December 2023

MANHATTAN — Many know the key to good health is eating a balanced diet, and in the case of cattle grazing cornstalks, their diet may need to be adjusted as the quality of the forage deteriorates, according to the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute.Speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast, K-State beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster encouraged producers to walk the fields periodically to assess the quality of the feed resource.“When producers first turn out cattle on cornstalks, they should take note of the amount of leaves and husks available to the cattle to graze and then as the season goes on, they should continue to walk the fields to assess the quality of that feed resource and adjust accordingly,” he said.Lancaster said that if there is too much moisture in the field, the cornstalks will turn black on the ends and the cattle will appear more hungry.“Cattle that are hungry will be reaching through the fence,” Lancaster said.Eventually, they will lose a body condition score, but Lancaster said that typically will take 1-2 months before it is noticeable to the producer.To keep that from happening, Lancaster said the cattle need to be supplemented with protein when they are first turned out to graze the cornstalks.