NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
September 23, 1999
Researchers at North Dakota State University's Dickinson Research Extension Center are looking for ways to reduce one of the biggest costs of producing cattle -- feeding cows through the winter.
"Anything we can do to reduce those costs will improve producers' bottom lines," says Jim Nelson, animal scientist at the center. Much of that cost is in the harvesting and transporting of forage crops. Nelson's research is exploring whether it's possible for cattle to go to the crops instead.
"Keeping cows out of the drylot and allowing them to harvest their own forage may be a way to minimize costs," he says.
In research begun last year, Nelson allowed one group of cows to graze native range from weaning until the end of January. While the range plants provided adequate forage, supplements were used to provide key nutrients and keep cows in condition for spring calving.
A second group of cattle was allowed to graze in a cornfield that had not been harvested. Those cows also grazed until the end of January when most of the corn was gone.
"Both of these systems allowed us to manage the body condition as well as cattle fed in a drylot from weaning to spring grazing," Nelson says. "And there's nothing in the biology of these systems that suggests this is an inappropriate way to manage cows."
Biology not withstanding, Mother Nature may have a bigger impact. The cornfield that will be used in the study this winter received heavy hail in August. Early season deep snow or ice might also reduce the ability of cows to graze native range and corn, he notes.
Nelson will be discussing the research at the NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center Livestock Research Roundup which begins at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30. The roundup will be held in the auditorium of the Agriculture Building on Dickinson State University's West Campus. For a listing of the full program, including exact times of presentations, call (701) 483-2348.
###
Source: Jim Nelson (701) 483-2063
Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629