Effective use of crop residues offers cattle producers a means of reducing their feed costs, especially with the beef cows. The most economical way to use crop aftermath is to graze it the first 50 to 60 days after grain harvest and then have adequate roughage stored to feed the cows during the midwinter months of January and February. Research shows that, in most cases, during the initial six- to eight-week fall grazing period, gestating beef cows can be grazed on corn and milo stalks without the need of supplemental protein, except that salt, phosphorus, and vitamin A should be fed.

When harvested crop residues are fed in winter months to pregnant cows that are within one to two months of calving, additional protein and energy should be fed. Crop residues for lactating beef cows do not supply sufficient energy and should only serve as a small portion of the cow’s diet.

Another possible use of harvested corn and milo stover is in growing rations, especially when other forages are scarce. Research at Kansas State University shows that either dry, chopped stover or stover silage can be fed as one-third of the roughage along with other higher quality forage with acceptable calf performance. But when corn or milo stover constituted all of the roughage portion (75 percent of the total ration), daily gains were only 0.75 to 1 pound, which would be unsatisfactory to many producers. Crop residues may also be used in feedlot rations provided they do not exceed 5 percent of the diet.