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We would like to continue with our theme of maximizing profitability from forages as we head into the summer and fall.  The importance of making the most from your forage base is a key factor in reducing additional expenses as well as optimizing calf performance and cow reproduction.  Summer and Fall grazing conditions bring upon new opportunities for capturing added value from your forages.  I have outlined a few of those opportunities below that can pay dividends for most beef producers.  We will also expand on these areas over the next 5 weeks to help provide you more information to determine if they have the potential to help you with your bottom line. 

1. Fly control has demonstrated improved calf gains.  Flies, particularly the horn fly variety, can limit cattle performance on summer pastures when present in large populations.  Feed-through larvacides can be an important part of an integrated fly control program to help prevent reductions in calf body weight gain from fly pressure.  CRYSTALYX® Brand Supplements have products that contain Rabon® Oral Larvacides (ROL) in addition to Altosid® Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) that can be used to help control flies on pasture. 
2. Limit the negative impact on animal performance from endophyte infected fescue pastures.  Endophyte infected fescue pastures can severely limit animal performance, especially during the heat of the summer.  Make sure you provide a supplement that is specifically formulated for fescue pastures to help cattle deal with the heat when endophyte consumption can impair the animal’s circulation to their extremities.  CRYSTALYX® products like Fescue-Phos® or Hi-Mag Tasco-lyx® are specifically formulated with Tasco® seaweed meal to help cattle grazing endophyte infected fescue pastures.  Current cattle economics indicate any loss in reproduction or calf weight gain will result in significant reductions in cow-calf returns.  Make sure you have a supplement program in place that allows your cattle to deal with fescue pastures as profitably as possible.
3. Grazing management with CRYSTALYX® low-moisture blocks maximizes pasture forage utilization.  Extensive research has been conducted on the use of CRYSTALYX® Brand Supplements to improve forage utilization through the use of barrel placement.  It has been clearly demonstrated that cattle will spend more time in areas within 200 to 600 yards of where CRYSTALYX® barrels are placed in the pasture.  Management strategies have been developed where barrels are placed away from water, which is normally not recommended with free-choice supplements.  Cattle will then graze to the supplement and then graze back to the water.  This can help producers encourage cattle to consume forages in pasture locations where they may typically avoid.  Unused forage at the end of the season does not do much for helping promote animal performance. 
4. Creep feeding can keep calves growing when pasture quality declines in the fall.  High calf prices have reiterated the importance of growing calves to their genetic potential while on grass.  As pastures mature in the fall, forage quality dips below cow maintenance requirements and as a result, milk production is significantly reduced.  When forage quality and milk quantities deteriorate, calf growth is negatively impacted and the opportunity for additional gain is limited without supplemental nutrition.  Economic returns for creep feeding become much more viable when forage availability and quality are dramatically reduced, in addition to when calf prices are extremely high.  Calf prices look to be very favorable this fall and should warrant serious consideration for creep feeding programs to ensure maximum calf growth and optimal returns to cow-calf producers.
5. Protein supplementation can increase forage intake and digestibility of low quality forages.  This extensively researched practice is well established as a method of increasing the utilization of low quality forages.  Protein that is available to ruminal microbes will increase their growth and therefore the amount of forage digested.  This often times results in increased forage intake which in many cases helps cows meet their energy requirement, particularly in mid gestation and the first month or two of late gestation.  During dry periods or later in the growing season as forages mature or are stockpiled for later use, the need for protein to maintain both calf gains and cow body weight maintenance often pays, and this year the returns should be even more evident given present calf values.  Calves are heavier at weaning and cows go into the winter with more body condition stores so they are better fit to calve and rebreed on time.

Your largest feed expense is stored forage.  Your hay and silage is worth more than ever before.  Efforts to improve your management of forage storage will result in a good return on your investment. 

What is the New Normal for forage cost?  The average hay price has increased for all hay types.  Fair quality grass hay is $120 - $150 per ton and premium quality alfalfa hay is $200 - $300 per ton.  Current corn price dictates that corn silage should be valued at $60 to $70 per ton.  There are several reasons for increased forage cost listed below. 

*2012 was the smallest hay crop in 22 years

*the conversion of hay and pasture to row crops

*increased demand for hay in the southwest and southeast

*high corn price equates to high corn silage cost

*increasing harvest cost due to high fuel cost

USDA estimates that forage DM loss can be as high as 50% under the poorest conditions.  From what I observe on many farms and ranches, we commonly accept 15% to 20% DM loss as acceptable and normal.  We are at a New Normal with all aspects of livestock production, and at current forage costs, we need a New Normal in what we accept for DM loss.  Evaluate these 3 areas in your forage program to reduce DM loss in your hay and silage.

1. In-Field Loss
2. Harvest and Storage Loss
3. Feed out losses

Decreasing the amount of dry matter loss associated with hay and silage can greatly improve your income potential.  Where can DM loss occur and what is the benefit of using a preservative?

Not all forage treatment products are created equal.  Preservatives are generally considered to be chemical products and often used on dry hay.  Their main mode of action is changing the environment in the hay bale or silage.  The most common preservatives are organic acids such as propionic, acetic and citric acids.  They are applied at 5-15 lbs. per ton depending on hay moisture.  The mode of action is lowering pH to inhibit spoilage organisms.  Preservative such as BulletProof® uses oxygen scavenging technology to inhibit spoilage organisms.  It is applied at 2-3 lbs. per ton depending on hay moisture.  You need to consider application rate and total cost per treated ton of hay when making comparisons. 

The highest feed expenditure you have is your stored forage.  Using a preservative to reduce DM and nutrient loss will have a significant positive impact on your income over feed cost.  You will have more forage available and forage quality should be improved.

Feed grains and commodity prices are high and the latest words of wisdom echoing throughout the industry indicate that cow-calf and stocker operators should look at all possible options to maximize performance from their forage programs. There are numerous ways to manage your forages as well as supplemental inputs. These can vary considerably by geographic regions, cattle type, grazing and climate conditions or land resources that you have available. I have put together a list of five ways to help you get the most from your forages. Our team of bloggers will be looking at expanding on these areas over the next five weeks to help you more fully evaluate ways to maximize returns to your beef cattle operation.

1. Delay spring turn out on native cool season or mixed pastures in the plains and northern plains states. Overall forage production can be dramatically reduced (35 percent or greater) for the grazing period if these native pastures are grazed too early in the spring. Too early is prior to when there are four fully developed leaves and coincides with achieving positive energy balance within the grass plant. Use of tame cool season pastures is a natural way to get a jump on grazing well ahead of your native pastures. These types of grasses commonly include Smooth Brome or Crested Wheat. Use of winter annuals, crop residues or stored forages such as hay or silage can also help maintain early spring forage supplies. When cows are pushing on the fence, you can easily be convinced to just open the gate. Don’t do it if you want to maximize the forage potential of your grasslands.
2. Annual crops can provide additional grazing or stored forages when needed. If additional forages are needed to help during periods of drought, delaying turn out on native pastures or extending the grazing season when native pasture resources are depleted, annual crops planted for forage use can be very cost effective. A wide variety of crops, their growing characteristics and their use as grazed or stored forages can provide many options to cattle producers when they have access to cropland. Many operations come to rely on this forage base as a planned part of their overall feed program.
3. Forage preservatives can dramatically reduce dry matter loss in silage and hay. Forage preservatives applied during the ensiling process, or when baling hay, can help reduce losses associated with spoilage. Sulfite-based preservatives such as BulletProof® are different from organic acids or inoculants which can also be used when storing forages. Go to BulletProofYourForage.com to evaluate some of the differences. These products can help provide a wider harvest window, reduce losses from heating, increase DM recovery and significantly reduce mold and yeast growth. Forage preservatives like BulletProof® have even higher rates of return when forages and supplements are worth what they are today. They should be a part of any stored forage program.
4. Incorporate the use of feed additives for stockers and replacement heifers. To increase animal performance while grazing, feed additives such as ionophores can easily provide an extra 10 percent boost in ADG. Over the summer grazing season this could amount to an added 25 to 45 lbs on stocker cattle or replacement heifers. Free-choice delivery of government regulated feed additives such as ionophores must be approved by the FDA. There are only a few of these products available on the market today. CRYSTALYX® Ionolyx-B 300 contains Bovatec® and provides 30 percent CP formulated to supplement stocker cattle and/or replacement heifers. Make sure you read and follow label directions on their use. Products with free-choice clearance for the delivery of ionophores to mature beef cows are limited.
5. Pasture rotation systems can extend grazing. Depending upon your part of the country, soil type, growing conditions and pasture species, a rotational grazing system may help you maximize the forage produced on a per acre basis. A wide variety of rotation systems are in use and vary in complexity and results. Visit with your state land grant university or USDA research staff on recommendations for your area of the country.

Bovatec® is a registered trademark of Pfizer Animal Health, Madison, NJ.

The key factor that drives the profitability of the cattle industry is POUNDS sold.  Due to the higher cost and volatility of the corn market, there is an industry shift to put more POUNDS on calves before they enter the feed yard.  This shift has created an excellent opportunity for the cow calf operation. 

It is spring time, and I see equipment being prepared for the work ahead.  Conversations at meetings and local coffee shops have centered on planting intentions.  It is evident some parts of the country will have less pasture available.  As you evaluate at your cattle operation and management plan for opportunities to add more pounds to your calves, the next question should be how to get more gains on forage.

The goal of this blog is to share ideas, management tips and challenge conventional practices with the goal of improved forage utilization and animal performance.  The utilization of forage has gone beyond just turning the cows out to pasture.  Innovations in grass varieties, cover crop options and grazing crop residue can greatly expand the forage seasons.  Matching the forage available and various supplement options to the biological need of your cows and calves is the goal of an integrated forage and cow calf management plan.  This approach will encompass weaning larger calves that are born earlier in your defined calving season; modifying the calving season to match cow’s nutrient demand to the quality and quantity of forage available; extending grazing by adopting new technologies in grazing management; maximizing calf weights by back grounding to capture some additional low cost gains.

CRYSTALYX^® brand supplements provide needed nutrients and can be a valuable management tool to help accomplish most of these strategies to get more gains on grass.  Self-fed CRYSTALYX^® brand supplements formulas can positively impact;

• Reproductive performance of cows and bulls
• Utilization of pasture thought improved fiber digestibility
• Utilization of pasture thought modifying grazing patterns
• Fly control allowing for un-interrupted grazing and reduced animal stress