I Beef Briefs Juk ' S’-’J! KEYS TO MAKING AND FEEDING QUALITY HAY FOR BEEF COWS For most of the productive year, an average-sized beef cow can meet most of her nutritional needs with some good quality hay. This is particularly true if there is a small percentage of legume mixed with grass in the hay. Most producers are aware of the proper stage of these grasses and legumes for harvesting. The key component is that, if the plant is mature, there is a reduction in feed value. We often hear about tons of hay produced per acre. If we are selling the hay by the ton, this would be appropriate. If we are feeding beef \ <SV-fS I '// modi 1b fast Fiberdome Incorporated vGSI m m m @) ®) (|si) SSf SSi sBf ssi by John Comerford Penn State Beef Specialist cows, we should be more con cerned about the TDN and protein production per acre, and these fac tors can be improved by proper harvest Mother Nature will often dictate when we will harvest hay in Pen nsylvania, but give some thought to harvesting a little early this year to capture more feed value instead of waiting for tonnage. For example, the energy value of alfalfa hay will be reduced by almost 20 percent when cutting at full bloom instead of at early bloom. Similar differences in ener gy value also exist for grass hays cut at a later maturity. Many of the hay-treatment pro ducts are effective. Propionic acid treatment of hay at moisture levels of 20-30 percent will effectively / /**• j?Va*S~ P.O. Box 11 Lake Mills, ALLTHE WAY WITH 1% • “ kl L m is? SBi ssi THE ’’KING" OF BINS The Most Advanced Fiberglass Bulk Bin Available • Positive feed flow all year 'round - without an agitator! • Cuts heat build-up and condensation • Feed stays fresh in any weather • Eliminates bridging, won't rust or corrode • Unique 5-year warranty • Adaptable to any auger or feeding system 4^ A .¥ :15j Wl 53551 •(41 y)^/ fyj V * Full Line Parts Dept. * Sell, Service & Install * \ 1 14 Herrvllle Road II Willow Street, PA 17584 J Ph: 717-464-3321 or Toll Free 800-732-0053 ~ Store Hours: Mon.-Sst 7:SO AM to t:00 PM SSI eliminate molds and reduce dry matter losses by a half. Bale wrapping is another alter native for some producers. A far mer recently told me it costs him about $3.50 per bale to wrap them, but he was able to get a cutting in late October that would not have been possible from a conventional harvest since he was able to bale within hours after cutting. In addi tion to reducing harvesting losses, the bale wrap also provides a stor age advantage to maintain the hay quality. We can make some of the highest-quality hay possible, but in conventional big bales stored out side, we can expect to throw away one of every three of the bales from storage losses. A recent summary of several hay storage trials indi cated there will be a 29 percent greater feed value in bales stored inside than those stored outside with no cover, and there will be 27 percent more hay in those stored outside with a plastic cover and elevated off the ground. It does not take much of an eco nomist to determine some kind of cover will be cost-effective for big bales of hay. A big bale of hay is in the form of a cylinder, and, for a bale with a 3-foot diameter, the I) 648-8376 • Fax (414) 648-3239 CONSTRUCTED OF HIGH TENSILE STEEL OPTIONAL FULL CIRCLE ROOF SAFETY RING CORRUGATED ROOF AND SIDE WALLS PERFORATED - CORRUGATED FLOORS ;ASY ACCESS WALK-IN DOOR •PTIONAL ROOF VENT lIGH STRENGTH BOLTS I SHA STYLE SIDEWALL LADDER outside 6 inches of the bale repre sents about 30 percent of the vol ume of the bale. The damage from weather does not have to penetrate very far into the bale to represent a large loss in hay. Elevation off the ground will generally reduce storage losses by about 10 percent Most water dam age to big bales stored outside on the ground is on the underside of the bale, not on the top. Rock, wooden pallets, and small trees can all be used to elevate the bales. Store the bales at the top of the hill on a well drained soil. Feeding losses with hay can be considerable. For example, it has been determined that unrolling big bales in the pasture with no feeder will result in a loss of SO percent of the bale. While this practice is often used for soil conservation, it is a very wasteful way to feed hay. A small ring-type feeder is a wise investment for feeding hay. Losses will be about 30 percent greater in feeding big bales with out using some type of feeder. In years of short hay supply, this becomes an essential practice. The beef producer can effective ly eliminate supplemental feeding Capacities from 2.5 ton to 30 ton (Tonnage based upon 40 lb. density) Industrial Bins Available Write for a brochure and a free sample of fiberglass - The best material for high-performing bins. <@> m GSI ssf Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 11, 1991-C5 You are what you m *VTI . 1991 °o i BARN PAINTING i I Aim For The Best - | | In Coating Film Thickness ■ I To do it right use the finest kind of bristle brush | | evening out the coating into a film thickness that | I does not peel in normal moisture stress (found on | | most barn siding from outside and inside by livestock ■ ■ or stored animal feed ) . | 1. PREPARATION. Peeling old coatings (improperly i I brushed) needs to be removed The best method . ■ is simply water blasting or power washing' High . volume of water - medium pressure is best l Done professionally or do it yourself, especially on the { easy to reach areas This is resurfacing l " * 2. BEST NEW START ON RESURFACED WOOD j SIDING After spraying on this kind of barn paint or ' stain, take time to pay attention to brush out in all I directions to create a film thickness that will pre -1 vent future peeling S resurfacing costs & effort This film will let excess moisture breathe through it Depending on the amount of weather wear it can be recoated lightly in 10-15 years Southern exposures usually wear faster For more information call /g-il 1-800-626-9043 I idl 215-445-6186 or write VPTnHMx PHARES s. hurst 233 E. Maple Grove Rd. Narvon, PA 17555 BRUNING PAINT I of beef cows if there is high quality hay available. Proper harvest timing, some unconven tional harvesting methods, proper storage, and proper feeding of the hay can help increase quality and reduce losses. Fly Control I have encountered numerous questions recently about fly con trol in beef cows. To summarize, the most effec tive control may still be the insecticide-impregnated ear tags. There is some indication horn flies have built up some resistance to the pyrethrin class of chemicals, so you may wish to change to another chemical class such as diazinon or primiphos-methyl tags. If you have not used tags or a pyrethrin spray on your farm, there is a good chance you can still do a good job with this product To determine which class of chemical is in any given tag, simply look at the label on the box. Follow the instructions for their use very closely. I was in Missouri some years ago when the tags were first being tested, and the original studies showed there was no real advan tage to tagging the calf as long as the cows were correctly tagged. But you should use your own judgement based on conditions at your farm on how many tags to use in each cow and whether to put tags in the calves. Some of the tags can last up to five months, so you can determine the economics for yourself of spraying cows weekly or tagging them. Oral laivicides can be used for fly control. By this method, the insecticide is added to the mineral or protein available to the cows. The compound is such that it is not digested by the cow, but remains in the manure and kills the fly larvae when the eggs are deposited in it. It is only effective against the larvae, so if there is another source of flies, such as other cows across the fence from yours, the flies will not be controlled. I rr*'
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