Grazing corn

[cowman]

A few guys around here have been using corn for early winter grazing. Now most of them use electric wires to make the cows clean it up. Jack Daines, just north of Innisfail Alta., has about 75 cows out in a 40 acre field and uses no wires. He says they still do a pretty fair job of cleaning it up. I drove by there and those black cows sure looked fat and sassy!
I suspect we'll see a lot more corn in the future.

[15444]

If the prices of cattle were not so depressed, I know I would definitely look into the new Dekalb 27-12 short season corn for grazing...it looks quite promising. An article in the fall 03 Cattlemen says that you can get 220 animal units in 15 acres in 7 days. If the unit rate is based on one cow per unit, then my rate would be more like 50 units in 15 acres over 28-30 days. Even though you have to do a little extra electric fencing, this thought sounds more appeasing for early winter feeding as it would allow you to get away from the farm for more then a few days. Also give an option for putting on weight quickly on cows for the winter after weaning...get them into prime condition for December and January pretty quick. Seed is pretty pricey though, so cattle prices would have to rebound and then some to offset the costs.

[cowman]

15444: This was a Dekalb variety but I don't know the exact number. I think it was a Roundup ready variety and it was pretty clean. Probably grew about eight feet tall.
It was grown on an old hay field they broke last fall after treating with Roundup. They used a big breaking disc and power harrows, seeded it with an airseeder this spring with no further tillage.

[rookie]

It does look prety promising. What about the nutrients for growing it? Would corn need a lot of fert. and rain , not to mention heat units? Do any of these new varieties carry any traits to be seeded further north?

[15444]

The article says that this is a new variety and that it can grow around 1800 units, or can be grown geographically as far north as Edmonton successfully.

[cowman]

Rookie: I think you have to really pour the fertilizer to it. I believe it is one of the most drought tolerant crops there is once it is up and established. We never got a drop of rain after the middle of June until September and that corn just thrived(and on sod yet!). It was probably close to ten feet tall come late September!
There is a guy who grew "Amazing Graze" at Barrhead(NW of Edmonton) a couple of years back. There was a story about it in the Cattleman magazine. I guees it was a great success.