Feeding in Drought or After Fire
by Craig Gifford, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist Eric Scholljegerdes, Professor Ruminant Nutrition
Supplement or Feed
It is critical to evaluate the pasture situation to determine the amount of forage available and estimate the grazing days that are remaining without harming the pasture. Example: pasture evaluation estimates 2000 grazeable acres and forage abundance is 300 lbs per acre. In most situations, it is necessary to leave approximately 250 lbs/acre for rangeland health. Thus, 50 lbs/acre x 2000 acres = 100,000 lbs of forage available. If there are 100 cows on pasture and they eat approximately 25 lbs/day = 40 days of grazing remaining. Even supplementing cake will not extend the grazing season significantly, so management plans likely include destocking and/or transitioning to feeding cows.
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SEPTEMBER 2022
Removing Cows from Range
Unfortunately, drought situations have depleted forage stores and diminished rangeland production in a vast area of the United States which makes it difficult to find situations to move cows to other regions. Additionally, frequent drought has made it difficult or very expensive to replace rangeland with stored feed. On the other hand, cattle inventories have been declining at a pace not seen in 30 or 40 years, and many are predicting limited supplies of feeder calves in the near future which could push calf prices higher. Thus, the decision to depopulate versus feed should be weighed carefully.
Placing Cows in Confinement
If reasonable feed supplies can be sourced and the decision is made to place cows in confinement, it is important to plan according to best- AND worst-case scenarios for the range. What if rain and forage doesn’t come until next monsoon season? What is the cost to feed cows that long? What calf price would be needed to break even? Are there regulations for the short-term feeding situation? Etc. etc.
Facilities should be the first consideration. Electric fence can be a reasonable short-term solution to establishing a confined or semi-confined feeding area. Cows will need about 24 to 36 inches of bunk space (depending on cow size, horns, etc.) and an additional 18 inches if they have nursing calves. In general, each cow will need 500-800 square feet of pen space. If there is a possibility for water quality issues, water samples should be tested. Finally, if possible, various classes/sizes of animals should be separated for a more targeted feeding approach.
Feeding
Generally speaking, various types of hay can be found in New Mexico or trucked in from surrounding areas. If forage is very cost prohibitive, cows can be limit fed hay. A general rule of thumb is that, at minimum, cows should be offered 1 lb forage/hundred lbs body weight. The diet should be balanced using other cheaper ingredients. Contact your local County Extension Office if you need help balancing a ration to meet your animals’ needs. Ideally, hay is purchased on a ton basis and with a feed analysis; unfortunately, hay is typically sold by the bale with only visual appraisal for quality. Without an analysis, it is difficult to determine the appropriate and lowest cost ration involving hay. The cheapest hay is not always the lowest cost feeding option. There are several “nontraditional” byproducts that can and have been successfully fed to cows. Some examples include chile’ trash, cotton gin trash, candy, bread, tortillas, reject blue corn, brewing byproducts, etc. Each of these can serve a role in low-cost rations but need to be used carefully. The cow’s rumen is a remarkable organ that can digest and utilize a wide range of feedstuffs but are also susceptible to various dietary toxins. Alfalfa is an excellent forage that typically fulfills protein requirements while providing a good energy and mineral content. It is best to mix alfalfa with other forages rather than feed a straight alfalfa diet. Depending on costs and quality, supplementing 5-7 lbs of alfalfa/head/day will usually meet the protein requirements for cows but can be fed to as much as 50 percent or more of the diet. Certainly, more alfalfa can be fed per day, but typically there are cheaper options and gut health can become a concern.