LIVESTOCK AND RANGE

Cattle Market Situation and Drought Strategies

U.S. cattle numbered 99.5 million head on January 1, 1998. This number is the lowest since 1993. If the 1998 dry weather persists, another drought forced herd liquidation is likely. The additional marketing will cause calf prices to weaken probably by $5 to $10 cwt.

The estimated 1998 calf crop of 38.4 million head is the lowest since 1952.

• Beef cow numbers at 33.7 million head for 1998 is the lowest inventory since 1993.

• Dairy cow numbers at 9.19 million head for 1998 is the lowest since 1872. Total cow numbers of 42.87 million head is the lowest inventory since 1992.

• Total beef production for 1998 is expected to be 25.25 billion pounds which is only slightly lower than 1997 production.

• Cattle on feed numbers as of June 1998 are 1 percent higher than last year.

• Beef supplies in 1998 could be even larger if the beef cow herd liquidation increases as ranges dry out across the southern and southwestern U.S.

Competing Meat Supplies

• As of July 7, 1998, Mexican cattle imports were up 26.7 percent from 1997 levels at roughly 361,409 head as compared to 285,194 in 1997. Mexican feeder cattle imports for 1998 are still expected to be under 1 million head and not have much impact on the feeder calf market.

• U.S. beef imports are expected to be higher in 1998 than 1997 by 15 to 20 percent. Much of these increased imports will come from New Zealand and Australia. U.S. beef exports for 1998 should again exceed 2 billion pounds.

• Pork production is expected to increase to from 17.2 billion pounds in 1997 to a new record, 18.8 billion pounds in 1998.

• Chicken production continues to increase with 1998 production expected to be 28.2 billion pounds a 3.4 percent increase over 1997 and again a new record.

Beef Demand

• Consumer's image of beef has been positively changing. However, outbreaks of ecoli continue to disrupt beef marketings in the U.S.

• Producer Beef Check-Off will provide dollars that will keep beef industry in-tune with consumer trends.

• Liberalization of Japanese beef market will expand total demand for world beef surplus.

Future Cattle Prices

• 1998 cattle prices may peak counter-seasonal in fourth quarter. This depends on becoming more current with fed cattle marketings and when the drought breaks. Price lows for the current cattle cycle will probably occur during the summer of 1998 and gradually improve, and could possibly reach record highs in 1999.

• Replacement cows and heifers will be increasing the next two years as producers begin thinking of rebuilding their beef cow herds.

• Herd liquidation is now in its third year, beginning in 1996.

• As U.S. cattle numbers continue to drop, prices will strengthen.

Culling Strategies

• Cull low or non-producing cows. If the drought persists, Texas ranchers will need to cull deeper than usual due to the high purchased feed cost. Commercial herds should use this as a time to cull older and lower quality cows.

• Early wean calves to insure cows rebreed for next year's calf crop.

• Sell calves early if necessary.

• To avoid high supplement feed costs, cull deeper into the herd and save the higher quality heifers as replacements. The heifers will not bring much at the market, so it is a good time to keep them for replacements. In addition, these heifers should be in production by 1998 for the better markets.

Published Information and Market Update

• Texas Livestock Market Comments • Western Livestock Round-Up

Blocker Building - 458 Blocker Building - 458

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University

College Station, Texas 77843-2124 College Station, Texas 77843-2474

Drought Feeding Management

Where pasture is still plentiful, but low in quality, the following suggestions are made concerning supplementation:

1. Provide a good mineral supplement which will maintain forage intake and efficient utilization. A complete mineral supplement containing 10 to 20% salt, 12% calcium, 12% phosphorus, 5% magnesium, 0.9% zinc, and 0.2% copper has worked well in many areas.

2. Feed one pound to two pounds per day of a high protein supplement to dry cows and possibly as much as two pound to three pounds to lactating cows to maintain forage intake and efficient utilization of the forage as well as the energy coming off the cow's back as weight loss.

Oil meal supplements such as cottonseed meal, protein blocks, and liquid supplements would be appropriate. The supplements are generally listed in order of their cattle performance effectiveness and reverse order of convenience.

3. If only dry, dormant forage is available for more than 100 to 200 days, consider supplementing or injecting vitamin A.

Where pasture is lacking in amount as well as quality, the following suggestions are offered:

1. If only slightly limited, the feeding of range cubes (20% protein) or mixtures of grain and cottonseed meal at rates of 3 to 5 pounds per cow daily may work for a while. Cubes with a large amount of natural protein and a low crude fiber level (less than 10%) would be preferred.

2. When pasture becomes extremely short, purchase of hay or a replacement feed for the pasture must be considered as well as selling of stock. Remember that most grass hay has only 50% to 65% the energy content of grain so that one pound of grain can replace 1.5 to 2.0 pounds of hay. A pound of grain will only replace 1.2 to 1.4 pounds of alfalfa hay. It doesn't make sense to pay $105 per ton for poor quality grass hay when grain would cost very little more. It is necessary to start cows on grain slowly and feed so that all cows have opportunity for their share of the feed. It is possible to feed up to 80% grain in a maintenance diet for British bred cows, but such high levels should not be considered for Brahman cattle. All cattle need some forage in the diet to minimize digestive problems.

In the absence of sufficient nutrients, particularly energy, cows lose considerable weight. When such weight losses occur, milk production decreases and reproductive activity may cease. The end result is light-weight calves and unbred cows. To prevent such undesirable effects, cows either must be provided sufficient nutrients to avoid weight losses and maintain production requirements or they must be relieved totally or partially from body stresses.

Unavailability of feeds or unusually high cost often prohibits feeding lactating cows the nutrients necessary for lactation and rebreeding. Production requirements of the mature cow for which nutrients are needed include body maintenance, lactation and rebreeding. First-calf heifers and young cows must have additional nutrients for growth. To reduce stress and lessen the total feed necessary, the only production requirement that can be removed is lactation. Lactation stress may be removed from cows or heifers by weaning calves after 60 to 80 days of age, or partially removed by creep feeding and holding the calf off the cow for part of the day. In so doing, nutrient requirements are lessened and reproductive activity is more likely to commence or be maintained.

Where considering early weaning, rations such as the one in Table 1 are used to start baby dairy calves on feed and would work equally well for young beef calves. Such rations are commercially available. A high quality hay should be fed with this mixture. As calves pass 4 to 6 months of age, traditional feedlot rations containing 12% to 14% protein and 10% to 40% roughage may be self fed depending on the level of performance desired.

Where hay is scarce, give ammoniated wheat straw a try. Ammoniation of straw with 60 pounds of anhydrous ammonia per ton of straw will increase cattle performance and make it possible to utilize wheat straw as the only roughage in the diet, something not recommended for untreated straw.

A summary of four trials is presented in Table 2 indicating that actual daily gain was improved by ammoniation by .31 to .82 pounds daily. The improvement results because of increases in digestibility and intake, intake improving by 20% to even 30%. As indicated, 2 to 3 pounds of supplement or alfalfa hay were fed along with free choice wheat straw. Ammoniation does not make wheat straw a complete feed. A good mineral supplement will be essential and supplementation with 1-2 pounds of natural preformed protein is advisable along with the non-protein nitrogen added by ammoniation. Toxicity problems, involving calf losses and wild irrational cattle behavior, have been reported when ammoniating high quality forages such as sorghum sudan hybrids. The problem appears to be related to high available carbohydrate content and the reaction with ammonia to form toxic methylimidazoles. Imidazole formation and toxicity problems have not been observed with ammoniation of wheat straw or similar products. If you're short of forage and wheat straw is available, give ammoniation a try.

Stay alert for potential problems which might result because of drought conditions:

1. Use of salt to limit feed intake may increase water intake 50% to 75% or approximately 50 gallons of additional water for each pound of salt. Water must not be limited in any way or salt toxicity may result.

2. Over-consumption of urea-containing supplements by cattle on forage scarce ranges can result in urea toxicity. Generally, cattle performance on urea-type supplements is also poor whenever energy or forage is in short supply.

3. Hay cut under moisture stress conditions, especially sorghum type hays, may contain high levels of nitrate. If in doubt, it would be good to test for nitrate before feeding such hays, especially before feeding large amounts. Producers who cut drought corn or sorghum for hay are encouraged to check nitrate levels before feeding. Be sure to take a good representative sample when sending to the laboratory for analysis.

4. Prussic acid or cyanide poisoning can also be a problem in grazing drought stunted plants such as Johnson grass, sorghum, sorghum hybrids, and sudan grass. If forage for hay is allowed to sun cure thoroughly for three to five days, bleaching out any bright green color, prussic acid should not be a problem.

5. Cattle grazing short pasture are more likely to consume toxic plants. See section in rangeland management on toxic plants.

6. Alternate day feeding of protein supplements, like cottonseed cubes, has been recommended to save labor. The practice is still good for high protein supplements but is not to be used for grain type supplements. High energy supplements (grain, breeder cubes, etc.) should be fed daily especially where three to six pounds or more daily may be fed. High energy acid-producing feeds tend to decrease rumen pH and fiber digestion and alternate day feeding of large amounts, more than four pounds, simply magnifies the decrease in rumen pH. Further, unadapted cows should be started on grain feeding slowly or the problems of acidosis, founder and even death may result.

7. Rumen impaction may result where cattle receive inadequate protein (less than 7% to 8% CP in total diet) and too much of a low quality high fiber forage such as drought pasture or prickly pear or forage substitutes such as peanut hulls, straws or gin trash. Lack of adequate water will aggravate the impaction program.

8. Hardware disease. Hay harvested from vacant city lots, roadsides etc., broiler litter and other such feed may contain nails, wire or foreign objects which can pierce the rumen wall resulting in death of the animal. Close observation of feeds and the use of magnets in grinder/mixers can help to reduce the potential consumption of problem materials by animals.