Wheat Pasture Costs? (KS/OK)

[mytfarms]

I'm pretty fresh to this wintering on stalks and/or wheat pasture deal, and I was curious as to what the going rates on either are in the central and southern plains. I'm betting they're gonna be plenty pricey with hay being so high this winter....

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

I wonder if they will graze much wheat this year with the high prices. Heard corn hit $9.00 today :shock:

 

[burnt]

I wonder if they will graze much wheat this year with the high prices. Heard corn hit $9.00 today :shock:

I think the grazing occurs in the fall or winter to remove some of the excess top and then discontinued in the spring when the growing season begins. But someone from down there could speak to that much better. I could never understand how the hoof action doesn't destroy the stand?

Corn hit 9 bucks?

I priced some new crop today for just a tick under $300/MT. :shock: I think we are actually going to have a half decent crop this fall even though we had almost no rain from early March to late July. I think we got 1/2" in June. Did some new crop beans also.

But there is a lot of corn around that is barely going to make good silage.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know about corn- but cash dark northern spring wheat FOB Portland went over $10 bushel today.....

 

[3 M L & C]

The key to grazing any field is for it to be DRY. If its muddy thats bad news. Even on stalks you have cows out there when its wet it will cost you big time the next year from the compaction. If you plan on grazing wheat it makes about half as if you don't graze it. You have to plant it early and really thick. Thats my experience any way. My uncle thought at least 1.25 a day what it would cost. He was just guessing hasn't heard any numbers for sure for this fall. I never custom do any grazing because of the reason I mentioned earlier.

 

[LazyWP]

I used to run a fertilizer sprayer around Salina Kansas, and back then , if they grazed the fields, the guy renting the field, payed for an extra 30 units of Nitrogen. There used to be alot of grazing, when I first move down there, in '98, but very little when I left in 07. Don't know if it was the price of wheat, weird weather, or different varieties that caused the change.

 

[3 M L & C]

I used to run a fertilizer sprayer around Salina Kansas, and back then , if they grazed the fields, the guy renting the field, payed for an extra 30 units of Nitrogen. There used to be alot of grazing, when I first move down there, in '98, but very little when I left in 07. Don't know if it was the price of wheat, weird weather, or different varieties that caused the change.

Way more no till. If the cattle are out there when it rains you about have to work it. It just gets to hard like concrete and rough. I sell my pairs in Salina.

 

[Anonymous]

Breaking News
USDA predicts record corn, soybean prices as crops fail


By Rita Jane Gabbett on 8/10/2012

USDA forecast the U.S. corn crop at 10.8 billion bushels, the lowest since 2006/07 and a big jump down from the 12.9 billion bushel forecast just a month ago in its first report based on actual field surveys.

The agency predicted record average farm corn prices in a range of $7.50 to $8.90 per bushel, up sharply from the $5.40 to $6.40 per bushel projected in July.

Corn ending stocks for the 2011/12 marketing year ending in September are projected to be 118 million bushels higher at 1 billion bushels with lower expected exports, reduced corn use for ethanol, and a small increase in imports.

Corn ending stock if 2012/13, however, are expected to drop to just 650 million bushels, even as usage is expected to decline. That would be the lowest carryout since 1995/96.

Corn use for feed is expected to drop to 4 billion bushels from 4.8 billion predicted last month.

USDA dropped its forecast of corn use for ethanol by 400 million bushels to 4.5 billion bushels.

Soybeans

Soybean production for 2012/13 is projected at 2.7 billion bushels, down 358 million due to lower harvested area and yields.

Soybean supplies for 2012/13 are projected 12 percent below last month to a 9-year low on lower production and reduced beginning stocks.

Soybean crush is reduced as higher prices reduce domestic use and prospective exports for both soybean meal and oil. Soybean ending stocks are projected at 115 million bushels, down 15 million.

Soybean and product prices for 2012/13 are all raised to record levels this month, reflecting the impact of sharply reduced soybean and corn production.

The U.S. season-average soybean price is projected in a range of $15.00 to $17.00 per bushel, up $2.00 on both ends.

Soybean meal prices are projected in a range of $460 to $490 per short ton compared with $365 to $395 last month.

 

[Anonymous]

The combine crew moved into the Duram fields this afternoon... Not sure what its running yet (combiner had only made a couple of rounds but thought 60-70) - but with the heavy straw, lodging, and good wheat crop the combines are moving awful slow...

(Sorry for the hazy picture- but the 90 degree temps really are kicking up the heat waves)..

What I really like is the heavy windrows of straw which we are baling right behind the combines... Lot of cows might be wintering on straw this year with hay so expensive....

 

[Larrry]

The thing about grazing wheat is you never know the impact of it.

I have seen grazing hurt it, not make a difference, and even help it.
I have seen grazing set it back so that the freeze didn't get it or it had less moisture requirement if it was grazed off. One thing is for sure if you want grain the cattle need to come off early.

That being said if you graze it you take a crop off and then the grain is your second crop off the field.

 

[Anonymous]

Thunderstorms rolled in during the night- dumped another .25 and shut down the combining for today.. The northern part of the county got over an inch.. Sure enjoying the cooler temps tho...

The baler crew went until it got too wet last night - but got a couple hundred bales of straw baled...

Seeing all this straw is sure making me more optomistic about the winter...Still have a little second cutting to put up- but the hay was less than last year...

 

[mytfarms]

Awesome pics there oldtimer. Glad you are gonna hit some good wheat prices.

Insofar as purpose behind grazing, when you cross the KS to OK border, the light switch flips from farming to cattle. It's called "wheat pasture" for a reason around where I'm at. That stuff is made to graze cows on because about 90% or better will be green chopped or baled as feed the next spring. Very few grain bins exist in that part of the world. So its primary purpose is to be first rate, high yield "pasture" for the winter season. The problem is mostly stocker to yearling guys run on that, and I'm not sure if I'm gonna play that game.