I apologize for the length of this email, but I feel a longer
explanation is necessary, considering all the grain-feeding-of-livestock
discussions.
I can't remember if the NY Times Op-Ed piece was posted on this
listserv, but one statement, especially, in that piece brought a lot of
derisive guffaws from several conventional and organic farmers with whom
I spoke after they read the piece. The author claimed that by
eliminating feeding of grain to livestock, the E. coli problem would be
eliminated.
Basically, the person, who claimed to be an environmentalist, apparently
doesn't realize that many species of production livestock need grains in
their diets for optimal health and, in turn, quality by-products that we
consume. What's more, the Op-Ed author apparently forgot that fall
frosts and winter weather put and end to high-nutrition pasture
production and availability. And, there's not enough pasture in this
country to raise all the livestock we produce. Even on the vast
pasturelands of twice-the-size-of Texas Mongolia, the forage-raised,
herded animals (sheep, goats, cattle, horses, camels) are underfed. The
animals are smaller in stature than developed countries' livestock, and
that's mainly due to underfeeding.
And, while beef cattle can survive during the warmer months on pasture,
even "grass-fed" beef have to be fed cut hay, etc., in the colder
months. What's more, pasture-raised chickens also necessarily are fed
grains, primarily corn. At least, that's how we raised our chickens, and
yes, we CONFINED them at night so the coyotes, weasels, etc. didn't kill
our flocks. (For dairy cows on smaller farms in cold climates, and,
especially, in the Upper Midwest and in New England, the cows often are
confined for months at a time, and not always to the benefit of the
animals, whether they be conventionally or organically raised. Here in
the Rockies, however, in general large- and small-scale dairies don't
confine their cows, due to 300 days of sunshine and high-altitude
dryness, with a few blasts from snowstorms that usually melt away before
livestock are lost, but the bad weather surely does make farmers nervous
for their cows outside.)
In dairy (and I work in the organic dairy sector), dairy cows need
grains in order to produce their milk. Even dairy folks claiming that
they practice pasture-based farming must includes grains. Remember,
dairy cows that produce milk are "new moms," and, as with human mothers,
lactating cows need extra nutrients and calories. While forages
contribute about 60%, or so, in the dairy cow's diet, the rest of the
feed ration includes grains, mineral packs, etc. Below are postings from
yesterday from a good organic-dairy listserv whose farmer-members
generally consider themselves pasture-based dairy producers.
Notice the reference to "hot" grain mixtures. That issue is a real worry
and can contribute to an acid/base imbalance in the "4-part stomach"
system of a cow, and that's when E. coli and other pathogens and
diseases can flourish. Diligent farmers avoid such imbalances, because a
sick cow is lost revenue. Providing the proper balance of grains and
forages is critical for keeping a cow's digestive system healthy, too,
and, in dairy, producing milk with a good butterfat, which is the
ingredient that, in all dairy, both conventional and organic, provides a
pay premium to farmers.
Still, especially in beef-cow fattening/finishing operations, where
comparatively larger amounts of grain are fed for various lengths of
time before the livestock are sent for slaughter, the pathogen
production can explode due to imbalances in the diets of livestock,
which can lead to spreading of infections when cows are in close
quarters.
As for waste management, I've seen great and inferior large-scale and
small-scale operations. As a surprising, worst-case comparison, at
opposite ends of the spectrum, in New Hampshire, there's a small
family-run organic dairy at which the farmer scrapes all the barn and
feedlot manure over about an 8-ft drop (no safety barriers in case the
tractor/front-end loader accidentally slips on the manure and goes over
the edge, too) onto the land below, which includes a ditch that leads to
the local creek. Wait until the rains come?! On the other hand, on a
large-scale organic dairy operation, the huge holding ponds include a
mechanical-separation system. First, the waste is separated, with solids
going to compost piles and the fluid heading into regulated, leak-proof
ponds for aeration. Methane digesters also are in the works. So, many
other operations fall somewhere in between when it comes to
environmental issues. There's no black-and-white, good-or-bad when it
comes to large versus small.
----- Original Message -----
To: Odairy(a)yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, September 25, 2006 7:50 PM
Subject: Grain Ration
Hi, I am having some problems with milk production right now and would
like to know what other people feed for grain. I do rotational grazing
and have been feeding about 10 Lbs. of grain mix, 60% corn 20% wheat
20% barley. I just read something saying corn AND barley is too hot a
ration for grazing cows, any thoughts? I just tested my grain mix and
it is 10% protein. My grass is currently a little weak, but I cannot
get them to eat any hay in the barn which means to me that they are not
going hungry. Should I feed a different grain ration? Or does anyone
have any thoughts?
Dante
A little soybeans, peas, or sunflower in the mix to up the protein
would help. 14 or 16% would be better than 10%. I don't think 10 pounds
of your mix is going to be too hot for any cow. If you were feeding 20
pounds without any long stem hay it could be a problem. I probably feed
more grain than a lot of farmers. High producers get almost 20 lbs.,
Middle group gets about 14 lbs., and Low group gets 7 or 8 lbs. I'd
like to try growing some corn silage and cutting back on the grain.
-Loyal
Current organic feed inventory as of 9-25-06 All prices are FOB farm
Oats:
3000 bushels 38#in NE South Dakota-$3.45/bu 2000 bushels 38#, Antigo
area-$3.45/bu 2000 bu 34# West MN $3.20/bu 2000 bu 38# West MN $3.40/bu
3000 bu 34# West Central IL $3.20/bu
Wheat:
HR spring : 1600 bushels Darien, WI $5.50/bu HR winter: 2400 bushels,
near De Kalb, IL $5.50/bu 600 bushels, Fon Du Lac, WI $5.50/bu SR
winter: 700-800 bu, Fon Du Lac, WI $5.25/bu
Soybeans:
'06 1400 bu Clark County, WI $13.25/bu
" 600+bu Juneau County, WI $13.25/bu
Flax:
4500 bushels Reinville County, MN (central) $0.25/lb
Corn:
05: 1900 bu Stevens Point WI $5.25/bu
" 900 bu ear corn Humbird, WI $4.00/bu
" 2000 bu High moisture, East Troy, WI $5.00/bu
Corn:
06: 14,000 bu Mauston, WI (contract, $5.05 off the field) " 8000 bu
Hustler, WI $5.30/bu " 3500 bu Platteville, WI $5.30/bu " 4500 bu East
Troy, WI $5.25/bu
Hay: SW WI large square baleage 130-150RFV SE WI " " " 120-150 RFV
Central WI small squares (3rd cut) 140 RFV Central WI large round (1st
cut) 130 RFV
We have hay available Statewide as well as in the U. P., Michigan and
Minnesota. All are at approx. $1/RFV/ton on the farm.
Michael J. Lewis
Wisconsin Organic Marketing Alliance
