John Dhuyvetter NCREC

 Situation  Stockpile roughage  Other sources  Stretching supply  Reducing need

 Japan to accept beef under 30 months  Feedlot placements lower than expected  Cargill closes Texas plant  2013 cattle prices expected to rise  Hay stocks lowest in five decades  Drought widens and worsens

 Large ND carryover of 2011 record hay crop  Good hay crop over much of state in 2012 with large harvest of CRP  Extreme shortage to south resulting in huge movement on pipe truck back hauls to SD, NE, WY, CO  Prices variable and generally twice what are typical  NDASS survey hay prices  10/11alfalfa$71other $53  10/12alfalfa$141other $87  National $195/t

adult damage larvae  Very disappointing first cutting  Marginal or no second cutting

 Low cost / low quality Straw CRP slough  Drained site / rowed  Plastic twine/net  Early-opportunity purchases

PRINCIPLES  Grazing readiness 3 leaf, late May  Stimulatory light grazing June 1 –July 15  Growing season rest days  Maintain residual cover stock to take half / leave half  3-4 pasture, twice over  Greater root reserves and development  Greater infiltration and stored moisture  Faster nutrient cycling and greater N status  Reduced soil temps and evaporation  Less impact of drought with some banked grazing and greater production BENEFITS

June 30, ” rain to date. 2.3 AUM/acre during 2005 grazing season No use as yet in 2006

 Corn stalks for dry cows  acre/cow/month  Annual forage  Millet, oat, sudex  Swath graze  Graze Hay land  Damaged/abandoned crops  Post harvest cover crop  Move cows to better region

 Use Hay or graze  Season Cool or warm  Input costs Seed Fertilizer Herbicides  Other Drought tolerance Establishment Diversity/complexity Toxicity

2006 Hay Quality Survey TypeADFNDF%CP%TDN CRP Hay Barley Oat Hay Oat/Pea Wheat Hay Millet Sudex Alfalfa Alfalfa/Grass Cereal Straw Pea Straw Slough Hay

CropstageYieldTDNCP Forage peaFlat pod Forage oatEarly milk Forage barley Forage triticaleflower Oat-pea Barley-pea Triticale-pea German millet Pearl millet Sudan grass Sorghum sudan BMR sorgxsud

 Stocking rates  Destocking plans Evaluate forage growth Target dates Target animals

 Consider weaning days  Conserve 3-4 lbs/d pasture forage for cows  Maintain cow condition  Excellent calf gains and health  Added costs ?

 Trait optimums Mature size Milk type  Selection/culling Open/late Condition production

 Daily feeding  Limit feeding  Processing  Feeder options

1234 Mixed hay6 Grass hay20 CRP hay3256 Corn Silage30 Wheat straw10 Feed barley12 Corn DDGS22 mineral % liquid1.5 $/day lb/day CP/TDN8/5310/599/5712/74  Inventory hay  Allocate to remainder of feeding period by limit feeding  Minimum 5-10 lbs  Cost compare available feed alternatives  Balance energy and protein needs with limit fed grain and or byproducts  Use straw or stalks as free choice filler  Provide bunk space

 Water  Mineral

 Oct 2011bought cheap CRP hay  Dec 2011rented some additional pasture  Apr 2012rented more pasture  Jun 2012sorted out old pairs  Jul 2012sold old cows early weaned calves  Jul 2012found hailed winter wheat to buy  Jul 2012limited heifer breeding to 1 cycle  Aug 2012contracted DDGS  Aug 2012shipped cows to better area  Sep 2012 placed calves in feedlot early  Dec 2012building partial partial confinement

 Try to bank some low cost feed when opportunity arises  Expand forage base with residue and annuals  Inventory, test, evaluate, and plan, plan, plan  Stock conservatively and be prepared to cull, wean, sell  Protect the condition and value of cattle and range