Grazeing cornstalk's???

[Denny]

I have been offered some cornstalks to graze next fall/winter was wondering what a guy should pay to rent those.It sounds like a sweet deal to me.The stalks are under 2 new pivot's about 250 acre's all new fence and automatic waterer's.

 

[cowwrangler]

the last stalks i rented i paid $2.00 an acre,but then the owners were glad to get the corn cleaned up for next years beans and or volunteer corn in corn,this was 3 years ago ,prolly just kinda have to feel the owner out,some people will let you have them here if you do the fencing,would make it worth more since they have all new fencing ,makes it worth more also with automatic waters and dont have to haul

 

[Northern Rancher]

I just looked at a couple hundred Hereford heifers that had wintered on stalks dowbn by Gem, Alberta. They were in just about the right condition to go out on grass.

 

[Andy]

It all depends on what the owner wants. If he wants you to really clean up the stalks I pay.25 per cow/day. If all they want you to do is just clean some of the corn and will let you turn out right behind the combine I would pay up to .50 a day. You should be able to get 30-60 cow/days per acre.

 

[CattleArmy]

Do to the dry year last year and even the later part of summer this year ours went to cornstalks. One word of caution make sure if they are gonna be along ways from home that the party that has the stalks will check water and has hay in case of deep snow.

We had our most sucessful experience this year. The guy was great, checked them, and even kept track of the dates he put salt and mineral out.

It cost us .25 per head per day. The most expensive part for us was the trucking them there and home.

 

[scout]

Around here it is bout 2dollars a acre. We figure 2 acres 0f cornstalks to the cow a month. At 2.5 percent of body weight on a 1200 pound cow its about 30 pounds of feed a day times 30 days is 900 pounds of feed for 4 dollars thats cheap when compared to 60 dollars for a 1800 pounds of hay. Cant make money any easier .

 

[Shorthornguy]

$20.00 per head for the season.

 

[Denny]

Do to the dry year last year and even the later part of summer this year ours went to cornstalks. One word of caution make sure if they are gonna be along ways from home that the party that has the stalks will check water and has hay in case of deep snow.

We had our most sucessful experience this year. The guy was great, checked them, and even kept track of the dates he put salt and mineral out.

It cost us .25 per head per day. The most expensive part for us was the trucking them there and home.

They would be 6 miles from home,and actually closer to home than normal.I would have to haul them to and from as it is 20 miles from our land where we winter them.One good day I could haul everything I think so the cost would be fuel which most likely would add up to $150 each time.Only problem would be if we got lots of snow which would shorten days on feed we don't normally get much for winter thaws.

 

[jigs]

we average 7 - 10 dollars an acre here....and some guys get priced 15-20 because they won't get them off the field in time.


always makes me wonder why one neighbor NEVER runs his own stalks, but wants to rent everyone elses........

 

[movin' on]

Corn stalks are the best thing in the world with the exception of milo stalks for late fall/early winter grazing. I have rented both for the last 11 years and have always given .25 cents per head/ per day. I figure one acre will last one cow one month, but if you have any luck at all, the acre will actually last longer than that. After about two weeks, you will have to give them some sort of a protein supplement. I have found that protien tubs or a lick tank will usually run right around .25 cents a day also, bringing your total to .50 cents a day. I know a lot of people scoff at tubs and liquid, but if those cows are behind a good fence and have automatic waterers, your time and fuel expenses will be so very minimal that you'll just let them scoff!

I would never turn down a chance to rent corn or milo stalks.

 

[Denny]

I think I will offer him .25 per day and see where it takes me.He did say I have to leave the manure behind.I was hopeing it would run them 60 days but with 250 head I don't think so now.

The fuel would be a mute because I woud'nt be driveing up to feed or starting a tractor.

 

[CattleArmy]

Do to the dry year last year and even the later part of summer this year ours went to cornstalks. One word of caution make sure if they are gonna be along ways from home that the party that has the stalks will check water and has hay in case of deep snow.

We had our most sucessful experience this year. The guy was great, checked them, and even kept track of the dates he put salt and mineral out.

It cost us .25 per head per day. The most expensive part for us was the trucking them there and home.

They would be 6 miles from home,and actually closer to home than normal.I would have to haul them to and from as it is 20 miles from our land where we winter them.One good day I could haul everything I think so the cost would be fuel which most likely would add up to $150 each time.Only problem would be if we got lots of snow which would shorten days on feed we don't normally get much for winter thaws.

We've had a very postive experience going to stalks. Just make sure you have a back up plan incase there is a lot of snow. Can you fed them there? Do they have to be moved if they need fed hay? Also make sure you specify who's going to be responsible for the water.

You are lucky to have stalks so close to home. We had to truck ours around 100 miles one way. It still was cheaper for us to go to corn stalks then to buy hay. Plus the ole girls were all shiny and in excellent condition when they came home.

 

[Andy]

You should be able to get 60 days under a pivot. If you want the cows to be happy and gain some weight the whole time they are out there you will have to supplement them some after the first few weeks. Wet distillers is my favorite supplment for cows on stalks. I like to feed it 3 times a week and have got by very well on that.

 

[Denny]

Do to the dry year last year and even the later part of summer this year ours went to cornstalks. One word of caution make sure if they are gonna be along ways from home that the party that has the stalks will check water and has hay in case of deep snow.

We had our most sucessful experience this year. The guy was great, checked them, and even kept track of the dates he put salt and mineral out.

It cost us .25 per head per day. The most expensive part for us was the trucking them there and home.

They would be 6 miles from home,and actually closer to home than normal.I would have to haul them to and from as it is 20 miles from our land where we winter them.One good day I could haul everything I think so the cost would be fuel which most likely would add up to $150 each time.Only problem would be if we got lots of snow which would shorten days on feed we don't normally get much for winter thaws.

We've had a very postive experience going to stalks. Just make sure you have a back up plan incase there is a lot of snow. Can you fed them there? Do they have to be moved if they need fed hay? Also make sure you specify who's going to be responsible for the water.

You are lucky to have stalks so close to home. We had to truck ours around 100 miles one way. It still was cheaper for us to go to corn stalks then to buy hay. Plus the ole girls were all shiny and in excellent condition when they came home.

It's only 6 miles from my house I could haul a wagon load of hay over quite quickly.Or he always has hay for sale and most likely could buy some.

 

[movin' on]

Denny,

In a perfect year, those 250 acres just might last you 60 days. If the weather stayed right and you supplemented them a little bit, that is not out of the realm of "maybe's".

One question I've got to ask.....what's in the pivot corners. Those are 7 acres on a 1/4 section pivot. I'm assuming that's what those pivots are so there is an additional 28 acres X 2 for a total of 56 acres. Even if those are fallow ground or bean stubble or something seemingly worthless, those cows will find any available grub out there. If those acres are there and available, use 'em.

 

[Denny]

Denny,

In a perfect year, those 250 acres just might last you 60 days. If the weather stayed right and you supplemented them a little bit, that is not out of the realm of "maybe's".

One question I've got to ask.....what's in the pivot corners. Those are 7 acres on a 1/4 section pivot. I'm assuming that's what those pivots are so there is an additional 28 acres X 2 for a total of 56 acres. Even if those are fallow ground or bean stubble or something seemingly worthless, those cows will find any available grub out there. If those acres are there and available, use 'em.

There's winter wheat planted on them right now.

 

[movin' on]

Who knows what they'll have on them 6 months from now, huh? If he puts them into wheat again next fall and lets you graze them, boy have you got it made! Even if he justs lets it set and it goes to volunteer wheat and crabgrass, they'll be of benefit to you. Any row crops he might plant in there should be off by fall as well. The corners just might end up being a really good deal.