Winter Grazing...EH?!

[randiliana]

Lots of talk about winter grazing here. Unfortunately it is not the way it works everywhere. We run 150 head of cows, usually our winters are COLD, and very possibly snowy. The main tame summer forages here are Crested Wheat, Meadow Brome and Alfalfa. Not a one of those carry much nutrient value once they are dried up and/or frozen. And things just don't grow here in the winter.

Carrying capacity on tame forage tops out at 25 head per quarter. On native prairie pasture the average carry capacity is around 8-10 head per quarter.

Now having said that, we can grow enough alfalfa hay on 2 quarter sections on an average year to feed our 150 head.

We feed usually around 150-180 days. I will use 180 days. 150 cows eat 4500 lbs of feed every day. Which translates into 405 tons for 180 days.

Alfalfa will produce 1.5-2 tons of hay per acre on an average year. I will use 1.5 tons, so 160 acres x 1.5 =240 tons. 1/2 section will produce about 480 tons. 1/2 section around here will run you about $70,000-$80,000.

Now, if I had to buy enough native pasture to run 150 cows on for the winter, I am looking at 10 cows/quarter. 150 cows will need 15 quarter sections of land. Native pasture is going to run $30,000-$40,000 per quarter. $35,000 x 15 = $525,000.

Now, for me to put up that hay, it is going to cost $8/acre to cut it. $8 x320 ac =$2560. To bale it will cost $8/bale. So 480 ton = 800 1200# bales. So 800 x $8 =$6400.

$6400 + $2460 = $8860

Now, $525,000 - $80,000 = $445,000 difference in the purchase price of land.

$445,000 divided by $8860 = 50.225. So essentially I could put up 50 years worth of hay for the start up difference between the hay and native land.

I dunno about anyone else but it really doesn't make much sense for me to go out and buy land to winter graze my cows. It works in places, but not here.

Now I know some of you are going to say, BUT you didn't include trucking, feeding and manure removal, but YOU need to remember, I didn't include INTEREST either, and I am SURE that the interest would be more than it would cost to truck, feed and remove manure!!

 

[KNERSIE]

very good informative post. its always interesting to see how other countries's cattle producers make their calculations.

what exactly is a quarter section?

did you keep in mind that your cows need land to graze on during summer?

 

[randiliana]

very good informative post. its always interesting to see how other countries's cattle producers make their calculations.

what exactly is a quarter section?

did you keep in mind that your cows need land to graze on during summer?

A quarter section is 160 acres. And yes, I did keep in mind about summer grazing. It is simply that if you want winter pasture here, you have to have enough summer pasture that you do not use your winter pasture. So essentially if you plan to winter graze you will need twice the amout of pasture than you would if you fed.

There are other ways to reduce the amount of feeding you do. Swath grazing is a good example. So is grazing corn.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Like you, I've looked into winter grazing, however with our snowfall average, its not feasible. Forget the cost of land. When there's 3 feet of snow on the ground with a frozen crust on top and another frozen crust 2 feet down, I don't care how hardy your cattle are, they aren't gonna get anything.

So I'm switching to a "halfway" scheme that does pencil out. I've got my tame pastures for the summer, and like you, they're crested wheat and meadow brome. But I'm fencing all my hay land. So I'll take a first cut, starting with the best producing land. This is usually a couple ton/acre (the last couple years with all the rain, our first cuts been 3 ton). My tame pasture is done in September, so I'll be leaving enough of the poorer 2nd cut alfalfa in the hay fields to ensure that I get at least 2 months grazing time. The rest of the 2nd cut, I'll take for hay. The poorer 2nd cut I usually didn't bother taking anyway, so it was essentially wasted. The nutritive value is down of course, but easy keeping cows in their 2nd trimester shouldn't have problem holding shape on frozen alfalfa. This way I get full use from the land base I do have, and my tractors won't need to be fired up until December or January.

Another good cost reduction is to winter your cattle on the tame pastures. Move your feeders out to the pasture, and with each feeding, move them over 20 feet. It minimizes your pen clean out the following year, and your cattle will be fertilizing your tame pastures for you. I've been doing this for a few years now, and it works well. I have to fire up the tractor and blade a couple times/yr to push a path out to the feeders, but that cost is minimal, especially since much of my hay land borders my pasture land, so I don't even need to haul my hay home. I simply row it next to the pasture I plan to feed in. I don't bother bedding unless the snow packs, but I've got bluffs of trees on most paddocks where I can stuff straw bales so I don't make a mess of the pasture.

I tried bale grazing this year and it didn't quite work as well as I'd hoped, but I'm going to modify things a bit next year, so I may not be firing up a loader tractor until calving season. At least not for the cows. The calves will still be in feedlots. That suits me just fine, as I'm spending $5 - $600/mo on fuel, oil, depreciation and repairs just for feeding. I'd rather use my snowmobile to check cows every day and pull a few twines off bales. Then I can take off for a ride

Rod

 

[randiliana]

We do essentially the same as you. Unfortuneately most of our hayland is rented, so we lose out on that for fall grazing. Our cows are wintered out, either on the tame pasture, or on farmland. Saves a lot on corral cleaning, although just for calving and the few animals we keep around the corral for the winter the corral cleaning bill is about $1000. Never tried bale grazing, but we have been doing some swath grazing. We like the way it has worked. But, this fall we had to turn the cows onto it a bit earlier than we planned.