Corn stover can provide a viable, low cost feed for wintering mid-gestation beef cows.

The digestible energy in a crop of corn is half in the grain and half in the stover After the grain is harvested, half the feed energy is still in the field in the leaves, husks and stalks. The cows also can glean the kernels and small cobs that passed through the combine.

Most corn stover fields can provide between 1 and 2 months of grazing per cow per acre (e.g. 50 cows on 50 acres for 1–2 months). Cows should be monitored closely and body condition scores recorded so that necessary supplementation can be done when required.

Stover digestibility

The feed value of the stalks will drop after the harvest date, so the earlier you can graze the better. The TDN value could initially be as high as 70%, but as the winter progresses this value will drop down into the 40% range. Part of this decline is due to the weathering of the leaves and stalks. The cows will eat the preferred leaves and grain they can find early in the grazing period, and leave the less digestible stalk material for later grazing.

Grain

Check the field for available grain — both kernels on the ground and small cobs missed by the combine. If there is a lot of available grain, it may be necessary to limit the access so that the cows don't over-load on grain. This can be achieved by using temporary electric fence to strip-graze the field, or by restricting the grazing time to a few hours during the day. The cows will tend to eat the grain first, then the husks and leaves, and lastly the stalks. Controlling the size of the area being grazed will also help to keep the energy level of the cows' diet more uniform.

Supplementation

Once the leaves and husks have been consumed, it may be necessary to supplement with good quality hay. Monitor the manure for any visible signs of grain. If no grain is present in the manure it is time to start supplementing with hay. A 1300 pound cow will require about 6 pounds of good quality hay to meet her protein needs. Salt and mineral should be available free choice at all times. Cows will consume about 10 gallons of water (per head per day) under cool conditions. Water should be readily available. Clean fluffy snow can also be used as the water source.

Soil conditions

If the ground is wet there will be some pugging and roughening of the soil surface. In a no-till cropping system, consider waiting until the ground is frozen or selecting the driest fields with a low clay content to graze. Any fall damage to soil structure will be at least partially rectified by the freeze-thaw action over the winter. Damage in the spring will have a more significant impact on the following crop. Graze the stalks during the fall and early winter and remove the cows from the field before spring thaw conditions start.

By managing the stover field as you would a pasture field — controlling the area being grazed and staying off when soil conditions are wet — a producer can have the best of both the feed and crop world.