Grazing Corn in Winter ?

[Stocker Steve]

Planning to go back and try this again with forage corn. Used field corn for bred cows the last time and had some acidosis issues. I think the ideal use would be with weaned calves in early winter. Have you had or seen success with this?

 

[Banjo]

Several years ago I did that with some open pollinated corn....seemed to work well with weaned calves.I have actually tested some open pollinated corn at around 11 or 12% protein...vs, 5 or 6 % of this stuff grown today. I have thought of doing it again but havent....I think you could do almost as well with some good fescue and clover by letting it stockpile all year and maybe flash grazing it a couple of times during the year, but I digress.
I plowed, then disked, then planted w/corn planter. I may have even run a cultivator thru it once or twice.Had lots of crabgrass down in it along with clover and morning glory. They eat it all.
Its surprising how well OP corn will grow this way.You just cant do it in the same spot year after year. Thats what the old timers did till they exhausted the ground then moved on.....from what I understand.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Looking at corn when the snow is too deep for grazing fescue stockpile.

 

[Stickney94]

Planning to go back and try this again with forage corn. Used field corn for bred cows the last time and had some acidosis issues. I think the ideal use would be with weaned calves in early winter. Have you had or seen success with this?

You are speaking of grazing unharvested corn? Or corn stalks after harvesting?

 

[Stocker Steve]

Unharvested standing corn

 

[fasttommy]

Saw a lot of posts by SRBeef on this. I think he was in Southwest Wisconsin and he was grazing his steers on it. Not sure if it was open pollinated or forage corn or what.

 

[MO-Ruminants]

Do you plant this yourself, with your equipment, or purchase grain crops from neighboring farmers?

We have farmers in this county eking out corn crops on 20 acre nooks and crannies...I've been intrigued with the idea of buying their standing corn at market value. I don't expect the reception to be great though.

 

[Stocker Steve]

SR beef had OK cobs on his corn. My guess is that it was RR.

There is always some corn available, but there are harvesting and hauling and storage and feeding issues. Hard to justify buying and repairing alot of equipment for occasional use. So that brings us back to grazing. :cowboy:

 

[MO-Ruminants]

In this part of the country we would need to install bright orange signs on the fence.

"These cows belong here. Do not frantically drive the neighborhood searching for the owner".