Tri-State Neighbor: South Dakota Farm Newspaper

Drought conditions in the last few years as well as increased ethanol production have led to a growing trend of baling cornstalks for livestock feed.

“A lot of livestock producers have increased the amount of cornstalks that are baled, especially when we have harder winters,” said Don Guthmiller, South Dakota State University Extension educator for farm management and marketing in Hamlin County. “When we’ve been on the dry side and haven’t had as much hay stocks on hand, cornstalks are an inexpensive alternative.”

Also with the development of the ethanol industry, distillers grains and other co-products offer a low-cost supplement to go along with cornstalks, Guthmiller said.

“That also has increased the baling of cornstalks because that becomes a cheaper alternative than feeding hay,” he said.

The advantage of using cornstalks as roughage for beef cows is the availability and the low cost. Stalks can also be used for livestock bedding as well.

Vermeer Manufacturing Company based in Pella, Iowa, which markets haying equipment and balers, is promoting baled corn with distillers grains as an alternative to standard hay feeding, said Vermeer product manager Jay Van Roekel.

“In general, if producers are making hay, they have the tools that can do it,” he said.

Some farmers rake the cornstalks after they come out of the back of the combine to make a windrow and bale it in round bales or large square bales.

Others use mowers or rotary cutters and then rake the stalks into a windrow. Some prefer to chop the stalks, although it’s not necessary for baling, Van Roekel said.

A producer doesn’t have to own all the equipment to do it, Van Roekel said.

“There are lots of ways to get it done,” he said, such as hiring a custom baler or neighbor who has the right equipment.

Cornstalks can be a lower input cost for feeders, Van Roekel said, especially if they’re looking at purchasing loads of hay from outside their region.

“They can mix cornstalks or lower quality hay and add distillers grains and create a ration that makes good sense, not only for the animal’s diet but as far as input costs go. It probably doesn’t make sense for everybody but it’s a good choice that people need to look at,” he said.

Van Roekel said he is seeing the trend both on family farms and also at bigger feedlots.

“We try to educate our customers and potential customers on new trends and new ways to stay in business. That’s what it boils down to anymore - to make good choices and be profitable,” Van Roekel said.

Max Smebakken of Shadehill, S.D., has used cornstalk bales to make up for a shortage of feed due to drought in western South Dakota, where he runs a cow/calf operation with his brother.

For the winters of 2002 and 2003, they baled cornstalks in North Dakota and hauled them home to feed.

“We couldn’t get any feed at home during the drought,” Smebakken said.

While cornstalks come at a low cost, the Smebakkens have to weigh the cost of feed versus the cost of fuel to haul and bale cornstalks, he said.

Jason Winegar, who operates Winegar Custom Baling near Moorhead, Iowa, said a number of his customers use cornstalks in their feed rations and also for bedding.

The demand for cornstalk baling is increasing, he said.

“Last year I probably did 1,000 more bales. It’s been picking up with the (ethanol) byproducts,” he said.

Winegar, who also raises cattle, puts up about 100 cornstalk bales for himself.

“I grind it with alfalfa to stretch my hay a little further and also use it for bedding at calving time,” he said.

As a result of this trend, researchers at South Dakota State University have been conducting beef and dairy feeding trials using cornstalks, Guthmiller said.

Cornstalks can work very well as a winter feed, said Cody Wright, SDSU Extension beef specialist. The challenge lies in the extremely varied crude protein levels in cornstalks, which can range from 3 percent to more than 6 percent.

“With as much variability as we’ve seen, I would strongly encourage producers to have a core sample taken and have it tested,” Wright said.

Once results are in, producers can feed the stalks and supplement accordingly with alfalfa or other protein if needed.

The combination of cornstalks with ethanol co-products, particularly wet distillers grains and condensed distillers solubles or syrup “can be an extremely effective feed combination to get cows through the winter,” Wright said.

The best route is to graze cattle on cornstalks in the field as long as possible after harvest, especially given high fuel prices, Wright said. Cattle should be offered a well-balanced vitamin and mineral mix as well.

Cornstalk baling usually starts after harvest ends, when the stalks are completely dry.

“It will continue on until we start getting snow,” Guthmiller said.

Dave Schmidt of Flandreau, S.D., operates David Schmidt Custom Hay Services.

He custom-bales cornstalks for cattle feeders and also for a chicken farm that uses cornstalks for composting - blending the straw with manure.

“It’s been pretty good for quite awhile,” Schmidt said of the demand for cornstalk baling. “I’m anxious to see what happens this year as far as how many I’ll do.”

How long into the fall and winter cornstalks can be baled depends on the weather and field conditions.

“I know we have baled cornstalks in January before,” he said.

Typically, cornstalk bales are worth approximately 50 percent of the value of baled grass hay per ton. Grass hay runs $40 to $70 a ton, compared with alfalfa, which runs $70 to $100 per ton.

One factor to consider is the cost of fertilizer to replace the nutrient value in cornstalks being removed from the field, Guthmiller said.

“For those producers who are cash grain farmers who have no livestock, there is a value to selling the stalks to those who need them,” Guthmiller said.