Supplementation of Beef Cows Grazing Corn Stalk Residue: A Demonstration

Controlling feed costs is imperative for cow-calf producers to remain cost-competitive. During fall and early winter, these projected costs can be significantly reduced by utilizing cornstalks. By effectively grazing corn residues, Iowa cow-calf producers have the opportunity to extend the grazing season and reduce winter feed costs. The ISU distillers’ dry grain (DDG) supplementation demonstration suggests that pregnant beef cows utilizing a strip-grazed system with appropriate supplementation can maintain their body condition scores (BCS) during challenging weather conditions. The supplemented group maintained a 5.7 BCS and the control group lost 0.3 BCS during the 49-day demonstration. The DDG supplemented system was projected to be more cost-competitive ($18.82 per head advantage) than the continuous grazed control group