Break-Even Forage Production: Is Your Pasture Paying Its Way?
Is your pasture paying its way? This is a question I have heard lately regarding changing input costs.
Before your cattle hit the field, here's a quick way to check if your pasture covers its costs. Let’s run the numbers:
Suppose you fertilize a sub-irrigated meadow on cool- or warm season grasses. Let’s assume after we fertilize, this will boost our forage yield by 0.75 ton per acre.
Let’s assume hay is valued at $120/ton, that extra 0.75 ton is worth $90/acre, so you must spend less than that on fertilizer to break even. If hay prices rise to $150/ton, your break-even fertilizer investment increases to $112.50/acre.
But that’s just yield. In continuous grazing systems, livestock typically harvest only 25–35% of the forage, the rest is lost through trampling, fouling, or things of that nature. This dramatically eats into your return on investment.
To get your money’s worth, combine fertilization with good grazing management, with things like rotational grazing across at least four paddocks. This not only improves forage utilization, it helps cover those fertilizer costs
Here’s a quick formula, if your total cost per acre is $150 ($X), and your hay value is $120/ton (Y), then:
Break-even yield = $150 ÷ $120, or X÷Y, or roughly 1.25 tons per acre
Make sure you're getting that much forage after accounting for utilization. If you're falling short, consider cutting costs, boosting efficiency or renting extra grazing ground to balance the budget.
For additional information about this topic, visit UNL Beef.
Managing Windrow Disease in Alfalfa
Rained-on hay plagues all of us eventually. The windrow disease that often follows presents lingering problems.
Windrow disease — that’s the name given to the striped appearance in fields where alfalfa windrows remained so long that regrowth underneath was delayed. Usually, it’s due to rained-on hay.
Windrow disease presents special challenges. Weeds often invade, requiring spraying to maintain quality and protect stands. During the next growth period, plants that were not smothered regrow rapidly, while plants underneath the windrow suffer delays. Part of the field often will begin to bloom while windrow-stressed plants are still short and tender. So, when do you harvest? When the first plants begin to bloom, or do you wait until injured plants are ready?
I suggest using two factors to tell you when you should cut — the health and vigor of your stand, and the nutrient needs of your livestock. For example, is your alfalfa stand young, healthy and regrowing well? If not, wait to cut until stunted plants begin to bloom so you can avoid weakening them even more.
If your alfalfa is in good shape, then cut when it will best meet the needs of your animals. Dairy cows need alfalfa that is cut early, so harvest when the first plants reach bud to early bloom stage. Regrowth of injured plants may be slow after cutting, but this sacrifice is needed for profitable milk production.
Beef cows do not need such rich hay. So, if the hay will be fed to beef cattle, let stunted plants recover, and then cut when they are ready to bloom.
Hopefully, by next cut, growth will be more uniform, plants healthy, and production back to normal.
Summer Annual Grasses in Alfalfa
By mid-summer, summer annual grasses like foxtail, sandbur and crabgrass are already up and growing — and they’re starting to cause issues in perennial hay or pasture fields.
At this point in the season, pre-emergent herbicides are no longer an effective control option for already growing summer annual weeds. Our best bet is to focus on post-emergent control and timely harvest management. In Roundup Ready® alfalfa, a labeled glyphosate product is a solid option — just be sure to treat while weeds are still small and before the alfalfa canopy blocks spray coverage.
In conventional alfalfa, grass-selective herbicides like Select®, Assure® or Poast® can still work on smaller grasses. Follow the label closely for height limits and grazing or harvest restrictions.
If weeds are already well established, burn-down products like Gramoxone® may be your best shot. Apply immediately after cutting — before much alfalfa regrowth occurs — to knock back annual grasses with limited damage to the stand.
In mixed alfalfa-grass fields, your herbicide options are even more limited. The only post emergent product we might consider is Pursuit®, which may stunt perennial grasses. This doesn’t disqualify it as an option but be aware it may open the door for more weed pressure.
This late in the season, cultural controls like adjusting harvest timing and maintaining a dense, vigorous stand may do more for long-term control than a spray pass. And remember — no herbicide will make up for poor timing.
Summer grasses are a challenge, but with a sharp eye and well-timed management, you can still limit their impact and protect your hay quality.
