Look to Crop Residues to Fill Forage Needs, Beef Specialist Recommends

The back of the nearest combine may provide an answer for beef producers facing forage shortages this fall, notes a North Dakota State University beef specialist.

"With the humid and wet conditions across the state, we have a number of producers who have had difficulty getting enough hay put up," says Greg Lardy of the NDSU Extension Service. "With harvest under way, those producers may want to consider baling up crop residue as a way to stretch their forage supplies."

Typically oat straw is the most palatable of the region’s crop residues, Lardy says. Barley and wheat straw are just a step lower in nutrient value. "Producers may want to look at field pea straw, if they can find it. We’re finding that it is quite high in nutrient value," he says.

Producers who rely on crop residue in their feeding programs may want to use those materials first. "Early in the feeding season, during the second trimester of pregnancy, the nutritional needs of cows are relatively low," Lardy notes. "As those needs increase in late pregnancy and into lactation, producers will want to feed higher quality forages."

Producers feeding crop residues will also want to pay closer attention to the finer points of nutrition management by making sure high quality mineral and vitamin supplements are available. "Crop residues are typically known for being low in protein and energy content, but vitamins and minerals are also a concern when feeding those forages," Lardy says.

It is also possible for cattle to eat too much of the forage with a low feed value as they try to make up for nutrient deficiencies. Impaction and other metabolic disorders can result.

"Using these crop residues can be a low-cost option, but it is important to monitor cattle closely and stay on top of their nutritional needs," Lardy says.

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Source: Greg Lardy, (701) 231-7660, glardy@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu

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