Hay shortage forces Missouri farmers to turn to cornstalks

Monday, October 23, 2023

Hay is difficult to come by for Missouri livestock producers, with about 70% of the state experiencing a hay shortage. The quality of spring grass hays this year was poor, so farmers are turning to alternative forage sources, such as baled cornstalks.

However, baled cornstalks are a different feedstuff than grazed cornstalks, and they have a lower quality and a large amount of waste. Farmers must carefully consider how to use baled cornstalks as a winter feed source.

Lessons Learned from 2018

In 2018, farmers also looked to cornstalks for winter feed. Tests found a wide range of nutritional value in cornstalk bales, with crude protein ranging from 2.6% to 6% and total digestible nutrients (TDN) ranging from 31.6% to 45%.

Suggestions for Feeding Cornstalks

Test your bales. Because of the variability in nutritional content and potential nitrate issues, producers should collect samples for nutrient analysis. This will help you identify the nutrients that need to be added to the diet.

Assess feed intake. Cow consumption of baled cornstalks will be low, so you will need to supplement other feedstuffs to ensure that cows are getting the nutrients they need.

Know energy needs. Based on 2018 cornstalk bale data, a farmer can expect a dry, second-period cow to receive 48% of her energy requirement and 33% of her protein requirement if only being fed cornstalk bales. Additional energy and protein are needed for this animal, especially as she gets closer to calving time.

Add protein supplements. One suggestion is to feed a supplement mix of 4 pounds of corn, 1.5 pounds of dry distillers grain, and a half-pound of soybean meal, or an equivalent mix, to meet energy and protein needs fed at a rate of 6 pounds per head per day.

Add minerals. Supplying only protein in the form of lick tubs and protein blocks will not provide enough energy to meet the nutritional needs of the animal. Additional mineral supplementation is also needed to meet nutritional requirements for this animal.