Latest News From Pasture-Forage

Alfalfa is the third-highest crop for economic returns in the U.S. and is a feed source for that can reduce the need for costly nutritional supplements when cattle are primarily feed other types of diets.

Setting stocking rates on wheat pasture in the fall and winter has large impacts on performance of growing calves and can have large influences on productivity of pastures during the spring.

Funds will help research social factors that influence farmer change, provide in-depth grazing management training, develop better educational resources for Virginia’s farmers, and broaden the use of technology.

Because of year-to-year variation in forage quality and weather stress, cow body weight and condition can have important year-to-year variation even when fed what appears to be the same diet.

The Crop Residue Exchange, developed by the University of Nebraska/Lincoln, is a free online tool designed to link cattle producers to crop producers with available grazing resources.

For producers relying on winter pasture to grow purchased or retained calves, weekend rains be what was needed to give us the prospect of at least some wheat grazing, although probably a month later than normal.

August and September rains turned some drought-stressed pasture and rangeland in North Dakota looking green and lush, leading ranchers to wonder how grazing will influence forage production in 2022?

If you plan to graze stockpiled native range this fall and winter after the grasses become dormant, supplementation of cows will be necessary.

The drought of 2021 in the northern plains states has left many ranchers short of feed, both grazing forage and hay. A great option for spring grazing or hay production is winter cereals.

The combination of smaller yields and fewer acres harvested will translate into another year of rising hay prices, says the Livestock Marketing Information Project.

Dual purpose crops are planted in mid to late September. Seeding rates, planting dates, and fertilizer management are compromises between the needs for fall forage production and grain production in the spring.

While drought-stressed crops can still be used as forage, there are many factors to consider before harvesting, specifically soil health and feed safety.

Salvaging this year’s corn crop as silage can help recoup production costs while providing good-quality feed. Drought-stressed, limited grain-filled corn silage still can retain a majority of its feeding value.

Kubota ag and hay product specialists and a panel of forage and animal health experts will present a virtual session aimed to help producers develop strategies that will improve returns for livestock operations.

Owned and operated by Steve and Joy Wooten and Brady and Arin Burnham, Beatty Canyon Ranch (BCR) manages 125,000 acres and has the fourth, fifth and sixth generations of land stewards involved in day-to-day operations.

While cutting drought-damaged corn for silage may be the best alternative, it's critical that harvesting happens at the right moisture level to maximize silage value and minimize loss.

Join Drovers editor Greg Henderson and experts from all segments of the beef value chain to better understand the current and future dynamics of this crisis at 3 p.m. on Thursday, August 5, for this free discussion.

The drought in North Dakota is impacting the yield of small-grain crops such as barley, oats, rye, triticale and wheat, leading some producers to harvest the small grains as hay.

Reduced performance or ‘Summer Slump’ is associated with decreasing forage quality during the late summer.

“We like to say that the program isn’t about the cow, but the how,” says Lauren Miller, VP Carbon Footprint Solutions at Grassroots Carbon. “Our aim is to scale up the restoration of prairie grasslands..."

AgDay’s Clinton Griffiths reports that evaporation has increased the salinity in stock dams in South Dakota, some to lethal levels for livestock.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Sand County Foundation a grant to empower farmers with real-time data about their conservation practices.  

Pasture lease rates in a 14-county area of the Flint Hills of Kansas were reported 2% to 3% higher in 2021 compared to 2019, according to the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

As a rule of thumb, for bermudagrass and other introduced warm-season perennials, each pound of N fertilizer will add about 30 to 40 pounds of forage production per acre.

The latest U.S. Drought monitor indicates drought is gripping pastures, with 60% of the nation's cow herd is now in some level of drought or dryness, and it's causing cow slaughter numbers to climb.

A sacrifice area is an area where animals stay at times when pasture grazing is detrimental to land and plants. This area can be in a dry lot pen or a fenced-off area of the pasture.

The northern Plains has experienced severe drought since 2020, with alfalfa plants stressed due to a shortage of water. The lack of snow cover and temperatures below 0 F in February likely caused alfalfa winter-kill.

Care in how large, round bales are stored outside can minimize losses.

Seven ranchers can win herbicide proven to reduce costs and grow business for the long haul.

Montana ranchers embrace holistic management to improve the natural resource.

Pasture, Rangeland and Forage, or PRF, insurance is a risk policy designed to provide annual protection for farmers and ranchers through USDA. Policies covering 2021 have a signup date of Nov. 21, 2020.

Alta Seeds introduces EMPYR™ Premier Forages, a complete line of forage sorghum, sudangrass and sorghum-sudan hybrids.

Managed livestock grazing can help regenerate soils.

To increase their opportunities and preserve legacy, one family tried something all-new.

At Walmart’s Sustainability Milestone Summit, World Wildlife Fund, the Walmart Foundation, McDonald’s and Cargill announced they will join forces to make improvements to the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains.

During its anniversary year, the institute will celebrate the importance of the land, recognize farmers and ranchers, and highlight their contributions to the public at large through special campaigns.

Windrow grazing annual forages allows producers to cut the crop at an optimum time for quality and increase harvest efficiency through strip grazing the windrows.

Winter cereal crops such as wheat, rye and triticale produce high-quality forage during the time period that Bermudagrass is dormant. Fall-established cereals can be used to lengthen the grazing season of the pasture.

The 2017 Starbuck wildfire devastated rural ranching towns across four states. Three years on, resilience in both the land and people bands this community together.

Forage analysis can be a useful tool to remove some of the mystery concerning the hay that producers will feed this winter.  The out-of-pocket costs of protein and energy supplements are further fuel to this advice.

Producers should exercise caution and test forages before cutting or grazing shortly after a drought-easing shower. Some of the greatest concentrations of nitrate in forages will be recorded at this time.

There's been a lot of data gathered about the economics of large round bale storage. It all comes down to the value of the hay loss in storage. Ideally, the value of the lost hay would be recovered in material costs.

Sometimes it's a simple tip that has the biggest effect. Noble Research Institute's Hugh Aljoe shares easy techniques that any cattleman can use to monitor their forage.

Overall feed and forage will be favorable and provide more flexibility for feeder and feedlot cattle operations. Potentially emerging drought conditions are a threat and may reduce production and marketing flexibility.

Producers are thinking about pasture management year round, but spring is like a fresh start when something can actually be done for pest control and grazing management.

Healthy soils are as important as cattle health for ranch success.

Factor in hay quality and your cows’ nutrition needs

Fire consumed a tractor trailer fire hauling straw in Missouri last week—one more reminder to keep hay equipment in good condition. Short supplies of hay, forage and crops mean every bale is valuable.

The market is digesting the mid-year Cattle Inventory Report. The report released Friday shows the expansion of the nation's beef herd may be coming to an end.

Range and pasture rated in either good or excellent condition as of July 7 stood at 69%, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS).