Extending the grazing season in southern Manitoba

Paul McCaughey, Byron Irvine, Julie Small, and Shannon Scott

Brandon Research Centre

Outline

Introduction

Cow-calf performance – weight change, calving rate

Crops – Corn, barley, oats, triticale, Siberian millet

Economics - $/cow-day

Conclusions

Introduction

Economic benefits

Lower feed costs

Lower manure handling costs

Accessibility

Shelter, water, bedding, minerals are important issues

Cow days/acre, $/cow-day

Annual forages

Yield (MT/ha) RFV

1999 2000 1999 2000

‘CDC Fatima’ Fababean 6.72 6.5 139 138

‘Donegal’ Soybean 6.72 3.58 121 140

‘Premier’ Kale 4.26 5.60 365 303

‘Hawkeye’ Barley 8.74 8.51 86 118

‘Hyland 2438’ Corn 16.8 - 128 -

‘Golden German’ Siberian Millet 8.28 10.97 79 93

‘FM82’ Pearl Millet - 11.64 - 93

‘Canamaize’ Corn - 9.63 - 150

‘Pioneer’ Corn - 10.53 - 155

‘Hyland’ Corn - 8.51 - 123

‘Pronghorn’ Triticale - 10.3 - -

Rotations

Rotations are evolving due to weed problems

Barley-Corn-Millet

Corn-Millet

Corn-Millet-Barley Silage-Pasture-Pasture

Animal performance

Mid gestation body weight (kg)

Drylot Grazing

1998-1999 614 619

1999-2000 652 668

2000-2001 655 669

Body weight change – mid to late gestation (kg)

Drylot Grazing

1998-1999 16.3 17.1

1999-2000 9.0 10.1

2000-2001 29.5 16.9

Body condition score (1-9)

Drylot Grazing

1998-1999 6.0 6.1

1999-2000 4.7 4.9

2000-2001 5.4 5.4

Calves born/cow wintered

Drylot Grazing

1998-1999 1.07a 1.00b

1999-2000 1.00 1.02

2000-2001 1.01 1.02

Stockpiled perennial pasture

DM Carrying Residual

Yield Capacity CP TDN herbage

Grazing dates (MT/ha) (CD/ha) (%) (%) (MT/ha)

10/14-11/26/98 4.97 106 15.1 56.8 2.32

10/15-11/22/99 3.80 107 11.1 56.1 1.25

10/18-11/10/00 2.90 73 12.0 45.9 1.29

10/15-11/21/01 3.20 126 8.9 55.0 1.27

09/18-10/23/02 3.93 153 10.2 63.1 1.43

Swathed foxtail millet

DM Carrying Residual

Yield Capacity CP TDN herbage

Grazing dates (MT/ha) (CD/ha) (%) (%) (MT/ha)

11/22-12/08/99 8.86 385 12.4 52.1 2.02

11/10-12/03/00 8.17 235 12.2 49.2 3.24

11/28-12/20/01 7.27 326 12.2 60.0 1.82

11/11-11/30/02 6.82 188 9.4 58.2 1.92

Corn

DM Carrying Residual

Yield Capacity CP TDN herbage

Grazing dates (MT/ha) (CD/ha) (%) (%) (MT/ha)

12/08/99-02/08/00 14.60 546 9.0 68.2 5.43 Amaizing Graze

12/03/00-12/20/00 10.28 290 8.4 55.7 4.11 Canamaize

12/20/01-1/18/02 7.13 287 6.9 61.4 3.11 39N03

11/11/02-11/30/02 4.00 281 14.1 70.5 .50 39T68

Triticale

DM Carrying Residual

Yield Capacity CP TDN herbage

Grazing dates (MT/ha) (CD/ha) (%) (%) (MT/ha)

10/02-10/18/00 12.00 534 9.8 53.1 5.43

Issues

Rotations – weeds

Infrastructure – shelter, water, fencing

Wildlife damage

Conclusions

Millet, corn, oats, and barley have great promise for extending the grazing season

Extended grazing reduces the cost of production

Proper crop rotations are essential to avoid weed problems

Infrastructure is critical

Good fences