| | Winter feed and winter-feeding systems are the largest cost that cow/calf operators incur. Two-thirds of calf production cost is feeding the cow and winter feed is two-thirds of that feed cost.
With expenses in agriculture continuing to rise, feeding alternatives are needed. Adjusting traditional winter-feeding alternatives only cuts costs marginally. It costs about $30 to put-up a ton of hay. Delivering it back to the cow costs about another $20. Silage costs even more. In other words, every ton of hay or silage fed in winter costs at least $50 per ton above a ton of forage in pasture, swaths or crop aftermath.
Dale Kaliel, of Alberta Agriculture's economics and competitiveness division, has shown that low cost is high profit in cow/calf operations across Alberta. Costs can be decreased significantly by extending the grazing season rather than relying on traditional hay or silage-based winter-feeding systems. Replacing a traditional 200-day wintering period with a year-round grazing system can result in a cost savings of $0.25/pound or more, for each pound of calf raised. Also, extending the grazing season requires less labour than putting-up and feeding winter feed.
"The primary way to put the profit back in a cow/calf business is to significantly reduce the traditional winter-feeding practice," says Grant Lastiwka, forage/beef specialist, Ag-Info Centre, Agriculture Food and Rural Development, Lacombe. "In Western Canada, the winter feed period is roughly 200 days and grazing is only about 165 days. Work done in Ohio many years ago showed that the amount of hay fed in a cow operation determined the amount of profit or loss to that beef business. Kaliel also found that, generally, the top one-third of profitable cow-calf operators had the shortest winter feeding period and fed the least harvested feed."
In 1996, the Lacombe-based Western Forage/Beef Group (WFBG) was formed. This group consists of scientists, extension specialists and a producer advisory committee. The group's focus is on research and extension to specifically reduce costs and increase profits for forage/beef production. Active research continues on winter feed systems, swath grazing, managed grazing systems, annual forages, and stockpiled perennials.
Some research results include:
- Swath grazing showed 44 per cent less labour than traditional daily winter feeding systems, and cost was 47 per cent less per cow. Swath quality did drop over winter, but was still quite good by mid-April. Cows are able to graze through approximately 20 inches of snow.
- Stockpiled perennial forages showed quality losses over winter, but many grass species were still in good to fair quality by spring.
- In summer, managed rotational grazing systems were found to be more profitable and lower risk than continuous grazing.
- Traditional winter feeding systems showed 12 to 20 per cent feed waste.
- Work by Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development on chaff straw quality varied from good to poor, based on how combines were set.
- Bale grazing work at the Western Beef Development Centre in Saskatoon showed potential for some cost savings and a fertility boost to the land.
A year-round best management practice grazing system demonstration project was initiated in the summer of 2005. This project was undertaken by the Agriculture Research and Extension Council of Alberta (16 forage and applied research associations) along with support from the WFBG and funded through the Green Cover Program. Five associations are working with producers at five locations across Alberta. All of the cow/calf operations involved used systems based on a year-round grazing business structure. They had significantly lower wintering costs and less labour than traditional industry wintering systems. The preliminary winter results of this project were shared at field days in February 2006.
The principles used in year-round grazing systems are:
- calving in later winter or spring
- putting condition on a cow through good summer and fall grazing management
- using banked or stockpiled perennial forages in late fall, winter or early spring
- grazing annual crop aftermath left in fields
- swath grazing in fall, winter and spring
- grazing annuals at times when pasture production is short
- bale grazing when feed is reasonably priced or snow is too deep
- supplementing with traditional harvested feed when necessary
More results from this project will be shared later at field days and at the Western Canadian Grazing Conference in Edmonton in December 2006. Anyone wanting to increase profit by using year round grazing systems are encouraged to attend these events.
Contact: Grant Lastiwka 310-FARM (toll-free in Alberta) |
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