Production efficiencies more important than ever
By Jennifer M. Latzke
The rains have come--sporadically--to Texas. But after a multi-year drought that has reduced herds and tightened hay stocks, Texas producers need to be more efficient in the production, storage and feeding of their hay than ever before.
Vanessa Corriher, Texas AgriLife Extension forage specialist, and Jason Banta, Texas AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, hosted meetings in late April and early May to help producers as they improve forage production. Both are located at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton, Texas.
Start with the soil
The story over the past year or so has been bleak for Texas livestock producers. But it's looking up. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported as of April 26 that notable improvements have been made in Texas, especially the Coastal Bend and far southern Texas. Extreme and exceptional drought conditions still linger over parts of west Texas and the Panhandle, and the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook predicts drought will persist through the spring. Corriher said rain this spring will help to fill up some hay barns.
While many hay producers in east Texas are taking the time now to look at their carryover hay stocks from the winter and making plans for this year's production, one thing Corriher reminds producers is that a solid fertility program is one way they can recover from a drought.
"It's something that is important this year, following a drought, to promote production is to have a solid fertility program in place," Corriher said. Take the opportunity now this spring to conduct soil tests and improve or maintain any soil fertility that was lost during the drought, she advised.
"Soil testing is the cheapest thing they can do to improve their fertility," she said. "Checking how much nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium available is important for forage production and ultimately how many round bales are produced and the quality of the hay that is produced." This carries over into reducing the need for supplementation in livestock as well.
"On our typical Coastal Bermudagrass, established from sprigs, one ton needs 50 pounds of nitrogen, 14 pounds of phosphorous and 42 pounds of potassium per acre," she said. "Potassium is critical for the root development of our forages." East Texas sandy soils, she added, often see potassium deficiency in Bermudagrass stands.
Perhaps the most important reason for solid fertility programs is to improve the persistence of the grasses in our hay meadows, she said.
"Without those nutrients, we can lose those stands and it is an added expense to replace them," Corriher said. "We started getting calls, even last fall, of producers that were scared they would have to re-establish their pastures and hay meadows." She said that many hay parcels in east Texas may not have to be reseeded, but producers should really manage those acres wisely.
"It will take some tender loving care to ensure those forage stands are appropriately maintained," she said. That might include reducing cuttings and controlling weed populations as well.
Reducing waste
Of course, producing hay is the first step in rebuilding hay stocks--proper harvesting and storage are key to reducing waste as well.
Farmers know that hay stores best under a roof, but when that isn't an option, they look to outside storage. "Some locations they just can't economically justify a hay barn," Banta said. "But in areas where there is higher rainfall, a barn is more likely to pay for itself."
When planning hay storage options, Banta advised producers to use tools such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture Web Soil Survey and other soil maps to look at foundation for a stack of hay in a field.
"Most people use this information to plan what they want to plant and where and how much they should fertilize," he said. "But they also tell you how well various soils drain and the slope of the field and the frequency of flooding. And by determining how well it drains, you can determine where you want to store your hay." Farmers who rely on outside storage for their hay also don't want to tie up valuable producing acres under large stacks of hay bales, and soil maps and tests can help determine that.
Getting hay bales up off the ground is the next step. Banta said he has seen success with farmers laying down two telephone poles side-by-side and stacking hay on top of them.
"If you store outside you want to minimize that soil contact," he said. "Some have tried crushed rock and making a pad, which drains better. The telephone poles are easy for farmers to straddle with a tractor loader, don't have to be moved like pallets, and don't have nails like pallets." He added that while some farmers might swear by using tires as a base for a hay bale stack, he advises against them.
"The bad thing is, those tires will hold moisture, and it gets down into the tire and the hay doesn't dry out as well," he said. Over time, tires also collapse and are more harm than help.
Corriher added that choosing a sunny location over a shaded location helps bales dry out from weather events.
Purchasing wisely
Finally, some producers may still be at a point where they need to purchase hay from outside sources, and both Corriher and Banta advise caution.
"Know before you buy," Banta said. "Develop a relationship, don't send money to someone ahead of the hay. Pay once that hay is delivered. Unfortunately, there have been some people during the drought who sent money and got no hay back. Find out who you're dealing with and make sure you have eyes on that hay before you pay."
One way to ensure that producers are buying hay that will fill their feed needs is to require hay testing on every load, or each cutting from a specific field.
"A lot of people think only of crude protein of their hay, but the energy level of that hay is just as important to know," Banta said. "They need to get a protein figure and a good TDN, or Total Digestible Nutrients, percentage. Beef cows, in general, we'd like to see that TDN between 55 and 65 percent. A lot of hay we deal with often is in the 48 to 55 percent range. But if you can get to 55 percent to the low 60 percent range you can reduce the amount of supplement you have to feed."
Banta added that as the crop matures in the field, the lower that TDN percentage gets, so it's important growers cut at the right maturity for the crop. For Bermuda grasses, that can be a five- to six-week cutting interval. For sorghum, sudan and millet you would cut before it gets too far into its heading process.
Finally, and this relates back to that relationship between buyer and seller, Corriher said buying hay sight unseen is risky in a time when because of high hay prices people will start baling anything for a buck.
"There is a potential that there could be toxic plants in that bale," she said. "There are a lot of plants in Texas alone that are toxic to livestock. And people will start baling anything that's standing still." She heard stories over the past year of very poor quality hay purchased from outside of the state from sellers who were taking advantage of the high demand.
Hopefully, producers learned lessons from the drought and as the good years return will plan ahead for extra good quality hay for the future.
Jennifer M. Latzke can be reached at 620-228-1807, or jlatzke@hpj.com.
Date: 05/21/2012
By Jennifer M. Latzke
The rains have come--sporadically--to Texas. But after a multi-year drought that has reduced herds and tightened hay stocks, Texas producers need to be more efficient in the production, storage and feeding of their hay than ever before.
Vanessa Corriher, Texas AgriLife Extension forage specialist, and Jason Banta, Texas AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, hosted meetings in late April and early May to help producers as they improve forage production. Both are located at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton, Texas.
Start with the soil
The story over the past year or so has been bleak for Texas livestock producers. But it's looking up. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported as of April 26 that notable improvements have been made in Texas, especially the Coastal Bend and far southern Texas. Extreme and exceptional drought conditions still linger over parts of west Texas and the Panhandle, and the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook predicts drought will persist through the spring. Corriher said rain this spring will help to fill up some hay barns.
While many hay producers in east Texas are taking the time now to look at their carryover hay stocks from the winter and making plans for this year's production, one thing Corriher reminds producers is that a solid fertility program is one way they can recover from a drought.
"It's something that is important this year, following a drought, to promote production is to have a solid fertility program in place," Corriher said. Take the opportunity now this spring to conduct soil tests and improve or maintain any soil fertility that was lost during the drought, she advised.
"Soil testing is the cheapest thing they can do to improve their fertility," she said. "Checking how much nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium available is important for forage production and ultimately how many round bales are produced and the quality of the hay that is produced." This carries over into reducing the need for supplementation in livestock as well.
"On our typical Coastal Bermudagrass, established from sprigs, one ton needs 50 pounds of nitrogen, 14 pounds of phosphorous and 42 pounds of potassium per acre," she said. "Potassium is critical for the root development of our forages." East Texas sandy soils, she added, often see potassium deficiency in Bermudagrass stands.
Perhaps the most important reason for solid fertility programs is to improve the persistence of the grasses in our hay meadows, she said.
"Without those nutrients, we can lose those stands and it is an added expense to replace them," Corriher said. "We started getting calls, even last fall, of producers that were scared they would have to re-establish their pastures and hay meadows." She said that many hay parcels in east Texas may not have to be reseeded, but producers should really manage those acres wisely.
"It will take some tender loving care to ensure those forage stands are appropriately maintained," she said. That might include reducing cuttings and controlling weed populations as well.
Reducing waste
Of course, producing hay is the first step in rebuilding hay stocks--proper harvesting and storage are key to reducing waste as well.
Farmers know that hay stores best under a roof, but when that isn't an option, they look to outside storage. "Some locations they just can't economically justify a hay barn," Banta said. "But in areas where there is higher rainfall, a barn is more likely to pay for itself."
When planning hay storage options, Banta advised producers to use tools such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture Web Soil Survey and other soil maps to look at foundation for a stack of hay in a field.
"Most people use this information to plan what they want to plant and where and how much they should fertilize," he said. "But they also tell you how well various soils drain and the slope of the field and the frequency of flooding. And by determining how well it drains, you can determine where you want to store your hay." Farmers who rely on outside storage for their hay also don't want to tie up valuable producing acres under large stacks of hay bales, and soil maps and tests can help determine that.
Getting hay bales up off the ground is the next step. Banta said he has seen success with farmers laying down two telephone poles side-by-side and stacking hay on top of them.
"If you store outside you want to minimize that soil contact," he said. "Some have tried crushed rock and making a pad, which drains better. The telephone poles are easy for farmers to straddle with a tractor loader, don't have to be moved like pallets, and don't have nails like pallets." He added that while some farmers might swear by using tires as a base for a hay bale stack, he advises against them.
"The bad thing is, those tires will hold moisture, and it gets down into the tire and the hay doesn't dry out as well," he said. Over time, tires also collapse and are more harm than help.
Corriher added that choosing a sunny location over a shaded location helps bales dry out from weather events.
Purchasing wisely
Finally, some producers may still be at a point where they need to purchase hay from outside sources, and both Corriher and Banta advise caution.
"Know before you buy," Banta said. "Develop a relationship, don't send money to someone ahead of the hay. Pay once that hay is delivered. Unfortunately, there have been some people during the drought who sent money and got no hay back. Find out who you're dealing with and make sure you have eyes on that hay before you pay."
One way to ensure that producers are buying hay that will fill their feed needs is to require hay testing on every load, or each cutting from a specific field.
"A lot of people think only of crude protein of their hay, but the energy level of that hay is just as important to know," Banta said. "They need to get a protein figure and a good TDN, or Total Digestible Nutrients, percentage. Beef cows, in general, we'd like to see that TDN between 55 and 65 percent. A lot of hay we deal with often is in the 48 to 55 percent range. But if you can get to 55 percent to the low 60 percent range you can reduce the amount of supplement you have to feed."
Banta added that as the crop matures in the field, the lower that TDN percentage gets, so it's important growers cut at the right maturity for the crop. For Bermuda grasses, that can be a five- to six-week cutting interval. For sorghum, sudan and millet you would cut before it gets too far into its heading process.
Finally, and this relates back to that relationship between buyer and seller, Corriher said buying hay sight unseen is risky in a time when because of high hay prices people will start baling anything for a buck.
"There is a potential that there could be toxic plants in that bale," she said. "There are a lot of plants in Texas alone that are toxic to livestock. And people will start baling anything that's standing still." She heard stories over the past year of very poor quality hay purchased from outside of the state from sellers who were taking advantage of the high demand.
Hopefully, producers learned lessons from the drought and as the good years return will plan ahead for extra good quality hay for the future.
Jennifer M. Latzke can be reached at 620-228-1807, or jlatzke@hpj.com.
Date: 05/21/2012
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