|
2002 Annual Report Grassland Section |
Dickinson
Research Extension Center
1089 State Avenue Dickinson, ND 58601 |
Pasture
and Forage Costs of Management Strategies for Range Cows
with Calves during the Early Lactation Production Period
Llewellyn
L. Manske PhD
Range Scientist
North
Dakota State University
Dickinson Research
Extension Center
Introduction
The beef production industry
in the Northern Plains has a low profit margin. A logical response to this situation
is the scientific evaluation of management-practice effectiveness in reducing
production costs by reducing pasture and harvested-forage costs, which constitute
the greatest portion of the total annual production costs for a beef cow and
calf. Because the daily requirements for cows differ with production period,
proper evaluation of management strategies requires two steps: evaluation of
pasture and forage costs related to each production period and evaluation of
the management strategies for livestock production periods as components within
a complete 12-month pasture-forage management system. Achieving reductions in
livestock production costs for range cows during the early lactation production
period requires an understanding of the production costs of common traditional
practices and the costs of readily available alternative management practices.
This study evaluated several
pasture-forage management strategies to determine the pasture-forage costs for
range cows during the early lactation production period. The pasture management
strategy was native rangeland pastures used for repeated early season grazing.
The harvested-forage management strategies were crested wheatgrass, forage barley
hay, oat hay, pea forage hay, forage lentil hay, and oat-pea hay. The management
strategy costs evaluated were pasture or land rent values per acre, production
costs per acre, costs per unit of forage dry matter, costs per unit of nutrient,
land area per animal unit, and forage feed costs per day, per month, or per
production period.
Procedure
This study was conducted
at the NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center, located in western North Dakota.
Pasture-forage costs were evaluated from data collected on projects conducted
between 1983 and 1999. Native rangeland herbage weight data were collected from
ungrazed plots. Forage dry matter yield per acre and percent crude protein data
for perennial domesticated grass hay and annual cereal and annual legume hays
were taken from a previous study (Manske and Carr 2000). Pasture rent value
of $8.76 per acre for native rangeland pasture, land rent value of $22.07 per
acre for cropland, and land rent value of $14.22 per acre for domesticated grass
hayland were used in the determination of production costs for forage types.
Range cow daily nutritional requirements, which change with cow size, level
of milk production, and production period, were taken from NRC (1996).
Pasture and forage costs
of feed to meet livestock dry matter and crude protein requirements were determined
during this study. Production costs per acre were determined by adding average
land rent per acre, custom farm work rates, seed costs per acre, and baling
costs at per half ton rates. Costs per ton of forage dry matter (DM) were determined
by dividing production costs per acre by pounds of forage dry matter yield per
acre and multiplying the quotient by 2000 pounds. Costs per pound of crude protein
(CP) were determined in two stages: first, pounds of forage dry matter per acre
were multiplied by percentage of forage crude protein to derive pounds of crude
protein per acre; then, production costs per acre were divided by pounds of
crude protein per acre. Pasture land area per animal unit per month was determined
in two stages: first, pounds of forage dry matter per acre were divided by pounds
of forage dry matter required per animal unit per day to derive number of grazing
days per acre; then, the average number of days per month was divided by the
number of grazing days per acre. Harvested-forage land area per animal unit
per month or per production period was determined in two stages: first, pounds
of crude protein required per animal per day during a production period were
divided by percentage of crude protein of forage type to derive pounds of forage
dry matter to provide as feed per animal unit per day; then, pounds of forage
dry matter to feed per day were divided by pounds of forage dry matter per acre,
and the quotient was multiplied by 30 days per month, 30.5 days per month, or
the number of days per production period. Forage feed costs per animal per day,
per month, or per production period were determined in three stages: first,
production costs per acre were divided by pounds of forage dry matter per acre,
and that quotient was divided by percentage of forage crude protein to derive
cost per pound of crude protein; next, the cost per pound of crude protein was
multiplied by pounds of crude protein required per animal per day during a production
period; then, the feed costs per day were multiplied by 30 days per month, 30.5
days per month, or the number of days per production period.
Treatments
Native rangeland pastures
were used for repeated early season grazing and had no grazing during the remainder
of the growing season. Harvested forages were cut by swathing and were then
rolled into large round bales. Mature crested wheatgrass hay was cut at a mature
plant stage. Early crested wheatgrass hay was cut at the boot stage. Forage
barley hay was cut both at the milk stage and at the hard dough stage. Oat hay
was cut both at the milk stage and at the hard dough stage. Pea forage hay was
cut at both early and late plant stages. Forage lentil hay was cut at both early
and late plant stages. Oat-pea forage was cut for hay.
Results
Costs of forage dry matter
and crude protein (tables 1, 2, and 3) to meet the requirements
of a 1200-pound range cow during the early lactation production period were
determined. The cow required a daily intake of 27 lbs dry matter (DM) at 10.1%
crude protein (CP) (2.7 lbs CP/day).
During early spring, forage
on native range pasture has a crude protein content of around 9.2%. Early spring
native range forage has production costs of $8.76 per acre, forage dry matter
costs of $140.16 per ton, and crude protein costs of $0.76 per pound. A cow
grazing during the early lactation period requires 7.20 acres of native range
pasture per month, at a cost of $2.10 per day, or $63.07 per month. The crude
protein content of early spring native range forage is below the requirements
of a cow during early lactation, and crude protein would need to be supplemented
at 0.25 lbs per cow per day, or 7.5 lbs per cow per month.
Crested wheatgrass cut
late, at a mature plant stage, has a crude protein content of around 6.4%. This
low-quality hay has production costs of $28.11 per acre, forage dry matter costs
of $34.80 per ton, and crude protein costs of $0.28 per pound. This late-cut
hay would need to be fed at 42.2 lbs DM/day to provide 2.7 lbs CP/day. The nutrient
content of mature crested wheatgrass hay is below the dietary requirements of
a cow during early lactation. An additional 1.00 lb of crude protein per day
would need to be provided when mature crested wheatgrass hay is fed at the dry
matter requirement. Production of mature crested wheatgrass hay to feed a cow
during early lactation requires 0.80 acres per month and costs $0.75 per day,
or $22.48 per month.
Crested wheatgrass hay
cut early, at the boot stage, has a crude protein content of around 14.5%. This
high-quality hay has production costs of $26.50 per acre, forage dry matter
costs of $40.80 per ton, and crude protein costs of $0.14 per pound. This early
cut hay would be fed at 18.8 lbs DM/day to provide 2.7 lbs CP/day. An additional
8.2 lbs of roughage per day would need to be provided. Production of early cut
crested wheatgrass hay to feed a cow during early lactation requires 0.43 acres
per month and costs $0.38 per day, or $11.51 per month.
Forage barley hay cut early,
at the milk stage, has a crude protein content of 13.0%. This forage barley
hay has production costs of $68.21 per acre, forage dry matter costs of $28.80
per ton, and crude protein costs of $0.11 per pound. Early cut forage barley
hay would be fed at 21.0 lbs DM/day to provide 2.7 lbs CP/day. An additional
6.0 lbs of roughage per day would need to be provided. Production of early cut
forage barley hay to feed a cow during early lactation requires 0.13 acres per
month and costs $0.30 per day, or $9.08 per month.
Forage barley hay cut late,
at the hard dough stage, has a crude protein content of 9.2%. This forage barley
hay has production costs of $70.35 per acre, forage dry matter costs of $27.40
per ton, and crude protein costs of $0.15 per pound. Late-cut forage barley
hay would be fed at 29.7 lbs DM/day to provide 2.7 lbs CP/day. An additional
0.25 lbs of crude protein per day would need to be provided when late-cut forage
barley is fed at the dry matter requirement. Production of late-cut forage barley
hay to feed a cow during early lactation requires 0.17 acres per month and costs
$0.41 per day, or $12.20 per month.
Oat hay cut early, at the
milk stage, has a crude protein content of 11.5%. This oat hay has production
costs of $69.17 per acre, forage dry matter costs of $29.60 per ton, and crude
protein costs of $0.13 per pound. Early cut oat hay would be fed at 23.7 lbs
DM/day to provide 2.7 lbs CP/day. An additional 3.3 lbs of roughage per day
would need to be provided. Production of early cut oat hay to feed a cow during
early lactation requires 0.15 acres per month and costs $0.35 per day, or $10.56
per month.
Oat hay cut late, at the
hard dough stage, has a crude protein content of 7.8%. This oat hay has production
costs of $74.53 per acre, forage dry matter costs of $26.40 per ton, and crude
protein costs of $0.17 per pound. Late-cut oat hay would be fed at 35 lbs DM/day
to provide 2.7 lbs CP/day. An additional 0.62 lbs of crude protein per day would
need to be provided when late cut oat hay is fed at the dry matter requirements.
Production of late-cut oat hay to feed a cow during early lactation requires
0.19 acres per month and costs $0.46 per day, or $13.81 per month.
Pea forage hay cut at an
early plant stage has a crude protein content of 18.9%. This pea hay has production
costs of $79.96 per acre, forage dry matter costs of $55.00 per ton, and crude
protein costs of $0.15 per pound. Early cut pea forage hay would be fed at 14.4
lbs DM/day to provide 2.7 lbs CP/day. An additional 12.6 lbs of roughage per
day would need to be provided. Production of early-cut pea forage hay to feed
a cow during early lactation requires 0.15 acres per month and costs $0.41 per
day, or $12.37 per month.
Pea forage hay cut at a
late plant stage has a crude protein content of 14.4%. This pea hay has production
costs of $86.87 per acre, forage dry matter costs of $37.40 per ton, and crude
protein costs of $0.13 per pound. Late-cut pea forage hay would be fed at 19.0
lbs DM/day to provide 2.7 lbs CP/day. An additional 8.0 lbs of roughage per
day would need to be provided. Production of late-cut pea forage hay to feed
a cow during early lactation requires 0.12 acres per month and costs $0.35 per
day, or $10.63 per month.
Forage lentil hay cut at
an early plant stage has a crude protein content of 21.8%. This lentil hay has
production costs of $59.69 per acre, forage dry matter costs of $71.60 per ton,
and crude protein costs of $0.17 per pound. Early cut lentil hay would be fed
at 12.5 lbs DM/day to provide 2.7 lbs CP/day. An additional 14.5 lbs of roughage
per day would need to be provided. Production of early cut forage lentil hay
to feed a cow during early lactation requires 0.23 acres per month and costs
$0.45 per day, or $13.45 per month.
Forage lentil hay cut at
a late plant stage has a crude protein content of 14.7%. This lentil hay has
production costs of $71.48 per acre, forage dry matter costs of $37.00 per ton,
and crude protein costs of $0.13 per pound. Late-cut lentil hay would be fed
at 18.6 lbs DM/day to provide 2.7 lbs CP/day. An additional 8.4 lbs of roughage
per day would need to be provided. Production of late-cut forage lentil hay
to feed a cow during early lactation requires 0.14 acres per month and costs
$0.34 per day, or $10.30 per month.
Oat-pea forage hay has
a crude protein content of 12.5%. This oat-pea hay has production costs of $95.52
per acre, forage dry matter costs of $37.20 per ton, and crude protein costs
of $0.15 per pound. Oat-pea hay would be fed at 21.8 lbs DM/day to provide 2.7
lbs CP/day. An additional 5.2 lbs of roughage per day would need to be provided.
Production of oat-pea hay to feed a cow during early lactation requires 0.13
acres per month and costs $0.41 per day, or $12.17 per month.
Pasture-Forage Costs
Pasture and forage costs
of pasture and harvested-forage management strategies for range cows during
the early lactation production period are shown in table 4.
Production costs per acre
for harvested forages were greater than pasture rent per acre. Production costs
per acre for annual cereal and annual legume hays were considerably greater
than those for perennial grass hay. Harvested forages cut late have greater
production costs per acre than the same forage type cut early because the greater
dry matter yield of the late-cut forages results in increased baling costs.
The relationships of forage production costs among pastures, perennial hays,
and annual hays are often interpreted to indicate that feeding livestock annual
cereal and annual legume hays is more expensive than feeding livestock perennial
grass hay, which in turn is more expensive than grazing livestock on perennial
grass pasture. This interpretation of pasture-forage production costs per acre
has been the basis for numerous management strategies for range cows during
the early lactation production period. However, neither production costs per
acre nor pasture rent per acre accurately reflects livestock production costs
because forage dry matter weight per acre and nutrient weight per acre captured
through grazing or haying vary with forage type and plant growth stage, and
the variations are not proportional to these per acre costs.
The costs per unit of forage
dry matter reflect the relationships between the pasture rent per acre or production
costs per acre and the amount of dry matter consumed by grazing livestock or
cut for hay. Cost of harvested forage per unit of weight is commonly used to
compare different forage types, but cost of pasture forage dry matter livestock
consume by grazing is generally not considered by livestock producers when they
compare costs of management strategies. The dry matter costs for early spring
forage on native range pastures were very high ($140.16/ton) and were greater
than the dry matter costs for perennial grass hays ($34.80 and $40.80/ton) and
annual cereal ($26.40 to $29.60/ton) and annual legume ($37.00 to $71.60/ton)
hays. Forage dry matter costs per ton were greater for harvested forages cut
early than for the same forage type cut late because the production costs per
acre were shared by fewer pounds of forage dry matter yield for the early cut
forages. Forage dry matter costs per unit of weight do not accurately reflect
livestock production costs because of the variable quantity of nutrients contained
within the dry matter and the resulting differences in the amount of dry matter
needed to provide adequate quantities of nutrients for livestock.
Cost per unit of nutrient
is an important indicator of livestock pasture-forage costs. Nutrient cost per
unit of weight is related to the forage dry matter cost and the quantity of
nutrients per unit of forage weight. The crude protein costs ($0.76/lb) on early
spring native range pastures were very high and were considerably greater than
the crude protein costs per pound for harvested forages. Crude protein costs
for early cut perennial grass hay ($0.14/lb) and annual cereal hays ($0.11 and
$0.13/lb) were lower than crude protein costs for the same forage types cut
late ($0.28, $0.15 and $0.17/lb, respectively). Crude protein costs for late-cut
annual legume hays ($0.13 and $0.13/lb) were lower than crude protein costs
for the same forage types cut early ($0.15 and $0.17/lb). High-quality forages
have lower costs per unit of nutrient than low-quality forages at the same cost
per unit of dry matter. Even high-quality forages with a higher cost per unit
of dry matter may actually be less costly feed because less of the high-quality
forage is needed to meet the nutritional requirements of the livestock. Crude
protein content of early spring native range pastures, mature crested wheatgrass
hay, late-cut forage barley hay, and late-cut oat hay was below the requirements
of cows during the early lactation production period.
Land area per animal unit
has not been traditionally recognized as an important factor in beef production
costs. On early spring native range pastures, land area per month required to
provide forage for a cow during the early lactation production period was high
(7.2 acres). Land area required to produce one month of forage for a cow during
early lactation ranged between 0.12 and 0.80 acres for harvested forages: production
of crested wheatgrass hay cut at a mature plant stage required the larger land
area, and production of pea forage cut late required the smaller land area.
Costs of the land area required to provide adequate quantities of forage for
a cow contribute substantially to total production costs. The greater the amount
of the produced nutrients captured from a land base, the smaller the land area
required by an animal unit and the lower the production costs.
Livestock forage feed costs
on native range pastures with repeated early season grazing were high ($2.10/day
and $63.07/month) because the forage quantity and quality were low. Feed costs
per day and per month for early cut crested wheatgrass hay ($0.38/day and $11.51/month)
were about half the feed costs for mature-cut crested wheatgrass hay ($0.75/day
and $22.48/month). The feed costs for annual cereal and annual legume hays were
less than $0.46 per day and $14.00 per month. The feed costs for early cut annual
cereal hays ($0.30 and $0.35/day) were lower than the feed costs for late-cut
annual cereal hays ($0.41 and $0.46/day). The feed costs for late-cut annual
legume hays ($0.34 and $0.35/day) were lower than the feed costs for early cut
annual legume hays ($0.41 and $0.45/day). The feed costs for oat-pea hay ($0.41/day)
were similar to those for late-cut annual cereal hays and early cut legume hays.
Perennial grass hays yield
greater pounds of crude protein per acre when harvested during early developmental
stages, around the boot stage to the flowering stage. Annual cereal hays yield
greater pounds of crude protein per acre when harvested during early developmental
stages, around the flowering stage to late milk stage. Annual legume hays generally
yield greater pounds of crude protein per acre when harvested during the middle
and late stages of development. Cereal-legume mixed hays have generally not
produced greater quantities of forage dry matter or pounds of crude protein
per acre than have annual cereals or annual legumes seeded separately, because
of the differences in optimum harvest times for annual cereals and annual legumes.
Cutting forage hays at their optimum harvest times reduces livestock feed costs
per day and per month because the cost per pound of crude protein is lower when
greater pounds of crude protein per acre are captured during harvest. The pasture-forage
management strategies with livestock forage feed costs at $0.35 or lower per
day and lower than $11.00 per month were forage barley cut at the milk stage,
oat hay cut at the milk stage, pea forage cut at the late stage, and forage
lentil cut at the late stage. Forage barley cut at the milk stage had the lowest
feed costs for range cows during the early lactation production period.
Discussion
Grazing native rangeland
during early spring is a commonly accepted practice because of the assumed reduction
in the costs of the harvested forage fed to livestock. However, costs of forage
dry matter and crude protein on native rangeland during early spring are greater
than the costs of most harvested forages, and early spring grazing can degrade
grassland ecosystems by removing leaf area that the grass plant depends on to
provide nourishment for healthy spring growth.
The cost of grazing native
rangeland during early spring is high because the weight of the herbage on early
spring pastures is only about one third of the mid summer herbage weight and
livestock grazing native rangeland therefore require about three times the number
of acres per month in the early spring that they do during the summer. The nutritional
quality of early spring herbage is increasing but still below the crude protein
requirements of early lactating cows, and supplementation is needed.
Cool-season grasses initiate
lead tiller growth during late summer and early fall and resume active growth
the next spring. Spring growth of cool-season grass leaves depends both on carbohydrate
reserves and on photosynthetic products from the portions of fall-initiated
tiller leaves that have overwintered and regreened. Spring growth of warm-season
grass leaves depends initially on carbohydrate reserves and later both on carbohydrate
reserves and on photosynthetic product from young leaves.
Grass plant growth and
development depend on adequate carbohydrate reserves in early spring because
the amount of photosynthetic product synthesized by early growing leaves is
insufficient to meet the requirements for leaf growth. Grass growth also requires
that the plant have adequate leaf area to provide photosynthetic product for
early growing leaves. The total nonstructural carbohydrates of a grass plant
are at low levels following the reduction of reserves during the winter respiration
period. The quantity of reserve carbohydrates remaining in the roots and stems
during early spring may not be adequate to support root growth and leaf growth
until sufficient leaf area is produced to provide the photosynthetic assimilates
required for plant growth and other processes. Removal of aboveground material
deprives plants of foliage needed for photosynthesis and increases the demand
upon already low levels of carbohydrate reserves when sequential leaves grow.
The quantity of herbage
produced by a grass plant after it has been grazed is dependent on the levels
of carbohydrates remaining in the plant after defoliation. Grass plants are
not physiologically ready to withstand defoliation until after they have reached
the third-leaf stage. Defoliation of the tiller when the plant is low in carbohydrates,
before the third-leaf stage, results in reduced rates of herbage production
and reduced peak herbage biomass production later in the year. Starting spring
grazing on native range in early May results in a loss of 75% of the potential
herbage, and starting grazing in mid May results in a loss of 45% to 60% of
the potential herbage (Manske 2000). Reductions in the amount of herbage produced
lead to reductions in stocking rate, calf average daily gain, calf gain per
acre, net returns per cow-calf pair, and net returns per acre. Delaying grazing
until early June, after cool-season grasses have arrived at the third-leaf stage,
results in improved herbage production and livestock performance that produce
greater economic returns for the cow-calf operation.
Feeding low-cost harvested
forages is an economically and ecologically sound alternative to grazing livestock
on early spring native range pasture. Harvested forages are usually viewed as
expensive feeds because the production costs per acre are greater than pasture
rent per acre and a high percentage of the harvested-forage production costs
consist of labor and equipment costs. Some harvested forages are expensive,
but not all harvested forages are high-cost feeds. Harvested forages cut at
plant stages that yield great amounts of dry matter and low amounts of crude
protein per acre have high costs per unit of nutrient and are generally expensive
forages that increase livestock production costs. However, harvested forages
cut at plant stages that yield greater amounts of crude protein per acre have
lower costs per unit of nutrient and are relatively low-cost forages that help
reduce livestock production costs. Early crested wheatgrass, early forage barley,
early oat hay, late pea forage, late forage lentil, and oat-pea hay have crude
protein costs below $0.25/lb and feed costs below $0.62/day. Use of these forages
should help reduce livestock production costs so that profit margins are positive
even when calves are sold at $0.70/lb.
Conclusion
The traditional pasture-forage
management strategies used in the Northern Plains were developed during the
era of low-performance livestock. During the past several decades the type of
livestock in the region has shifted to a fast-growing, high-performance animal,
but pasture-forage management strategies have not been adjusted to take full
advantage of the livestock's genetic potential. The use of slightly modified
low-performance pasture-forage management strategies with high-performance livestock
results in calves with weaning weights below potential and in high annual expenses
for cow maintenance.
Attempts to produce high-performance
livestock by using traditional low-performance management strategies have resulted
in high production costs and low profit margins. Evaluation of production costs
and profit margins from total cash expenses and cash receipts or from the information
included on income tax and bank loan forms may be adequate to determine the
financial status of a livestock operation, but these financial records do not
provide adequate information for the evaluation of the effectiveness of specific
pasture-forage management strategies. Traditional comparisons of pasture or
land rent values, forage production costs per acre, and forage dry matter bulk
weight costs do not accurately reflect livestock production costs and the effectiveness
of pasture-forage management strategies.
High-performance pasture-forage
management strategies combine pasture and forage types so that herbage production
curves and nutritional quality curves coordinate with the twelve-month dietary
quantity and quality requirement curves of cow production periods. Such management
strategies meet the nutritional requirements of livestock during the entire
year at low costs per unit of saleable product. Evaluation of the effectiveness
of management strategies in reducing livestock production costs can be accomplished
through comparisons of costs per unit of nutrient; land area per animal unit;
forage feed costs per day, per month, or per production period; and costs per
pound of calf weight gain. Implementation of high-performance pasture-forage
management strategies will result in improved livestock weight performance,
reduced livestock production costs, and increased profit margins.
Acknowledgment
I am grateful to Amy M.
Kraus for assistance in the preparation of this manuscript. I am grateful to
Sheri Schneider for assistance in production of this manuscript and for development
of the tables.
Literature
Cited
Manske, L.L., and
P.M. Carr. 2000. Determination of costs of harvested forage types to
help reduce beef production costs. NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center.
Range Research Report DREC 00-1029. Dickinson, North Dakota. 18p.
Manske, L.L. 2000.
Grazing before grass is ready. NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center.
Range Management Report DREC 00-1032. Dickinson, North Dakota. 6p.
National Research
Council. 1996. Nutrient requirements of beef cattle. 7th
rev. ed. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.
| Table 2. Forage costs of annual cereal management strategies for range cows during the early lactation production period. | ||||||
 |
|
Forage
Barley Hay |
Forage
Barley Hay |
Oat
Hay
|
Oat
Hay
|
|
| Growth Stage |
|
Milk
|
Hard
Dough
|
Milk
|
Hard
Dough
|
|
| Herbage Weight |
lb/ac
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Forage DM Weight |
lb/ac
|
4733
|
5133
|
4667
|
5667
|
|
| Costs/Acre |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Land Rent |
$
|
22.07
|
22.07
|
22.07
|
22.07
|
|
Custom Work |
$
|
16.08
|
16.08
|
16.08
|
16.08
|
|
Seed Cost |
$
|
4.69
|
4.69
|
6.00
|
6.00
|
|
Baling Costs |
$
|
25.37
|
27.51
|
25.02
|
30.38
|
| Production Costs |
$/ac
|
68.21
|
70.35
|
69.17
|
74.53
|
|
| Forage DM Costs |
$/ton
|
28.80
|
27.40
|
29.60
|
26.40
|
|
| Land Area/Month |
ac
|
0.13
|
0.17
|
0.15
|
0.19
|
|
| Land Costs/Month |
$/month
|
2.87
|
3.83
|
3.37
|
4.08
|
|
| Feed Costs/Day |
$/day
|
0.30
|
0.41
|
0.35
|
0.46
|
|
| Feed Costs/Month |
$/month
|
9.08
|
12.20
|
10.56
|
13.81
|
|
| Crude Protein |
%
|
13.0
|
9.2
|
11.5
|
7.8
|
|
| Crude Protein Yield |
lb/ac
|
606
|
468
|
535
|
435
|
|
| Crude Protein Cost |
$/lb
|
0.11
|
0.15
|
0.13
|
0.17
|
|
| Table 3. Forage costs of annual legume management strategies for range cows during the early lactation production period. | |||||||
|
|
Pea
Forage Hay |
Pea
Forage Hay |
Forage
Lentil Hay |
Forage
Lentil Hay |
Oat-Pea
Hay |
|
| Growth Stage |
|
Early
|
Late
|
Early
|
Late
|
|
|
| Herbage Weight |
lb/ac
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Forage DM Weight |
lb/ac
|
2800
|
4650
|
1667
|
3867
|
5143
|
|
| Costs/Acre |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Land Rent |
$
|
22.07
|
22.07
|
22.07
|
22.07
|
22.07
|
|
Custom Work |
$
|
16.08
|
16.08
|
16.08
|
16.08
|
16.08
|
|
Seed Cost |
$
|
23.80
|
23.80
|
12.60
|
12.60
|
29.80
|
|
Baling Costs |
$
|
15.01
|
24.92
|
8.94
|
20.73
|
27.57
|
| Production Costs |
$/ac
|
79.96
|
86.87
|
59.69
|
71.48
|
95.52
|
|
| Forage DM Costs |
$/ton
|
55.00
|
37.40
|
71.60
|
37.00
|
37.20
|
|
| Land Area/Month |
ac
|
0.15
|
0.12
|
0.23
|
0.14
|
0.13
|
|
| Land Cost/Month |
$/month
|
3.42
|
2.65
|
4.97
|
3.18
|
2.81
|
|
| Feed Costs/Day |
$/day
|
0.41
|
0.35
|
0.45
|
0.34
|
0.41
|
|
| Feed Costs/Month |
$/month
|
12.37
|
10.63
|
13.45
|
10.30
|
12.17
|
|
| Crude Protein |
%
|
18.9
|
14.4
|
21.8
|
14.7
|
12.5
|
|
| Crude Protein Yield |
lb/ac
|
526
|
685
|
361
|
567
|
611
|
|
| Crude Protein Cost |
$/lb
|
0.15
|
0.13
|
0.17
|
0.13
|
0.15
|
|
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