Authors: John Gerken, Extension Animal Science Specialist, Virginia Tech; and Charlie Baker, Retired Reclamation Specialist, USDA-SCS, Clintwood, Virginia. This publication is a chapter from "Reclamation Guidelines for Surface Mined Lands in Southwest Virginia"; Virginia Coopertive Extension Publication 460-120.
Publication Number 460-128, Posted March 1997
 Introduction
|
Water
supply |
| Cattle
Systems |
Salt
and Minerals |
| Yearling
Grazing Programs |
Supplemental
Feeding |
| Health
and Management Recommendations |
Pasture
Management |
| Pasture
Management |
Marketing
|
Beef cattle production can be an economically attractive use of reclaimed surface-mined land. After the initial establishment period, the legumes and grasses seeded for pasture and hayland provide abundant feed reserves for grazing or hay production on a continuing basis (see Fig. 1.). Properly managed, mixtures such as Ky-31 tall fescue and Serecia Lespedeza are persistent and productive. Overseeding periodically with shorter-lived legumes such as red clover, lading clover, or annual lespedeza can improve existing stands consisting primarily of fescue or other grasses.
Fig. 1. Productive beef cow-calf herd grazing on surface-mined lands
Research conducted by the Powell River Project and the experience of private operators have demonstrated that forages produced on surface-mined land can be adequate in quantity and quality to provide 90% or more of the feed required by a producing beef cow and her calf on a year-round basis. Documentation of this conclusion is provided by experiences with a beef cow-calf herd on the Powell River Project extending over a five-year period. In that study, cows weaned an average calf crop in excess of 95%, the 205-day adjusted weaning weight exceeded 530 lbs, and cows required less than 700 lbs of hay and 200 lbs of concentrate per head annually. Returns to investment in cattle above fixed and operating expenses exceeded 13%. (See Table 1). It should be noted that the budget in Table 1 does include estimates of the cost of land rental only marginally above the expense of real estate taxes. No reliable estimates of rental fees are available, and specific land-use fees are often guise low and negotiable with the landowner. Also, provision has been made for fencing or livestock holding facilities. In some cases, these may already be available; in others, they will need to be established by the cattle producer. The cost of establishment may substitute for rent in some instances because such additions add to the utility and hence the potential value of areas not previously equipped for cattle.
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The Cow-Calf Herd
The most commonly used and practical beef cattle enterprise for utilization of surface mined land is a cow-calf herd. Producers should select cows that are moderate in size and milk producing ability, such as Angus X Hereford crossbred cows. Cows should be bred to calve in late winter or early spring (February-April) to reduce the winter feed requirements to that of the dry, pregnant beef cow for most of the winter. It is during this time of year that the nutritional adequacy of unharvested forage reaches its lowest level for the year, and it is only during this late winter period that harvested feeds may be required. At all other times of the year, the quality of feed available to, and harvested by the mature beef cow is more than adequate to sustain the cow and her offspring.
A fall calving system is generally not recommended because the greater nutritional requirements of the lactating cow will be difficult to meet without provision of expensive supplemental feed in the form of hay or concentrates. A principle for success in the beef cow-calf operation (especially on surface-mined land) is to rely as much as possible on grazing to supply the feed needed by the herd on a year-round basis.
A short breeding and calving season should be practiced. Provision should be made to start breeding about May 15 by introduction of bulls to the herd at that time or by use of artificial insemination followed by use of a clean-up bull to breed cows not settled to A.I. Bulls should be removed from the herd preferably at 60 days (July 15) and certainly by 90 days (August 15). Cows should be pregnancy examined when calves are weaned (October-November) and non-pregnant cows should be culled at that time. Maintenance of a controlled short breeding season is a most important management practice that significantly affects management of the cow herd, weaning weights, and finally, profitability of the beef cow herd.
In most instances, calves should be weaned and sold or moved to other locations where stored feed is available in late fall. There is no need to wean before November, and research at Powell River has shown that calves make very satisfactory gains until about December 1. However, pasture quality declines to the point that satisfactory growth of weaned calves cannot be expected without substantial supplemental feed after that date. Steers and unneeded replacement heifers can be weaned and marketed at this time. Replacement heifers should be removed to a more favorable environment for adequate winter feeding and subsequent breeding the following spring.
It is not absolutely necessary to maintain the cow herd on the surface - mined land year-round. Some producers may find it more practical to utilize the forage available only during spring, summer, and fall. In these cases, they may choose to remove the cow herd in late fall or early winter to a farm location where the cows can be fed and cared for through the winter and subsequent calving reason. In such instances, the cow herd should be returned to the reclaimed surface mine pastures about the time breeding begins (May 15). By that time, sufficient new growth will be available to sustain the herd for the remainder of the season.
Cow - Calf Budget for Surface Mined Land
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As a second phase of its investigation of opportunities for beef cattle on reclaimed land, the Powell River Project is planning to investigate yearling steer and heifer grazing programs. The success of the cow-calf herd plus limited other additional information indicates that satisfactory gains could be achieved in a spring-to- fall grazing program. However, more data and experience are needed to support recommendations for such a program. Gains of 250-300 lbs per head or 100 lbs or more per acre can be anticipated. However, yearlings may tend to roam more and require more and better fencing than is the case with cows .
A desirable weight for either steers or heifers at the start of the grazing season is 350-500 lbs. Cattle should be wormed at turnout time, given an approved growth stimulating implant at the start and preferably a second time 90 days later, and have ear tags for fly control. Numbers on ear tags or brands can be used for identification also. A steel ear tag or brand to establish permanent identity and proof of ownership is suggested.
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Cattle grazing on pastures on surface-mined land have generally been very healthy. Due to the extensive nature of the grazing pattern, parasite and disease problems have been minimal. Nevertheless, an adequate health program is a must. Prior to the breeding season, open cows should be vaccinated annually for 5 strains of leptospirosis, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), parainfluenza (PI3), bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), and vibriosis. Combination products combining immunity for all these diseases in a single injection are now available. Use fly control ear tags in spring and a treatment for lice in the fall to take care of these external parasites. Adult cows probably will not need to be wormed on a routine basis. The louse and grub treatment can be applied in the fall when cows are checked for pregnancy. Cull open (non-pregnant) cows to maintain a high level of reproductive performance. Calves need to be vaccinated about 30-60 days after birth for blackleg and related clostridial diseases (7-way bacterin). A 7-way vaccination for calves at the time bulls go in in the spring (May 15) is all that will be needed until fall. Steer calves need to be implanted. Heifer calves not destined for replacements should also be implanted. Heifers that could be selected for replacements should not be implanted. The single exception would be the use of an implant approved for use in replacement heifer calves.
If calves are to be weaned and retained, or if buyers will pay a premium for calves that receive preweaning disease-preventive measures, revaccinate with 7-way clostridial bacterin and give IBR- PI3 injections before calves are weaned. Such a program will minimize health problems after weaning.
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Five to 6 acres of pasture will be required per cow/calf pair for year-round grazing on reclaimed surface-mined land. If cattle are to be grazed only from spring to fall, half that amount (2.5-3 acres) per cow will be needed. Yearling steers or heifers will require about 1 to 1.5 acres per head for the grazing season (May-October).
About one-half of the acreage should be reserved for fall and winter feed for pregnant cows. Pastures should not be grazed too short at the end of the grazing season. Allowing approximately 3 inches of growth to remain at this time of the year will help maintain stand vigor and desirable grass/legume percentages. If not overgrazed in the fall, pastures will tend to recover more quickly in the spring when new growth starts. Pastures reserved for winter use can be closely grazed if allowed to recover the following spring.
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An adequate supply of drinking water for cattle will be needed. Generally, this will be supplied by springs, streams, or ponds constructed with that purpose in mind. Adequate watering sites should be provided to distribute grazing and minimize overgrazing in areas close to water. Water quality in ponds constructed on reclaimed sites has generally been satisfactory for animal use. Water quality information may be available from the mining company or the Virginia Division of Mine Land Reclamation or can be obtained through a routine testing program.
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Salt and/or salt/mineral mixtures can be used to control and manage cattle in extensive grazing situations. If salt is provided on a continuous basis, it should be placed in areas of light grazing to encourage more uniform grazing patterns. An alternative procedure many producers find useful is to hand-salt cattle at weekly intervals. This helps to keep cattle tame and aids inspecting and counting the cattle that may not otherwise be observed on a frequent basis. In winter, it is desirable to feed a complete mineral mixture because mineral content of forage will be lower at this time of year. A suggested mixture for free-choice feeding in a suitable mineral feeder is equal parts by weight of (1) trace mineral salt, (2) dicalcium phosphate, (3) magnesium oxide, and (4) soybean meal. This mixture contains phosphorus, magnesium, and trace minerals in addition to salt, is palatable, and is consumed readily by cattle. It has been shown that this mixture is effective in preventing grass tetany, a disorder of beef cows caused by low magnesium availability.
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No supplemental feeding will generally be required for beef cows or stockers during the normal grazing season. If forage becomes limited because of drought or overgrazing, cattle should be moved to other areas where feed is more abundant or removed from reclaimed surface-mined pastures to situations where supplemental feeding can be more easily accomplished. Cows wintered on reclaimed surface-mined pastures will generally do quite well through mid-gestation, and even until calving, on accumulated forage alone. However, producers need to be prepared to feed hay or other supplements when heavy snow or ice covers forage for more than a day or two.
Experience gained from the Powell River Project supports the feeding of small amounts of concentrate (2 lbs/head/day) to cows during the calving season (March 2 to April 15). This will require about 100 lbs of concentrate per cow, but the added energy and protein provided appears to be beneficial in assuring prompt rebreeding and maintenance of a short calving interval. It is also helpful from a management perspective because the daily feeding of the supplement makes it easier to check on cows that are close to calving and to render assistance if needed. For these reasons, the added cost of supplemental feed is justifiable. A mixture of ground corn and protein supplement formulated to contain 20% crude protein is adequate. An alternative, inexpensive supplement is 2 lbs per head of whole shelled corn per day.
Supplemental feeding of hay should be planned for in the event of adverse weather conditions or a shortage of accumulated forage sufficient for the entire winter. The experience with the Powell River Project beef herd suggests that 700 lbs of hay per cow will generally be adequate for this reserve.
New growth of fescue will generally be sufficient to provide for the needs of the cow herd by April 15. Legumes such as Serecia Lespedeza will generally not be ready for grazing until about May 15. Therefore, pastures consisting primarily of fescue should be available for early spring grazing.
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Weeds can be controlled to some degree by clipping when in bloom and before seed is fully mature. This will be limited to areas where equipment can be used for mowing. In other cases, spot spraying or other measures such as occasional very close grazing may aid in control of undesirable vegetation. Excess Serecia Lespedeza growth can also be controlled by close grazing in late spring and summer. Such management can be used to encourage a more balanced mixture of fescue and lespedeza.
Rotational grazing is suggested. Also, occasional overseeding will be needed to maintain the desired combination of grasses and legumes. Overseeding should be done in late February or early March when there is some freezing and thawing of the soil surface. Seeding with a mixture of red clover, lading clover, and annual lespedeza at rates of 4 lbs, 1 lb, and 4 lbs respectively per acre is suggested. Legumes may be reseeded every other year or every third year on a given area. Newly reclaimed areas should not be grazed until two full years have elapsed since establishment. Periodic fertilization, especially with fertilizer that is high in phosphorus, will likely be required after several years of intense grazing.
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Several options for marketing calves and yearlings exist. Organized feeder sales are an excellent outlet and should be considered. If trailer-load lots of calves can be put together by one or more owners, tel-o-auction sales should be considered. Weekly auctions or order buyers are other possibilities if organized sale options are not readily available.
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Reclaimed surface-mined land can produce appreciable amounts of forage that can be used as feed for beef cattle. Studies conducted by the Powell River Project demonstrate that cattle do well in this setting, forage stands are maintained, environmental integrity is sustained, and there is opportunity for profit. Reclaimed surface-minded land is an underutilized resource in much of the central Appalachian region, and beef cattle can provide increased economic return from such land.
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