Historic, archived document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BULLETIN No. 745 Wee ~ Contribution from the Forest Service HENRY S. GRAVES, Forester Washington, 1D. C. Vv January 29, 1919 CHOPPED SOAPWEED AS EMERGENCY FEED FOR CATTLE ON SOUTHWESTERN RANGES. By C. L. Forstine, Grazing Examiner. CONTENTS. Page. Page. The need of emergency feed.....-.-..------- 1 | The time required for cattle to learn to cat Soapweed as range forage.......---.- Eek. f5-92.. 2 Soapweedts. chic. Vee ee oe Re aS iL Cut soapweed as emergency feed........-..-- 3 | The amount of soapweed cattle willeat...... 12 The collection of soapweed......------------ 7 | Ileffects from eating soapweed.....--..-.--- 12 The preparation of soapweed....-.---------- 9 | Fattening on soapweed and cottonseed meal. . 13 Feeding the soapweed....-...-.------------- 10 | Growth habits of soapweed....-.-..--.-.----- 13 The cost of soapweed feed ........-.-.-..-.--- 10 | Necessity for conservative, selective cutting. . 15 The cost of a maintenance ration...........- iy) Wselotzelatedispecies/ a) eases qasenaeeeeo meee 17 THE NEED OF EMERGENCY FEED. Heavy losses of stock resulting from long periods of drought are the greatest handicap of the stock industry on the ranges of the Southwest. Such droughts have occurred at intervals of from. 3 to 10 years. When these droughts continue for more than a year the situation becomes critical because of lack of range forage or other available feed. Cottonseed products serve well as supplemental feed in times when enough range forage is available to provide the necessary roughage. During prolonged droughts like the present one, which began early in 1916 and continues unbroken at the present time (June 15, 1918), the range forage crop may be so small as to require other roughage as well as concentrated feeds. The problem may be solved in part in some of the less arid regions by raising fodder crops by dry farming. The ranges where this is practicable at present, however, are not extensive. Ona few ranges, adjacent to irrigated districts, the necessary emergency feeds might be furnished by crops from such irrigated areas; but this supply at 81176°—19—Bull. 745——1 2 BULLETIN 745, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. best would be restricted to range in the immediate vicinity of the irrigated areas and would not provide emergency feed for the larger portion of the ranges of the Southwest, where losses have been heavy, and where breeding herds established through years of effort have been sacrificed. In the hope of meeting the problem on such ranges, at least to an extent which will make it possible to maintain the breeding herd over critical periods, the Department of Agriculture for a number of years has been cooperating with a practical stockman on the Jornada ange Reserve! in southern New Mexico in working out a compre- hensive plan of range management and supplemental feeding. For several years this plan has included investigation of the use of native vegetation as emergency feed. The results of range management with supplemental feeding, and of the initial tests to determine the value of soapweed as ensilage, were reported in Department of Agriculture Bulletin 588.2. Later investigations, including extensive experimental feeding, have shown conclusively that soapweed, if properly utilized, is of great value as an emergency stock feed. SOAPWEED AS RANGE FORAGE. Soapweed (Yucca elata) 1s recognized as a valuable forage plant in its native state on the range. The green leaves are eaten during winter and spring, especially when a shortage of other forage exists. Ordinarily, the sharp points of the leaves discourage grazing, but where other forage is scarce cattle learn to chew the leaves from the center or base toward the sharp end. It is very difficult to estimate the exact food value of each plant, but where from 170 to 300 plants per acre are found no small amount of forage may be obtained from them. In the fall of 1917 a herd of cattle in southern New Mexico was maintained for at least two months on a range where the green soapweed leaves furnished’50 per cent or more of the forage. On an overgrazed pasture at a distance of 2 miles from water 47 per cent of the soapweed plants were grazed; and on closely grazed range 3 miles from water about 30 per cent were grazed. In many eases the entire leafage of soapweed plants was utilized. The soapweed blossoms are of especially great value. The panicles of large white flowers appear on stalks commonly from 4 to 10 feet 1The Jornada Range Reserve is located in Dona Ana County, N. Mex., about 50 miles nerth of the Mexican boundary. It includes a range unit of approximately 200,000 acres. The average rainfall is less than 9 inches and varies from 3.5 inches to 15 inches. Mr. C. T. Turney, the cooperating stockman, originated the idea of using the soapweed as a supplemental feed on the Jornada Range Reserve and was principally responsible for getting manufacturers to develop the machines which are now used successfully in chop- ping the soapweed. 2 Jardine, J. T., and Hurtt, L. C., Increased Cattle Production on Southwestern Ranges, Bulletin 588, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1917. CHOPPED SOAPWEED AS EMERGENCY FEED. 3 tall. Both the stalks and the flowers are palatable. The stalks begin to make their appearance early in May, and the stalks and flowers are good forage until late in June. Cattle thrive on them. Besides, they are so succulent that cattle grazing on them can go several days without water. This makes possible the use, for a short period at least, of range which otherwise might not be utilized on account of its great distance from water. The value of the bloom crop is in- creased by the fact that it occurs during a critical season when other forage usually is scarce and the stock is in poor condition. Without it, it would be difficult in many cases to carry the stock through until the summer rains. The main drawback is the uncertainty of a full crop. Large crops occur at intervals of several years, usually in the spring following a rainy autumn. However, some of the plants bloom each year, so that a small annual supply can be depended upon. The young leaves or growing tips of the soapweed stems also are valuable for forage immediately after growth has started in the spring. It is common to see a cow go from one plant to another biting out the center or growing tips. The value of soapweed as stock forage in its native state on the range makes it desirable, other things being equal, to use range sup- porting the heaviest stands of soapweed during the winter and spring. This practice, of course, should vary so as to secure the maximum use of the most important forage plants on the area. Close observation during the winter, spring, and early summer on closely grazed cattle ranges where soapweed occurs in any abundance will convince anyone that soapweed is valuable as a range forage plant. Hven when grazed to the best advantage, however, it does not adequately meet the requirements of an emergency feed. The nour- ishment obtained from grazing the leaves alone is not sufficient to tide an animal over for more than a very short period, and drought may make it necessary to give additional feed to stock long before the growth of the soapweed begins. CUT SOAPWEED AS EMERGENCY FEED. PRELIMINARY EXPERIMENTS. Investigations to determine the practicability of cutting and feed- ing soapweed were begun at the Jornada Range Reserve in 1915. In December, 1915, approximately 150 tons of the heads and leaf por- tions were gathered and run.through an ordinary ensilage cutter into a pit silo. In March, 1916, the silo was opened and about 10 tons of the soapweed ensilage was fed to poor cows over a- period of sev- eral weeks. The results of the feeding were encouraging, although 4 BULLETIN 745, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. the stock had difficulty in eating the ensilage (which they relished) because the cutter had not chopped the material fine enough. The silo was opened again in January, 1918, and about 30 tons of the ensilage fed to poor cows, many of them suckling calves. About 15 pounds of a mixture of ensilage and cottonseed meal, in the ratio of 10 pounds to 1, was fed to each cow daily. The ensilage was in a good state of preservation, and the leaves had softened a good deal; but the fiber appeared to be about as tough as when the material was put into the silo in 1915. The feeding gave good results. The silo was closed again to save the remainder of the ensilage for emergency. After the feeding of 1915-16, investigations were made to deter- mine the food value of the stems and leaves of the soapweed plants. The following results of chemical analyses show that the material as a whole has a comparatively high.food value. Chemical analyses of soapweed (Yucca elata), compared with chemical analyses of important native range grasses of the same locality, on moisture-free basis. Soapweed.! Stems. | Leaves. Per cent. | Per cent. SAIS) 0 ae ai ooh AES Sada Oa aS ae Ca end Re a 8.4 6.7 TBE OTHO RETA Ge ye ae ea a as sh i oe aa 2.0 3.6 PIO ESM Ae ae ee CE Na 2 PARA Rae Bis Sate ee RS Ae EEO 4.25 8.2 Ore Dio Vi il OG RS BAe SC is ae 2 Sale Aer an eels CEA ONS Sy Roa ee 35.1 38.4 Chemical analyses of soapweed (Yucca elata), compared with chemical analyses of alfalfa, corn ensilage, and fresh green timothy, on moisture basis. Nitro- | Number Water. | Ash. een Protein. Gide gen-free | ofanaly- 4 * |extract.| Ses. ss) > eS eS eS a ree Per cent.|Per cent. |Per pee Per cent.|Per cent. |Per cent. Soapweed StemSioee eee saaeea eee cecae 54.7 3.6 3 Ae : 24.1 2 Soapweed leaves3..........------------ 42.3 3.6 3.1 4.5 22.3 24.2 2 Fresh green alfalfa #528) 22. 22 ae 74.7 2.4 1.0 4.5 7.0 10.4 143 Immature corn ensilage‘............-.- FBi) 17 8 a 6.3 15.4 121 Fresh green timothy #..-.......---.---- 62.5 2.2 1.2 Suk sz 19.3 88 1 1 Average of four analyses made by the Bureau of Chemistry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, from samples submitted Sept. 10, 1917, Apr. 18, May 14, and May 31, 1918. 2 Average of 24 analyses made by the Bureau of Chemistry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, from sam- ples submitted each month beginning April, 1916, and ending March, 1918. 3 Average of two analyses by Bureau of Chemistry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, from samples sub- mitted May 14 and May 31, 1918. ’ _4 Analyses of alfalfa, corn ensilage, and timothy taken from ‘‘ Feeds and Feeding” by Henry and Mor- rison. The two native grasses, black grama grass (Bouteloua eriopoda) and red three-awn grass (Arzstida longiseta) are the most important grasses on the Jornada Range Reserve, and yet the comparison is CHOPPED SOAPWEED AS EMERGENCY FEED. 5 slightly in favor of the soapweed. Although soapweed is consider- ably higher in crude fiber and ash than fresh green alfalfa, immature corn ensilage, and fresh green timothy, the comparison in the amount of ether extract (fat) protein, and nitrogen-free extract is favorable _ enough to indicate that the soapweed is a valuable feed so far as this is determined by chemical analysis alone. Steps were taken also to secure a machine which would chop the plants finer, and several types of machines designed to cut the entire soapweed plant into material more suitable for feeding were put on the market early in 1918. One of these was installed at the Jornada Range Reserve January 13, 1918, and was there perfected to chop the plants satisfactorily. SOAPWEED FEEDING ON THE JORNADA RANGE RESERVE IN 1918. As a result of the prolonged drought the range forage crop on the Jornada Range Reserve in 1917 was far below normal. Conse- quently little range forage was left by January 1, 1918, and it was apparent that extensive feeding would be necessary to maintain a large percentage of the cows suckling calves and the cows heavy with calf. Accordingly, the feeding of chopped soapweed and cottenseed meal was begun January 20, 1918, with the object of preventing loss of cattle and maintaining the herd as cheaply as possible over the critical period until range forage became available. Riders were set to work gathering cows that were approaching .a critical con- dition, and the number in. the feed lot was increased daily. Soap- weed feeding was still in progress June 15, 1918. During the first 70 days of feeding an unsystematic effort was made to segregate the weaker cattle and feed them separately from the rest. Where a large number of cattle varying in condition are fed in one feed lot, the weaker ones are crowded away from the feed and will not improve in condition as they should. Segregation was found to be important, and after the first 70 days the work was systematized so that the poorer cows were placed in a feed lot by themselves in small groups where they could receive individual attention if necessary, and were fed a slightly heavier ration than the main herd. After a short period of special attention and of feeding on the heavier ration, many of the poorer cows im- proved in condition and were put with the main herd on the lighter feeding. It was found that the poorer cows when fed a daily ration of 25 pounds of the chopped soapweed and 3 pounds of cottonseed meal gained sufficiently in strength and condition in from 20 to 30 days to go into the main lot on a lighter ration. Stock in the main feed lot were fed a ration of from 15 to 20 pounds of the chopped soapweed. and from 1 to 14 pounds of cottonseed meal. After from 35 to 40 6 BULLETIN 745, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. days on this ration about 85 per cent of the stock were put back on the range and fed 14 pounds per day of cottonseed cake alone to sup- plement the dry grass and scattered browse forage available. The number of cattle on feed varied from day to day. For the first 100 days the daily average was 340 head, varying from 500 head to 200 head for short periods following the Coie of stock from the feed tot to the range. More than 1,000 different individuals were in the feed lots between January 20 and June 1. During the first 100 days approximately 306 tons of the chopped soapweed were fed, and feeding was continued at approximately the same rate up to June 1. The average period that individual animals were fed on soapweed and cottonseed meal during the first 100 days of feeding was 35 days. Some animals were fed during the entire period and others less than two weeks. After about 35 days of feed- _ ing on the soapweed and cottonseed meal the majority of the animals gained in strength and flesh sufficiently to warrant their being put back on pasture with a daily feeding of 14 pounds of cottonseed cake. No weights of cattle were taken to determine accurately the gains made as a result of the feeding. Under practical range conditions in time of drought, however, the measure of success in feeding is the percentage of cattle carried over the critical period without excessive cost and without the sacrifice of the breeding herd or a great reduc- tion in the calf crop. It is estimated that without the soapweed feeding probably 50 per cent of the 1,000 head fed during approxi- mately 150 days from January to June would have been lost. It might have been possible to save the other 50 per cent by a ration of cottonseed cake to supplement the scant range forage. As a result of the feeding the losses due to starvation from approximately 2,500 head were approximately 1 per cent for the 150-day period, and the breeding stock are in condition to produce a reasonably good calf crop provided the drought is broken by summer rains. Furthermore, the breeding stock on the reserve have been maintained at approxi- mately the number the area will carry normally, and the efforts of years in building up the breeding herd have not been lost. Conse- quently, normal production of live stock will begin at once after the drought is broken. On near-by ranges without provision for reserving pasturage or for extensive feeding, losses have been from 10 to 20 per cent during the first 150 days of 1918. In some cases where the range was et stocked the breeding stock have been sacrificed and material loss has been suffered both in the death of animals and in low market prices due to the poor condition of the stock. The cost of feeding, as well as the success achieved in preventing losses, is influenced greatly by the ability of the riders who gather the animals. Careful riders accustomed to handling poor cattle sort | CHOPPED SOAPWEED AS EMERGENCY FEED. 7 out only those animals which must be fed to prevent loss, so that unnecessary feeding of the stronger animals as well as unnecessary loss through failure to feed the weaker ones is avoided. Where a range is totally denuded of forage it is necessary, of course, to main- tain the entire herd on the soapweed and cottonseed meal feeding. This, however, is rarely the case. More often the stronger animals can be maintained on the range without other feed; those not exceed- ingly poor and weak can be maintained by feeding from 1 to 2 pounds of cottonseed products daily to supplement the range forage; and only the weaker ones have to be fed the soapweed and cotton- seed products. SOAPWEED FEEDING ON OTHER RANGES IN 1918. Stockmen throughout the Southwest have watched with interest the development of soapweed feeding, and many of them using ranges where conditions are similar to those of the Jornada Range Reserve secured machines to chop the soapweed and began feeding operations early in 1918. It is estimated that more than 100 herds varying from a few head to 1,000 head were being fed soapweed by June 1, 1918. In a few cases at least the soapweed was tried as a feed without cottonseed products. So far as observations went, how- ever, the results were not entirely satisfactory, and cottonseed meal was added. This method of feeding has usually given good results, and there is no doubt that by it many thousands of-cattle were saved from starvation during the first five months of 1918. THE COLLECTION OF SOAPWEED. BURNING AWAY DEAD LEAVES. The dry dead leaves are very low in nutritive value, as is shown by chemical analysis, and are exceptionally high in crude fiber con- tent, which makes digestion difficult. They are very dry and harsh and extremely unpalatable. It is desirable, therefore, to remove them before chopping the soapweed. This can be accomplished best. by burning the dead portions from: the plants while they are standing in the field, provided the vegetation on the ground is not enough to spread the fire. The dry leaves burn readily and in a short time, leaving uninjured the succulent stem and the green foliage at the top of the plant. One man with a torch working ahead of the men doing the cutting and hauling can burn the dead portions of from 8 to 15 tons of soapweed plants per day.