Fertilzer value of hay

[dun]

An exerpt from a long report

This guidesheet estimates that for one cow consuming 30
lbs (as fed) fescue hay for a 100 day period, there would
be 23 lbs Nitrogen, 23 lbs Phosphorus, and 67 lbs of Potash
deposited back to the pasture. Some quick math
shows that if fertilizer is $250 per ton, you're getting a
fertilizer credit of about $14 per cow, or $7 per bale (1500
lb bale) just from the fertilizer value of the manure from
the cows consuming the hay. Additionally, this guidesheet
outlines the steps for you to quantify the manure
values from any given hay or supplement based on nutrient
content.

 

[KenB]

An exerpt from a long report

This guidesheet estimates that for one cow consuming 30
lbs (as fed) fescue hay for a 100 day period, there would
be 23 lbs Nitrogen, 23 lbs Phosphorus, and 67 lbs of Potash
deposited back to the pasture. Some quick math
shows that if fertilizer is $250 per ton, you're getting a
fertilizer credit of about $14 per cow, or $7 per bale (1500
lb bale) just from the fertilizer value of the manure from
the cows consuming the hay. Additionally, this guidesheet
outlines the steps for you to quantify the manure
values from any given hay or supplement based on nutrient
content.

Thanks dun, good info.

;-) another good reason for me to unroll my hay when I feed it.

 

[dun]

another good reason for me to unroll my hay when I feed it.

That fertilizer value is figured after the cow has processed it. Maybe the same before she does, don;t know one way or the other.

dun

 

[KenB]

another good reason for me to unroll my hay when I feed it.

That fertilizer value is figured after the cow has processed it. Maybe the same before she does, don;t know one way or the other.

dun

I was meaning the manure would be spread around rather then just where it was fed.

As a side note, I wonder what the fertilizer value would be be for the good quality fertilized hay that wasn't eaten.

 

[rmcva]

Thanks for posting this. I've always wondered what the figures would be.

 

[Dave]

The fertilizer value of the hay before going through the cow would be slightly higher but it wouldn't be plant available nearly as soon. In terms of the N. All the N in the hay is in the form of organic N. In the cow manure about half is still organic N and half has been converted to ammioum and less than one percent being nitrate. Organic N must be broke down by the micro organisms in the soil who convert it to ammoium or nitrate for it to be plant available. This takes a combination of the right soil temperature and soil moisture to occur.
Dave

 

[Gate Opener]

One of the rye grass pastures we pass by regularly has dark tall green rye grass growing everywhere there is a cow patty. You can see exactly where every patty is at.

 

[Dave]

If there is a color difference at each cow patty then there is a nutrient shortage where there isn't a cow patty. One of the quickest ways of spotting a nutrient shortage in a pasture is to look for the those differences in color. Which nutrient? Soil test.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

If there is a color difference at each cow patty then there is a nutrient shortage where there isn't a cow patty. One of the quickest ways of spotting a nutrient shortage in a pasture is to look for the those differences in color. Which nutrient? Soil test.

I agree 100 % cow paddies on my place does not increase the grass to be greaner.

 

[IL Rancher]

Yikes, seeing as we run about 4 cows per acre of annual hay ground where we winter our cows that makes it sound like we would be more like 92 lbs of Nitro, 92 pounds of Phosph and 268#'s of Potash per acre. The soil tests on that ground are... interesting and we actually need to strat cycling them around a bit more.

 

[novatech]

An exerpt from a long report

This guidesheet estimates that for one cow consuming 30
lbs (as fed) fescue hay for a 100 day period, there would
be 23 lbs Nitrogen, 23 lbs Phosphorus, and 67 lbs of Potash
deposited back to the pasture. Some quick math
shows that if fertilizer is $250 per ton, you’re getting a
fertilizer credit of about $14 per cow, or $7 per bale (1500
lb bale) just from the fertilizer value of the manure from
the cows consuming the hay. Additionally, this guidesheet
outlines the steps for you to quantify the manure
values from any given hay or supplement based on nutrient
content.

Aren't these results dependent upon the nutrients in the hay?

 

[novatech]

Huisatch
I bet you had to look up how to spell that one.
And just so you know, it happens to be a legume.

 

[preston39]

If there is a color difference at each cow patty then there is a nutrient shortage where there isn't a cow patty. One of the quickest ways of spotting a nutrient shortage in a pasture is to look for the those differences in color. Which nutrient? Soil test.

=========
Dave,

I don't believe I have ever seen a cow patty spot where the grass around matched its' appearance. It would demand a ton of money to have the surrounding field(s) of the same nutrient value.

We scatter the patty's so as to distribute the value over as much space as possible. You will also notice that a cow will not eat the grass from a cow patty until the nutrient level has been reduced some.

 

[dcara]

Aren't these results dependent upon the nutrients in the hay?

At one of the Ag CE classes I have to attend to maintain my private applicator license, an A&M prof did a cost analysis of fertilizer requirements of a hay medow vs. a grazing medow. He had some research which showed that as a grazing medow 80% of the fertilizer nutrients were returned back to the soil in the cow pies. If hayed and sold there was significant removal of the nutrients. The exact removal rate depending on the type of hay.

 

[tmenzel]

i am buying a peice of property that has cattle and has lots of cow paddies. the cattle will be gone and i will be allowing the pasture to return to a more natural state, planting trees in some areas to provide border protection to a creek and pond and keeping grasses across the rest. what should i do about the paddies? leave them be? there have been five cows on 23 acres for about 2 years. aproximately one paddy every 30 yards.

 

[novatech]

i am buying a peice of property that has cattle and has lots of cow paddies. the cattle will be gone and i will be allowing the pasture to return to a more natural state, planting trees in some areas to provide border protection to a creek and pond and keeping grasses across the rest. what should i do about the paddies? leave them be? there have been five cows on 23 acres for about 2 years. aproximately one paddy every 30 yards.

30 yds. is not to bad. Just drag it with a spiked harrow or any thing else you can build that will break it up and spread a bit.
I leased a pasture that the previous tenant way overstocked. By the looks of the cow patties and hay piles it looked more like a feed lot. I drug the pasture and it produce more grass than any pasture I have ever had. This spring I plan to run a renovator over it. More to remove the hay twine and break up the rotted hay piles than any thing else.

 

[tmenzel]

ok, that is good advice. but which is more likely to lead to runoff into creek and pond, spreading plop or leaving it alone?

 

[novatech]

ok, that is good advice. but which is more likely to lead to runoff into creek and pond, spreading plop or leaving it alone?

Not near enough to worry about either way. When you spread it the tumble bugs and decomposition will work faster. You spread the fert. more evenly. Builds more organic soil. And another big thing in my area less fire ants.
It will usually soak into the soil way before it gets to a creek. The only people that need to worry are feedlots.

 

[Dave]

Novatech,
I think you were correct in telling tmenzel that it didn't sound like he had a problem. But if you think that the feedlots are the only ones that need to worry about manure, you may be in for a rude awakening. Everyone better make an effort to keep manure out of the creeks because enforcement of the clean water act is coming and believe me it is not fun when it lands on your front door.

Dave

 

[novatech]

Novatech,
I think you were correct in telling tmenzel that it didn't sound like he had a problem. But if you think that the feedlots are the only ones that need to worry about manure, you may be in for a rude awakening. Everyone better make an effort to keep manure out of the creeks because enforcement of the clean water act is coming and believe me it is not fun when it lands on your front door.

Dave

Who is inforceing this? How? What are their requirements, rules? Where can I find the law governing this?