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About Us
County Impact Statements - Izard County
Arkansas Beef Improvement Program Shows Economic Benefits of
Stockpiled Fescue
Winter hay feeding is a major expense for cow-calf and stocker producers in
Arkansas. Stockpiling forages such as tall fescue for winter grazing can reduce
hay requirements and feeding cost. A project was conducted in 1999 and 2000 on a
northeast Arkansas farm enrolled in the Arkansas Beef Improvement Program to
demonstrate the value of using stockpiled fescue for winter grazing. Records
associated with the stockpiled fescue project were kept for a stocker cattle
operation in Izard County. Fescue fields were inventoried in August for percent
fescue, weeds, bare ground, and other forages. Fields had been grazed during
summer to leave approximately two to three inches of fescue stubble. Nitrogen
fertilizer was applied during September before the beginning of fall growth.
Grazing was deferred until December 10th after onset of cold weather. Fall
growth was poor in 1999 due to severe summer drought and high temperatures,
followed by dry fall weather. Clipped samples from each farm indicated only 450
to 500 lbs. Per acre of dry matter were available on December 10th for grazing,
however, some additional fescue growth occurred during the winter due to
unusually warm temperatures. Forage samples were collected beginning at green-up
in October until grazing ended in February. Fescue samples collected in October
had 27.4 percent crude protein and 80.5 percent TDN. Quality declined during
fall and winter, but samples collected in February still contained 13.4 percent
crude protein and 61.2 percent TDN. Despite the poor fall growth, 100 stocker
cattle in Izard County grazed 94 acres of stockpiled fescue for 57 days.
Stockers in Izard county gained 1.3 lbs. a.d.g. while grazing the stockpiled
fescue. Estimated savings due to using stockpiled fescue compared to the cost of
hay and supplement required for similar animal performance were $13.24 per cow
and $20.32 per stocker calf.
Stocker calves utilizing stockpiled fescue.
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Impacts
- In FY 2000, the dry matter yield per acre was 490 lbs. One Hundred
stockers were grazed for fifty-seven days gaining on an average of 1.3 lbs
per head. The savings per head over hay and supplement was $20.32. The total
savings was $2,032 for FY 2000.
- In FY 2001 the dry matter yield per acre was 1,800 lbs. For fifty-two
days 150 stockers gaining an average of 1.6 lbs. per head. The savings per
head over hay and supplement was $27.55. The total savings was $4,132.50 for
FY 2001.
- Utilizing the stockpiled fescue has benefited the producer by over
$6,000 in a two year period. Benefits would have been even greater if we
would have received adequate rainfall.
- Hay was reduced to only when there was snow and ice coverage, otherwise
no hay would have been fed.
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