SEDALIA, Mo. — One topic that is currently on beef cattle producer’s minds is the higher cost of corn and other supplemental feeds. With that in mind, I compared feed costs for backgrounding calves and wintering beef cows utilizing example backgrounding rations and information from the MU Beef Cow Winter Feed Cost Dashboard. I’ll focus on cow feed costs this week and backgrounding calf rations next week.
The dashboard daily feed cost output is based on varying quality hay and an average price of several different supplements for each hay type. Cost estimates are made for raised and purchased hay and for spring and fall calving cows. This planning tool can be used as an estimate of winter feed costs but actual feed costs for each operation will vary based on hay quality and supplement costs.
Daily cow feed costs are based on current hay prices as quoted by the Missouri Department of Agriculture and supplement ingredient prices from an area feed mill. Raised hay price was taken from the 2021 MU Fescue-Clover Hay Planning Budget.
For spring calving cows, good quality hay (10% protein, 58% TDN, $110 per ton) plus 2 pounds of supplement per day has a total feed cost estimate of $1.97 per cow per day. Fair quality hay (8% protein, 53% TDN, $90 per ton) requires 3 pounds of supplement per day resulting in a daily feed cost estimate of $1.75 per head. Poor quality hay (6% protein, 48% TDN, $70 per ton) requires over 5 pounds of supplement and has a daily feed cost estimate of $1.65 per head.
MU enterprise budgets peg hay production costs at $70 per ton. If a producer is raising their own hay, rations utilizing good quality hay have a daily feed cost of $1.35 per head versus $1.65 per head for poor quality hay. Therefore, when raising hay, strive to put up as high of quality hay as possible to minimize the need for additional nutrient supplementation. Also remember to test hay for nutrient density to more accurately determine supplementation needs. Current dashboard output for cow winter feed costs utilizing raised hay are $0.11 to $0.14 per cow per day higher than a year ago.
Pay attention to hay prices, but be aware that poor quality hay does require more supplementation per head per day and hay waste is not factored into the calculations. Large amounts of hay waste with poor quality hay could result in significantly higher feed costs than indicated here.
Contact me at schmitze@missouri.edu or by contacting the Pettis County Extension Center at (660) 827-0591 if you desire more information on this topic.
— Gene Schmitz
Field Specialist in Livestock
University of Missouri Extension
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