not fertilize. Defer grazing from July 1 until the fi rst killing frost. “Once the forage is produced and ready to graze,
the most effective way to utilize standing hay is by strip-grazing,” Goodwin says. “Width of the strips and number of animals determine how often the cattle need to be moved. “Grazing management is all about timing. It is not
about the amount of forage or number of animals. It is about how long cattle are on a given area. Cattle need to be moved to a new strip when targeted residual heights have been met in the grazed area.” Stockpiled forages can provide a cow’s energy re-
quirements from the roughage. Livestock have other nutritional requirements that are often defi cient in for- age during the winter months, such as protein. A dry cow requires 8 percent crude protein for maintenance; so when the forage diet is defi cient in crude protein, it will have to be provided through a protein supplement. Knowing when to start and stop supplemental pro-
tein feeding can make a big difference in an operation’s bottom line. Information for use in making these deci- sions can be obtained from laboratory fecal analysis by the Texas A&M Grazing Animal Nutrition Lab and
from fecal fi eld assessments. “Ranchers that are stocked with the right number
of animals and use a pasture rotation system don’t necessarily set aside pastures for producing standing hay,” says Goodwin. “These producers always have pastures with suffi cient forage for grazing, regardless of the time of year. Stockpiling grass is about getting away from hay and extending the grazing season.” Forage inventories need to be monitored continually
to ensure that animal numbers stay in balance with the forage supply. If they become out of balance, it will be necessary to purchase hay or reduce livestock numbers. A grazing plan is just a plan, not a contract. It needs to be adjusted frequently in response to rainfall and other changing conditions.
There’s more to come This article is merely a synopsis of available infor-
mation on standing hay utilization. A half-day period will be devoted to year-round grazing systems during the School for Successful Ranching at the 2014 TSCRA Convention. Economics of various systems will be dis- cussed and case studies will be presented. We hope to see you at the convention.
47th Annual All Breeds Sale March 5, 2014 10:00 A.M. Reliant Arena Sales Pavilion Houston, Texas
(Bulls are 16-30 months and ready for breeding) (Pairs, Bred, & Open)
70 Registered Range Bulls 425 Commercial Heifers
For more online auction information, buyer pre registration, and sale catalogs contact:
gulftexlivestock@gmail.com
979-482-2018
tscra.org GULFTEXLIVESTOCK.COM February 2014 The Cattleman 87
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