The Casual Cattle Conversations Podcast: Cut Feed Costs by Improving Pastures: Weed Control and Soil Fertility Strategies for Ranchers

Cut Feed Costs by Improving Pastures: Weed Control and Soil Fertility Strategies for Ranchers

Feed, it’s one of the biggest if not the biggest expense for many ranches. So what can ranchers do to reduce feed costs and still meet nutritional requirements of animals?

“The cheapest way to feed cattle is through grazing standing forage,” says Sam Ingram, field scientist for Corteva Range and Pasture. More specifically, ranchers should prioritize the forage resources they already have access to.

Ingram says, “If we prioritize those forages… we can produce more pounds of beef on that given acre.”

In addition to practicing rotational grazing, implementing weed control and fertilization practices are key components of prioritizing forages.

Weed Control

A few weeds may seem harmless at first, but they have a significant economic impact when the difference in pounds of forage is measured after removal.

“If we remove weeds, we see an increase in forage production,” shares Ingram. “A rule of thumb is remove a pound of weeds and you can get a pound or more of grass.”... 



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