Bob Woods Area Extension Agronomy Specialist, NE Oklahoma Central OK Cattle Conference 2009

1. Inventory 2. Stocking Rate 3. Stockpiled Forage 4. Grazing Management

Inventory Soils Forage Livestock Other ? Cool Season Native Introduced Warm Season

Site potential?

x x x x x x x = 920 = 26,789 = 87,931 = 13,475 = 28,140 = 549 Total 211,319 = 53,515 40% Canopy Closure? 60% grass and Forbs = 126,791 lbs. 40% woody plants = 84,527 lbs. Biomass Potential

Typical harvest efficiency on a NR site is about 30% grass and Forbs = 126,791 lbs x.3 = 38,031 lbs browse = 84,527 lbs x.3 = 25,358 lbs.

Each 100 pound increase in cow weight adds 950 pounds to yearly DM requirement

Or Goats? Add 1 mature goat/6.4 A 38,031 lbs available /11,934 lbs. needed = 25A/cow unit - year round 5A/stocker April 15 to July 15 Control trees with herbicide($90/A)? Increases carrying capacity from 25 cows per section to 42 cows and costs $1355 per added cow Manage with Fire

80 acre Example 792 lbs./A (biomass) 9 acres = 7132 lbs. 80 Acre Example 1 acre of bermudagrass fertilized with 175 pounds of N per acre would produce the same.

A/Cow Forage T/A N Lbs/ANPK Total $ / Cow Forage Expense $/Cow Sales - Forage Expense T litter ($22) N 37¢, P 29¢, K 59¢, $45 Hay/cow, $15 native rent, $25 introduced rent 40 lbs P and K/A, $569 gross sales per cow

Complementary Forages

Fertilize cool season grass Fertilize warm season grass Fertilize Warm or cool season grass

Stocking Rates

High Zero Very light HeavyModerate Light Gain/animal Net Return/acre Gain/acre

Manage to Graze! Stockpiled Forage

Average Snow Cover – 4 days

Overstocked Under fertilized Weather Extremes Hay is cheaper than fertilizer or renting more land

60 to 90 days of Barn Storage with a forage/grazing plan that only needs 30 days.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Cool-season Grass Cool-season legume Bermudagrass Native Range Stockpiled Forage (standing, hay, silage)

CONTLOWMEDHIGH Period 1 Period 2 Weight lbs. Period 2 Quadratic Effect (P<.05) Treatment

Small Grains Planting Dates Picture taken 11/30/99 9/10/99 10/21/999/23/99 11/4/99 10/7/99 First planting was clipped 10/27/99 removing 1,880 lb/a of forage

Grazing Strategy Objective Based Forage Class of Livestock

Bermudagrass or OWB Rotation to control maturity – Complete a rotation every 21 to 30 days when forage is growing. Cool Season Grasses Rotation can increase grazing days per acre by 40% Cool Season Legumes Short residue height in fall and winter Multiple paddocks can be peace of mind (easier to count days remaining)

Stocking Rate is especially critical – Can’t fix it with fertilizer Stockers - individual performance declines with rotational grazing Cows – multiple pastures or patch burn

Rotation without fencing Summer burn – reduced winter supplementation by 120 pounds/cow Improved habitat for wildlife

760 Acres (560 native, 200 Introduced) 1. No fertilizer, grow all forage – 74 cows 2. No fertilizer, buy hay 60 days, 90 cows 3. Cows on native and fertilized introduced, buy hay for 60 days, 158 cows 4. Fertilize bermudagrass and fescue, 83 cows stockers on native, 316 head (IES) 5. Add a recreation component 6. Multi-species grazing

It won’t work on my place! I need to plant more____! I have to have “X number” of cows. I have to spray weeds! Conventional wisdom can change!

The Ranch That Feeds Less Hay Wins!