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Previous issues of the BEEF Cattle letter
Issue # 639
Forage Focus: Pasture Measurement - Rory Lewandowski, OSU Extension Educator, Athens County
In the later part of April, a beginning level grazing school was offered. As part of that school, participants spent part of Saturday on a farm looking at pastures. One of the topics of discussion was pasture measurement. I believe that it is important for graziers to put some effort into pasture measurement if they want to increase their pasture management skills. Pasture measurement allows a grazier to determine an estimate of how much forage dry matter (DM) is available in a pasture paddock. Once forage DM is estimated, then the grazier can figure out how many animals can be grazed in that paddock for a given period of time. This is something that experienced graziers gain an eye for over time with practice. For beginning graziers pasture measurement can help to take some of the guesswork out of allocating pasture forage and it can help to reduce the slope of the learning curve associated with management intensive grazing.
To get the most benefit from pasture measurement, it must be done on a consistent basis. Think in terms of measuring pasture on a weekly basis. For the grazier serious about increasing pasture use and efficiency, weekly pasture measurement is not something that is added or squeezed in to an already busy schedule, but rather is a necessary management task. Pasture measurement done on a weekly basis will help the grazier to make decisions about how to best use pasture paddocks and over time will provide a trend of how much forage DM is being produced per week. Using this type of information can help a grazier plan the livestock rotation for periods of rapid growth as well as periods of slow growth. The trend can provide an early warning system in a drought year and help the grazier plan accordingly.
Taking a single pasture measurement in a paddock is not advisable because of the variability that typically exists in pasture growth and density across a paddock. Take 20 to 30 separate, random measurements across the paddock. The more that are taken, the more accurate your estimate of forage DM will be.
How will you decide which paddock to measure on a weekly basis? One strategy is to measure the same paddock each week. If that paddock is due to be grazed, then measure before animals are turned in and when animals are turned out. These additional measurements will give you information about how you are managing plant residual, an important part of how quickly a plant recovers from a grazing pass. Most pastures should be managed so there is 1200 to 1400 lbs of DM after animals have grazed. The other advantage of this strategy is that you will get a good idea of pasture growth rate in terms of how much DM is being added per acre each week.
Another measurement strategy is to measure a paddock that is due to be grazed each week. This will help to give you an idea about your rotation speed. If you are consistently measuring 2400 to 3000 lbs of forage DM per acre in paddocks about to be grazed, this indicates the rest period has been long enough. If forage DM is less than 2200 lbs per acre then rotation speed should be slowed down to allow the pasture more time to recover and grow.
The next question is: what is used to make pasture measurements? The most economical option is the pasture stick, which costs about $5.00 to $7.00 and is generally provided to participants of grazing schools. The current model of the pasture stick being used in Ohio has a scale to measure forage height, a scale to estimate forage density, a table of lbs of DM/inch for various pasture forage types, information about length of grazing rotations and information about calculating the lbs of DM available for grazing. The basic steps involved in using the grazing stick are:
* Measure pasture height in 20-30 random areas of the paddock. Record those heights.
* Add the measurements to get a total and then divide that total by the number of measurements. This will give you average pasture height.
* Estimate pasture density using the dot scale on the pasture stick. This will allow you to estimate the lbs of DM per inch.
* Multiply the average height (inches) by the pasture density (lbs of DM/inch). This will give you the total DM per acre in that paddock.
* Subtract the amount of residual DM you want to leave in the paddock. This is plant height after grazing times the lbs of DM/inch. If you plan for a 3 to 4 inch residual, 1200-1400 lbs is about right. Consider the result of total DM minus residual DM to be the forage available for grazing.
* Figure out the amount of utilizable forage. All of the forage available for grazing will not actually get grazed. There will be waste. The smaller the paddock size and the fewer days animals spend in that paddock the higher the grazing efficiency. If you are moving animals every 3-4 days use a 60% grazing efficiency to begin with. Multiply the available forage DM by the grazing efficiency expressed as a decimal. For example 1500 lbs DM x 0.60 = 900 lbs of utilizable forage DM/acre.
* Figure out the livestock need in lbs of DM/day. Most livestock will consume between 2.5 to 3.0 % of their body weight in DM per day. You will need to know the average body weights of your livestock. Multiply the DM/day requirement for an individual animal by the total number of animals that will graze in that paddock. Example 30 head of sheep that average 150 lbs, consuming 2.75% of body weight in DM/day. 150 x .0275 = 4.1 lbs of DM/day. 4.1 x 30 head = 123 lbs of DM/day needed.
* Figure out what the paddock can support. Divide the utilizable forage by the livestock requirement to get how many days of grazing the paddock will provide. In our example: 900 lbs of utilizable DM divided by 123 lbs of DM needed /day = 7.3. There should be about a weeks worth of grazing in this paddock.
* Make adjustments based on the measurement calculations. For example if my goal is to rotate every 3-4 days and in our example we found that one acre is providing 7 days worth of grazing for 30 head of sheep, then provide about 0.5 acres every 3 days.
Another option to measure pastures is the rising plate meter. This is a simple instrument developed in New Zealand that has a counter built in. Record the beginning number on the counter, make 30 measurements and record the end number. Subtract the end number from the beginning number and divide that result by the number of measurements to get an average. Multiply this average by a conversion factor (currently 107.04) for cool season grass pastures. Use this number as the total forage DM/acre and follow the steps outlined for the pasture stick to make the remaining animal use calculations. The plate meter is quicker, but the cost of this instrument is about $450.
In the end, whatever method is used to measure pastures has value only if those measurements are used and applied to doing a better job of managing pastures.
For more information about pasture measurement, contact your County Extension office.
Hay Storage - Clyde Lane, University of Tennessee Extension
A majority of beef producers in Tennessee are feeding hay stored as large round bales. Although the large round bales reduce the labor required when handling hay, there is a problem. Hay stored outside can have significant storage losses.
Most research and demonstrations show that the method of storage has a major influence on the amount of forage that is lost. Data from a hay storage demonstration in Moore County, Tennessee is presented in Table 1. Bales were weighed and stored in June with reweighing being done in January.
Table 1. Losses of Hay Stored using Six Methods of Storage
| Treatment | Percentage Loss |
| 1. On ground, no cover | 37% |
| 2. On tires, no cover | 29% |
| 3. On ground, covered | 29% |
| 4. On tires, covered | 8% |
| 5. Net wrap on ground | 19% |
| 6. In barn | 6% |
As can be seen from the table, the losses can be significant. Losses for hay stored in the barn was 6%. Other methods resulted in greater losses. Hay stored on tires and covered had an 8% loss while the loss was 29% when covered but placed on the ground. Storage losses from ground storage and on tires with no cover were equal at 29%. The greatest losses occurred when the hay was stored on the ground and not covered. This resulted in a 37% loss. The data support the idea the losses occur both from moisture getting to the top and bottom of bales.
Producers should strive to store hay in a barn if possible. The next best option is storage outside with the hay lifted off the ground and covered. Do not store hay on the ground or under trees.
For additional information on hay storage, contact your local Extension office.
Cost-Effective Parasite Strategy - Sam Barringer, WVU Extension Service, Veterinary Sciences Specialist
Internal parasites living in your cattle could be stealing profits from your pocket and they are almost always present on a ranch.
So what can a cattleman do to fight this menace? To answer that question and develop a strategy for parasite control you need to answer several other questions first. Do my cattle have parasites? What parasites are likely to be found on my ranch (flukes, grubs, roundworms)? How heavy is the parasite burden in the cattle? What compounds could be used to combat parasites on my farm? How much will it cost to reduce parasite levels to an acceptable plane?
Do my cattle have parasites? Almost all animals experience some degree of parasitism at one time or another. Even the majority of humans will experience parasitism. Growing calves and young stock are most susceptible to the potentially costly effects of internal parasites. Assume your calves have parasites and then always use an economical strategy to prevent financial loss. Considering weight gain differences, it can be assumed that a return of $3 to $5 will be realized for every $1 spent on parasite control. To realize this gain you must use a sound strategic deworming program.
The advice is not so clear-cut when it comes to adult cows and bulls. Research indicates that reproductive performance, milking ability, and weight maintenance are impaired by intestinal parasites in adult animals. These parameters are not as easily quantified as weight gain in a calf. The degree of loss would be directly related to the level of parasites living in the adult animal.
Adult animals can be potential shedders of parasite eggs for the young stock. However, many ranches have a significant number of adult animals with nondetectable levels of intestinal parasitism. These ranches will not realize an economic advantage when deworming adult cattle. When profit margins are slim, evaluate the cost versus benefit of an adult deworming program.
What parasites are on my ranch? To determine what parasites are on your ranch, you should do two things. First, ask area veterinarians, extension agents, or other experts what parasites are prevalent in the area. Secondly, submit a fecal sample from cattle in your herd for analysis. Submit several samples from young cattle and a few older cows. This initial information will be crucial to guiding all your future decisions on parasite control. For example, certain areas have a habitat conducive to flukes or lungworms. These parasites require special compounds for prevention and treatment. If these compounds are not included, all benefit from the other drugs will be lost.
How heavy is the parasite load in my cattle? If clinical signs such as diarrhea, rough hair coat, and slow growth rates are present, then parasite loads have reached costly levels. However, most parasitism is not discovered through observation of clinical signs. This is where fecal samples are helpful. When submitting a sample, request a quantitative fecal egg count be performed. This procedure reveals the number of parasite eggs in a known quantity of feces. Interpretation of the data is subjective; however, this test can serve as a guideline for assessing parasite control methods.
What compounds should be used to prevent and treat intestinal parasites? There are several factors to consider when choosing the correct compound.
1. What parasites will the compound work against versus what parasites are present? This is called efficacy.
2. What is the meat withholding period?
3. What is the cost?
4. What is the method of delivery?
5. What is the ability of the compound to kill the parasites during their immature stages of development?
6. How safe is the compound for the animal?
The ideal parasite control agent does not exist. Compounds that would effectively destroy all parasites may also kill the host or leave a deadly residue in the meat. Wide variation also exists in the cost and method of delivery. For example, a pour-on product can cost twice as much as an oral drench. The compounds may have near equal activity; however, ease of administration would dictate a pour-on be chosen. Make informed decisions on what is best for you.
Unfortunately, no program works the same on every farm. If a ranch is to realize a $3 to $5 profit on every $1 spent deworming calves, professional advice should be sought. Your veterinarian or extension agent can help determine the correct compound and the timing of administering the compound for your ranch. Choosing the correct compound but administering it at the wrong time will result in a net loss.
How much will it cost to reduce parasite levels to an acceptable plane? Many of the parasite control agents 90-99 percent effective against the targeted organism. Considering current market prices, you can deworm a 500-pound calf once for approximately $1.25 to $3.50. In most strategic deworming programs, a second and third dose are often recommended at three-week intervals. Alternatively, mineral blocks containing antiparasite compounds have been used to minimize handling.
A budget of approximately $5 to $7 is realistic for parasite control on each calf. If adult cows are dewormed and degrubbed annually in the fall, then each cow will cost approximately $6 to $8. Many ranches could get greater benefit from upgrading facilities, improving pastures, or having cow's pregnancy checked.
Price approximations are based on market prices for the most common antiparasite products.
Weekly Roberts Agricultural Commodity Market Report - Mike Roberts, Commodity Marketing Agent, Virginia Tech
LIVE CATTLE futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) struggled on Monday. The JUNE'09LC contract closed at $80.525/cwt; down $0.800/cwt and $2.000/cwt lower than last report. The AUG'09LC contract closed off $0.175/cwt at $81.650/cwt and $1.475/cwt lower than Monday before last. DEC'09LC futures closed at $89.875/cwt; down $0.150/cwt and $1.025/cwt lower than last report. Higher grain prices; lower beef cutout values; spreading out of June and October into the August contract; and seasonal trends weighed on prices. Early Monday USDA put the Choice Beef cutout at $142.88/cwt; off $1.23/cwt and $4.27/cwt lower than two weeks ago. Cash cattle were off a range of $0.50-$1.00/cwt. The USDA 5-area average was placed at $84.36/cwt on Monday. Feedlots are calculated to be losing from $3.50-$4.50/cwt; below the $89-$91/cwt needed to break even. According to HedgersEdge.com average packer margins were lowered $27.05/head from this time last week. The average processor margin was placed at a positive $7.90/head based on the average buy of $85.00/cwt vs. the average breakeven of $85.63/cwt. Wait another week or at least until profit taking in the corn market occurs later this week to price anymore feed.
FEEDER CATTLE at the CME finished down on Monday. AUG'09FC futures finished at $100.175/cwt; off $1.575/cwt and $1.650/cwt lower than last report. The OCT'09FC contract closed at $100.675/cwt; down $1.125/cwt. Sell stops amid profit taking, lower live cattle, soft cash feeders, and bear spreading pressured prices. The latest CME Feeder Cattle Index for May 28 was placed at $100.52/cwt; up $0.14/cwt and $1.15/cwt higher than week-before-last. It is still a good idea to hold feeders to heavier weights if you have good pasture.
Visit the OSU Beef Team calendar of meetings and upcoming events
BEEF Cattle is a weekly publication of Ohio State University Extension in Fairfield County and the OSU Beef Team. Contributors include members of the Beef Team and other beef cattle specialists and economists from across the U.S.
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
Fairfield County Agriculture and Natural Resources
