Ag Page March 19
TRUXTON – Milo planted for
grazing cuts winter feed bills by half and
keeps nutrients on the farm, says Rusty
Lee, University of Missouri Extension
agronomist.
Nutrients stay on the land when cattle and
sheep recycle manure by stomping it into the
soil during grazing, Lee says.
Milo’s strong root system also improves
soil quality. The finely branched tillers and
roots add significant biomass to the soil and
give the plant the support it needs to continue
standing until grazed, he says.
Lee says milo’s tolerance of hot, dry
growing seasons makes it a good choice for
Missouri livestock producers.
During the past few years, Lee and other
producers found success with milo as an
alternative winter feed source. Lee says he
now keeps hay on hand only as a backup.
Planting is normally mid-May to early
June, on 30-inch rows. “The intent is grain
production, as the bushels of milo per acre
determines the grazing-days per acre,” he
says. “While land with marginal productivity
can produce grain, the higher-productivity
acres will generate more cow days per acre.”
Milo in the field puts dollars back into the
producer’s pocket. Move the feedlot to the
field to reduce equipment and labor costs for
harvesting, grinding and transporting feed.
Made hay costs about $1.08 per day per cow,
Lee says, while bought hay is $1.26 per day
per cow at $35 per bale, $1.62 at $45/bale
and $1.98 at $55/bale. Grazed milo is 69
cents per cow daily on land rented at $100
per acre.
Determine yield to reduce waste and
shortages, he says. Allocate acreage based
on estimated yield and a cow’s daily need of
9-10 pounds of milo grain.
It is important to supplement the milo
field with protein, he says. This can be
through access to stockpiled fescue pasture,
quality hay, or commodity feeds like
distillers grains or soybean meal.
When the allocation is right, cows will
eat most of the grain heads in a paddock
within 30 minutes. Within two hours, they
eat 70-80% of the milo leaves and stalk.
Usually, only the bottom 18 inches of stalk
goes uneaten.
Calves adjust to grazing on milo as they
follow the lead of their mothers, Lee says.
Grazed milo offers cattle added highenergy
nutrition, says Eric Bailey, MU
Extension beef nutritionist.
Its nutrient value is similar to that of
corn silage, Baileys says. He recommends
supplements for lactating cows and
backgrounding cattle.
“Cow body condition maintains and
can improve over winter, even in lactating
cows who calved in the fall,” he says. Body
condition of calves also improves in the
dead of winter.
John Turner, retired USDA grasslands
conservationist, says milo’s high nutrient
value makes it a valuable addition in grazing
systems. Most annual crops produce seed
and die. Milo does not. Nutrients, including
sugar in the stalk sap, remain in the plant
after frost.
However, keep cattle off milo for about
seven days after frost to avoid prussic acid
issues. In central Missouri, it is usually safe
to put cattle back on milo fields by Nov. 1,
Lee says.
Nitrogen fertilizer at a rate of 120
pounds per acre will support good yields
and avoid potential nitrate problems from
overfertilization, he says.
Producers get better cattle and save cash,
Bailey says. Hundred-bushel milo provides
400 cow days per acre at a lower cost than
silage.
Sheep and goats are less enthusiastic
than cattle about milo grazing because they
cannot see predators over the tall seed heads.
However, Truxton area sheep producer Harry
Cope found success with strip grazing. He
says that sheep graze the outer edge of the
field first and work their way to the center.
Lee says milo strip grazing requires some
additional labor that one person can handle.
Cattle must be moved to a new paddock each
day; goats and sheep need a new location
every one to three weeks.
Make those moves easier by avoiding
steel posts, which are difficult to move after
a freeze, Lee says. Polywire fencing works
in snow and ice. Choose small-diameter
wire over polytape that will sag.
As with any new crop, Lee recommends
that producers start with a few acres to see
if the change is right for their operations.
“Plant a few acres and stick your toe in the
water.”
For more information, contact your local
MU Extension agronomist, or contact Lee at
573-564-3733 or leerw@missouri.edu.