Five Tips to Fine-Tune
Forage Management
When it comes to profitability, forage gurus Garry Lacefield with the University of Kentucky and Don Ball with Auburn University, say it's a simple equation to remember: "Income minus expense equals profitability," Lacefield says.
He adds, "With rising input costs, it's difficult to make a profit in the livestock business. So, if things aren't going like you want, you've got to make some changes."
Recognizing that, Lacefield and Ball tell producers to focus on the areas that they can control. "You can't control the weather. So think about the areas that you do have control over and can fine-tune," Lacefield says.
Speaking at the Fourth National Conference on Grazing Lands hosted in Reno, Nev., this past December, the duo suggested producers focus on five areas to help fine-tune their forage management and profitability:
1. Start with soil testing. "If you want to get good forage production, you may have to fertilize. But, that costs a lot of money," Ball points out. So, he and his colleague are adamant that soil testing should be done. "It's a simple thing, but [an] important thing to do — especially these days with costs. The soil test will help determine exactly what you are doing and how much, if any, fertilizer will be needed," Ball says.
2. Seek improved forage varieties. "The use of new forage varieties, species and types is not new, but in this day and age producers have got to pay more attention to this than they have in the past," Lacefield says. He suggests producers do their homework on the forage seed choices they make and points out that some varieties yield more pounds of forage per acre, some produce more growth at certain times of the year, some offer better persistence and forage quality. He concludes, "Cheap seed is rarely a bargain."
With regard to endophyte toxins in tall fescue, Lacefield also points out that MaxQ®, the novel endophyte variety, offers excellent animal performance without the risk of toxins. "New fescue fields should be planted to new novel varieties like this," he says.
3. Add legumes. This pair also promotes the use of legumes because they help bump up yield and quality, fix nitrogen in the soil, and offer a boost of summer growth when quality of many grasses is declining. "Legumes can help boost gain and conception rates. My belief is that the role of forage legumes will be even more important in the future," Lacefield predicts.
4. Optimize grazing. Ball and Lacefield say that the single best predictor of profitability is how much hay is fed to get through the winter — meaning the more hay that is fed, the more cost is involved.
"I believe every day we can graze is money saved," Lacefield says. Thus, he encourages producers to find methods to improve pasture utilization and graze more days per year.
Ball adds, "Hay is the enemy of the livestock producer who wants to make some money. ... I think anybody who is in the hay business needs to think about what it costs you. I believe many livestock producers should be buying hay and not producing it."
5. Take care of the hay you do store. Of course some stored hay will always be essential for livestock producers in the event of a severe winter storm. But Ball emphasizes that if not stored properly, weathering losses can be a huge loss to the value of your hay.
"Dry matter loss can be as much as 50%," he reports.
He recommends getting hay off the ground at minimum and says, "Put a roof over it; in a pole barn is best. You're paying for that shed in the losses to the quality of your hay."
Of these five reminders, Lacefield concludes, "We are at a crossroads in the livestock industry, and people are going to need to be willing to make changes in order to make a profit and stay in business."
Follow this link for an online publication with more management ideas on extending grazing and reducing stored feed needs.
