Feeding cattle in the winter can be the single, largest expense for producers, and University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Beef Specialist Roy Burris said this year will not be an exception.

“Due to high input costs, mainly grain and concentrates, this year will present a challenge to producers,” said Burris, stationed at UK’s Research and Education Center in Princeton. “There are several management practices that producers can use to lower feed costs and make their herds more profitable.”

Burris said one big way producers can decrease the amount of hay and feed they use is by extending the grazing season as long as possible.

“Last year at Princeton, we had to begin feeding hay in August,” Burris recalled. “This year grazing might continue until Thanksgiving, due to improved moisture conditions. Pastures that have received nitrogen and been allowed to accumulate growth can be grazed even farther into the winter, thus markedly delaying the start of winter feeding.

“It’s also a good idea to strip graze accumulated/stockpiled fescue pastures to avoid waste and increase grazing days on those pastures.”

Producers should pregnancy check the spring-calving cow herd now and eliminate the wintering of open cows–or move them to the fall-calving group. 

“Thin cows that are pregnant can be put on stockpiled pasture as soon as their calves are weaned, to regain body condition prior to the winter feeding period,” Burris explained. “Favorable prices make this a good time to cull unproductive cows.”