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August 3, 2006 Livestock Producers Have Options for Dealing With Forage Shortage This summer’s drought in the northern Great Plains is forcing many livestock producers to reassess how they feed and manage their herds. Forage shortages are one of the many cost-related challenges they face as drought conditions in the western half of North Dakota go from worrisome to critical. “Planning for forage supply problems now could save you money later this year,” says North Dakota State University Extension Service dairy specialist J.W. Schroeder. He has this advice for producers on coping with declining forage supplies:
However, producers who decide to feed commodities need to be aware of some issues, Schroeder cautions. One is feed value. Corn gluten feed, for example, is high in total protein, but it is mostly degradable protein that will need to be supplemented with bypass protein, such as roasted soybeans. Distillers grains have double the bypass protein of corn gluten feed and could be a better deal, even if it is more expensive. “Remember that commodity feeds don't replace forages; they only supplement them,” he says. “But they will help you extend your forage supplies by as much as 20 percent.” Producers also need to know that commodities typically are sold by the semi truckload, an amount that is not feasible for smaller operations, he says. He recommends that several producers in one area requiring forage purchase a load of the commodity jointly. Another issue is the variability of nutrient and moisture content of byproduct feeds. Dairy producers need to watch each load and consistently moisture test, Schroeder says. Feed value will vary not only among commodity production plants, but among shifts at one plant, especially when the shift is just going online. A list of regional byproducts is available on Schroeder’s Web site at www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/dairy/. Click on Nutrition, then scroll down to Byproducts and click on “Partial List of North Dakota Co-products, Sources and Prices.” Producers who find what they want on the list should call the plant to make sure the product is available because the demand is high and some plants may be out of byproducts until later in the harvest season. Dairy producers who use the dry-cow program also should be aware of some drawbacks, according to Schroeder. The program usually involves feeding cows 3 to 5 pounds of grain with medium-quality forage free-choice. The program is meant to maintain the cow's body condition, balance minerals to prevent milk fever and provide a bulky diet to exercise the digestive tract. However, most grains and many byproducts have too much energy and no particle size to give the ration some bulk. By working with their nutritionist, dairy producers can combine feeds such as cottonseed hulls, soybean hulls, whole cottonseed, wheat midds, soybean meal, canola meal, distillers grains and limestone as a short-term substitute for forage, he says. While not all of these alternative feeds will be included in each ration, producers should limit the period of time they feed these higher-risk diets. Producers also should not feed this kind of diet for an extended length of time during dry periods. If pastures do become available, producers need to remember vegetative grass has little forage (roughage) value, he says. That means they will need to add byproducts, such as crop hulls, to the ration to provide cud-cleansing activity and bulk. ### Source: J.W.
Schroeder, (701) 231-7663, jschroed@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
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North Dakota State University |
