Drought '99 Ohio State University Extension July 29, 1999 Finding Feed for Cattle During Drought By Kyle Sharp COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Producers short on feed for beef cattle grazing in drought-stressed areas of Ohio should adopt the slogan "reduce the need and increase the feed," said Ohio State University Extension grazing experts. Drought causes a drastic reduction in available feed for livestock because without rain, grasses stop growing after the first cutting of hay or early season grazing. "Our early season growth was of high quality but limited quantity, and we essentially had no growth the last few weeks," said Ed Vollborn, grazing program leader at the South District office of Ohio State University Extension. Scattered showers throughout the state the third week of July could help some pastures bounce back, but other areas got little or no rain and are still very much in a drought situation, Vollborn said. Since April 1, rainfall levels across Ohio are about 3.5 inches below normal. Precipitation in central and southeastern Ohio is more than 5 inches below normal, and more than 6 inches in the south central part of the state. "Even producers in spots that did get rain should probably stay on their drought management plan for a few more weeks to allow grass to regain some green tissue, collect sunlight and get some good growth before resuming grazing," he said. For many producers, enforcing a drought management plan will mean reducing the need for feed by cutting back on livestock numbers or increasing available feed by finding alternatives to traditional hay and pasture supplies. "Reducing the need is often the quickest and easiest drought management fix," Vollborn said. To lower feed demands, producers could market old, nonpregnant or poor-performing cows now, instead of waiting until fall, when cows are traditionally culled. Early weaning of beef calves is another way to reduce the demand for hay and pasture. Like culling, weaning -- removing a calf from milk and placing it on feed -- is traditionally done in the fall for calves born in the spring. "Weaned calves typically are taken to a feedlot and fed concentrated feed or grains," Vollborn said. "This is a good way to cut back on the stocking rate of drought-stressed pastures, plus it reduces the nutrient requirements of the cows, allowing producers to graze them on lesser quality pastures." Feeding early-weaned calves on the farm for 60 to 100 days before taking them to market may be one of the best profit opportunities this year, he said. Feeder calves are currently selling for three to four times the feed cost per pound of gain. "Producers who wean and haul lightweight calves directly to market miss that profit opportunity," Vollborn said. To increase feed supplies, producers could try planting emergency crops, such as turnips, kale and other brassicas. Brassicas provide a lot of forage tonnage in a short time, can be inexpensive to plant and will capture carryover fertilizer, he said. But, brassicas need good moisture for germination and could suffer if drought conditions continue. Varieties of small grains that have been improved for forage quality could provide high quality grazing in late November and March, if they are planted sometime in August. "Look at the 'days to maturity' of emergency crops before planting. Several of the common ones require 60 to 90 days of active growth," Vollborn said. County Extension offices have agronomy fact sheets AGF-019, Emergency and Supplemental Crops for Forage, and AGF-020, Brassicas for Forage, that provide more information on emergency forages, he said. The fact sheets also are available on-line at http://ohioline.ag.ohio-state.edu. With current low grain prices -- less than $2 per bushel of corn compared to about $2.20 per bushel last year and $2.65 per bushel in 1997 -- supplementing grain for forage is an option. Shelled corn can be fed on the ground during dry periods with very little loss, he said. Range cube feeding, common in many Western states, has had great success in year-round grazing operations in Ohio. A range cube is a supplemental source of protein and energy for cattle that is usually sold in 50-pound bags. "Feeding 2 to 4 pounds per cow per day of a 20 percent protein high energy cube has kept cows in good body condition while keeping them hungry enough to harvest low-quality forage to meet their remaining daily nutritional needs," Vollborn said. Producers should be creative and look for acreage on their farms or neighbors' farms that is underused. A temporary electric fence and permission from a neighbor could provide a few extra days of grazing on land that usually sits idle, he said. As a last ditch effort, even leaves from trees cut for winter firewood could become forage for cattle, as long as producers are wary of poisonous plants. "Our tendency is to graze until we run out of usable pasture," Vollborn said. "The management strategies to 'reduce the need and increase the feed' should be done before grass is completely consumed. Grazing regrowth that is only 2 inches tall is foolish since volume will be very low and damage to the pasture can be devastating because we are reducing root reserves. Be creative and make smart decisions before forage supplies are totally consumed." -30- All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status. Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Adm. and Director, OSU Extension. 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