stocking rate and grazing corn stalks

[lukem86]

This fall is my first experience with grazing the cows on corn stalks, do any of you have a "rule of thumb" that you follow for stocking rate? Something like # of AUs per acre for so many days or weeks. (We plant in 20" rows, 35K population, there is a lot of residue out there)

What do you expect the field to look like when the cattle have eaten what they should? I dont expect they will clean up all the stalks.... We run knife rolls on the combine so the stalks decay a little quicker. I have been hearing an awful lot of mooing going on the past week or so, and dont want to be chasing hungry cows, (only a single strand of polywire holding them in)

I have some stockpiled grass/clover that they can graze but I would like to wait as long as possible, after that is gone I have to feed hay. And im not sure that Im gonna have enough hay to get them to mid april green up.

Any other good advice?

 

[joe]

I do 1 cow per 2 acres maximum. salt and mineral out there for them. when there is no corn in the manure, I put out protein tubs. they will go thru and eat the corn, then go back and eat the leaves. stalks are generally left behind, especially if planting a BT type corn. I usually feed corn for a few days before tuning them out, or make sure they are full so they don't gorge on the corn at turn out.

 

[Beefmaker]

I usually figure 1 acre of cornstalks will feed 1 cow for 1 month. That"s for dry cows in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. Toward the end of the grazing period, if you feed some good alfalfa hay you can extend the grazing period another 2 weeks while they are cleaning up the less digestable parts of the residue. Keep salt,mineral,vitamin mix in front of them.