Georgia Cattle Market Report

Feed Sources Scant As Georgia Burns

Moseley, who operates Moseley Cattle Auction with his three sons, is a marketing consultant for both the Alabama and Georgia SAFE programs. He says he's seeing producers move cattle onto the market 40 to 60 days earlier. Many are missing preconditioning sales, a management fundamental for many who work toward those premiums all year long. But this year, they can't wait to sell.

Moseley says he's suggesting if producers want to hold out for those preconditioning sales they wean 25 to 35 days earlier than normal and then go with any kind of feed source they can find. "It's all in short supply with the drought right now," he says.

He adds last year's feed for preconditioning ran between $90 and $150 per ton. This year it's $150 to $225 per ton.

In addition to bringing calves to market early, Moseley says he's also seeing more culling of cows. At this point, he says all producers can do is hope for some rain. But in many areas it may already be too late. The state's pasture conditions are rated 67% poor to very poor and severe drought conditions cover 72% of the state.

Dennis Hancock, forage specialist at the University of Georgia, says culling may be necessary this year. In addition he recommends identifying and using what he calls "sacrifice pastures or paddocks" as an attempt to confine damage to pastures to one or two small areas, rather than overgrazing the entire farm.

"It is less expensive to cull and depopulate than it will be to feed lots of hay or destroy your pastures," he says. Another option is to harvest drought-stressed corn wherever that is an option.

"Sometimes the best salvage value for corn when you're in drought is to use it for forage," he says. If the decision is made to do that, he recommends producers consider a few factors to be sure they aren't feeding their herd forage that is too high in nitrates, which can create serous health issues or even death.

1. Green chop and feed. If the goal is to green chop and feed directly, he says don't go below the 12- to 15-inch mark when you cut. The lower in the stem you cut, the more concentrated nitrates become.

2. Make hay. Another option is to make hay out of the corn. Nitrates won't dissipate in the hay, so again cutting height needs to be fairly high, 8- to 12-inches in this case. "Cattle will pick through hay a little more and select more leaf material. This lowers nitrate intake, which means you can bring that cutting height down a little." He adds there is a problem getting it to dry down and the best solution may be to let it cure out in the windrow if the high cutting height makes raking too difficult. It's also important to use a conditioner.

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