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A32-Lanc«»ttf Farming, Saturday, August 15, 1987
Dairy Management
WHAT ABOUT FEEDING
WHEAT GRAIN?
The time to feed wheat as a for
age to our cattle may not come
until next spring when we may
have to stretch short supplies of sil
age and hay with a stand of winter
forages such as wheat, and possib
ly some vetch mixed in.
However, now is a good time to
consider feeding some wheat
grain. Old-timers warn us against
doing this directly from the Held
after the combine. There’s no good
research data to support or dispute
this. Economic reasons should
motivate us, however, to look at
wheat as a bargain feed alternative
at this time of year when the \yheat
market is usually depressed. If
wheat is less costly than com, bar
ley and soybean oUmeal in relative
terms, then formulating a modified
dairy cattle ration that includes
wheat grain should provide new
profits.
Wheat has about 12 to 14 per
cent protein (as fed), compared to
com, which has only 9 percent, and
barley, which has 12 percent
Since protein is the expensive part
of the dairy feed ration, the higher
protein content of wheat makes it a
valuable feed alternative to com or
even barley. Just how valuable is a
matter of comparative prices and a
little calculation, since wheat val
ues can be determined from those
of the com and protein supplement
replaced.
As a rule of thumb, 100 pounds
of wheat will replace, nutritional
ly, 90 pounds of com plus 10
pounds of soybean oilmeal. Thus,
if 90 pounds of com cost $3.12 at
$1.75 per bushel, and if 10 pounds
of soybean oilmeal cost $.90 at
$lBO per ton, then the total cost
equivalent for 100 pounds of
wheat will be $4.02, or $2.41 per
bushel.
This is the “opportunity price”
for using wheat in your dairy ration
in place of com and soybean oil
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meal. If the prices for com and soy
bean oilmeal quoted here are near
the prices you pay, then wheat at
less than $2.41 per bushel will be a
bargain. If your prices are diffe
rent, just substitute them in the
above calculation to arrive at your
wheat opportunity price.
Cost aside, how nutritional is
wheat grain as a dairy feed? Very
good, but a few precautions are
necessary. The protein in wheat is
called gluten and tends to act like
chewing gum! Want to have fim?
Ever see your cows blow bubble
gum? Feed them straight wheat!!
No, really, don’t The experience
in our Delaware Agricultural
Experiment Station dairy herd is
that 30 percent is a maximum limit
for any kind of wheat in our grain
mixture. Some dairymen have
safely used 40 percent before pala
tability of the grain mix was
reduced because of the pasty
nature of wheat gluten.
Limit separate wheat feeding to
12 to 15 pounds per cow per day. If
you do this, no sticky masses
should accumulate in the cow’s
rumen to cause digestive upsets.
Wheat grain can also be topdressed
onto silage or even added to for
ages when ensiling at a rate of 200
pounds per ton.
Fine grinding of wheat should
be avoided because it will aggra
vate the pastiness problem and
reduce palatability. Wheat is better
rolled, coarsely ground, or fed
whole to heifers and calves.
Change to wheat feeding gradually
over a 2-week period to give the
rumen bacteria time to adjust If
you do this, the cows won’t go off
feed.
When soybean oilmeal or other
protein supplements cost more
than $lBO per ton, wheat becomes
more interesting economically.
With a little skill in feeding and
some good cow sense, wheat can
be a profit maker or your dairy
farm right now.
9201 Penn Avenue South #lO ,
Minneapolis, MN 55431
612-881-1915
TOLL FREE I*Boo-422-3371 I
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net.
dAs
Early Corn Harvest Could
MINNEAPOLIS Look for
the seasonal low in com prices to
come in August, 20 to 40 days ear
lier than normal, says Leroy Lou
wagie of Ag Marketing Services,
Inc., Mankato, MN.
“Expect com prices to hit their
Economist Says Farm
Income, Debt Reduction
Largest Ever
MINNEAPOLIS Agricul
ture has “turned the comer” as
farm income, debt reduction and
cuts in expenses are currently at
record levels, according to Dr.
John Marten, staff economist for
Farm Journal magazine.
In remarks to attendees of the
National Com Growers Associa
tion’s recent Com Classic, Marten
stated that U.S. agriculture now
has the largest positive cash flow
in history, plus record highs in net
income and cash income.
He also emphasized farm debts
and expenses have been slashed by
record amounts. Farmers are
reducing their debts by $l5 billion
per year, according to Marten.
“Revised USDA figures show
net farm income in 1986 was $3B
billion, and is projected to be in the
$4O-$44 billion range in 1987,”
added Marten.
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low early because the harvest is
seasonally ahead of schedule,”
Louwagie told participants in a
marketing seminar held during the
National Com Growers Associa
tion’s Com Classic held in Min
neapolis recently.
He pointed out U.S. grain
exports have strengthened in 1987,
and he forecasts a 10 percent
increase in grain exports for the
year.
Several factors are responsible
for the increase in exports, Marten
said. “A weaker U.S. dollar and
worldwide increase in grain usage
have picked up demand for U.S.
grains.”
“Since 1970, we are increasing
by one billion bushels per year the
amount of grain the world uses,”
Marten said. “Five years from
now, we will have a six billion
bushel increase in world grain
use.”
Marten concluded his remarks
by forecasting a 7.15 billion bushel
1 1 9. com crop in 1987, with yields
bushels per acre and an
,e price of $1.85 per bushel.
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Drop Prices
Louwagie anticipates price
improvement in the com industry
and other commodities in the near
future. “Approximately every 25
years a major low is established in
com prices,” Louwagie said. “This
was true in 1961 and again in 1986.
Look for com and other grain
prices to move higher into 1988,
especially as the elections
approach.”
“Most of agriculture suffers
from low markets every 50-55
years, led by four to five years of
agricultural deflation,” added Lou
wagie. “It appears we are nearing
an upturn in many farm communi
ty markets, and deflation has
reached the bottom.”
A strong inverse relationship
between the stock market and
commodity markets was noted by
Louwagie. “When the stock mark
et begins to come down, watch for
agricultural commodities to go up
in value.”
Appearing on the seminar prog
ram with Louwagie was John Ire
land of the Chicago Board of
Trade.
He pointed out com marketing
opportunities have existed in the
past seven months when the mark
et fluctuated from $1.40 to $2.00
per bushel.
Ireland encouraged attendees to
develoop a marketing plan, know
your cost of production and to con
sider various marketing alterna
tives to maximize com profits.
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Wt.
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Model
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