Is crop residue cost-efficient cattle feed?
Crop residue is a very cost-effective alternative to hay. ISU Beef Cow Herd Business Records estimate that it costs $.05 cents per day to have a cow grazing cornstalks compared with feeding hay at between $.60 and $1.20 per cow per day. Even when the additional cost of protein supplement is calculated, the cost of grazing cornstalks increases to approximately $.25 cents per cow, per day–still a considerable savings. For the producer with a 100-cow beef herd, a day of cornstalk grazing plus protein supplement would cost $25 compared with between $60 and $120 for hay feeding. But, neither crop residue nor stockpiled forage is sufficient as a stand-alone ration. Supplemental feeding is needed to meet the nutritional needs of livestock.
