When Vernon Schmiegelow went searching for cost-effective ways to pack pounds on calves, he discovered the solution was near as the grass underfoot.
Time has passed significantly since Vernon, 65, a former general manager of Sibley Engineering and a real estate agent for about 35 years, found it necessary to fill the two bulk feed bins that sit near the Morton shop on his farm. High petrol and grain prices fueled Vernon's drive to find ways to make good hay profitable, and the payoff has been in the added value realized as the calves packed on the pounds feeding on pasture.
"This place had 45 acres of Bermuda grass, but it wasn't properly taken care of, and I set out a goal to make it better," said Vernon, who is no stranger to farming. He was reared on a dairy farm and was 12 when he purchased his first registered Jersey heifer for $300. By 1959, he had the grand champion Holstein at the Washington County Fair. He sits on the agricultural development board for the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, The Extension Council and the 4-H Foundation and is vice president of the Benton County Fair Board. He and his wife of 43 years, Elaine, raised registered polled Herefords on land around Benton County. They now own 250 acres outside of Gravette and lease another 300 acres south of the Bentonville-Centerton line. Since 2003, he has operated a purebred Angus seed stock enterprise, S&S Cattle, with partner Vernon Swank.
Make the grass better Vernon did, as he found providing the best possible hay pays off in calf performance and cow reproductive efficiency. Now Vernon has three bulls and 150 head of Angus, of which 54 are calves. His herd goal now is to keep back some steers and maintain about 80 cows available for calving.
Exploring and demonstrating methods to make maximum use of high-quality forage is key to reducing the need to purchase expensive grains to supplement cattle's diet, he said. Implementing forage has allowed producers to retain more of the gross margin in their pocketbooks. The feed costs, Vernon said, are undoubtedly noticeable: $4.50 a day for grain versus 80 cents for grass per herd member.
Vernon, as a participant in Benton County's Quality Forage project, has won awards for his hay, but the real reward has come in eliminating supplements after weaning. The herd gets the first cutting of Bermuda grass, which runs about 12-14 percent crude protein and which eliminates the need for supplementing with cubes. Subsequent cuttings gives calves the better hay and keeps them growing. He weighs his calves to measure their genetic process for growth and to monitor the progress of his forage program. On Bermuda grass hay, his calves grow about 3 pounds a day with no grain.
"Young bulls do better on the grass," he said, "but we try not to bale more hay than is needed." Acreage normally cut for hay has been set aside for the cattle to pasture it, he said.
The Program
Benton County's Quality Forage program has been a catalyst for Northwest Arkansas farmers to produce consistently high-quality Bermuda grass hay and post relatively high feed values across all cuttings.
The program, now sponsored by the UA's Division of Agriculture and Northwest Arkansas agricultural lenders and businesses, began as a local contest aimed at sparking farmer interest in growing Bermuda grass hay and promoting production management, efficiency, hay quality and marketing. Only three produced top quality hay for that first contest in 1998. Fast-forward a decade and about 72 claim memberships in the 100 Club, an awards program for growers who submit hay samples with relative feed values over 100.
The Techniques
"I fertilize efficiently to obtain an optimum level of production for us," said Vernon, who uses Grazon and 2-4D in April to help control weeds in the meadows. He tests each cutting of Bermuda. He adds 200 pounds per acre of ammonia nitrate between the first and second cutting, but adds nothing between the second and third. After the third cut, he applies 100 pounds per acre of nitrate and 60 pounds per acre of potash. By the fourth cut in 2008, that process yielded 445 net-wrapped 1,200-pound cylindrical bales of Bermuda grass hay from 45 acres, or about 10 bales per acre.
Harvest timing is critical with Bermuda grass, which has a growing season that spans March to October, whereas fescue or orchard grass hay require attention to growth stages. Knowing when to cut is just as important, Vernon said. Always get the first cutting by June 1, because real tonnage comes off the first couple of cuttings, then cut every four weeks regardless of height. Anything longer than that, and hay producers lose roughly 2 percent protein.
"We try to extend the grazing season as much as we can," said Vernon whose pastures also are interseeded with fescue, orchard grass and red clover. It's proving an effective technique.
