Chris Teutsch: Stockpiling After a Long, Hot Summer

Making the Best of a Bad Situation

Chris Teutsch UK Grain and Forage Center of Excellence, Princeton, Kentucky

According to Matt Dixon at the UK Weather Center the drought that we are currently experiencing in the Commonwealth is expanding with no foreseeable end in sight (Figure 1). You can read Matt’s full article at UK Ag Weather Center Updates. The objective of this month’s article is to talk about managing pastures through the current dry period. Hopefully you have been following the advice in past articles and have developed and implemented a drought management strategy. At this point in the drought, I hope that you have shut the gates and confined overgrazing to one pasture on the farm. This will allow other pastures to recover quickly once the rain does come. Everyone knows that the most efficient way to harvest forage is with the animal. However, there are key times when we need to feed hay and drought is one of them. I would encourage you to go ahead and calculate your hay needs and stock up as soon as possible. I cannot foresee the cost of hay going down any time soon. The remainder of this article will focus on how to feed this hay most efficiently.

HAY TESTING

One of our primary concerns is meeting the nutritional requirements of brood cows when feeding hay. Body condition score at calving is closely related to conception rate. Hay testing provides you with the information needed to develop a cost-efficient supplementation strategy if needed. The accuracy of hay testing results are dependent on getting a representative sample of the hay being fed. Below are some tips from AGR257 Hay Sampling Strategies for Getting a Good Sample that will help you get a representative sample. Always use a hay probe to obtain a representative sample. A representative sample starts with cores taken with a properly designed and maintained hay probe. Collecting grab samples or bale slices does NOT provide a representative sample. The hay probe should have internal diameter of at least 3/8 inches and a probe length of 15 to 18 inches. Sample hay in lots. Hay should ALWAYS be sampled in lots. A lot consists of hay made from the same field and cutting. A lot should not represent more than 200 tons of dry matter. In the event that a lot exceeds 200 tons of dry matter, multiple samples should be taken and forage quality results should be averaged to represent the overall lot. It is very important the we keep track of where different hay lots stop and start. The quality from one hay lot to another can vary markedly. Sample hay just prior to feeding. Ideally, hay should be sampled just prior to feeding. This will provide the most accurate representation of nutritional value of a given hay lot that is being fed. This is especially true for hay stored outside that has weathered. However, in some cases sampling early may be more practical. If you are storing hay in a barn, it may be difficult or nearly impossible to sample after it is packed in. So, sampling and marking where hay lots start and stop as the hay is moved into the barn may be a more practical approach. Early sampling also allows you to better plan how and when certain lots of hay should be fed. For example, if you have a hay lot (one field-one cutting) that is very high in quality (cut early and cured well) then it could be fed when the nutritional requirements of the animal is the highest. Likewise, identifying hay lots that have marginal nutritive value early, will allow you to plan appropriate supplementation strategies. The bottom-line is this: although sampling close to feeding is ideal, it is more important to sample your hay whenever you can get it done! Sample at least 20 bales from each hay lot. A representative sample will consist of at least 20 cores from 20 bales (one core per bale) resulting in a sample size of approximately one-half pound of hay from each lot. Sample bales at random and NOT on some predetermined characteristic such as leafiness, color, or weed content. Remove weathered material prior to sampling. For round bales stored outside, remove weathered material from the area to be probed prior to sampling. Weathered material represents refusal and should not be included in the sample. • Core rectangular bales from the end. Center the hay probe in the end of the bale and insert at least 15-18 inches. • Core round bales from the side. Sample round bales by drilling or pushing the probe horizontally into center of the rounded side of the bale at least 15-18 inches. Submit the entire sample for analysis. Do NOT subdivide the hay sample. This can result in the loss of smaller pieces of the sample that tend to be higher in nutritional value. Do NOT submit excessively large samples. Forage testing labs will subdivide samples. They will NOT grind entire sample. This can significantly impact test results. The sample submitted should be no larger than one-half pound. Clearly label samples. The entire sample should be placed into a labeled plastic bag and sealed. Make sure that the bag is clearly labeled with your farm’s name, a description of the hay lot sampled that will allow you to reference the results back to the hay lot, the type of hay, cutting, and year, and the date it was sampled. Submit samples immediately. The sample should be sent immediately to the lab for analysis. Make sure and complete the sample submission form for the lab that you are using. Sampling Baled Silage. Sample baled silage in the same manner as hay. Delay sampling until at least four weeks after harvest to allow complete ensiling. Samples should be placed into labeled plastic bags as previously described. Submit the samples immediately or refrigerate until shipped. Remember to immediately repair holes caused

Fig 1: As of mid-October, most of Kentucky is experiencing abnormally dry or moderate drought conditions (US Drought Monitor, October 11, 2022).

Animal Class Total Digestible Nutrients

Growing steer @ 1.5 lb/day Growing steer @ 1.7 lb/day 68

Lactating beef cow 60 Dry beef cow 50 Lamb Finishing 70 Lactating ewe 65

Dry ewe 55 11

11 8 12 13 9

Table 1: Nutritional requirement of various livestock classes. Dry Matter Moisture

Constituent

Crude Protein 10.2 11.9

Dry Matter Basis As Fed Basis Dry Matter Basis As Fed Basis

8.6 7.7 6.7 5.9

Acid Detergent Fiber 42.3

Neutral Detergent Fiber 66.3 Total Digestible Nutrients 53.0 38.0

59.6

47.6 43.9

67.3

52.5 38.7

59.3

46.3

Table 2: Hay test results. Constituents highlighted in yellow are required to use the UK Beef Forage Supplementation Tool

by coring using a UV-resistant tape designed for silage film.

USING HAY TESTING RESULTS

Hay testing by itself is worthless if you do NOT use the results to make management decisions. In fact, if you already know that you are NOT going to use your results to change how you feed or supplement your hay, then don’t waste your time and money taking a sample. Once you get your results back, you will need to determine if the hay will meet the needs of your cows at a given production stage. Animals that are growing or lactating have a higher nutritional requirement than dry cows in mid-gestation (Table 1). The results found in Table 2 clearly indicate that these grass hay samples will NOT meet the nutritional requirements of a fall calving cow that is lactating. This hay will need to be supplemented in order to maintain body condition and production. The question then becomes with what and how much? The UK Beef Cow Forage Supplement Tool is an application that can be used on-line or downloaded to your smart phone. This application allows you to enter the results from your forage test (dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, crude protein, and total digestible nutrients) and gives you a range of supplement options and how much of each supplement must be fed to meet the cow’s nutritional requirements (Table 3). The UK Beef Cow Forage Supplement Tool can be found online at http://forage-supplement-tool.ca.uky.edu/. This application indicates that the hay samples found in Table 2 would need to be supplemented with 10.6 and 15.2 lb of soybean hulls daily (Tables 4 and 5). It is important to realize that both hay testing and the UK Beef Cow Forage Supplement Tool are NOT perfect. They are designed to get you in the ballpark and let you know if there is going to be a real problem with the hay that you are feeding. The true test is how your cows perform on a given hay lot. It is always a good idea to run your forage testing results by your local extension agent, veterinarian, or nutritionist. When it comes to hay feeding, it is always more important to be proactive rather than reactive.

Table 3: Steps for utilizing UK Beef Cow Forage Supplement Tool found at http://forage-supplement-tool.ca.uky.edu/

Calculation Results

Lactation

Crude Protein: 8.6 • NDF: 66.3% • TDN: 53.0% Expected daily intake of this forage for a 1,250 lb cow is 1.81% of body weight, or 23 lbs on a dry matter basis, or 26 lbs on an as fed basis.

Protein Supplement Recommended Amount

8.5% Corn (6 lbs max) N/A 11% Soyhull (16 lbs max) 10.6 lbs 13.75% 75% Soyhull / 25% Gluten (16 lbs max) 8.5 lbs 13.85% 85% Soyhull / 15% DDGS (16 lbs max) 8.5 lbs 14.6% 67% Soyhull / 33% Gluten (16 lbs max) 8 lbs 14.8% 80% Soyhull / 20% DDGS (16 lbs max) 7.9 lbs 15.75% 75% Soyhull / 25% DDGS (16 lbs max) 7.4 lbs 16.5% 50% Soyhull / 50% Gluten (16 lbs max) 7.1 lbs 22% Corn Gluten Feed (Gluten) (8 lbs max) 6.2 lbs 30% Distillers Dried Grains w/solubles (DDGS) (8 lbs max) 5.7 lbs 50% Soybean Meal (4 lbs max) N/A Table 4: Results from the UK Beef Cow Forage Supplement Tool for Grass Hay-1

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Capitalizing on the Fertilizer Value of Hay Every ton of hay that is fed contains approximately 40 lb N, 15 lb P2O5, and 50 lb K2O (Table 6). Recently I visited a farm, and the producer eas proud to show me his hay feeding area. It was approximately 200 x 200 ft space where he fed 200 round bales annually. This producer is NOT capitalizing on the fertilizer value of his hay since all those nutrients are being concentrated in one small area. Over a tenyear period, he has applied 1,000 and 3,000 lb of P2O5 and K2O respectively to one acre of his pasture. I would love to say that this is an isolated incident, but it happens with alarming frequency! Below you will find a few tips to help you get the most fertilizer value out hay you are feeding. Feed hay on pastures that need fertilizer. Soil testing allows you to direct hay feeding to pastures that need soil amendments. Move hay feeding points. Instead of feeding hay in one static location, move hay feeding points across the pasture. This can be accomplished by unrolling hay in different areas of the pasture, moving bale rings, using feeding wagons, or just setting bales in different spots each time that you feed. The goal is to spread feeding out over the entire pasture area. Consider bale grazing. In this scenario, hay bales are set out in pastures in late fall or early winter and livestock access is limited to several bales at a time using temporary electric fencing. Starting at the water source, the electric fencing and bale rings are moved across the field allowing livestock access to only a few bales at a time. More information on bale grazing can be found in a video on the KYForages YouTube Channel. Extended hay feeding due to drought is neither ideal nor desirable, but it is important to make the best of it. So, feed hay in a way that benefits not only the animal, but also the pasture!

Lactation

Crude Protein: 8.6 • NDF: 66.3% • TDN: 53.0% Expected daily intake of this forage for a 1,250 lb cow is 1.81% of body weight, or 23 lbs on a dry matter basis, or 26 lbs on an as fed basis.

Protein Supplement Recommended Amount

8.5% Corn (6 lbs max) N/A 11% Soyhull (16 lbs max) 15.2 lbs 13.75% 75% Soyhull / 25% Gluten (16 lbs max) 12.2 lbs 13.85% 85% Soyhull / 15% DDGS (16 lbs max) 12.1 lbs 14.6% 67% Soyhull / 33% Gluten (16 lbs max) 11.5 lbs 14.8% 80% Soyhull / 20% DDGS (16 lbs max) 11.3 lbs 15.75% 75% Soyhull / 25% DDGS (16 lbs max) 10.6 lbs 16.5% 50% Soyhull / 50% Gluten (16 lbs max) 10.1 lbs 22% Corn Gluten Feed (Gluten) (8 lbs max) 7.6 lbs 30% Distillers Dried Grains w/solubles (DDGS) (8 lbs max) 6 lbs 50% Soybean Meal (4 lbs max) N/A Table 5: Results from the UK Beef Cow Forage Supplement Tool for Grass Hay-2

Crop

Alfalfa Tall Fescue Orchardgrass Bermudagrass Sorghum-Sudan

N

56 39 50 43 40

Table 6: Nutrients removed by various hay crops P2O5 (lb/ton) 15 19 17 10 15

K2O

60 53 62 48 58

Adapted from Southern Forages 5th Edition

This month’s FEATURED UPCOMING EVENT is Kentucky Fencing School in Lebanon and Manchester, November 1 and 3. More information at https://forages.ca.uky.edu/

Events

FENCING TIPS

• Use fault finder to monitor voltage and find shorts. For electric fencing to work properly, a voltage of approximately 5000 volts should be maintained at all times. Shorts in electric fences can cause reduced voltage and can often be difficult to find. A fault finder shows the direction and severity of the of the short. Purchasing a high-quality fault finder is money well spent!

FORAGE MANAGEMENT TIPS

• Apply 30 to 40 lb N/A to strengthen cool-season pastures. • Using a grazing stick or plate meter, estimate standing forage that is available for winter grazing. • Inventory hay supplies. • Adjust animal numbers or purchase additional hay to balance feed supply to livestock numbers. • Test hay and develop supplementation strategies to maintain body condition of cows. • If available, graze crop residues and cover crops that will not overwinter. • Begin grazing winter annuals once they are 6-8 inches tall and root systems are well anchored. • Utilize temporary electric fencing and solar chargers to more efficiently graze winter annuals and stockpiled forage. • Alkaloid content of tall fescue pastures can be high but will begin to decline after a hard freeze.