Cut Grass Now To Cut Feed Costs Later

Dr. Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist, offers herd health advice as part of the weekly series known as the "Cow Calf Corner" published electronically by Dr. Peel and Dr. Glenn Selk. Today, Dr. Selk offers tips to cut your winter feed costs by stockpiling bermudagrass in the summer.

Harvested forage costs are a large part of the production costs associated with cow-calf enterprises. A 16 year-old OSU trial had the objective to economically evaluate stockpiled bermudagrass. The research found that this practice can reduce cow-wintering costs.

Forage accumulation during the late summer and fall is variable from year to year depending on moisture, temperatures, date of first frost and fertility.

The OSU research has found that 50 to 100 pounds per acre of actual nitrogen fertilizer applied in the late summer has produced 1000 - 2000 pounds of forage per acre. In some ideal situations even more forage has been produced.

Studies between 1997 and 2000 found stockpiled bermudagrass protein concentrations were quite impressive, even after frost. In November, the range of protein content of the standing forage was 13.1% to 15.2%. The protein held up in December and ranged from 12.5% to 14.7% and declined to 10.9% to 11.6% in January.