The costs of wintering on cornstalks can vary tremendously, according to local University of Nebraska Extension ag agent John Lambert who works Keith and Arthur counties. Lambert says the rent that producers pay for stalks may be figured per field or by the acre, while others pay a per head fee for each day in the field. He says rates vary depending on whether the stalks are already fenced or if the renter has to string some wire. The availability of stock water compared to the chore of providing a tank and maybe even hauling water has to be factored in as well. Another thing to consider is who provides cow care.
Somebody has to monitor fences, water and general health conditions.
Of course, supply and demand influence stalk field rental, too. Down the Platte River, in eastern Nebraska, cornstalks come cheaper simply because that part of the country has more acres of corn but fewer cows to glean the fields. A daily charge of 10 cents per head, or less, has been reported there, while 25 cents is average, according to Lambert, for the western part of the state. In the west, cows coming out of the Sandhills create more competition for winter feed. And that's usually just a corn field with no water tank, no protection and no fence.