Winter feeding methods for beef cattle farms in Michigan
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EmailUsing winter feeding methods like bale grazing or unrolling bales in the pastures can help spread nutrients where they are needed most.
Feeding accounts for the largest expense on cow-calf farms. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, when you include both grazing and mechanically harvested feeds, the costs can range from 40-70% of the annual costs of keeping a cow. In Michigan, the typical method of feeding cows in the winter is done in a lot or a barnyard. This method has worked for many years, but it is not without its costs. To take advantage of the nutrients left behind after the feed has been consumed, one must scrap and haul the manure to the field before nutrients can be used to grow more forages. While this is an effective method for applying manure, it can be costly.
If the traditional winter-feeding lot is not on concrete, there is a potential for leaching of valuable nutrients. Once these nutrients have leached into the soil or lost in the form of runoff, they are no longer available for the next season’s plant growth, this increases expenses due to the possibility of needing to purchase additional fertilizer for the next growing season. Farmers also need to account for the cost of equipment and time needed to haul manure to the field, this includes a manure spreader, a tractor to haul it, and a loader to load the manure into the spreader.
Winter feeding methods that involve feeding out on the pastures such as bale feeding or unrolling can be done in the pastures, without many of the equipment and time costs listed above. When looking for a winter feeding site, choose areas that have lower fertility and tend to be less productive. You also want to avoid areas that tend to be wetter and areas near surface water. To avoid a nutrient sinkhole, another best practice is to move these sites each year so that the same location only receives bale grazing or unrolling every few years. A soil test through Michigan State University Extension will also tell you where these nutrients are needed.
The winter-feeding conundrum was the genesis behind two events that took place in February and March of 2024. The winter or non-growing season pasture walks that took place in Harrisville and Swartz Creek, were farmer-driven and designed to showcase different methods used for feeding out on the pastures during the dormant season.
In February the Byelich Farm hosted a pasture walk where attendees learned how the farm utilizes bale grazing and bale unrolling. These methods combine winter feeding, grazing, and nutrient distribution. Then in March, we traveled to St. Anastasia Farm in Swartz Creek, Michigan where attendees learned about bale grazing where bales were set out all at one time in the fall, and then grazed using polywire and step-in posts to allocate the feed. Ben Oliver, of St. Anastasia Farm, also showcased his farm grazing plan, and livestock flow charts that he is using after attending the Ranching for Profit Course this past January. The charts are large (3 feet by 5 feet) and are meant to be hung on a wall so that all the decision-makers and farm workers can see what is being planned, and then come back in afterward and record the actual moves. These charts can also be used to help plan for winter grazing sites.
Michigan State University Extension pasture programs like the pasture walks are designed to showcase the different grazing and winter-feeding methods that are taught at the Beginner Grazing Schools. The goal is to teach new methods of grazing and bring awareness to practices designed to increase soil health and improve ecosystem function. Most of the attendees agree that these pasture walks are educational and beneficial to their operations. One attendee emailed after the March event saying: “This was awesome! Thank you for getting me on the list at the last minute. We just moved to Michigan about a year ago. Part of my goal since moving up here has been to get to know other folks in the community doing things similar to what we want to do here on our new farm. Seeing the Oliver’s operation was helpful; many of the things they're doing we've done on a smaller scale, or, I had been thinking about trying here. It was also really nice to meet a few other folks, and I'm hoping to get to know more of the community in the future. Learning about the regenerative grazing community here in Michigan. Meeting new folks.”
Kable Thurlow, MSU Extension educator, hopes that farmers will continue to learn the best practices for bale grazing, and bale unrolling, and be able to utilize these winter methods of feeding to distribute nutrients from manure, urine, and leftover hay where they will be most beneficial to the forage and the farmer. To learn more about these events, and to be notified of future pasture-related events, sign up to receive the Great Lakes Grazing Newsletter.