This is my second year to have beef cows. I have 14. My first year selling my calves at 7 months they averaged 380 pounds. I didn't have ryegrass in the winter just feed and hay. Also I didn't fertilize my summer Bahia. This year I had plenty of rye grass and hay in the winter. Now if I fertilize my summer grass how much will that help increase the weight of my calves at 7-8 months old. I have plenty of Bahia to graze but how much will fertilizing give more protein to the grass?
Fertilizing Bahiagrass
- Thread starter LA cattle
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Google that question, or look up your state ag. school research. Agricultural Research Station at Renner (Texas) has a long record dating back to the 1960's. TAMU Ag. Research Facility at Overton (Tx.) lots more to name a couple.
Ebenezer
Well-known member
"Southern Forages, 5th Edition" shows a chart of 150 lbs of N and daily gain of 0.95 lbs/day and total gain per acre of 222 pounds. Adding N will boost the protein. If you have sandy soils the N can be gone fairly quickly with heavy rains. So split applications would be ideal. The best "cure" would be to adjust the pH to favor legumes and get whatever legumes that are recommended for you area in your pastures. They will add N plus greatly improve forage quality and animal performance. Just because a species or selection is recommended does not mean it will work for you or me. So the safest thing is to do a shotgun mix or not get caught up on one species and let the survivors pay their way. Bahiagrass is a great grass if managed properly especially for keeping livestock during drought periods. It has a shorter time cycle to have the most grazing value so rotations need to be less than in a bermudagrass situation.
1982vett
Well-known member
:2cents: Definition of "beef cows" would be helpful as well as location and acreage 14 cows are running on.
Can't raise Bahia here, so my experience is zero. Comments here lead me to believe if you want production, you'd better fertilize heavy. I don't know how much your weaning weights will improve from fertilizer? I have my doubts the expense is justified for the gain. I would think creep feed, or maybe a creep pasture would return more.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Texas has huge variety in climates in just a few counties. Mine receives 55-60" rainfall a year. With 200 pounds of fertilizer per acre you can easily run a pair and stay rolling fat on two acres .1982vett said:
Did it for years, but you get that dreaded what if like 2011.
Land that supported 40 pair now supported 12.
There is no right answer here IMO it's a crap shoot or balancing act. Maximize cattle to land and one hiccup and your giving them away at the sale barn. Under utilization of pasture is running up cost per day.
Most east Texas soil is poor IMO and you have to put back to maintain. Pasture here is kinda like a woman it needs lots of love and attention or it will up and leave you.
It's a journey.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
LA cattle said:
Wow I am amazed at your stocking rate.
You would have to train them to eat dirt at that rate here.
You might get by with six head here.
hurleyjd
Well-known member
First things first. What is the condition of the mother cows when selling the calves. Were they in good body shape. It takes a lot from a cow when nursing a calve. On down in the article you post more than a cow and calve per acre. Also is your hay meadow isolated from your pasture. I do not run that many cows to the acre and only bale where there is surplus grass. You are running to many cows to the acre. You maybe ought to reduce the cows to one every two acres. Then you should wean a calf if they have the ability to produce milk for the calve and you may be able to wean a 600 to 700 lb calves. Same amount of beef per acre but with less cows.
Caustic Burno said:
Wow. Yea I have plenty of grass just not sure if the quality it good enough to put weight on. I have a friend that's similar to cows per acre his weight is 500 pounds at 7-8 months. The only thing we seem to be doing different is he's putting out 100 pounds per acre of triple 17 in the summer.
Farmgirl
Well-known member
Lots of factors determine weaning weight of calves. Suggestion...get with you extension agent and have them give you an assessment. Nothing like trained eyes and ears on the ground. Building pasture is a long, slow process that takes years.
Good luck.
Good luck.
1982vett
Well-known member
Yeah, throwing fertilizer $$$ at it will make better grazing, but it doesn't guarantee heavier weaning rates and a profit.
With your stocking rate, your going to need an 8 cylinder engine firing on 10 to keep up. But that's my opinion.
With your stocking rate, your going to need an 8 cylinder engine firing on 10 to keep up. But that's my opinion.
wbvs58
Well-known member
You certainly have room for a lot of improvement. What time of the year are you calving?
Ken
Ken
Rafter S
Well-known member
What's the source of your "commercial black Angus cows"? Maybe it's genetics causing the low birth weights.
Rafter S said:
I considered that but I've bought for 3 different people and last year they were all low. I wouldn't think all three had bad genetics but maybe that's why they sold them. Now last year I had no rye grass in the winter and this year I did so maybe that would help.
1982vett said:
I'm not saying I don't have too many cows per acre and I asked for your advice and you are giving it. But I have a friend that has 21 cows on 25 acres. His calves average 500 at 7-8 months. Sometimes up to 600 pounds. He doesn't put out a lot of grain just grass and hay. So if he can get that weight I think I should be able to do better than 380 pounds with 14 on 25 acres.
1982vett
Well-known member
Ok...
wbvs58
Well-known member
To me your timing sounds good, calves would be hitting the spring growth just when they can start to benefit from it. I calve at about the same time of year with our opposite seasons and would be disappointed if I did not wean a 300 kg (660 lb) calf at 7 months from a cow or heifer. Our grass is nothing special, mostly natives. We try to add phosphorous/sulphur to get the clovers going but many years the legumes are disappointing.LA cattle said:
Ken
BC
Well-known member
Can you incorporate some white clover into your pastures? With that stocking rate you may need to add 1 to 2 lbs every year as reseeding will be light.
