Making quality haylage

AS-995 Definition: Haylage or low-moisture hay silage refers to hay put up at 40 percent to 60 percent moisture as comared with less than 15 percent for dried hay and 60 percent to 75 percent for silage

Assessing supplementing strategies for beef cattle in a bale grazing system using grass hay during variable winter conditions

IntroductionBeef cattle in the Northern Great Plains of the United States of America are normally kept in open dry lot pens in winter. Practices such as bale grazing, swath grazing, stockpiling, and corn residue grazing, can be used to extend the grazing season and minimize dry lot use. Extending the grazing season has several advantages over dry lot use but arguably the most important benefit is cost savings due to lower labor and input costs. Strategies selected to supplement cattle in extended grazing systems should maintain cost savings while providing required nutrients to cattle. This study was conducted to evaluate supplementing strategies for beef cattle in a bale grazing system using grass hay during variable winter conditions. The study was conducted across variable winter conditions that are encountered in winters in the US Northern Great Plains.MethodsThe study extended over four years. Each year, non-lactating pregnant beef cows (n = 64, year 1; n = 80, year 2, 3, 4) were divided into eight groups of similar average body weight and randomly assigned to one of four bale grazing treatments as follows: a) bale grazing grass hay, b) bale grazing grass hay treated with a liquid supplement, c) bale grazing grass hay and alfalfa hay, and d) bale grazing grass hay and plus 1.8 kg corn DDGS/head/day. Animal performance was assessed from two-day body weights and body condition scores taken at the start and end of the study. Data analysis considered the fixed effects of treatment, year, and treatment x year interaction.ResultsFinal BW tended (P = 0.09) to be greatest following corn DDGS supplementation and lowest when grass hay was offered. The treatment strategy x year interaction (P = 0.026) for ADG showed that corn DDGS supplementation resulted in positive ADG across the years regardless of environmental conditions. Liquid or alfalfa hay supplementation resulted in positive ADG when environmental conditions were favorable. Final BCS (P = 0.005) and BCS change (P = 0.004) were greater following corn DDGS supplementation, intermediate following alfalfa hay or liquid supplementation and lowest when grass hay was fed. Supplementation costs ranged from $1.33 to$1.90/head/day, the highest cost occurred with corn DDGS supplementation mainly due to cost of corn DDGS and labor required to deliver corn DDGS to cattle on pasture.DiscussionAlfalfa hay or molasses-based liquids increased diet CP content but did not supply adequate energy in severely cold winters. Despite relatively higher supplement costs, high energy supplements such as corn DDGS may be required in severely cold winters where cattle require extra energy. Supplement selection should consider supplement effectiveness to meet animal nutrient requirements particularly in adverse winter conditions such as those encountered in the US Northern Great Plains

Design and characteristics of the twice-over rotation grazing system

R-1006; This circular focuses on designing twice-over rotation grazin

Effects of Dormant Season Grazing on Herbage Production and Plant Growth

A study to determine the impacts of winter grazing on herbage production, growth rate of dominant grass species, and changes in plant species composition using various levels and combinations of winter and summer use

Tracked vehicle effects on vegetation and soil characteristics

A 3-year experiment to evaluate tracked vehicle effects on vegetation and soil characteristics was established on the Gilbert C. Grafton South State Military Reservation (CGS) in North Dakota. Study objectives were to evaluate the effects of 3 tracked vehicle use intensity treatments on plant species cover and frequency, and soil compaction. The 3 treatments evaluated include heavy use (74 passes), moderate use (37 passes) and no use. The moderate use treatment represents a typical use of 1 battalion unit at CGS with the heavy use treatment classified as 2 battalion units. This land area comprised a 50 by 150 meter block subdivided into three, 50 by 50 meter blocks. Each 50 by 50 meter block was subdivided into three, 16.7 by 50 meter blocks with each block treated with 1 of the 3 treatments. Soil bulk density increased (P \u3c 0.05) on the moderate and heavy use treatments in the 0 to 15, 30 to 45, and 45 to 60 cm soil depths. Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) cover (P \u3c 0.05) decreased in 1996 on both the moderate and heavy use treatments but was not (P \u3e 0.05) different among all treatments in 1997. The tracked vehicle use on the heavy and moderate treatments did not change species composition or litter amounts after 2 years; however, bulk density and bare ground increased on both treatments in 1996 and 1997. Se establecio un experimento de 3 aiios en la Reservacion Militar Estatal Gilbert C. Grafon (CGS) de North Dakota para evaluar los efectos del paso de vehaiculos militares en la vegetacion y suelo. Los objetivos del estudio fueron evaluar los efectos de 3 intensidades de paso de vehaiculos militares en la cobertura y frecuencia de especies vegetales y la compactacion del suelo. Los 3 tratamientos evaluados fueron: uso alto (74 pasos), uso moderado (37 pasos) y sin uso. El uso moderado representa el uso taipico de una unidad de batallon en el CGS y el tratamiento de uso alto representa el paso de dos unidades de batallon. El aea experimental fue un bloque de 50 x 150 m dividido en tres bloques, cada bloque de 50 x 50 m se subdividido en 3 bloques de 16.7 x 50 m y en cada uno de estos bloque se aplico uno de los tratamientos. La densidad aparente del suelo a las profundidades de 0-15, 30-45 y 45-60 cm aumento (P \u3c 0.05) en los tratamientos de uso moderado y alto. En 1996, la cobertura del zacate Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) disminuyo (P \u3c 0 .05) en los tratamientos de uso moderado y alto, pero en 1997 la cobertura de esta especie no difirio entre tratamientos (P \u3e 0.05). Despues de 2 anios, el uso moderado y alto de vehaiculos militares no cambio la composicion de especies ni la cantidad de mantillo; sin embargo, la densidad aparente y el suelo desnudo aumento en ambos tratamientos en 1996 y 1997

Use of Ecological Sites in Managing Wildlife and Livestock: An Example with Prairie Dogs

On the Ground The perception of prairie dogs among Native Americans living on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation is mixed. Some Native Americans focus on the loss of forage productivity, whereas others are interested in the cultural and ecological aspects of prairie dogs. The use of ecological sites may provide a mechanism for developing a management framework that would consider both livestock and prairie dogs. The three ecological sites we surveyed had large differences in off-colony standing crop, but in 2 of the 3 years we surveyed, there were no differences between standing crop on-colony. This suggests that management of prairie dogs on rangelands should focus on limiting prairie dogs on more productive ecological sites with less productive sites receiving less emphasis

Effects of Short-Term Cattle Exclusion on Plant Community Composition: Prairie Dog and Ecological Site Influences

On the Ground Maintaining cattle and prairie dogs on rangelands is important ecologically, economically, and culturally. However, competition between these species, both actual and perceived, has led to conflict. We explored the effects of short-term (2-year) cattle exclusion on plant communities both on and off prairie dog towns and among three common ecological sites. Plant communities were different between on-town and off-town plots and among ecological sites but were similar between cattle-excluded and nonexcluded plots. Plant community composition did not differ between rangeland targeted for moderate forage utilization and that in which cattle had been excluded for 2 years

Forum: Critical Decision Dates for Drought Management in Centraland Northern Great Plains Rangeland

Ranchers and other land managers of central and northern Great Plains rangelands face recurrent droughts that negatively influence economic returns and environmental resources for ranching enterprises. Accurately estimating annual forage production and initiating drought decision-making actions proactively early in the growing season are both critical to minimize financial losses and degradation to rangeland soil and plant resources. Long-term forage production data sets from Alberta, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming demonstrated that precipitation in April, May, and June (or some combination of these months) robustly predict annual forage production. Growth curves from clipping experiments and ecological site descriptions (ESDs) indicate that maximum monthly forage growth rates occur 1 mo after the best spring month (April to June) precipitation prediction variable. Key for rangeland managers is that the probability of receiving sufficient precipitation after 1 July to compensate for earlier spring precipitation deficits is extremely low. The complexity of human dimensions of drought decision-making necessitates that forage prediction tools account for uncertainty in matching animal demand to forage availability, and that continued advancements in remote sensing applications address both spatial and temporal relationships in forage production to inform critical decision dates for drought management in these rangeland ecosystems