Profitable Forage Management Strategies
Producers encouraged to consider their stocking rates.
by Troy Smith for Angus Productions Inc.
(SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (Jan. 27, 2010) — It’s OK if your cost of production goes up, claims Texas AgriLife Extension Forage Specialist Larry Redmon, as long as your profit margin increases accordingly. However, too many producers are seeing their profits decline or disappear.
At a 2010 Cattle Industry Convention Cattlemen’s College® session, Redmon said a primary reason for reduced profitability is that many ranches are overstocked.
“If a rancher is feeding hay in July, it’s not a good sign. But I see that happening, particularly in drought-stricken areas,” Redmon said. “I would argue that the most important aspect of a forage-based livestock operation is stocking rate.”
According to Redmon, one of the reasons that a ranch might be overstocked is increased cattle size. A rancher might be grazing the same number of cattle that Granddad grazed on the same place, but today’s cattle are bigger and require more forage than smaller cattle of the past.
Another reason could be that the ranch may be producing less forage due to a lack of soil fertility. This is often true for “improved” grass pastures, Redmon explained. Bermuda grass, for example, was developed to produce a significant volume of forage in response to adequate fertilization. However, as a result of higher fertilizer costs, producers might be using less fertilizer or foregoing fertilization altogether.
“A soil test will tell you what you need. Without a soil test, you may under-apply nutrients that are lacking, or you may over-apply nutrients and waste money,” Redmon stated. “And always weigh the cost and benefit. Make sure fertilization will pay.”
Redmon said producers may want to consider seeding pastures to alternative forage species that don’t require high levels of fertilization. They may not produce the same volume of forage, but input costs will be much lower. Another option for some producers may be to return pastures to native grasses that don’t require any fertilization after establishment.
Another reason why ranches may be overstocked is that less grazeable forage is available due to encroachment of weeds and brush. Redmon advised producers to implement control programs noting that such programs still are affordable and cost-effective.
Reminding producers of the adverse effects of overstocking, Redmon said brush and unpalatable species will increase, dominating the plant community, while desirable forage plants decline. Environmental quality is adversely affected, too, as a result of increased rain run-off from severely overgrazed and denuded pastures. Overstocking also reduces drought resistance of range and pasture plants.
“If you stock your ranch according to the amount of forage produced from average precipitation, you will be overstocked,” Redmon stated. “If you stock at 75% of average carrying capacity and graze 40% to 50% of standing forage, you can withstand fluctuations in annual precipitation — except during periods of prolonged drought.
“When that happens, it’s often wise to consider selling some cattle or moving cattle to someplace where there is adequate grazing. Otherwise, you end up hurting future forage production, and animal performance is adversely affected unless you provide costly supplemental feed.”
Pfizer Animal Health sponsored the Cattlemen’s College, now in its 17th year.
Editor’s Note: This article was written under contract or by staff of Angus Productions Inc. (API), which claims copyright to this article. It may not be published or distributed without the express permission of Angus Productions Inc. To request reprint permission and guidelines, contact Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, at (816) 383-5270.