Anyone good at calculating forage of standing crops?

[Rydero]

I've got about 60 acres of mixed crop. Oats, Sorghum Sudan, few types of millet, Ryegrass, clovers etc. Drought wasn't very kind to it most of the summer now we had a bunch of rain. It's approximately 18" high right now, a week till grazing. 80ish pairs - calves are about 5 months and weigh approximately average 500lbs. I have step ins and retractable spools to break the field down. They'll have to have access to previously grazed paddocks to get to water. I'm estimating between 20.and 30 days of grazing Anyone have a calculator or method that confirms or contradicts this?

 

[Stocker Steve]

1) Forage measuring sticks are often used for a quick guess. You multiply the forage height by a density factor. They work best in monocultures.
2) Cutting and then weighing the forage in a known area is also used. You can dry it down for a hard number, or estimate the percent moisture based on maturity. See corn silage.
3) Some universities publish typical cow day data for different annual crops. Utilization is obviously a wild card.

Mine is that height but thicker because of weeds. I am strip grazing it and providing some hay. I guesstimate 19 to 23 cow days per acre.

15 days?

 

[Rydero]

1) Forage measuring sticks are often used for a quick guess. You multiply the forage height by a density factor. They work best in monocultures.
2) Cutting and then weighing the forage in a known area is also used. You can dry it down for a hard number, or estimate the percent moisture based on maturity. See corn silage.
3) Some universities publish typical cow day data for different annual crops. Utilization is obviously a wild card.

Mine is that height but thicker because of weeds. I am strip grazing it and providing some hay. I guesstimate 19 to 23 cow days per acre.

15 days?

Thanks, you're saving me some fencing. I'll let them have the balance of.the quarter which is a little swampy and just give them 2 acres a day of the good stuff. If I thought the field alone could last them I'd want to fence a runway back to the water so the rest could grow a bit longer.

Found a calculator on the Beef Research Council site and it puts it at 12-18 days in my estimation, you're right in the middle.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Dammm. I have to start charging.

 

[Rydero]

Dammm. I have to start charging.

It'd be more profitable than farming. Let me know how it works out.

 

[snoopdog]

2-3 weeks with trampling loss,

 

[sim.-ang.king]

With those brown and yellow tips on the Sudan, you might want to check for nitrates.

 

[Rydero]

With those brown and yellow tips on the Sudan, you might want to check for nitrates.

The reason for the stress will be gone for a few weeks by the time the cows go in. My understanding with nitrates is they'll disapate as time goes on or am I mistaken?

 

[SmokinM]

It is my understanding that nitrate build up can/does go down as a plant leaves drought stress stages and start actively growing but it takes time. It does not dissipate after harvest like Prussic acid however. It is also usually at a higher concentration lower in the plant. How much nitrogen was applied to the crop?

Hopefully one of the forage gurus will chime in and correct what I missed.

 

[Rydero]

It is my understanding that nitrate build up can/does go down as a plant leaves drought stress stages and start actively growing but it takes time. It does not dissipate after harvest like Prussic acid however. It is also usually at a higher concentration lower in the plant. How much nitrogen was applied to the crop?

Hopefully one of the forage gurus will chime in and correct what I missed.

No nitrogen applied this year.

 

[cfpinz]

I'm going to guess there's (120) 5x4 rolls worth in that field, at 800 lbs each that'd be 96k of feed. At 50lbs/pair per day for 80 pairs that'd be 4k per day, and 24 days minus waste. Just pulled those numbers out of my , please let us know how long you get from it.

 

[callmefence]

No nitrogen applied this year.

Purrsic acid will leave the forage , nitrates not so much. If you didn't fertilize your most likely good.

 

[Rydero]

Getting ready, cows will be moved in this evening. Plan to give them approximately 4 acres/2 days to start and see how that goes. They'll have access to the rest of the quarter, which is mostly poorer quality forage at the same time. Should last about 30 days which will allow the other pastures to grow until the killing frost inevitably comes.

 

[Rydero]

They were waiting to be moved. First across the road, then to the field. Way they were bunched it's like they knew what was coming.

 

[Rydero]

In they went. Happy cows, should put some weight on the calves.

 

[SmokinM]

those brisket tags are interesting, never seen those

 

[Rydero]

those brisket tags are interesting, never seen those

I get lots of comments on them. They're popular.around here. Retention is great, had a cow lose one this summer, that's the first time. Little harder to put in but we think it's worth it. I'll have to take pics when I do the first calves.

 

[Silver]

Looks like that rain you got really did some good. I like that wire spooler, I have been trying to make something but having a tough time. I seem to have finally built a spool that holds 1/2 mile of the big (3/8"?) poly and I can wind it with a cordless drill, but the idea of leaving what you don't use on the spool like what you show is really interesting.

 

[Rydero]

Looks like that rain you got really did some good. I like that wire spooler, I have been trying to make something but having a tough time. I seem to have finally built a spool that holds 1/2 mile of the big (3/8"?) poly and I can wind it with a cordless drill, but the idea of leaving what you don't use on the spool like what you show is really interesting.

7-L Livestock equipment. I have the mini ones and the one in the pic is the bigger one, it'll hold 1&1/2 miles of 1/4" aircraft cable. I think I might like the mini better. You can use a drill. The bigger one I figured out you can use a 1/2" impact with a. 3/4" adapter instead.

 

[Dave]

Dammm. I have to start charging.

The real money is in seminars and writing books.