WINTER FEEDING A COW FOR $200

2010 Beef Cow-calf DaysUW Extension Livestock Team

Winter Feeding for $200

Cow-calf Profitability is influenced by 4 factors

1. Yearly cost of keeping a cow (Feed & Operation)

2. Number of cows exposed at breeding that calf

3. Weaning or yearling weight of calves

4. Price received for calves and market ready cows

Winter Feeding for $200

Feed costs are the biggest expense a cow-calf producer has to wean a calf

In most studies of cow-calf operations feed cost range from 55% to 80% of total costs

Of total feed cost the biggest variation between operations was in winter feed charges-varies a $1 per day between high and low cost producers

Total Annual Cow Costs

2000 FSBI SPA Data

$/Cow

CostsTotal Feed

Other Total Costs

% Feed Costs

Lower 1/3 $163 $76 $239 68%

Mid 1/3 $169 $96 $265 64%

Upper 1/3 $263 $116 $379 66%

Economic Considerations

Wintering a cow for $200

Our “CHALLENGE” is to reduce feed expenses without affecting cow body condition and future reproductive performance

Winter Feeding for $200

Winter feeding: Dec- April (~150 days)

Activity (grazing, walking)

Calving WeaningBreeding

MilkFetus Fetus

Winter Feeding for $200

Ask Yourself these questions: Do I have adequate feed in storage for

winter feeding? Have I pre-purchased feed when prices

were low? Have I looked at energy and protein costs

of various feeds and compared them for value?

Have I stockpile forage for winter grazing?

Winter Feeding For $200

Keep Costs for Winter Feeding at $200 by Make or Purchase hay for $80 per ton Feed for 120 days Store hay to reduce waste Feed in ring feeders (lowest priced, less

waste) Feed less 30 lbs per day of forage

Winter Feeding for $200

Fall & Winter Grazing to Reduce Feed Cost: 1. Corn Stalk Grazing

a. Avg 5000 lbs. of residue in irrigated corn fields

b. Avg 2500 lbs. of residue in dryland corn fields

c. Primary difference is leaf loss

Winter Feeding For $200

Graze stockpiled forage until Jan 1st:

Alfalfa fields Rested cool season grass pasture Warm season grasses Wheat, rye, or barley planted in August Consider Standability of Forage

Standability for various forages Good

Tall Fescue

Big Bluestem Timothy Orchard Indian grass Red clover

Fair Alfalfa

Poor Little Bluestem Brome grass

Wintering Cows for $200

What about direct feeding? Can more accurately meet cow’s energy

and protein requirements Use low-cost feedstuffs: hay, silage,

grains, or by-products Adequate bunk or feeder space

Winter Feeding for $200

Consider Byproduct Feedstuffs Dried Distillers Grain Brewers Grains Wheat Midds Grain Screenings Cannery Waste (Sweetcorn,carrots) Potatoes

Instead of feeding hay bales…. Evaluate forage on $/lb Evaluate on $/Mcal Options to consider

Processing forage Chopping hay, corn silage, haylage

Digestable fiber byproducts DDGS, soyhulls, corn gluten feed, wheat

middlings Limit-feeding high energy sources

Corn, DDGS, corn silage

What do your cows weigh?

MYTHMy average cow size is 1100-1200 lbs

REALITYMost mature cows average 1300-1350 lbs

Important to know if trying to match cow nutrition to nutrient

requirements of your cows!

Beef Cow Winter Diets

DietAs fed,

lbsDM, %

DM, lbs

NEm, Mcal/lb

NEm, day

CP, %

CP, lbs

Corn silage 75 34 25.5 0.68 17.5 8.6 2.2

Low quality hay 21 90 19 0.51 9.69 5.3 1.0

Avg quality hay 28 90 25.2 0.61 15.1 12.3 3.1

Cornstalks 29 85 25.0 0.60 15.0 6.3 1.6

Corn 5 88 4.4 1.44 6.3 9.0 0.4

Distiller grains, dry 5 92 6.6 1.59 7.3 30 2.0

Requirements1300 lb cow in late gestation 25.0 0.55 13.7 8.4 2.0

Based on Beef NRC, 2000

Hay Intake

Based on Beef NRC, 2000

Think about feed differently…

CP NEm DM $$ per

% Mcal/lb % Ton Lb Mcal lb CP

Corn silage 8.6 0.68 34 $30 $0.02 $0.03 $0.52

Low quality hay 5.3 0.51 90 $65 $0.03 $0.07 $0.68

Avg quality hay 12.3 0.61 90 $100 $0.05 $0.09 $0.45

Cornstalks 6.3 0.60 85 $20 $0.01 $0.02 $0.19

Whole shelled corn 9.0 1.44 88 $142 $0.07 $0.06 $0.88

Distiller grains, dry 30 1.59 92 $140 $0.07 $0.05 $0.25

Based on Beef NRC, 2000

Think about feed differently…

CP NEm DM $$ per

% Mcal/lb % Ton Lb Mcal lb CP

Corn silage 8.6 0.68 34 $30 $0.02 $0.03 $0.52

Low quality hay 5.3 0.51 90 $65 $0.03 $0.07 $0.68

Avg quality hay 12.3 0.61 90 $100 $0.05 $0.09 $0.45

Cornstalks 6.3 0.60 85 $20 $0.01 $0.02 $0.19

Whole shelled corn 9.0 1.44 88 $142 $0.07 $0.06 $0.88

Distiller grains, dry 30 1.59 92 $140 $0.07 $0.05 $0.25

Based on Beef NRC, 2000

Reducing Hay Intake

10 lbs DDGS – 3x/wkFree Access Hay – 4 x/wk

Hay(Free access)

Final wt, lbs 1474 1451

Gain, lbs 114 92

ADG, lbs/d 1.44 1.16

On test BCS 3.3 3.3

Off test, BCS 3.9 3.7

Hay, lbs 17.6 28.0

DDGS, lbs 3.7 0

Feed costs, $/d 1.12 1.40

Ohio State University, Loerch 2009

Limit-feeding

HAY LFC DDGS

Total intake, lbs/d 28 17 15.5

Hay, lbs/d 28 5 4.5

Corn, lbs/d -- 10 --

DDGS, lbs/d -- -- 8.5

Supplement, lbs/d -- 2.5 2.5

Feed costs, $/da 1.40 1.40 0.97

aCalculated with the following prices: corn=$3.80/bu; hay=$100/ton; DDGS=$130/ton; LFC supplement=$400/ton; DDGS supplement=$200/ton.

Ohio State University, Radunz et al., 2008

Wintering Cows for $200

Remember: With extreme cold weather energy needs

go up and it is important to increase the roughage portion of the ration

Thin cows needing improvement in body condition need additional energy for gaining weight

Wintering cows for $200

The key to profit is: keeping winter and grazing period cost low having a 90% pregnancy rate wean calves at 550 lbs or more take advantage of market premiums precondition calves effectively market calves and cows-avoid the

market low periods in the fall