From Drovers:
Estimate grain in stubble fields (Pasture Management)
By Drovers news staff (Thursday, December 28, 2006)
As winter approaches, producers across the Midwest and Plains will send cattle out to graze in grain-stubble fields. Too much grain consumption, however, can cause digestive problems in cattle accustomed to forage diets. University of Nebraska animal scientist Rick Rasby recommends esti-mating the amount of spilled corn in a field to help deter-mine a grazing strategy. An 8-inch ear of corn, he says, contains about a half-pound of grain. Using that estimate, 112 ears would equal 56 pounds or 1 bushel. If corn is planted in 30-inch rows, Rasby says, counting the number of ears in three dif-ferent 100-foot furrow strips and dividing by two will give an approximate number of bushels per acre. Count small or broken ears as half ears and very large ears as one and a half. Any amount beyond 8–10 bushels per acre, he says, requires a well-planned grazing strategy to limit grain consumption.
Estimate grain in stubble fields (Pasture Management)
By Drovers news staff (Thursday, December 28, 2006)
As winter approaches, producers across the Midwest and Plains will send cattle out to graze in grain-stubble fields. Too much grain consumption, however, can cause digestive problems in cattle accustomed to forage diets. University of Nebraska animal scientist Rick Rasby recommends esti-mating the amount of spilled corn in a field to help deter-mine a grazing strategy. An 8-inch ear of corn, he says, contains about a half-pound of grain. Using that estimate, 112 ears would equal 56 pounds or 1 bushel. If corn is planted in 30-inch rows, Rasby says, counting the number of ears in three dif-ferent 100-foot furrow strips and dividing by two will give an approximate number of bushels per acre. Count small or broken ears as half ears and very large ears as one and a half. Any amount beyond 8–10 bushels per acre, he says, requires a well-planned grazing strategy to limit grain consumption.