ANSC 318 1st Edition Lecture 13 Outline of Last Lecture I Plant and Animal Protein Feeds Carbonaceous Forages and Roughages Outline of Current Lecture II Pasture Grazing Systems a Rotational Grazing b First Last Rotational Grazing c Strip Grazing d Limit Grazing e Creep Grazing f Stocking Rate III Haymaking Systems a Loose Hay Stacks b Chopped Hay c Bailed or Stacked Hay d Pellets or Cubes e Hay Losses IV Strategies to Reduce Field Losses a Mower Cnditioner at Time Forage is Cut b Drying Agents at Time Forage is Cut c Preservatives at Time Forage is Harvested Current Lecture Methods of Utilizing Forage Crops Pasture Grazing Systems Grazing is the most cost effective way to utilize crops because the animal is the harvester Rotational Grazing Rotate one herd of animals through a number of pastures need to know when to rotate able to utilize more nutrients cross fencing water in each pasture more labor First Last Rotational Grazing Rotational grazing system with 2 groups of animals These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute higher requirement cows 1st 2nd calf females body score 4 go first through a pasture and lower requirement cows 5 8 years old body score 4 follow them one pasture behind need to know when to rotate for higher requirement cows more leaves high digestibility more nutrients higher protein need cross fencing water in every pasture and more labor Strip Grazing Graze strips of property at a time similar to rotational need electric or temporary fence move the strip slowly as old strip becomes grazed down Limit Grazing keep cattle in a low quality pasture for most of the time and let them graze high quality forage for limited amounts of time a day Stock pull Forage mature grass not grazed over summer produce saves to be grazed in winter two different forages Creep Grazing type of limit grazing monoculture pastures one species of pasture utilizes a creep grate and an electric fence good for nursing animals calves get to better quality forage Stocking Rate found by cows per acre low stocking rate less cows acre higher gain per animal want to look at gain per acre Haymaking Systems Hay forages that are harvested during the growth period and preserved by drying for subsequent feeding objective is to reduce moisture content of fresh forage to a level low enough to inhibit the actions of plant and animal microbial enzymes moisture content of most plants is 60 85 to be successfully stored as hay moisture must be reduced to about 15 hay will burn if moisture content is too high Loose Hay Stacks hay is piled up into field downside a lot of hay wasted because cows burrow into it Baled or Stacked when hay is cut dried and then gathered into bales to be fed to livestock Pellets or Cubes after hay is cut and dried it is pelleted to beefed to livestock Field Hay Losses Metabolic Losses respiration continues until moisture reaches 35 loss of sugar and starches due to initial respiration losses account for 4 15 of plant DM losses very hard to avoid Weather Losses rainfall between cutting and bailing will prolong plant respiration leach soluble nutrients from hay and increase leaf shattering typically account for 5 15 of plant DM losses can be as high as 60 of plant DM losses Field Losses Leaf shattering losses in the field are approximately 2 5 for grass hay 3 35 for alfalfa and clover hays leaves have more starch and less fiber want more leaves Strategies to Reduce Field Losses Mower Conditioner at Time Forage is Cut mower conditioner will decrease the drying time from cutting to bailing stems are dried faster relative to leaves minimize potential weather damage kink stems so leaves will dry quicker minimizes leaf shattering get to bale quicker Drying Agents at Time Forage is Cut drying agents can be used to speed up the loss of plant water after cutting drying agents are applied at the time of cutting most common example is potassium carbonate applied when forage is cut help reduce metabolic losses Preservatives at Time Forage is Harvested preservatives can be used to allow aerobic storage of hay at higher moisture contents 25 30 preservatives are applied during bailing process most common example is propionic acid applied when hay is baled can be harvested a higher moisture