Got protein?

摘要

The non-fat dried milk distributed to drought-stricken producers through the federal Livestock Feed Program delivers a valuable nutritional boost, as well as a unique set of feeding challenges for producers.“We're down to the very last of our reserves," says Jim Schlosser of the Schlosser Ranch near Hulett, WY. This area in the northeastern part of the state - like many parched areas of cattle country - received more rain and grew more grass this year than last. But getting through the nightmare of 2002 meant gobbling up all of the ranch's grass reserves and starting on the rain-day hay supply. For planning on average, Schlosser figures 20-30 percent of the ranch's grass as carryover. His cattle exhausted those reserves. In meadows that yield 4,000 bales in a normal year, he got 200 this year and only 60 last. That's one reason he's grateful for USDA's Livestock Feed Program that began delivering non-fat dried milk (NDM) to drought-ravaged producers in nine states last fall. Some beef producersare just now getting ready to feed NDM for the first time as part of the 2003 program.