Hunt Sanders
Link to Georgia Livestock Review
Link to Feeder Cattle Futures Quotes
Develop Drought Strategy:
1: Understand where you are at in production
- Late lactation
- Late gestation
- Dry cow
2: Understand forage situation
- Pasture
- Conserved forage
- How many bales, how much do they weigh? TEST HAY
3: Explore all options for feed resources
- Buy hay
- Develop hay replacement ration
Nutrition Requirements
What are some roughage sources to replace hay?
Wheat straw
Gin Trash
Cotton Seed Hulls
Crop Residue
Drought Stressed Crops (Be Careful of nitrates)
What’s Available?
Commercial feed
Lick Tanks and Tubs: Convenient but keep watch on intake
Byproduct blend
Price?
Evaluate on DM basis
Look at $/nutrient
Minerals
When Considering Commercial feeds for hay replacement.
- Crude protein at least 11%
- Crude fiber 25% or lower
Supplement for low quality hay (8% CP, 48% TDN): (This can get a dry cow by, but not a lactating female.)
- Crude Protein at least 18%
- Crude Fiber 8% or lower
NOT CURRENT PRICES
If hay is not available: General idea of replacement rations.
Roughage sources such as peanut hulls, cotton seed hulls, cotton residue, corn residue, gin trash.
Is buying hay the economic choice over hay replacement?
It depends on price of hay and replacement feeds per ton. Think about your hay waste. If you are in a situation where 20% or more hay gets wasted, think about how much money is lost. In situations where waste is high, hay replacements could be more economic. Again, it depends on the price per ton of feed.
Sourcing hay:
- Buy sooner than you need it to avoid being out in tight spot
- Put your eyes on the hay, Test the hay once you buy if test is not available at purchase
Extension Value added services:
There are several resources your county agent has access to for assisting the public:
- SpotOn Digital Sprayer Calibrator & nozzle cleaner tool – Accurate flow rate checking of individual sprayer nozzles.
- Fertilizer Spinner-Disc Spreader Calibration – spread pattern testing of fertilizer spreaders.
- Hay Moisture Tester – Evaluation and assessment of hay to bale at optimum moisture content – decrease mold growth and increase feed value. Test baled or unbaled (in field)
- Forced Motor Planter Calibration – at-plant insecticide hopper box calibrations. Potential benefits: increase insecticide application efficacy with the appropriate and effective application of product label and recommended control rate. Decrease
- Mobile Irrigation Lab – Pivot efficiency evaluation/Irrigation audits to support water conservation and decrease irrigation costs.
- Harvest Moisture Testing – Corn and soybean moisture testing to decrease drying time and fuel costs.
- Enviroscape Watershed Model – Environmental education programming tool. Interactive demonstration of the sources and effects of water pollution. Present and illustrate watershed/stormwater concept.
- Rainfall Simulator Tabletop Educational Program tool –
- Digital wind meter educational tool – Anemometer measures wind speed to support safe pesticide applications and reduce drift.
- Pivot Calibrations
- Drone imagery