In my last article we covered some basic management principles for reducing hay storage loss and strategies for hay feeding to make the most efficient use of your supplies. Now that harvest is wrapping up, I would like to discuss the options that corn stover provides as an alternative feed source. Ruminants that are in the last third of gestation have relatively low nutrient requirements. We can often utilize this time to improve body condition scores prior to them giving birth. If they are already where you would like to see them, you may be interested in low input options for maintaining them until they hit the demands of lactation.
Cornstalks can provide an abundant, moderate quality, feed stuff for ruminants. If you have fencing available, or can easily erect temporary fence, it can be a cheap feed alternative prior to digging into your more valuable harvested hay. If you are short on hay supplies, you can utilize stalks in a grazing scheme or you can bale them to feed as another harvested forage. Although it isn’t an exact calculation, we estimate that for every one bushel of grain production you have 16 lbs. of corn residue left in the field. So, if you averaged 200 bushels of corn, you could estimate that there is about 3,200 lbs. of dry matter. We assume that only half of that would be available for an animal to consume, which leaves about 1,600 lbs. of dry matter per acre that is animal available. Considering that a ruminant will eat about 2.5% of their body weight every day, you could graze 1,000 lbs. of animals for about 60 days.
The quality of the material left in the field is dependent on the part of the plant it came from. The grain will have the highest protein (10%) and digestibility (90%), followed by the leaves (6.5% CP, 46% digestibility), husk (3.5% CP, 61% digestibility), cob (2.8% CP, 35% digestibility) and stalks (4.1% CP, 45% digestibility). The absolute quality of the stover is dependent on the growing conditions throughout the year, disease pressure, post-harvest weather, and the efficiency of your combine.
Ruminant livestock are selective eaters, and will choose leftovers first
The good news is that ruminant livestock are selective eaters and will choose to each the left-over corn grain, leaves, and husks first. If forced to stay in an area long enough they will consume the less desirable parts of the plant. That is also good considering that if there is a chance of higher stalk nitrate concentrations, they would consume that portion last. However, drier growing conditions also lead to residue with above average quality indicators.
If your cattle or sheep are in good condition, and you allow them to graze through quickly, minimum protein, mineral and vitamin (Vitamin A) supplementation is required. If you want them to thoroughly glean the fields, you will need to provide additional energy supplementation the longer they are out. I would suggest you consult with your nutritionist to develop a supplement that meets the needs of your herd or flock. You should also be aware of areas of downed corn, where the majority of the grain was left in the fields. The animals will be attracted to these areas and may consume enough grain to lead to acidosis and other digestive upsets. If this is the case, these areas will need to be strip grazed to prevent them from having unlimited access.
You may ask, what concerns should you have about next year’s grain production following grazing residue. Research conducted at the University of Nebraska and South Dakota State University, both indicate that grazing corn residue has no impact on the production of grain the following growing season. The normal freezing and thawing of winter typically loosens any compaction created by the animals. Grazing will also recycle nutrients to make them more readily available for next year’s crop. If you chose to bale stalks off, you should consider the nutrients being removed when you are planning next year’s fertilizer applications. Rates should be more similar to corn silage than corn for grain.
Two birthing management clinics wrapped into one
I have been announcing two birthing management clinics, one for sheep/goats and one for cattle for several weeks. We have decided to combine the two events and have one clinic on December 3rd. It will run from 6:00 PM to 8:30 at Fisher Auditorium on the OSU CFAES Wooster Campus. The program will discuss: the normal birthing process, potential causes of birthing complications, correcting mispresented fetuses, and how to deal with post-birthing complications. In addition to the presentations, you will get a chance to practice providing assistance with our dystocia/birthing simulators. The program is free, and we ask that you make a courtesy reservation by calling the OSU Extension office. As we move into the new year, there is a full line-up of programs. In January we will be hosting our annual Ag Outlook Meeting on January 7th, and on January 29th we will have our marketing school. Both programs will be held at the Secrest Welcome Center. Program flyers are available on our website’s events calendar at wayne.osu.edu. As always, I hope that you have a safe and prosperous harvest season. If you have any questions or would like to register for one of our programs, please contact me at 330-264-8722 or yost.77@osu.edu
John Yost is an extension educator IV, Agriculture and Natural Resources, at OSU Extension-Wayne County.
This article was previously published in The Daily Record.