Agriculture News
Trending
Alfalfa management plan
Dry weather has created hay shortages in many areas of North Dakota, with crops down to 50% of normal. Drought-damaged cereal crops that normally would be harvested for grain have been shifted to hay, which will help reduce the strain on hay demand.
The need for additional forage may alter fall forage management decisions, especially for alfalfa, affecting long-term persistence, according to North Dakota State University Extension specialists.
"The rule of thumb for late summer and early fall management of alfalfa is 'no cut September,'" James Rogers, NDSU Extension forage crops production specialist, said. "This allows alfalfa time to translocate nutrients from the top of the plant to the roots and crown for winter survival and spring growth."
This storage process will continue as long as the plant is actively growing and ends at the first killing freeze (24 degrees Fahrenheit). Ideally, the time period needed for alfalfa to store adequate nutrients is five to six weeks.
If alfalfa is harvested this late in the season, it does not have enough time before a killing frost to adequately replenish its stored energy reserves. This increases the chances of winter kill, slows spring growth and reduces long-term stand persistence.
Rogers said many other variables can work against alfalfa as well:
"Stands older than four years of age are more susceptible than newer stands," Rogers said. "Soil fertility will play a role; stands that are low in potassium and phosphorus are more susceptible to winter kill. The alfalfa variety and winter survival rating also influence the timing of a final harvest."
One option to consider if forage is needed for winter feeding is to delay harvest or grazing long enough for carbohydrate reserves to develop, but temperatures are low enough that any regrowth will not severely deplete them before a killing freeze. Little alfalfa regrowth will occur once temperatures consistently average 41 degrees Fahrenheit, generally in mid-October.
After a killing frost, the best option for harvesting residual alfalfa forage is with grazing.
"For grazing, wait until the alfalfa has dried for a minimum of 10 days to reduce potential bloat risk," Miranda Meehan, NDSU Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist, said. "Bloat risk increases with frost because plant cells rupture, releasing soluble proteins."
If considering grazing alfalfa, Meehan warns to be careful to avoid hoof damage to crowns caused by wet field conditions and pugging.
Harvesting alfalfa for hay postfrost is challenging. In general, weather conditions are not favorable for curing and baling. Excessive leaf shatter will also be an issue, reducing hay quality.
It is important not to graze alfalfa or alfalfa-grass stands short. If cut too short, the risk of winterkill increases, especially in stands older than four years. Rogers recommends leaving a minimum stubble height of 4 to 6 inches to assure proper snow catch and protection of the alfalfa crown.
"Late-season alfalfa can be a good source of late-season forage and increase grazing days or hay inventories on drought-impacted ranches," says Meehan. "If timed properly, there should be no negative impacts on alfalfa stands."
Management decisions made now will affect next year's forage production. Giving up some late-season alfalfa forage production this fall can pay off next year.
Interactive cow-calf record book
In a cow-calf operation, recordkeeping can be time- and labor-intensive; however, it is the only way for producers to have historical information to reference when contemplating making a change or investigating how a change impacted production or profitability.
North Dakota State University Extension has developed the NDSU Cow-Calf Record Book resource to easily visualize trends and changes within a herd through an entire production season -- from conception to weaning -- and to compare herd performance with North Dakota and nationwide averages.
"Not every operation has the same goals, which means not every type of record will hold the same priority from herd to herd," Lacey Quail, NDSU Extension livestock management specialist, said. "Some may want to focus on docility and structure, while others are working to improve calving distribution."
The NDSU Cow-Calf Record Book was built to be interactive, whether minimal or extensive records are entered. If baseline identification and breeding/calving/weaning dates are entered, the record book automatically returns an average breeding season length, calving and weaning rates, and a full breakdown of calving distribution.
"The number of calves born and weaned per female exposed to breeding is an indication of herd fertility and overall calf survival, both directly impacting profitability," Quail said. "On the other hand, the proportion of females calving in the first 21 days of the calving season points to reproductive efficiency of the herd."
Females that calve later in the calving season often wean lighter calves and are less likely to become pregnant in the following breeding season.
As additional records, such as age, location, weights, calving ease, parentage and pregnancy diagnosis are entered, additional summaries are provided:
- Average bull-to-female ratio for yearling and mature sires
- Automatic, printable lists of nonpregnant females and females set to calve, grouped by month of the calving season
- Average herd pregnancy rate, with breakdowns of pregnancy rate by dam age and Body Condition Score, sire and location
- Average birth weight, with breakdowns by calf sex, calving ease score, sire and dam age
- Pounds weaned per female exposed
- Top 10% of females in the herd, based on calf growth performance and percentage of body weight weaned
- Average calf weaning weight, average daily gain and adjusted 205-day weaning weights, with breakdowns by dam and sire characteristics
- Comprehensive herd summary page comparing herd averages to North Dakota or nationwide averages for the same metrics
The NDSU Cow-Calf Record Book can be downloaded as a Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets file at ndsu.ag/cow-calf-book-26.
Cow-calf recordkeeping workshop
Recordkeeping is an essential management tool that allows producers to track key production traits to guide genetic selection decisions. While many know its importance, organizing records into manageable and meaningful information can be intimidating.
North Dakota State University's Hettinger Research Extension Center, along with NDSU Extension - Adams County, will host a cow-calf recordkeeping workshop, "Ranch Counts and Calculations," on Oct. 1, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. MT.
The event will focus on the NDSU Cow-Calf Record Book, a new resource by NDSU Extension. This tool is designed for cow-calf producers, both commercial and purebred operators, to store and use records to improve their operations.
"The tool can look a little daunting when you first open it, but that's why we are hosting this event," says Aspen Lenning, NDSU Extension agriculture and natural resource agent in Adams County. "The tool has lots of options to go through and a wide variety of potential outputs."
Participants will learn how to use the NDSU Cow-Calf Record Book; utilize herd summaries to compare differences in sire, contemporary or management groups; identify the most and least productive dams in their herd; and visualize how their herd compares to North Dakota and nationwide production averages.
"We are excited to showcase this exceptional tool and assist producers in organizing their own data in real time," Rachel Gibbs, NDSU Extension small ruminants specialist, said. "This tool provides a recordkeeping framework that can be fully customized to fit the needs of your operation."
Event registration is available at ndsu.ag/cowcalfbookevent. Registrations are limited to 20 participants.
Ammoniation of Forages
When good or medium-quality hay is not available, livestock producers may consider feeding ammoniated low-quality hays or crop residues.
North Dakota State University Extension specialists offer insight to producers who may be considering ammoniation.
Ammoniation works by breaking down the lignin-cellulose bonds in the plant fiber, which increases hay intake by 15%-20%, James Rogers, NDSU Extension forage crops production specialist, said. Ammoniation also adds nitrogen that feeds the rumen microbes and improves fiber digestibility.
"Crude protein can be increased by at least double, and digestibility increased by 10%-30% in crop residues such as straw and corn stalks, making them equivalent to prairie hay in feed value," Rogers said.
Ammonia treatment prevents heating and is an effective fungicide in forages with moisture content up to 30%.
"A balanced mineral and vitamin A should be added to the diet whenever ammoniated residues are fed," Vinicius de Souza Izquierdo, NDSU Extension beef cattle specialist, said.
Research has shown that mature cows fed ammoniated residues will maintain weight and condition during gestation until 50 days before calving. Late-gestation cows, thin cows, growing heifers and first-calf cows may require additional energy and protein.
Ammoniation is best used to treat low-quality forages, including wheat, barley and oat straws; corn stover; and very mature, low-quality grass hay. Forages with less than 6% crude protein and 48% total digestible nutrient on a dry matter basis are candidates for ammoniation. Best results are achieved when the forage has greater than 10% moisture, with 15%-20% being ideal.
Treatment of immature medium- to high-quality forages with anhydrous ammonia results in only small changes in digestibility and intake and may cause toxicity problems when fed.
"If issues occur, remove cattle from ammoniated forage for several days, and avoid working or exciting them," Izquierdo said.
Karl Hoppe, NDSU Extension livestock systems specialist, said the ammoniation process is relatively simple: Forage is stacked, covered and sealed with 6-8-millimeter plastic to make an airtight environment.
Bale shape is not important, but average bale weight is important.
Anhydrous ammonia is added through a pipe into the sealed stack at a rate of 60 pounds per ton of dry forage or 3% of dry matter weight.
"For example, if you are ammoniating 72 bales weighing 1,000 pounds, you would need 2,160 pounds of anhydrous ammonia," Hoppe said.
Temperature affects the time required for optimal results. Temperatures of 86 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit will need to remain sealed for at least one week, 59 to 85 degrees for one to four weeks, and below 50 degrees requires four to eight weeks. Do not treat when the temperature is above 95 degrees, as the forage will absorb too much ammonia. Open one end of the stack three to seven days before feeding to let the excess ammonia gas escape.
Ammoniation of forages should be considered when prices of medium- or high-quality roughages are high. The estimated cost of anhydrous ammonia and plastic is $30-$40 per ton of forage, excluding labor and any additional equipment costs. Ammonia-treated hay should be tested for quality before feeding.
Hoppe suggests labeling samples "ammonia treated" so the correct analysis can be conducted.
Anhydrous ammonia is extremely hazardous and must be handled with appropriate personal protective equipment, equipment training and emergency procedures. Anhydrous ammonia has a strong affinity for water and rapidly reacts with moisture in the body to form ammonium hydroxide, a highly caustic substance that can cause severe chemical burns.
"Because body tissues contain moisture, anhydrous ammonia can damage the eyes, skin, nose, throat and respiratory system on contact," Angie Johnson, NDSU Extension farm and ranch safety specialist, said.
Exposure can quickly destroy living tissue, and serious injuries may be permanent.
Be sure to follow all personnel safety precautions when working with this chemical. Review the NDSU Extension publication "Anhydrous Ammonia: Managing the Risks." If you have come in contact with anhydrous ammonia, seek medical assistance immediately. A full list of safety precautions is available at ndsu.ag/anhy-ammonia-26.