Here is a next bit of my notes from Woody Laneâs lecture on grass and nutrition. First, I should offer the caveat that he gave, which was that he felt he had to oversimplify some technical terms, due to the time constraints of the 2-hour class (which he normally teaches over several weeks). And, a second caveat that if something seems wonky in the information, surely it is my note-taking, and not Woodyâs information, which is incorrect. đ Comments are welcome if Iâve gotten something wrong.
Woody introduced two terms which are important in considering what grazing animals need to eat in order to grow.
The first is âTDNâ or âtotal digestible nutrients,â expressed in a percentage. That is basically the âenergy contentâ of the feed in question. Here is a chart of common edible things (for ruminants), and their average TDNs:
The second term is âcrude proteinâ or âCP.â What weâre really interested in is the âtrueâ protein content of food, but protein tests are not practical to administer. So instead the nitrogen content is measured, which has a linear relationship to protein content and gives a reasonable estimate of true protein. The nitrogen value is multiplied by 6.25 to factor-up to 100% protein. I.e. 1% nitrogen content means there is 6.25% âcrude proteinâ. When people talk about âx% hayâ they are referring to the CP content of the hay.
Below is a chart of typical CP values of feeds people use for ruminants. Lambs need at least 16% CP for good growth.
Woody qualified that good quality green grass is generally above 20%, and can sometimes be above 30%. So, this sets the stage for the financial viability of grass-fed lamb: yes, it is possible to grow lambs (and other ruminants) rapidly on grass alone! Green grass is a solid competitor against any feed, and you donât have to do much work-the sheep harvest it for you!
So why do we feedlot meat animals in this country so much? The answer isnât because grain-feeding is better, or faster, at growing meat. Itâs purely because itâs cheap, given our ability to grow row crops at rock-bottom prices in the U.S. When you ponder the chart above, figure on blending a lot of corn with some soybean or cottonseed meal, youâve got an inexpensive, high-CP feed for fattening meat animals.
But, that fact could be about to change, possibly radically altering the way we grow food in this country. As grain-based fuels catch on here, the price of grain could rise significantly, putting feedlots out of business and pushing us back to grass-fed operations. This would also make pork a very expensive meat.
Cattle are slow growers and typically only produce one calf a year, so they are not very profitable when you canât feed them cheap grain. Sheep (and goats), on the other hand, not only have great feed conversion rate and the willingness to eat a lot of stuff, but offer the potential for a 200-300% annual crop, if they are well managed.
It turns out, sheep are one heck of a ranch animal, and can convert even a weedy pasture into meat on the table and money in the bank. Most of the rest of the world has never forgotten this, and eats a lot of lamb. So, though the sheep industry has been on an eighty-year decline in this country, itâs possible we are about to see that turn around.
So, now we know grass feeding is practical, feasible and definitely the wave of the future (if not because of ethanol, there is just an increasing customer demand for ânaturalâ in our culture). Next, Iâll get to the actual âhow-toâ of pasture grass management; because âgood grassâ is the holy grail of lamb growth.
Sweet, appreciate the info, looking forward to the next post. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve been watching auction prices of lean pork sides in the capitol press. Right now the price is $51/hundredweight, which means that the whole animal sells for $102 or so.
Right now feed prices here are $330/ton for pork feed. It takes 1200lbs of feed to go from weaner pig to finished hog, at a cost of $198. If I add the cost of a weaner pig (current market is $75), the hard costs of raising a pig is $273, which animal I can sell at auction for $102.
I’m lucky that I can get more for that animal in the local market, but I don’t get how the pork producers are able to keep their costs so low. To sell an animal at $102, your cost basis has got to be below $60.
I don’t get it.
No kidding. I’m sure large scale producers can get cheaper feed prices in bulk, but still. I think what it means is, they are feeding pigs junk, stuff they can get a hold of much cheaper than good feed.
feed prices did go up based on fuel demand, but they’ve since retreated a bit. Hasn’t hurt that most of the big ethanol plants are either running at very low capacity, shuttered or bankrupt.
Yeah, it’s hard to know for sure what will happen. Of course there is criticism that corn-based fuel costs more in fuel to produce than the energy it creates, and it sounds like that accusation may have some merit. But, proponents claim that we’re just starting with corn, since we’re so good at growing corn, until we get the tecnology down, and then will move to other sources (algae?).
I have to wonder, with Obama’s administration pushing oil independence and loathing to drill, whether biodiesel will start to grow, at least in the next 3 years? Not knowing what the future holds, I think we may be both glad sheep are part of our “portfolios”! đ