Strip Grazing Milo: An Alternative Winter Feeding

[@noelking7215]

Is there any wt. gain advantage to a dwarf brachytic, brown mid-rib type sorghum? Do you have any sugarcane aphid problems? Does this work better w/dry cows, or fall calving herds? Lots of questions! But cutting costs by 1/2 or so is a big deal.

[@rustylee2531]

As I work with different producers, I get to see "experiments" with variations to the conventional grain sorghum, and some have tried the BMRs with mixed success. Keep this in mind: When looking to create a winter feed, energy in the diet is the bigger expense compared to providing dry matter. Assuming one has medium quality hay, or stockpiled fescue, or other roughage, then we are back to needing energy. This is where the importance of grain yield comes in. The grazing days per acre is heavily dependent on grain yield, which often gives the advantage to a conventional grain sorghum. Can you graze brachytic dwarfs, yes. If you are short on dm for the winter, maybe give it a try. Sugarcane Aphids/Sorghum Aphids have not been an issue on the farms I have worked with. If they were present in a field, the yield reduction potential from the pest would drive the decision to justify the pesticide control expense. A Fall calving cow at peak lactation is definitely a high energy requiring class of animal. When you provide a lower cost option of nutrition at a time of peak demand, that creates the biggest opportunity for savings. That said, this system works for either dry or lactating animals.

[@noelking7215]

@@rustylee2531 Thanks for the info! Are there any milo varieties you've found that retain grain,in the head,longer into the winter? Any varieties deer won't decimate? Man, I've got more questions than a three yr.-old! I'm located in south central mo, so geographically not too far from your area.

[@ttanne7838]

Very interesting. Have you tried 50% sterile corn and half milo?

[@rustylee2531]

I have not tried a mix of corn and milo in the same field. We have grown various corns (silage, OP, standard hybrids) for grazing. Grazing it green during the summer creates a lot of forage and works ok. If the focus is "Winter" feeding, the milo is hard to beat as an energy source in the ruminant diet. I find it easier to fence for the daily allocations, cattle are a little more calm (perhaps because they can see across the tops of milo, no blind spots), and the milo fodder contributes to the dry matter intake. If you try the corn, let me know how it works.

[@ttanne7838]

@@rustylee2531 Have not tried it. But from time to time I like to think out of the box. A variety seems have more possibilities than a monoculture.