ple don’t know. Johnsongrass has been in America


Johnsongrass: The Good, Bad And The Ugly J


GALENA, MO.


ohnsongrass is common along roads in the Ozarks but there is a lot about the species that peo-


since a South Carolina farmer named William Johnson promoted it in the south during the 1840s. Since then it has moved north and west and is commonly seen in pas- tures, hayfields and along roads. Turns out, Johnsongrass has


good, bad and ugly traits according to Tim Schnakenberg, agronomy specialist, University of Missouri Extension. THE GOOD From a livestock standpoint, John-


songrass is a palatable forage. It is high quality, a good producer, per- sistent and is drought tolerant. “One study I read found that


among 14 species tested, John- songrass ranked second only to


Switchgrass in grazing preference,” said Schnakenberg. THE BAD One of the downsides is that John-


songrass is invasive. It reproduces from seed and underground stems called rhizomes. A single plant has been documented to have as much as 275 feet of rhizomes and as many as 80,000 seeds. “Johnsongrass competes with


other species and can overtake fields and highway right of ways,” said Schnakenberg.


THE UGLY There is one ugly problem that


comes with Johnsongrass. There have been several cows


killed this year during the drought as a result of prussic acid poisoning or nitrate toxicity in Johnsongrass and similar forages like sorghum sudan. “It doesn’t happen on every farm but once in a while we’ve seen and


cattle prices IN MISSOURI


Missouri Weekly Feeder Cattle Weighted Average Report Mo Dept of Ag/USDA Market News • Jefferson City, Mo, Friday, October 14, 2011


Confirmed Sales:


Week to Date: 400 Last Week: 400 Last Year: 200 (These prices acquired from Missouri producers)


Compared to last week, Trade turning active mid-week, with live sales mostly 1.00-2.00 lower. Few dressed sales on a Grid basis were steady.


Live Sales: Slaughter steers and heifers: 60-80 percent Choice 1250-1350 lbs 119.00-120.00 (Note: Weighing conditions some plant delivered weights and some net weights FOB feedlot after a 4 percent shrink.


Dressed Carcass Sales: (Paid on Hot Carcass Weights) Delivered or Picked up (Weight only)


Steers and Heifers: 60-80 % Choice No Sales (Grid) Grade and Weight Carcass: Choice 3 550-950 lbs few 193.00


Source: MO Dept of Ag-USDA Market News Service, Mexico, MO Roger Parker, Market Reporter 573-751-5618 24 hour recorded report 573-522-9244 www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/JC_LS135.txt


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heard of cattle dying when condi- tions are just right,” said Schnaken- berg.


Prussic acid or cyanide can build


up in the plant when it’s less than two feet tall, and can also occur after a frost in the fall. Harvesting it for hay will dissipate the prussic acid. Nitrates build up when farm- ers fertilize it as a crop and the drought prevents the plant from


“Tests for prussic acid are hard to


come by but the plant can be tested for nitrates. The recent rains have help alleviate the problem but if farmers are still concerned, we encourage


testing,” Schnakenberg.


Poor Pastures Give Producers Opportunity To Review Winter Feeding Options


conditions across much of cattle country this summer left cattle with thin pastures and not much to chew this fall. While not opportune, these condi-


F


tions give farmers a chance to look at their cattle herds with a critical eye and evaluate their feeding op- tions. “It’s an excellent time to take in-


ventory of your feed supply and think about culling your herd,” said Rob Kallenbach, University of Mis- souri Extension forage specialist. Culling makes sense when faced


with feed supply issues. Cows with a history of calving problems, poor teeth or those that remain open can be sold to save hay and money. Culled cattle can garner a pretty


penny now at the sale barn thanks to prices holding steady. “Often when we have to sell out of a


drought we’re also looking at de- pressed animal prices, but cull cow prices are really good right now de-


COLUMBIA, MO.


eeding hay will come sooner than normal for some cattle farmers this fall. The hot, dry


spite all the hardships,” Kallenbach said. “For better culled cows, prices are 70 cents per pound. That’s a pretty good price for a 1,300-pound animal.” Once a herd is streamlined, cattle


producers should evaluate whether they have enough hay to make it through the winter. If hay reserves run low, farmers


can supplement it with other feed sources such as distillers grain and corn gluten feed. Some will dip into lower-quality hay to meet their needs. Kallenbach said ammonifica- tion of lower-quality forages gets more use when farmers are trying to stretch hay supplies for cows in good body condition. “You can take some pretty poor fes-


cue hay or other feedstuffs, cover the stack in plastic and add 60 pounds of anhydrous ammonia per ton to bump up the nonprotein nitrogen in the feed and make it more digestible or usable by the animal,” he said. Other strategies to stretch that hay


crop a little further include limiting the amount of time that cows have


CONTINUED ON PAGE 19 cattle prices IN TENNESSEE


said ∆


using the nitrogen. Harvesting it for hay keeps the same level of toxic ni- trates as the day it was harvested.


Tennessee Department of Agriculture Marketing News


Tennessee Feeder Cattle Weekly Summary, Saturday, October 15, 2011


Tennessee Daily Composite Market Report, USDA-TN Dept of Agric Market News


Trends: Compared to last week; Slaughter cows 2.00 to 5.00 higher.Bulls steady to 3.00 higher. Feeder steers/bulls 2.00 to 6.00 higher.Heifers steady to 3.00 higher. Receipts: 2,078 Slaughter Cows Boners 80-85 pct lean 57.50-68.50; Slaughter Cows Lean 85-90 pct lean 50.00-58.50; Slaughter Bulls 1100-2200 lbs 72.00-80.00; Feeder Steers Medium and Large 1-2: 300-400 lbs 128.00- 150.00; 400-500 lbs 124.00-140.00; 500-600 lbs 117.50-136.00; 600-700 lbs 113.00-127.00; 700-800 lbs 106.00-124.75. Feeder Bulls Medium and Large 1-2 400-500 lbs 113.00-135.00; 500-600 lbs 104.00-130.00; 600-700 lbs 103.50-117.00; 700-800 lbs 89.00-109.00. Feeder Heifers Medium and Large 1-2 300-400 lbs 116.00-128.25; 400-500 lbs 110.00-125.25; 500-600 lbs 102.00-122.50; 600-700 lbs 95.00-114.00.


Source: Tennessee Dept of Ag-USDA Market News, Nashville, TN Lewis Langell, OIC (615) 837-5164 www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/nv_ls139.txt


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Advertise here. Call: 877-489-6997 October 21, 2011 / MidAmerica Farmer Grower • 15


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