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Drylot vs. pasture beef cow/calf production
This is a progress report on the first three years of a six year study comparing biological performance and production costs for drylot (DRLT) vs. pasture (PAST) beef cow/calf production systems. Mature spring calving crossbred beef cows (n=80) were randomly allotted to DRLT or PAST treatments after calving in year 1. Cows were kept in their respective groups throughout the trial with replacements added to maintain 40 pairs per treatment. PAST cows grazed mixed native grasses (2.43 ha. per pair) from late May until late November. DRLT cows were kept in dirt pens with approximately 45 sq. m per pair. Lactating DRLT cows were fed to meet NRC (2000) requirements for average milking cows with some variation in the ration ingredients by year. The lactation ration was mixed and fed daily in fenceline bunks with large round bales of crop residue (wheat straw or corn stover) offered free choice. Conception rates varied little at 84.2% for DRLT and 85.2% for PAST cows after a 45 d natural service breeding season. Cow weight varied with season and by year with PAST cows gaining 18 kg ± 50.64 more than DRLT cows during the grazing season. PAST calves also gained 18 kg ± 26.98 more than drylot calves from turn-out in late May to late Sep when DRLT calves were weaned at 168 days of age. PAST calves were weaned at 206 days of age. Calves in both systems were offered creep feed with DRLT calves consuming 306 kg while PAST calves ate 365 kg, having access to creep feed for 38 days longer. The actual cost of DRLT cow ration, yardage, and creep feed averaged $1.72 per pair per day. The cost for PAST pairs was $1.00 per day which included pasture rent at $61.75/ha., salt and mineral, creep feed, fence maintenance, and management. The cost for DRLT pairs was equivalent to $106 /ha. pasture rent. Manure produced by DRLT pairs was credited to the enterprise for its fertilizer value of $67.13. The higher costs and lower weaning weight for DRLT calves resulted higher production costs of $2.25/kg of weaning weight compared to $1.74/kg for the PAST calves. Lighter calves from DRLT may bring a higher price per kg potentially offsetting some of the increased costs. Additional research is needed on management practices that would lower costs and increase calf performance.
Keywords:
beef, cow, calf, drylot, pasture