Download TECHNICAL BULLETIN - GRAZING CORNSTALKS

Small Farms & Local Foods
Bulletin 14-15
TECHNICAL BULLETIN - GRAZING CORNSTALKS
According to the last Census of Agriculture, Illinois had 4266 farms with 1-9 beef cows on the
farm. Most small farm operations growing fruit and vegetables have a livestock component to
them. Quite often this is a beef cattle operation. Many sell specialty value added meat products
as part of their complete line of food products sold in addition to vegetables and fruits.
Whether the cow herd is 1 cow or 100, all producers must be diligent about controlling winter feed
costs. For decades, utilizing corn stalks for beef cows has been a widely established practice. A
very common question asked regarding this practice is “How many cows can I run on a stalk
field and for how long can they do so?”
Under most conditions, one acre of residue, from a corn field that has been combined, can
provide 30 to 45 days of grazing for a 1200-lb pregnant cow; however, this can be quite variable. Utilizing strip-grazing can extend grazing time and make the quality of the diet more uniform
over the grazing period. By limiting access to only a small portion of the field, the cattle are forced
to consume residual corn and both the high- and low-quality forage components of the residue.
One must practice a degree of caution when turning cows out. Corn engorgement can result in rumen acidosis, a condition caused by the rapid increase in rumen lactic acid resulting from a sudden change in the animals' diets. Rumen acidosis can cause death in severe cases, but also can
lead to laminitis (founder ) and added susceptibility to infections. Producers can avoid problems by
conditioning cattle prior to turn out. For at least three days prior to release, cows should have
shelled corn included in their diet. As the nutritional quality of the corn residue decreases, producers will need to provide supplemental protein.
A Cornstalk Grazing Calculator is available from the University of Nebraska to aid in the calculations for stocking density. It is available on-line from https://beef.unl.edu/learning/
cornstalkgrazingcalc.shtml. You can simply search for cornstalk grazing calculator as well.
Author: Dr. Kyle Cecil, University of Illinois Extension Educator
Visit our website at:
http://web.extension.illinois.edu/smallfarm/
University of Illinois— U.S. Department of Agriculture
Local Extension Councils Cooperating
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