Forage shortage has potential to cause three-year hit

Agriculture

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November 13, 2007

Julie Douglas The Rushville Republican Tue Nov 13, 2007, 08:57 PM EST

WEST LAFAYETTE — Last April's freeze and dry summer weather will not only affect farmers this year, but also could potentially hit pocketbooks for three years.

Helping beef producers cope with short forage supplies this winter is the goal of an IP videoconference being held Nov. 20 by Purdue University experts.

"Many beef producers in Indiana and in the Eastern part of the United States are facing a short forage supply," Ron Lemenager, a Purdue Extension beef specialist said.

The videoconference is free and will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at many Purdue Extension offices around the state. Anyone interested in attending should contact their local Extension office to find the nearest site where the program will be offered.

Lemenager said managing forage supplies is important to meet the nutritional requirements of beef cows this winter.

Not only will this help the cows, but also the calves. If a cow's nutritional needs are not met this winter, the calf will be weaker at birth, have a lower survival rate, and the quality and quantity of milk from the cow may not be adequate to sustain the calf.

"We need to make sure the calves are strong and vigorous when they're born next spring," Lemenager said. "We need to make sure those cows have adequate colostrum quality (in the milk) for the calves. The next critical phase is whether these cows will return to estrous after they calve in a reasonable period of time and conceive."

Lemenager said that if cows are nutritionally shortchanged this winter and leading up to breeding season because of the short forage supply, producers will see a drop in calf vigor and survival, as well as a decline in the conception rate of the cows.

"If that happens, that means the following year in 2009, we're going to see fewer calves," Lemenager said. "There is real potential of having a three-year impact on our profitability."

Topics for the videoconference include various management strategies to get through the winter while maintaining a herd. These include:

n Evaluating and giving a body condition score.

n Analyzing forages for nutrient profile.

n Inventorying hay and other feed resources.

n Pregnancy checking and culling cows that are not pregnant.

n Dividing the herd into management groups based on nutrient needs.

n Utilizing crop residues.

n Alternative feed strategies using some combination of byproduct feeds.

n Limiting feed nutrient dense feedstuffs to meet requirements.

n Minimizing hay waste.

n Adjusting rations for cold stress.

"When forage supplies are limited, producers must decide how to best use local feed resources," Lemenager said. "Unfortunately, there are no cheap, easy fixes for producers that have both short pastures and limited hay supply, and that's where these management strategies come into play."

For more information about the videoconference, contact the local Purdue Extension office.

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