by Sandy Johnson, extension beef specialist, Colby, KS; and Dale Blasi, stocker, forages nutrition & management specialist
Kansas agriculture agents surveyed 180 producers from November 2017 through March of 2018 on their use of crop residue for grazing livestock. Responses came from producers that raise crops and graze their own crop residue (51%), do not have crop ground but rent or lease crop residue to graze (22%), grow crops and do not let livestock graze residue (17%) and raise crops and sometimes rent crop residue for grazing (9%). Crops raised included 56% corn, 60% soybeans, 35% milo and 34% alfalfa. Corn was the most common crop available for grazing (55%) followed by hay regrowth (47%), milo (35%), alfalfa (30%) and soybeans (30%). A majority of responses were from east central Kansas as shown in Figure 1. Location of grazing was provide in 145 responses, 27 respondents reported grazing crop residue in 2 or more counties. Continue reading “KSRE Winter 2017-2018 Crop Residue Survey”
