Drought Management
Strategies
Greg Highfill
OSU NW Area Livestock Specialist
Bob LeValley
OSU SW Area Livestock Specialist
Getting the Most
Out of Your Hay
Strategies
Reducing hay intake by limiting
access
– reduce waste and increase
digestibility
• Put out less hay
– Roll out : feed predetermined amount
• Limit access to bales
Limiting Access to Hay
Minnesota
Access Time per Day
Item 6 hr 14 hr 24 hr P
Hay DM Intake, lb
21.2
(-23%)
24.4
(-11%)
27.4
< 0.01
Cow BW change, lb 27.3 36.5 51.2 > 0.10
Jaderborg et al., 2011 University of Minnesota
9.5% CP, 54.6% TDN Grass Hay
Gestating Angus cows
Limiting Access to Hay
Illinois Exp 1
Access Time per Day
Item 6 hr 9 hr 24 hr P
Hay DM disappearance, lb
24.5
(-28%)
29.3
(-14%)
34.2
< 0.01
Cow BW change, lb 161 192 207 0.03
Miller et al., 2007 University of Illinois
87 days, Alfalfa hay
17.6% CP, 62.3% TDN
Simmental cows, late gestation
Limiting Access to Hay
Illinois Exp 2
Access Time per Day
Item 6 hr 9 hr 24 hr P
Hay DM Disappearance, lb 23.6
(-19%)
24.7
(-13%)
28.4
< 0.01
Cow BW change, lb 141 159 168 0.12
Miller et al., 2007 University of Illinois
89 days, Alfalfa Hay
15.4% CP, 61.2% TDN
Simmental cows, late gestation
Limiting Access to Hay
• Limiting access to hay, if practical, will
reduce consumption and waste
• Cow performance will depend on quality of
hay and time allowed access
• Probably not for young cows
• Hay disappearance reduced about 15%-28%
with acceptable performance
• Cows should be initially in good body
condition
Using Better Hay Feeders
Feeder Treatments
Poly
$209
OBSR
$100
RING
$300
MCONE
$525
Effect of Feeder
Design on Waste
Feeder
Item MCONE OBSR POLY RING P-value
Total waste, lb 71a 283b 294b 170c < 0.01
Waste, % bale wt 5.3a 20.5b 21.0b 13.0c < 0.01
a,b,cMeans within a row with uncommon superscript differ (P <0.05)
How much does
wasted hay really cost?
Treatments
MCO OBSR POLY RING
Cost/ ton, $ $ Wasted/ feeding period*
40 57.19 213.43 221.04 130.63
50 71.49 266.79 276.30 163.29
60 85.78 320.14 331.56 195.94
70 100.08 373.50 386.82 228.60
80 114.38 426.86 442.08 261.26
90 128.67 480.21 497.34 293.91
100 142.97 533.57 552.60 326.57
110 157.27 586.93 607.86 359.23
120 171.57 640.29 663.12 391.89
*Assuming 120 d Feeding period, 1500 lb avg. Bale wt., feeding 2 bales/wk
MCONE
h = 0
MCONE
h = 96
OBSR
h = 0
OBSR
h = 96
Effect of Ionophore on Cow
Performance
Supplement
Item Con Rum
Initial wt, lb 1083 1091
Initial BCS 5.15 5.21
Change in wt 35 65
Change in BCS 0.13 0.57
ADG, lb/d 0.62 1.12
Approx. 56 d trial length
3 lbs/day 33% CP supplement
Rumensin cost approx. $.02/head/day
No effect on dry matter intake
Test Your Hay!
Hay trucked in to SW OK
Alfalfa:
• 16 samples
• 14.5-26.4% C.P.
Bermudagrass:
• 9 samples
• 7.3-11.6% C.P.
Grass Hay (other)
• 24 samples
• 5.3-12.7% C.P.
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
C.P. Values
Alfalfa
Bermudagrass
Grass Hay (other)
Required
Feeding High Nitrate
Forages
Plant Toxicity Factors
---Nitrate---
• Plant species
• Forage & grain sorghums, corn, pigweed, etc.
• Stalks accumulate most, lower portion highest
• Immature plants greater potential than mature plants
• Weather conditions that stress plants
• Drought, cool, cloudy weather
• Fertilization – excess nitrogen
• Silage
• Fermentation process will lower nitrate 20-50%
Livestock Toxicity
• Ruminants:
• Nitrate (NO3) → Nitrite (NO2) absorbed
Rumen →Blood
– Hemoglobin → Methemoglobin = reduced
Oxygen transport
Livestock Factors
• Thin and/or poor health
• Hungry cattle
• Not adapted to high nitrate forage
• Other nitrate sources (e.g. water)
• Lack of available CHO’s in the rumen
Effect of nitrate concentration
in feeds on cattle
Nitrate (ppm) Comment
0 – 3000 Generally safe for all cattle
3000-5000 Generally safe for non-pregnant beef cattle.
Low risk of reduced breeding performance and
early term abortions.
5000 – 10000
Some risk for all cattle. Mid to late term
abortions and weak new born calves. May
decrease growth and milk production.
10000 Potentially toxic for all cattle. Can cause
abortions, acute toxicity symptoms, and death.
Nitrate vs. Prussic Acid
• Prussic Acid more common in Johnsongrass
• Accumulates in leaves – not stalks
• Also stress related
• More common at time of frost, but can occur
anytime with plant stress
• Bright cherry-red blood
• Blood carries oxygen, but cannot release it to
tissue
• Prussic acid will dissipate from well cured forages,
nitrate will not
Heat Stress Vs. Fertility
Effects of Imposed Heat Stress on
Reproduction in Beef Cows
Control Mild Stress Severe Stress
Daytime Temp (:F) 71 97 98
Nighttime Temp (:F) 71 91 91
Rel. Humidity (%) 25 27 40
Rectal Temp (:F) 102.0 102.7 103.6
Pregnancy (%) 83 64 50
Biggers, 1986, OSU
Controlled Environment
16 Week Study
• First 8 weeks
• Test group
• 95:F 8 hrs. ,
• 87:F 16 hrs.
• Control group
• 73:F 24 hrs.
• Second 8 weeks
• All bulls at constant 73:F
• Rectal temp of heat stressed
bulls was 0.9: higher
• Within 2 weeks % motile sperm
significantly ↓
• Returned to normal after 8
weeks of no heat stress
Take home message……….
• Preg. check cows
– Can you afford to feed an open cow through
the winter with all purchased feed?
Blue Green Algae
• Cyanobacteria
• Wind action will cause concentration to be on
downwind side of pond
• Water sample can be tested at OADDL
– $16
• CNS toxin, causes muscle tremors,
convulsions, difficult breathing
• Liver toxin – usually die from CNS toxin
before signs of liver toxin observed
Blue-Green Algae
Blue-Green Algae
• Still, nutrient-rich water
• Hot, dry, “summertime” conditions
• Noticeable color change of
greenish blue or metallic
sheen scum on surface of pond.
• Neurotoxin causes rapid death.
Cows are found dead in or near the
pond. No treatment is effective
• Move cattle to alternate water
source
• Fence off pond
• Wildlife and Pets at risk
OSU Resources
• Cowculator
• WWW.Beefextension.com