Montana farmer-stockman. [volume], January 15, 1952, Image 1

About Montana farmer-stockman. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1947-1993

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
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S-t-r-e-t-c-h Your Feed With Straw
By ARTHUR D. MILES, Park County
G OOD oat and barley straw has consider
able feed value. It compares favorably
with late cut timothy or grass hay, is as
good as or better than weathered range
grass and, when properly supplemented,
can be a satisfactory and economical feed
for wintering beef cattle.
For eight years we've fed straw to cattle
in winter . . . couldn't get along without it
now. Threshing is a big feed harvest on the
ranch ... an extended haying season. Our
. haying season is too short to put up all the
hay needed. Raising grain in rotation pro
duces a large amount of winter feed in grain
and straw.
We supplement the straw with good
quality alfalfa hay—from 5 to 15 pounds,
depending upon the quality and how close
the cows are to calving. Second cutting al
falfa is an exceptionally good supplement.
Poor quality grass and weathered hays are
not used to supplement, for they have little
extra protein.
The straw is fed right around the pile
where it is threshed. The less it is handled,
the less loss there is of the fine parts—all
that the cows eat, and the only part that has
value.
A fence with two poles is built around
the straw pile to keep the cows out of the
pile and to make a place for them to eat.
Each day the left-over stems are thrown
out for the cows to bed on, and make into
compost.
Special care is taken during threshing
to settle as much of the fine part of the
Cows wintered on straw plus alfalfa raise 450 to.
500 pound calves, carry good flesh. (Miles photo)
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WYOMING
NORTHERN
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MONTANA
RS
With severe weather starling so early this
winter, it is important to avoid all possible
loss in the condition of livestock if they are
to go through the rest of the winter satis
factorily, says N. A. Jacobsen, extension live
stock specialist.
While proteins, minerals and vitamins are
essential in maintaining animal health, an
adequate amount of feed or a "full belly"
along with plenty of warm water are more
important during severe weather, he said.
Aside from natural or artificial protection,
livestock keep warm principally by heat and
energy created by digesting food. Some feeds
have a much higher energy or heat value
than others and most concentrates have
about twice as much energy value per
pound as roughages.
Water is necessary for digestion of both
roughages and concentrates, Jacobsen pointed
out. and it is also needed to regulate body
temperature. A lack of water causes "de
hydration" in livestock and results in rapid,
loss of weight.
. . . .....-.-I—...
straw into the stack as is possible. Some
difficulty is encountered on windy days in
getting the light parts to settle in the stack.
We generally thresh ;in a place out of the
wind—by a growth of brush or >n back of
a hill.
When estimating the amount of straw
on hand, we figure that straw from eight
acres will feed a hundred range cows for a
week when supplemented with hay, (If sup
plemented with "cake," more straw is need
ed.) Oat straw furnishes considerably more
volume than barley straw, but barley straw
is more palatable and the stock eat is closer.
The amount of straw varies considerably
and is not easy to figure. The straw yield
will about equal the grain yield in weight.
Wintering mature cows on a balanced
straw ration has proved satisfactory for us.
They raise 450 to 500 pound calves, carry
good flesh. If straw is used as part of the
ration of young cows and heifers that are
still growing (and it well can be), less straw
and more supplementary feed is necessary.
Last winter we fed the bred yearling heif
ers a ration of straw and 10 pounds of sec
ond cutting alfalfa.
Locally, many ranchers have been sow
ing some kind of grass with their alfalfa—
mainly orchard or brome. When they feed
this mixed hay they have about the same
balance of nutrients in the ration as when
we feed straight alfalfa and the fine parts
of the straw.
It is a little difficult to set a money value
on straw, since it doesn't enter into corn
merce to any extent, but if it replaces hay
i n the ration, it would have a value equal
to the hay it replaces. Since only about half
Q f the straw is utilized, the coarser parts
being thrown out for bedding, it seems that,
ton for ton, straw would be worth half as
much as alfalfa hay.
Straw is the main part of our winter
feed, and winter feed has been a limiting
factor in our livestock production.