Amazing Graze
Amazing Graze
A publication of The Ohio State University Extension, Edward M. Vollborn, Editor
January, 2000
Dear Friends,
Implementing all of those management intensive grazing practices yields many positive results. For most livestock producers, being able to "extend" the grazing season is the place where you get the biggest "bang-for-your-buck". As you know this has become a passion for me. Even in a drought season, several farmers fed little hay before mid-January. Low cost beef cow/calf producers have demonstrated that we can feed a cow for 20 cents per day out-of-pocket cost, whether it is stockpiling fescue, growing turnips, or just renting the neighbors underutilized field. It has been difficult for me to understand why so many continue practices at four or five times that cost. So much for the soap box - change is slow - perhaps I am just impatient!
It has been an honor to edit Amazing Graze the past few years and carry on the tradition started by Mark Bennett. Clif Little (OSU Extension, Guernsey Co.) along with the forage team, have made the continuance of Amazing Graze a top priority. After nearly 31 years of public service, I will be retiring from OSU Extension at the end of today. I recently read the following one-liner. The best way to succeed in life is to act on the advice you give to others. I plan to stay involved in agriculture - see you all at the conferences, trade shows and pasture walks!
Sincerely,
After a successful two year stay in Ohio, the Great Lakes Conference is being rotated to
Shipshewana, Indiana this year. This years' event will be held February 14 & 15 with Tom
Noyes, OSU Extension, Wayne County is serving as conference chair again this year.
Registration and site arrangements are being handled by the LaGrange SWCD (219-463-3471).
For further information, see enclosure.
FALL PASTURE, A WIN-WIN UPDATE - Edward M. Vollborn, Dr. Tom Turner, Jeff Fisher, and Gene Balthaser, OSU Extension
The focus of a study at the Jackson Branch of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in southern Ohio has been to "establish" an expected gain and body condition score increase for gestating beef cows utilizing low cost forage stockpile.
This year (drought 1999) proved to be the best gain in the four year run of the study. Some 120 spring calving (March 1) cows gained an average 1.85 pounds per day during a 111 day trial running September 9 - December 28. The four year average now stands at 1.71 pounds per day with a range of 1.64 - 1.85.
Body condition scoring (BCS) utilized the Ohio 1-9 system with one being emaciated and nine being very fat. The body condition fall increase was .90, also besting the previous three year average of .64. Of critical importance was the number of cows that moved from BCS 4 (borderline) to BCS 5 (moderate) or above. In 1999 some 94 percent (29 out of 31) starting out with a BCS of 4 increased their BCS to 5 or higher by late December.
Significant weight gain can be accomplished at a minimal cost during the fall period. Minimal fetal development for spring calving cows, energy dense forage and favorable environmental conditions make fall and early winter a natural time to put cows in good condition.
Fall Grazing Gain Gestating Beef Cows - Jackson Branch, OARDC
| Year | Days | No. Cows | Daily Gain |
| 1996 | 78 | 123 | 1.65 |
| 1997 | 89 | 131 | 1.64 |
| 1998 | 92 | 121 | 1.71 |
| 1999 | 111 | 120 | 1.85 |
| 4 yr. Ave. | 93 | 124 | 1.71 |
Body Condition - 1999
| Body Condition Score | Beginning (9/08/99) No. of cows | Ending (12/30/993) No. of Cows |
| 1 & 2 (Thin) | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | 31 | 3 |
| 5 | 54 | 37 |
| 6 | 28 | 55 |
| 7 | 4 | 19 |
| 8 | 0 | 6 |
| 9 (Fat) | 0 | 0 |
UPDATE ON BROWN MIDRIM SORGHUM SUDANGRASS
Some of you were at the Purdue Agronomy field Day last September and saw what was the start
of sheep preferentially grazing brown midrib sorghum sudangrass in favor of a normal sorghum-sudangrass. A visible "P", for Purdue was seeded with the normal hybrid and 'NutriPlus BMR'
sorghum-sudanrass, a brown midrib hybrid, was planted around it and in the hole of the "P" in
June. An infrared picture taken aboard an aircraft in mid-September shows how smart sheep
really are! The "P" is very visible in the picture. But what about animal performance on the
lower-lignin brown midrib hybrid? Beef replacement heifers at the Feldun-Purdue Agriculture
Center, Bedford, Indiana and beef cows and their nursing calves at the Southern Indiana Purdue
Agricultural Center, Dubois, Indiana grazed whether normal or brown midrib hybrids.
Replacement heifers weighing 1004 pounds at the beginning of the trial (August 4) gained .46
pounds per day but, lost .16 pounds per day when grazing the brown midrib and normal hybrids,
respectively, over the 43-day trial. Dry weather made hay supplementation necessary in the later
portion of the cow-calf trial. Average daily gains of calves were 2.3 and 2.1 pounds when
grazing the brown midrib hybrid and the normal hybrid, respectively. Over the 88-day trial, cows
gained 142 and 116 pounds on the supplemented brown midrib hybrid and normal hybrid
pastures, respectively. From "Forage Thoughts" January 2000. Dr. Keith Johnson, Purdue
University.
FORAGE MANAGEMENT and RENOVATION By Clif Little OSU Extension Agent, ANR; Reviewed by: Dr. Maurice Watson, OSU/OARDC and Jeff Stachler, OSU Extension Associate, Weed Science
The following steps will assist producers in successful renovation and establishment of grass fields and legumes.
Have the soil tested and apply the needed lime. Fertilize according to the soil test recommendations for the desired crop. What is the nitrogen recommendation for a legume crop? Forage legumes have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen., They need no nitrogen. In fact, forage legumes can meet all or most of the nitrogen requirements of companion grasses. When the forage stand is made up of 20 to 35 percent legumes, producers should reduce nitrogen rates and more importantly manage grass height to limit shading of the legumes. When the forage stand is made up of 35 percent or more legumes, producers can omit nitrogen fertilization. Split applications of nitrogen to grasses have been shown to increase forage yields, with late summer (approximately August 1st to September 15th) being an important fertilization period for stockpiling forages such as orchardgrass and fescue. For tall grass/legume mix pasture or hayfields, maintain available phosphorus levels of 25-40 ppm or 50 to 80 pounds per acre. Phosphorus can be a limiting factor in forage seedings. A supply of phosphorus needs to reach the roots of young plants for normal root development. Therefore, when phosphorus levels are low, an application of P2O5 in the row at planting can be beneficial. Soil test values for exchangeable potassium should be at or above 75 + (2.5 x CEC) for all crops. Potassium is not often deficient and is more likely a limiting nutrient in pastures or hay fields which have been in production for many years. Potassium becomes more important once the forage has been established and harvested. Extension Fact Sheet ANR-5-99 contains useful information concerning the management of forge nutrients. The publication is free and available at your local Extension office.
Part of an article- for complete article, contact OSU Extension Guernsey County (740-432-9300)
A NEW LESPEDEZA will be available this season. The new variety is named "Legend". Industry claims say that it is more drought tolerant, has a higher leaf to stem ratio and will out-yield the popular "Marion" variety. I know of no work having been done with "Legend" in Ohio this past season. The summer annual legume crop was a popular choice some 40 or 50 years ago. Lespedeza has been on the comeback during the past ten years due to the fact that it can be frost seeded into high endophyte fescue pastures, compete with the fescue during the summer dormant period, and generate nitrogen into the system through its legume relationship while providing a high quality forage to dilute out the endophyte effect of the fescue.
The new lespedeza "Legend" can be over-seeded into existing pastures during the February-March frost seeding period. Lespedeza tends to survive on low pH soils and less fertile sites. It
is an option on steep, poor sites that cannot be renovated and may be too poor for other legumes.
Lespedeza works well with controlled grazing since it is an annual that must be allowed to reseed
itself for the next year.
Events and Happenings
Great Lakes Grazing Conference - February 14-15, 2000
Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council Annual Conference - March 3
Ohio Beef Expo - Forage Team/OFGC Display - March 17, 18
Vinton-Athens Regional Grazing School - March 23, 28, 30, April 1; Contact Bill Beckley (740.596.5212) or Chris Penrose (740.593.8555) for details
Guernsey-Noble Grazing School - March 22, 23; Contact Clif Little (740.432.9300) or Daryl Clark (740.732.5681) for details
Holmes-Wayne Grazing School - March 20, 27, April 3; Contact Dean Slates (330.674.3015) for details
Pike-Scioto Regional Horse Grazing School - March 21-23; Contact Jeff Fisher (740.947.2121) for details
Knox Regional Beginning Grazing School for Beef - March 24, 25; Contact Troy Cooper (740.397.0401) for details
Knox Regional Horse Grazing School - April 11, 13; Contact Troy Cooper (740.397.0401) for details
Cattleman's Grazing Tour - May 6; Contact Clif Little (740.432.9300) or Daryl Clark (740.732.5681) for details
Shepherd's Grazing Tour - May 20; Contact Clif Little (740.432.9300) or Daryl Clark
(740.732.5681) for details
DID YOU KNOW. . . Ohioans consumed approximately 775,696,916 pounds of beef in 1999. If
the average beef carcass weighs 750 pounds, and has a boneless trimmed retail yield of 50
percent, it will yield 375 pounds of retail beef. Using these values, Ohioans consumed the
equivalent food products obtained from 2,068.525 cattle. Our 68,000 head of cattle harvested at
State inspected plants only represents 3.3% of the total Ohio consumption. From Ohio Beef
Industry Center Memo 1-12-00.
"QUOTES"
"Much of what I read about the cattle business is frequently more about what the writers would like to see happen than what I see happening down at the sale barn." Allan Nation, The Stockman Grassfarmer, January 2000
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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. Admin. and Director, OSU Extension.
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868.
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