCKER AND DAIRY HERDS
IMPROVED PASTURE AND CATTLE MANAGEMENT CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INCOME FOR FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS
NO ONE PROGRAM FITSALL SITUATIONS • BEST TO BEGIN ON SMALL SCALE THAT IS EASILY MANAGEABLE AND EXPAND AS YOU LEARN
FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING A FORAGE SYSTEM • LAND AREA AVAILABLE • LOCATION IN STATE • PRODUCTIVITY OF SOIL • KIND OF LIVESTOCK • AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES • MANAGEMENT OF FORAGE SYSTEM
FORAGE QUALITY • REFERS TO THE NUTRITIVE OR FEEDING VALUE OF A FORAGE • AFFECTS THE FORAGE INTAKE AND DIGESTIBILITY BY THE ANIMAL
INDICATORS OF FORAGE QUALITY • TDN-TOTAL DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS • CP- CRUDE PROTEIN • NDF- NEUTRAL DETERGENT FIBER • ADF- ACID DETERGENT FIBER
TDN • THE TOTAL OF THE DIGESTIBLE PARTS OF CRUDE FIBER, PROTEIN, FAT AND NITROGEN-FREE EXTRACT.
CP • IS AN EXPRESSION OF NITROGEN CONCENTRATION- WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT IN ANIMAL PRODUCTIVITY
NDF • IS ANALYZED CHEMICALLY AND CONSISTS OF TOTAL FIBER IN THE FORAGE AND RELATES NEGATIVELY TO ANIMAL CONSUMPTION
ADF • IS COMPOSED OF MORE INDIGESTIBLE FIBER AND RELATES NEGATIVELY TO DIGESTIBILITY
HIGH QUALITY FORAGE • IS MORE READILY CONSUMED • USED MORE EFFICIENTLY • ANIMAL PERFORMANCE IMPROVES AS FORAGE QUALITY IMPROVES • STOCKER NEED A TDN OF 67.5% TO GAIN 2 LBS PER DAY • GOOD MILKING BEEF COWS NEED A TDN OF 57%
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE FORAGE QUALITY • FORAGE SPECIES • CROP MATURITY • ENVIRONMENT (CLIMATE) • FERTILITY • PEST
YOUNG, LEAFY VEGETATIVE GROWTH HAS A HIGHER LEVEL OF DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS PROTEIN DECLINES AS PLANTS MATURE OLDER FORAGE HAS FEWER LEAVES, MORE STEMS AND A HIGHER FIBER CONTENT SEED HEAD DEVELOPMENT INDICATES DECREASED QUALITY FORAGE FEEDING VALUE IS MOSTLY DETERMINED BY MATURITY
COOL SEASON VS SUMMER • COOL SEASON ANNUALS PRODUCE HIGHER QUALITY FORAGE • LEGUMES PRODUCE HIGH- QUALITY FEED WITH A HIGHER LEVEL OF PROTEIN • GENERALLY COOL SEASON CROPS ARE HIGHER IN QUALITY THAN WARM SEASON GRASSES OTHER THAN LEGUMES
GOAL • MANAGING PASTURES TO UTILIZE YOUNG FORAGE THROUGHOUT THE GRAZING SEASON IMPROVES ANIMAL PERFORMANCE • YOUNG CATTLE NEED QUALITY FORAGE TO MAINTAIN AN ACCEPTABLE RATE OF GAIN
THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF A PASTURE IS A FUNCTION OF THE AMOUNT OF FORAGE PRODUCED • FORAGE SPECIES • LEVEL OF INPUTS • MANAGEMENT • WEATHER
PASTURE ESTIMATE FOR BEEF COWS • 1 TO 2 ACRES OF PERMANENT PASTURE PLUS 1 TO 11/2 TONS OF HAY OR 3 TONS OF SILAGE
PASTURE ESTIMATE FOR STOCKER CATTLE • ½ TO 1 ACRE OF WINTER ANNUAL PASTURE OR 1/3 ACRE SUMMER ANNUAL PASTURE PLUS SUPPLEMENTAL FEED
PASTURE ESTIMATES FOR HORSES • 1 TO 2 ACRES OF PERMANENT PASTURE PLUS ½ ACRE OF WINTER ANNUALS PLUS SUPPLEMENTAL FEED
TYPES OF PASTURE • PERMANENT PASTURES- ESTABILISHED IN WARM OR COOL SEASON GRASSES THAT LASTS FOR SEVERAL YEARS • TEMPORARY PASTURES- SEEDED EACH YEAR WITH COOL OR WARM SEASON GRASSES
PERENNIAL -HYBRID BERMUDAGRASS -COMMON BERMUDAGRASS -BAHIAGRASS ANNUAL -PEARL MILLET -HYBRID MILLET -SORGHUM X SUDANANGRASS -SUDANGRASS WARM SEASON GRASSES
HYBRID BERMUDAGRASS • COASTAL • TIFTON 44 • TIFTON 78 • TIFTON 85 • ALICIA
COASTAL • FIRST HYBRID FORAGE DEVELOPED • RELEASED OVER 50 YEARS AGO • PRODUCES HIGH YIELDS OF HIGH QUALITY WHEN PROPERLY FERTILIZED AND MANAGED
TIFTON 44 • WINTER HARDY • PRODUCES HIGHER QUALITY THAN COASTAL OR ALICIA • YIELDS SIMILAR TO COASTAL AND ALICIA • GROWS EARLIER IN SPRING AND LATER IN FALL
TIFTON 78 • RELEASED IN 1984 • IN TESTS PRODUCED 25% MORE DRY MATTER • 7% HIGHER IN DIGESTIBILITY • NOT AS WINTER HARDY • STANDS HAVE NOT BEEN PERSISTENT
TIFTON 85 • RELEASED IN 1992 • LARGER STEMS, BROADER LEAVES AND DARKER COLOR • PRODUCES 26% MORE FORAGE THAN COASTAL • 11% MORE DIGESTIBLE • PRODUCES MORE LIVE-WEIGH GAIN PER ACRE
ALICIA • FROM AFRICA IN EARLY 1970’S • EASY TO ESTABLISH • PRODUCES YIELDS LIKE COASTAL • LOWER QUALITY THAN COASTAL
COMMON BERMUDAGRASS • ONLY 50-60% THE YIELD OF THE HYBRIDS • CAN BE ESTABLISHED FROM SEED
BAHIAGRASS • PENSACOLA- USE ON POORER SOILS • TIFTON-9 – HIGHER YIELDING • ARGENTINE- NOT AS FROST TOLERANT, USE ON POOR DRAINED SOIL • COMMON- LOWER YIELDS
WARM ANNUALS • HIGH YIELDING • RESPOND TO GRAZING MANAGEMENT • HYBRIDS PRODUCE HIGHER YIELDS • HARD TO MANAGE FOR LEVEL GRAZING- NOT ENOUGH ONE DAY AND TOO MUCH THE NEXT DAY
WINTER ANNUALS • RYE, OATS, WHEAT, RYE GRASS • PRODUCES HIGH QUALITY FORAGE • CAN GET GOOD GAINS FROM STOCKER CATTLE • CAN CUT DOWN ON HAY AND PROTEIN NEEDS FOR WINTER
LEGUMES • CLOVER, ALFALFA AND PERENNIAL PEANUT • NOT REAL COMMON IN SOUTH GEORGIA • HAVE PROBLEMS GETTING AND KEEPING GOOD STANDS
LIMING AND FERTILIZATION • ALWAYS TAKE A SOIL TEST • BEST TO USE SPLIT APPLICATION FOR EVERYTHING EXECPT PHOSPOROUS • PROPER FERTILIZATION PROMOTES RAPID EARLY GROWTH AND HELPS ENSURE GOOD STANDS • ALWAYS APPLY MAJOR, SECONDARY AND MICRO NUTRIENTS TO PASTURES
HYBRID BERMUDAGRASSES HAY- 80-100 LBS N/ ACRE AND 60-100 LBS PER CUTTING- P AND K ACCORDING TO SOIL TEST BAHIAGRARSS- APPLY 100-200 LBS N PER ACRE IN SPLIT APPLICATIONS - P AND K ACCORDING TO SOIL TEST WINTER ANNUALS- UP TO 150 LBS N IN SPLIT APPLICATIONS- RYEGRASS MAY NEED AN EXTRA APPLICATION OF 40-60 LBS N LATER - P AND K ACCORDING TO SOIL TEST
GRAZING MANAGEMENT • CONTINUOUS- CATTLE STAY ON THE PASTURE FOR EXTENDED TIME • ROTATIONAL- LARGE PASTURES ARE DIVIDED UP INTO SMALLER UNITS- WHEN CATTLE GRAZE ONE UNIT DOWN THEY ARE MOVED TO ANOTHER
PASTURE MANAGEMENT • PROTECT FROM EROSION • CONTROL WEEDS • ESTABLISH A SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR YOU • HARVEST AND STORE EXCESS FORAGE • USE A CAREFULLY- PLANNED FERTILIZATION PROGRAM • SPREAD ANIMAL DROPPINGS • BURN PASTURE IN EARLY SPRING IF NOT OVER-SEEDED
REFERENCES -Pastures in Georgia – Extension publication can be found at- http://www.ces.uga.edu/pubs/pubsubj.html -Modern Livestock and Poultry Production- Fifth edition- James R. Gillespie