Top 5 Livestock Forage Actions To Take During Drought

Jul 19, 2023

Most of Missouri is experiencing drought conditions, which have extended almost a full year, putting enormous pressure on cattle producers. University of Missouri Extension specialists have five top action items for producers to do now:

crop

Christian County pasture affected by drought. Photo by Tim Schnakenberg.

1. Cull herd(opens in new window). Candidates include open females, cattle with health issues and poor dispositions and females bred outside of preferred calving windows. Wean calves early(opens in new window) to give flexibility; sell if water and feed are too expensive for pound of gain.

2. Find alternative feeds(opens in new window). Monitor costs of byproduct feed and compare costs to purchased hay and other feed. Energy typically is more limiting than protein.

3. Check toxicity of alternative feedstuffs(opens in new window). Using drought-stunted/stressed crops and summer annual forages, as well as grazing areas and purchased hay of marginal quality, can expose cattle to toxic forages. Know your risks and consult with your veterinarian.

4. Prepare for the fall. Develop your fall forage plan now. Inventory pastures and consider options for the fall based on their condition; overseed winter annuals, apply nitrogen fertilizer, initiate pasture renovation. Be ready to start in August. For more information, consider attending a Missouri Grazing School(opens in new window), taught by MU Extension and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

5. Stretch current feed supplies(opens in new window). Improve grazing management and reduce hay waste(opens in new window). Sort cows by those that are nursing and not nursing, then feed to their nutrient requirements.

Source : missouri.edu

Video: Swine Industry Advances: Biodigesters Lower Emissions and Increase Profits

Analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG emissions) in the Canadian swine sector found that CH4 emissions from manure were the largest contributor to the overall emissions, followed by emissions from energy use and crop production.

This innovative project, "Improving Swine Manure-Digestate Management Practices Towards Carbon Neutrality With Net Zero Emission Concepts," from Dr. Rajinikanth Rajagopal, under Swine Cluster 4, seeks to develop strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

While the management of manure can be very demanding and expensive for swine operations, it can also be viewed as an opportunity for GHG mitigation, as manure storage is an emission source built and managed by swine producers. Moreover, the majority of CH4 emissions from manure occur during a short period of time in the summer, which can potentially be mitigated with targeted intervention.

In tandem with understanding baseline emissions, Dr. Rajagopal's work focuses on evaluating emission mitigation options. Manure additives have the potential of reducing manure methane emissions. Additives can be deployed relatively quickly, enabling near-term emission reductions while biodigesters are being built. Furthermore, additives can be a long-term solution at farms where biogas is not feasible (e.g., when it’s too far from a central digester). Similarly, after biodigestion, additives can also be used to further reduce emissions from storage to minimize the carbon intensity of the bioenergy.