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Grazing corn residue

A lack of good quality hay and slow pasture growth hampered by dry weather are causing beef producers to consider alternative feed sources.

Stan Smith, Extension educator in Fairfield County Ohio says one option is grazing corn residue. He tells Brownfield it has the potential of extending the cow herds’ feed supply well into fall.

“If we’ve got some of that corn residue left in a field that has a fence around it, or we are willing to put up some electric fence, we can graze that corn residue,” Smith said. “There’s a lot of feed available out there if we can find a way to manage it.”

Smith says managed correctly, one acre of corn residue can yield up to 60 days of grazing for a 1000 pound animal.

While grazing corn residue is the best option as a feed source, there is another option that, if chosen, needs careful consideration.

The Ohio State University Extension educator says baling corn residue has merit. But, Smith tells Brownfield, there are factors to consider, including the amount of fodder removed from the field.

“What we find is, certainly there’s some fertility in whatever we remove from the field so if we’re taking all that fodder off of the field we calculate on today’s fertilizer prices about $12 per ton worth of phosphorus and potash being moved,” said Smith.

When calculating all of the cost factors associated with baling corn residue, Smith says at the end of the day there may not be enough consumable feed to cover the costs.

Audio: Stan Smith, Extension educator, Fairfield County Ohio