Title: Forage Analysis For Beef Cattle: Why, How, and So What
1Forage Analysis For Beef Cattle Why, How, and
So What
- Dr. Matt Hersom
- Dept. of Animal Sciences
2Forage Testing - Why
Is a bale of hay a bale of hay?
How can you tell the relative difference between
forages?
3Forage Testing - Why
- How can you tell the amount of nutrients present?
Which group of cattle need a particular forage
quality?
4Requirement Cycles in Beef Cows
January
5Forage Testing - Why
- So you know what you are working with!
- What is the supply of nutrients
- Which nutrients are deficient/excess
- How big is the deficiency
- What kind of supplementation is needed
- Make better decisions
6Forage Testing - How
7Forage Testing - How
- Take random sample from
- Pasture
- Hay supply
- How much / many samples
8Need for Proper Sampling
9Sample Number and Variation
10Forage Testing - How
- Get enough sample(s) to be an accurate
representation of the forage - Hay
- Sample different lots/cuttings
- 20-25 cores from each grouping to composite
- Pasture
- Sample individual pastures
- Multiple random locations
11Forage Testing So What
- Assessment of the concentration of important
nutrients - Dry matter
- Energy TDN or NE
- Protein Crude protein, degradable protein
- Minerals
- Others
- Fiber fractions
- VFA score
- Mycotoxins
12Heres Your Analysis, Now What?
13Look at all Dry Matter Values
14Moisture / Dry Matter
1,100 lb bale in the field 1,015 lb of DM to
feed
15Energy ValuesTDN
1,100 lb bale 467 lb TDN
16Energy ValuesNet Energy Maintenance (NEm) Gain
(NEg)
17Protein ValuesCP
1,100 lb bale 92 lb CP
18Protein ValuesCP
Degradable Intake Protein DIP
1,100 lb bale 55 lb of DIP
19Mineral Concentration
20Everything Else
21Forage Testing So What
- What do you do with the numbers?
- Use to calculate DM lbs of TDN or CP
- Consult Cow Nutrient Requirements
- How do they compare
- Determine limiting nutrient(s)
- Put into ration balancing software
- Formulate diets or intake potential
- Calculate cost of TDN and CP coming from forage
- Compare to supplemental sources of TDN and/or CP
- Determine supplementation needs
22What can I do to make more money and/or cut
costs in my beef cattle operation
23Forage Testing For Beef Cattle
- Dont guess forage test John Arthington
- Assessment of fertilization and forage management
practices - Absolute necessity for ration balancing
- What is the cost of forage testing,
- What is the true cost of not forage testing..
24Forage Testing Facilities
- UF Forage Extension Laboratory http//rcrec-ona.if
as.ufl.edu/papfel - Dairy One http//www.dairyone.com
- Waters Laboratory http//www.watersag.com
- http//www.foragetesting.org