Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Completed Competitive Grant

Winter grazing of stockpiled grass-legume forages to reduce costs of developing beef heifers

Project ID: 2004-E35

Abstract

Livestock producers looking for ways to cut costs may find that winter grazing offers a viable option.

Key Question: Is winter grazing of stockpiled grass-legume forages an effective strategy for reducing the costs of developing beef heifers and young cows in Iowa?

Findings: Even in a winter with above normal snowfall and cover, pregnant two-year cows grazing stockpiled forage required no hay and 16 to 286 lb corn gluten feed per cow compared to 5,195 lb hay and 69 lb corn gluten feed per cow. This decrease in hay feeding to grazing cows reduced winter production costs by $.07 to $.45 per cow per day depending on stocking rate.

Lead investigator: James Russell, ISU Animal Science, et al

Year of grant completion: 2006

This competitive grant project was part of the Leopold Center's Ecology Initiative.

Topics: Animal management and forage, Farmer profitability, enterprise budgets