Page 23 - MWC 3-30-2023s

MARKET REPORT The Midwest Cattleman · March 30, 2023 · P23
AVOID APPLYING NITROGEN TO TALL FESCUE PASTURES IN SPRING
Live Cattle Feeder Cattle Daily
By Linda Geist
University of Missouri Ex- during spring. Instead, save
tension state forage special- your fertilizer dollars for fall.
ist Craig Roberts says ergot Fescue has two surges
alkaloids in Kentucky 31 of growth – spring and fall.
tall fescue begin to increase About two-thirds of the an-
about mid-April in Missouri. nual forage growth comes
Tall fescue is the state’s main in the spring. A large appli-
cool-season grass. cation of nitrogen in spring
Fescue toxins bring a host causes grass to crowd out the
of bad side effects. In ex- legumes. If left unfertilized,
treme cases, toxins cause fes- legumes fix free nitrogen
cue foot in cattle. More subtle that is shared with nearby
losses are lower gains, less grass.
milk, poor calving, low wean- Producers also can reduce
ing weight and other ills. risks by exercising patience
Live Cattle: My thoughts center around this market stabilizing now. I’ve been Sometimes it pays to clip toxic tall fescue pastures before seedheads emerge.
Feeder Cattle: All you have to do is look at the corn market for a reason for the
Adding spring nitrogen to when turning cattle out onto
placing a bullish tilt to this market for some time now. I may need to temporarily pull-back in feeders. If I owned a feedlot I’d be nervous to say the least. I do feel
tall fescue worsens problems spring pastures. After a long fore seedheads emerge, adds a cure for many problems
place this on “hold” for a while. The higher placements the last three months will
the feeder market has overdone it to the downside and it will be tough to break it
inherent with ergovaline, the winter of feeding hay, pro- Roberts. “Seedheads con- caused by grazing K-31 fes-
have a negative impact on prices yet, so like they say, “All good things come to those
further. The early corn harvest has most feeder buyers in the field and I don’t think
fungus-produced compound ducers might be anxious to they’ve really had time to concentrate on buying feeders. Let’em get caught up a
who wait”. I see production numbers staying over last years’ levels until at the tain high levels of the toxin. cue.
responsible for poor animal turn cattle out onto fescue little and they’ll head to town.....checkbooks in hand....bulging with “corn” money.
least the end of the year. Beef shipments have been lagging last years’ levels now Further, waiting until after
Nationally recognized for-
for about a month. Two weeks ago they were 8% lower than last year. This weeks
This market will rally....wait and see.
performance, Roberts says. pastures. Instead, wait until heading results in low nutri- age experts, including Rob-

report showed exports a whopping 56% lower than last year. This ain’t good. Low
“With added nitrogen comes fescue grows to 3-8 inches be- tional quality. It’s a double erts, and local producers
imports and high exports have held this market up all summer. We’re starting to
more toxin,” he notes. “Effec- fore turning cattle out, says whammy, and livestock per- spoke at the March 23 work-
lose some of that. I just can’t pull the trigger yet on long term bullish hopes.
tively, the nitrogen aids both Roberts. formance will be dismal.” shop in Mount Vernon at the
plant and fungus growth.” And don’t let cows graze Seeding novel-endophyte MU Southwest Center.
Most tall fescue pastures pastures too short, he says. fescue varieties that have a Topics included symptoms
Trading commodity futures involves substantial risk of loss
and my not be suitable for all investors. The recommendations
grow more than most cat- Ergot alkaloid levels are nontoxic fungus simplifies and causes of fescue toxico-
Rich Nelson
express opinions of the author. The information they contain is
Allendale Inc.
tle can use in spring. Many most toxic in the bottom 2 nitrogen spreading decisions, sis; economics; establishment
obtained from sources believed reliable, but is in no way guaran-
Allendale Inc.
teed. The author may have positions in the markets mentioned
forage experts, including inches of the plant. Roberts says. Replacing tox- and first-year management;
815-578-6161
including at times positions contrary to the advice quoted herein.
rnelson@allendale-inc.com
Roberts, recommend low- Sometimes it pays to clip ic-fescue pasture Opinions, market data, and
proves
recommendations are subject to change at any time.
What Does this Report Mean to Me?
to no-nitrogen fertilization toxic tall fescue pastures be- continued on page 24
Q #1
What do you think the price of fats will be in April 2011
Answer: It’s hard to see the forest for the trees here, but peering through the foliage I see $105.00 fats on the horizon for April. Demand is
going to have to kick in though in order to get it.
Q #2
Due to the recent break in feeders, would you be holding your fall-weaned
calves for a while or letting them go?
Answer: What ever happened to the easy questions? This will depend upon your weaning sched-
ule and your available feed supply. I’m long term bullish the feeder market but the “reality” of
right now probably dictates letting them go. If you keep them for an extra 30 days, make sure you
minimize the grain in the ration. Grow them on good forage....”sell” $4.50 corn. If the fat market
stays sluggish and corn prices don’t moderate, about the only thing you’ve got to hang your hat on
MU Extension veterinary toxicologist Tim Evans says fescue toxicosis is one of the
biggest challenges for cattle producers.
for “higher feeders” is “Hope”.
November 6th
Auction
Lunch at 11:00 a.m.
Sale at 12:30
Sale Offering
16 - 2010 Heifer Calves Jan. - May
16 - Breeding Bulls 7 to 18 months RH Standard Lad 0313
16 - Spring Calving Bred Females Solid As A Rock Sire Group
16 - Spring Calving Black Females Reynolds Herefords
Bred to Hereford Bulls
8 - Fall Calving Pairs 1071 County Road 1231
6 - Show Steer Prospects
Both Horned & Polled Offered Huntsville, MO 65259
573-641-5270 November 5, 2010 Sale offerings on Home: 660-277-3679 • Matt: 660-676-3788
Display 3:00 P.M.
CHB Dinner at 6:00 P.M. • Barb: 660-676-4788
Call or E-Mail for Catalog Email: reynoldscattle@cvalley.net