Producers looking to alternative feed sources

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

If current forage levels are poor, cattle should be supplemented with other protein sources, such as syrup.  One specialist noted it’s better to keep cattle in good condition now, rather than try to put weight on them later. -- Staff photo by Montgomery

Oct. 20, 2005 - Many beef cattle producers are more than likely asking themselves “what am I going to do about feeding my cows this winter?”

Reports are stating a shortage of hay, and those that have it can ask a pretty steep price.

One producer in the Bullard area stated, he had plenty of hay and was “selling some of it.”

�We have been lucky and gotten the rain when it was needed,� Jason Murphy said.

In Angelina County, Extension Agent Cary Sims stated the recent hurricane brought much needed rainfall to the county and many were getting their last cutting of hay, which would “get them by.”

But for the most part in the East Texas region, conditions this summer and early fall played havoc on hay production.

One of the driest areas in the state includes Shelby County. Janet Ritter with the Shelby County Farm Service Agency said producers are going to have to find hay elsewhere or sell their cattle. 

�I normally get three cuttings of hay at my place but this year I got zero,� she said.�

These sentiments have been echoed across the county and even with around 10 inches of rainfall from Hurricane Rita, the ground quickly soaked it up. 

�It�s dry,� was the words repeated over and over.�

Producers who do not have a good supply of hay, or are worrying about the high cost of hay, can look at alternative feed sources, including cottonseed, winter pasture, and alfalfa.

Sims said calls have been coming into his office about feeding cottonseed.

Cottonseed can be feed to cattle but producers need to be careful because of gossypol. Gossypol is a natural toxin in the cotton plant that protects it from insect damage.

According to Dr. Jason Cleere, Extension beef specialist, “Producers can feed up to one-half percent of a cow’s body weight which is typically five to six pounds.”

He added, whole cottonseed is high in fat, about 20 to 23 percent. 

Dr. Ron Gill, Extension beef specialist, added that producers with low forage can feed three to six pounds of whole cottonseed, and no more than three pounds to younger bulls between the ages of 2 and 3.

As far as cottonseed meal, Gill stated it can be fed when there is excess forage or low-quality forage. Cottonseed meal, when added to corn, can be used as a substitution for a “loose” range cube. This combination is about 20 percent protein with between a 75 and 80 percent TDN. 

Producers are also looking at the calendar with hopes of planting winter pasture before soil temperatures get too cold. According to experts at East Texas Seed Company in Tyler, some producers are holding off planting because of extreme dry conditions. 

�Winter pasture is a must for those with limited supply of hay,� Marshall Crouch with East Texas Seed Company said.�

Crouch suggested planting more legumes, such as clovers, to offset the high fertilizer prices. 

�Legumes will add 80 to 100 pounds of nitrogen back into the ground for free,� Crouch stated.�

He added most inputs are higher this year, including seed because of crop shortages caused from difficult growing conditions this past summer. 

�A dry fall is as bad as a dry spring. But, if we get some rain we could get another cutting,� Rick Hirsch, Henderson County Extension agent stated.�

Hirsch added he expects an increase in winter pasture if “we get some rain within the planting windows.” 

Another alternative is feeding alfalfa. 

�Alfalfa is the best choice. If a producer fed up to one-half the diet in alfalfa, they wouldn�t have to feed anything else but mineral,� Gill stated. Most producers, according to the specialist, only feed about a third, with low quality forage.�

He added alfalfa cost around $120 per ton for a 4x4 bale. One thing about alfalfa is it needs to be kept out of the elements. Once wet, alfalfa will mold and rot.

Cleere stated alfalfa should be limited due to the high quality of protein (18 to 20 percent). “A lot of producers use it as a protein supplement. Free choice could cause bloat, especially if the alfalfa is dairy or horse quality. (Beef) producers should feed the lower end (protein count of) alfalfa.”

Cleere advised producers to price the protein of the alfalfa and compare it to what they can get the same quality protein hay in their area. For example, if hay cost $40 a bale and only has 6 percent protein, it would be better off to go with the alfalfa. But if the local hay is 18 percent protein then it might be better to buy the local hay.

Other producers across the region are looking to supplement with extra feed including cubes, syrup, rice meal and corn, along with a mineral supplement.

Ritter, in Shelby County, added that one producer she knows of has traveled to New Mexico and gotten peanut vines to feed to his cattle. 

There are several feed cubes to choose from at most stores. At A&M Farm Supply in Longview, cubes are $5.65 per 50-pound sack and $205 per ton. Cubes at Northeast Texas Farmers Co-op in Sulphur Springs, range in price from $176 to $220 per ton (delivered, depending on your farm’s location). They also have cubes in a 50 pound sack that sell for $4.85. 

Another hot commodity at A&M Farm Supply is a 14 percent creep pellet, which sells for $180 per ton.

The NETX Farmers Co-op also has bulk pricing on a product called Forage Extender which is a 12 percent protein, 14 percent protein or 16 percent protein. This product ranges in price from $160 to $169 per ton.

Cottonseed meal, at A&M Farm Supply, will cost around $7.40 per 50 pound sack. At Northeast Texas Farmers Co-op, cottonseed meal is costing $7.20 per 50-pound sack. 

Right now, it is still a wait-and-see game, but one feed specialist advised producers should be feeding some type of protein supplement, whether it be blocks, cubes, licks or tubs, to their cattle for body conditioning. 

With available grass and without the harshness of winter, one beef specialist concluded, “It is easier to put weight on them now, than later.”