Management of Stocker Cattle Grazing Small Grains Forage

Management of Stocker Cattle Grazing Small Grains Forage

Wheat Pasture • • • Excellent Forage Very Palatable Rapidly Digested High Intake Performance potential = 2. 5 lb/day or more

Factors Affecting ADG • Weather – Forage – Cold rain – Mud • Genetic potential • Compensatory gain • Forage availability – Growing conditions – Stocking rate

Discussion Topics • Mineral supplementation • Wheat pasture bloat • Supplementation – Adjusting for stocking rate – Replacing pasture in a short forage year – Oklahoma Green Gold

Mineral Content of Wheat Forage vs. Cattle Requirements

You Can’t Manage What You Can’t Measure

Mineral Intake Necessary to Meet Calcium Requirement . 15 2. 5 16% Intake is to balanced mineral supplementation

Mineral Supplement Specs for 2. 5 Ounces Intake • Calcium: 15 - 18% • Phosphorus: 3 - 8% • Little to no iron, potassium, or sulfur • Modest concentrations of zinc, copper and manganese

OSU Mineral Supplementation Research Treatments • Control - “Negative Control” – No mineral or supplement • Mineral - Non-medicated mineral • R-1620 mineral - (810 mg monensin / lb) • B-1440 mineral - (720 mg lasalocid / lb)

Marshall WP Station 2000 - 2001

Marshall WP Station 2001 - 2002

Economic Analysis Control Cost $ / 50 -lb bag Mineral R-1620 B-1440 $13. 25 $16. 00 $15. 25 . 52 / 56 . 15 / 16 . 38 / 41 (No Ionophore) Mineral Intake: lb/str/day / 109 d ADG, lb 2. 29 2. 55 2. 70 2. 56 Final wt, lb 769 801 821 803 Selling price $/cwt 82. 27 81. 25 80. 93 81. 25 Profit, $/steer $7. 33 $9. 20 $30. 80 $12. 58 Inc over neg control ---- $1. 87 $23. 47 $5. 25

Frothy Bloat in Ruminants • Stable foam produced • Rapid gas fermentation • Ruminal distention

Chemical Composition of Bloat Provocative and Bloat-Free Wheat Pastures No of pastures DM, % NDF, % Protein, % a, b Values No-bloat Pastures Bloat Pastures 9 7 28 22 45 a 25 a within the same row differ(P<. 05) Horn et al. , 1977 35 b 32 b

Control of WP Bloat § Poloxalene ® § § Treatment for outbreaks 1 - 2 grams per cwt Must be consumed daily delivery Cost = $. 10 per day plus feed cost § Substitution § Feed or hay § Rumensin ® § Reduces bloat severity

EFFECT OF IONOPHORE ON AVERAGE BLOAT SCORE AND INCIDENCE OF BLOAT Control vs. ionophore P=. 08 Rumensin vs Bovatec P=. 05 Control vs. ionophore P=. 10 Rumensin vs. Bovatec P=. 04

Forage Availability vs. Performance Forage quantity = intake

Effect of Stocking Density on Gain per Steer 3. 3 2. 0 1. 4 1. 1 . 9 Acres/Steer As stocking rate is increased individual steer gain decreases

Effect of Stocking Density on Wheat Yield Feiser and Horn, 2003

So…do I stock light or heavy?

• Increased gain (lighter stocking rate) = more $ left over to cover non-grazing costs • Landowner will likely require a minimum stocking rate Value of gain – grazing cost $/head If you own the cattle and rent the wheat on gain basis… 500 lb strs/acre Feiser and Horn, 2003 Value of gain = $. 60/lb; Grazing cost = $. 35/lb

• Increased gain per acre (heavier stocking) outweighs reduced individual weight gain • Assuming adequate forage availability at higher stocking rate! Value of gain – grazing cost $/head If you own the wheat and the cattle…grazeout 500 lb strs/acre Feiser and Horn, 2003 Value of gain = $. 60/lb; Wheat cost/acre = $100

• Changes in grain yield and cattle performance tend to offset one another • Assumes adequate forage availability at higher stocking rate! Value of gain and wheat – cost of wheat, $/acre If you own the wheat and the cattle…dual purpose 500 lb strs/acre Feiser and Horn, 2003 Value of gain = $. 60/lb; Wheat cost/acre = $100

Protein Supplementation

Protein Supplements • • Cotton seed meal (41%) Soybean meal (44 - 48%) Corn gluten feed (22%) Alfalfa hay (17 -22%)

Do cattle grazing wheat need a protein supplement?

NO

Protein content of wheat forage Wheat forage Steer, gaining 2 lb. / day

Energy Supplementation How much additional gain will I get for each lb of energy feed provided?

Energy Supplements • • • Corn grain Milo Wheat midds Soybean hulls Commercial products

Wheat Pasture Research Station, Marshall 1989 - 1992 Studies • Starch Supplement - Corn Based • Digestible Fiber Supplement - Soybean Hulls, Wheat Middlings • 500 lb steers, hand fed 6 days/wk • Feeding Rate: . 75% of BW (4 lb/day) • Stocking Rate: 2 acre/hd no supplement 1. 5 acre/hd supplement

Stocking Rate and Energy Supplement Influence on Gain

Energy Supplementation Trial Results • Supplement increased ADG. 33 lb/day • Added gain was similar for all stocking rates • Lb. supplement / lb. added gain Range = 10: 1 to 15: 1

Cost of gain and corn price Corn, $ / bu 2. 50 3. 00 3. 50 Cost of Gain, $ / Cwt 56 67 78 Assumes suppelement conversion is 12. 5: 1

Energy Supplementation Trial Results When Stocking Rate is Increased by 33 % • Increase Head/Acre and Performance Improves Efficiency • Supplement Conversion/Acre 5: 1

Supplement Type • Starch vs Digestible Fiber • Equal Gain Response • Utilize Least Expensive Ingredients • Digestible Fiber based were consumed more readily • Delivery System for Ionophore and Minerals

Ionophores • Rumensin, Bovatec, (Gainpro) • Increase ADG by. 15 to. 2 lb. per day • Cost: – 150 mg Rumensin = $. 01 to. 05 / day – 200 mg Bovatec = $. 01 to. 05 / day • Added gain is worth $. 08 to $. 12 / day

Feeding Grain on Wheat Pasture • Must be combined with increased stocking density • Small amount (2 lb. ) as carrier for additives and minerals is feasible if labor is available and inexpensive • Should improve gain predictability • Can increase stability and flexibility

Oklahoma Green Gold Supplementation Program ü A monensin -containing energy supplement ü Feed 2 lb/head/day or 4 lb every other day ü Should contain 90 to 100 mg monensin /lb as-fed

Effect of Self-Limited Monensincontaining Energy Supplement on Daily Gains (lb) of Steers (120 days)

Wheat Pasture Stocker Management • Mineral supplementation – Calcium – Carrier for ionophores • Minimizing the risk of bloat • Energy supplementation – Can be used to increase stocking rate – Can be used to replace pasture in a short rorage year • Oklahoma Green Gold – Used to enhance performance of cattle – Monensin Carrier – Not intended to be used to adjust stocking rate