UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) Beef cattle fanners can reduce their herd's winter feed costs by using stockpiled tall fescue rcgrowth and com stalks to graze cattle, according to a recent Contest (Continued from Page C 8) Gold Emblem Teams 1. California, Cadee Ohane sian, from Clovis. Seth Nitschke, horn Clovis, Lino Mendes, from Top Ten Individuals 1. Eugene Kidd 2. Chris Webster 3. Scott Baironton 4. Mark Estridge 5. Josh Munsey 6. Wade McCollum 7. John Neipeit 8. Jennifer Hargis 9. Adelee Cade 10. Donna Martin Gold Emblem Teams Matthew a " d S ‘ oU Bar ' sajssfoSi?: j-o*- Georgia, Joshua Westcrman, Top Ten Individuals 1. Brian Lloyd 2. Erin Johnson 3. Christina Wallace 4. Deann Nelson 3. Melissa Jung 6. Sara Allen 7. Brian Barnes 8. Adam Lane 9. Julie Albert 10. Jesse Weilert Gold Emblem Teams 1. Arkansas, Brian Lloyd, 3. Georgia. Brian Bames. Erin Johnson and Christina Wal- Corey Watson and Jonathan lace, all of Springdale; 2. Tex- Burgess, all of Jasper. as, Melissa Jung, Julie Albert and Ryder supp Beef Farmers Penn State study. Dairy and Animal Science .faculty who used three feeding systems last winter found that fescue and corn stalks were between $57 and $6B per acre Winners Hanford; 2. Texas, Jason Beh rends, Todd Bierschwale and Lydell Meier, all of Fredericks burg; 3. Kansas. Jered Ship man, Ben Simon and Kari Brown, all of Girard. Nursery Landscape Town Bear Creek Bear Creek Fayetteville Bear Creek Flint Lineville Troy Buckner Lakefield Martinsville Poultry Town Springdale Springdale' Springdale Springdale Pleasanton Yoder Jasper Yanceyville Pleasanton Hays James Newman, all of Pleasanton; State North Carolina North Carolina Georgia North Carolina Michigan Alabama Missouri Kentucky Minnesota Virginia State Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas Texas Wyoming Georgia North Carolina Texas Kansas Can Reduce Feed Costs compared to the cost of feeding cows round-baled hay in dry lot The trial started on November 18, 1992, approximately two weeks after calves were weaned, and continued for 63 days. Each of the three systems tested used 12 cows. In System 1, cows were con fined to drylot and fed free-choice round-baled hay that had been stored without cover. The round bales were fed in a round bale feeder. The hay was relatively high quality, containing 15.6 per cent total protein. The round baled hay was valued at s6oAon. There was an allowance of 1.28 tons, including wasted hay, per cow for the 63-day trial. System 2 used stockpiled tall fescue that was last grazed 90 days before the test began. Fifty pounds of nitrogen per acre had been applied in August at a cost of $2l per acre. This treatment allowed 0.88 acres per cow. Cattle were moved weekly, grazing about 1.2 acres of fescue each time. Protein content of the standing grass ranged from 8 percent in Novem ber to 3.7 percent in January. The approximate dry matter yield of the stockpiled tall fescue was 1.5 tons per acre. System 3 consisted of grazing com stalk residue for the first 29 days of the trial and then stock piled tall fescue for an additional 33 days. The com Held yielded approximately 110 bushels of shelled com per acre and was a grain-producing variety. There was an allowance of 0.6 acres of com stalks and 0.4 acres of stock piled tall fescue per cow. Paddock size, grazed for a seven-day per iod, was 1.8 acres of com stalks. The per-acre value of the com stalks for the first 29 days was cal culated to be $37 per acre or about $33 per cow, based on the average daily per head round bale cost of 51.20 for the cows confined to drylot This assumes that snow cover would not have prevented ALSO AVAILABLE T^iiUhiv WATER THAT worn Quit V THE CHEAPEST THING TO GIVE TOUR COWS... WATER FOR MORE MIT.lt!!! Give your cows A lots of water from Ritchie Energy free units Water g Cheaper Than Feed! Recapping Vbur Ritchie Fountains MakK Sense... And Saves Money! * 3 Cattle Fountain Designed far big service nsmaD pens UtersuptolOOhced Art No 11255 ir,2Rr*2rh*h Electrte (S3SW CSA approved) or C« sufficient cornstalk grazing. There was an 18-day-period during the trial when cows in Systems 2 and 3 were each fed 18 pounds of rectangular-baled hay per head daily alter a 17-inch snowfall. According to Lowell L. Wilson, professor of animal science, “even subtracting out the rectangular baled hay that was fed when graz ing was not possible because of snow accumulation, the average value of the com stalks and the stockpiled grass was SSB/acre. The rectangular-baled hay was valued at $lOO/ton and was fed on the snow." According to Beef and Forage Herd Manager Peter J. LeVan, “One of the reasons that the com stalks and stockpiled tall fescue gave a rather large saving was due to controlled grazing. The cows were provided a seven-day quanti ty of either com stalks or grass at one time. This made more effi cient use of the available forage. To divide the weekly grazing pad docks, we used a single electrically-charged wire which was quite effective in restraining the cows to paddock areas to be grazed.” Cows gained 0.50, 0.03, and -.16 pounds per day. respectively, during the 63-day trial from November 18 to January 19. These weight changes were acceptable levels of performance during this phase of production, particularly since cows in all three systems were gaining weight by the end of the trial. Changes in cow weight were not a factor in comparing the treatments since the cows were not sold. Spring-calving beef cows in the Schulers Is Forage Superbowl Finalist MADISON, Wis. DJSP Schuler Farm, Fleetwood, Pa., has placed in the top 20 of the World’s ****** 2AC lluW-Purpoge 1 Fountain Ukscrs calves sheep and goals. Meet for boe suds smaßlottorfonodlnes. Viters up to 40 catttc/100 calves Art No 12295 10* x 24' x ir high Electric (2t6W CSA approved) UneM* Farming, Saturday, Novambtr 27,imct Forage Analysis Superbowl. rnsmOCAVAIUTETOIIPIUSES hi-magßaC UMK h.-cal Cash Discount Savings on Delivery For your convenience calls received Mon.-Sat. until 9:00 pm 1-800-724-3277 Serving PA, MD, Delmarve & NJ fust and second trimestm of pre gnancy require a lower plane of nutrition during late fall and early winter compared to calving, lacta tion and breeding requirements. It can therefore be economical to match lower-quality feeds that may be available such as com crop residues and stockpiled grass to this period of tower nutri tional requirements. The average calving date of the cows in the spring of 1993 was April 10. There were no differ ences between cow groups for calf birthwcight, calf vigor score, calv ing ease score, or calving percent There also were no differences in any health or maternal characteris tics, such as retained placentas or calf acceptance by the cow. According to Erskine H. Cash, professor of animal science, “It must be emphasized that after the cows came off this trial on January 19, they were fed round-baled hay in drytot according to or exceed ing requirements recommended by the National Research Council. Continuation of weight toss on cornstalk grazing later than accomplished in this trial may have caused a depression of some of the cow or calf characteristics during the following calving and breeding seasons unless supple mental protein and energy woe provided to meet the requirements of pregnant cows in the last trimester of pregnancy.” Crystal L. Egan, project assis tant, and Richard F. Todd, former departmental research aide, also helped with this project, which was conducted at the Haller Farm near the University Park Campus of The Pennsylvania State University. The farm earned recognition as a finalist in the dairy haylage divi sion using DeKalb Plant Genetics DK 125. “This disease-resistant variety is known for excellent yield potential, winterhardiness, and fast recovery after cutting,” said DeKalb Regional Agronomist Clay Clement. Samples submitted in the dairy haylage division are judged on forage analysis, visual factors, herd production, and milk produced per ton. The World’s Forage Analysis Superbowl was started in 1984 to encourage and promote quality forage production. Samples from around the country are judged on forage analysis, visual factors, herd production, and milk pro duced per ton. Results are announced annually at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers