E6-Foragmg Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 19, 2003 Grass Feeding Can Pave Way For Improved Protein Use ANDY ANDREWS Editor LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) Quality of forage from hay can rival or even outdo conventional com silage, as proven by tests conducted re cently in Lancaster County. Of 49 samples taken on four farms in 2002, crude protein levels stood at 24.8, with net energy, lactation levels of .724 with a relative feed value of 178. This was set during a drought year on land that wasn’t even irrigated, accord ing to Bruce Kreider, White Oak Mills. Kreider spoke to more than 80 producers and agri-indus try representatives in March at the Lancaster County Fam ily Dairy Day at the Farm and Home Center. For dairy producers who want to show real results on potential profitability, the key may be getting a greater per centage of cows into a third, fourth, or even fifth lactation, with high-quality forages. “Addressing that addresses your income,” said Kreid- High quality for ages, Kreider noted, reduce purchase protein and energy costs. At best, he said, “energy levels (of high quality hay forage) exceed com silage and triple pro tein.” With a regular hay forage invest ment, room can be left to focus invest ments on brewer grains or protein by product ingredients to supplement dairy feed. Kreider asked producers to look at their operations closely to see if high quality forages are A lesson well learned... Lancaster Farming’s classified ads get results! part of the overall feed invest ment strategies. “Where’s the secret?” he said, “Where’s the thing to make opportunity for change?” Right now, he noted, “I have no magic that I can pull out of my hat.” But optimiz ing the diet and getting optim al pricing on feedstuffs can go a long way. What nutritionists have seen, however, are the high amounts of fecal starch in what is wasted on convention al com diets. There is a tre mendous amount of bypass starch in fecal material, which turns into a “tremendous profit drain,” Kreider said. The key: getting the right nutrients off the right crop with the least costly methods. And taking those considera tions together with additional cow lactations can help pave the way to profits. Using technologies such as BST can also help maintain You may be asking, “What does BR mean?” BR stands for a Branched Root characteristic in alfalfa. Chemgro Seeds Paragon BR is an alfalfa with a branching root system. In tough wet conditions, Paragon BR will utilize a branching root system in poor areas. A taproot is utilized under normal conditions. BR means longer lasting stands of alfalfa in fields with less than perfect soil conditions. More of the root system stays above the water table, better securing the plant in the soil when freezing and thawing occurs. This branched rooted trait will adjust accordingly as the moisture stress intensifies. Paragon BR is a must for those uneven fields with low wet areas. Places where conventional alfalfas tend to die early, Paragon will provide you with high quality, even stand of alfalfa for a full four years. Paragon BR is a fall dormancy 3 alfalfa, with an excellent winter hardiness of 1.6. It is well adapted to the soils, conditions and diseases we face here in the Northeast. Chemgro "Quality SEEDS , at reasonable prices” production curve at higher levels and spread the costs over more hundredweight of milk. Grazing allows dairy pro ducers to literally “cut out the middleman” by not only hav ing the cows self-harvest the nutrients but provide a way to handle manure Kreider provided in formation from the Uni versity of Maryland that pointed out, between 1997-2000, that in a con finement operation, profit per cow stood at about $477. With graz ing, that amount totaled $5BO. Confinement feed cost per hundredweight totaled $4.03, but with grazing, totaled $3.55. With growing com, profits can vary tremen dously year to year. With grass, “you’ll make money every year,” said Kreider. “On the worst years, you’ll be Disease Resistance Highly Resistant Resistant Moderate Resistance 1 ow Resistance Susceptible «p' ** /“ / y//y/V <*> «* jr 'f P.O. Box 218 East Petersburg, PA 17520-0218 1 (800) 346-4769 (GROW) 717-569-3296 way ahead” (of com). However, producers would be crazy not to look at com si lage and com grain feed to supplement the pasture. 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