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Horse Pasture Management

Horse Pasture Management. New Era: Increase Feed Prices Corn price 100 % increase ($2.50 to $5.00) Wheat Price 200% increase ($3.50 to $10.00) Soybeans 150 % increase ($6.50 to $14.00) Reasons: World Demand-Standards of Living Increases Declining $ Value –makes our grain cheaper by 33%

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Horse Pasture Management

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  1. Horse Pasture Management • New Era: • Increase Feed Prices • Corn price 100 % increase ($2.50 to $5.00) • Wheat Price 200% increase ($3.50 to $10.00) • Soybeans 150 % increase ($6.50 to $14.00) • Reasons: • World Demand-Standards of Living Increases • Declining $ Value –makes our grain cheaper by 33% • Bio-fuels-Ethanol and Bio-Diesel

  2. Horse Pasture Management • New Era Affects: • Expect increases in Hay Prices • Current Hay Prices for Western Dairy Hay-$265/ton • Local Hay Supply very low-Little Carryover • Diesel Fuel is $4 per gallon-costs more to harvest and transport • Competition for acres-corn, wheat, soybeans • Winterkill of alfalfa in some areas • Land values increasing 15-18% last 5 years-in central Wisconsin

  3. Horse Pasture Management • Pastures for horses now need to provide more of the horses annual needs • Is it possible to graze horses on pasture from May-December? 8 months • Hay at $4-6 per bale in 2009 or forage costs of $2-3 per day for a horse

  4. Use grazing Buy hay during harvest Reduce inventory Feed limited amount Control amount fed/day Find Solutions to Feeding Horses

  5. Grazing Formula Sunlight + Rain + Green Plants = Plant Growth Plant Growth + Grazing Animals = $$$ The Grazing formula involves: • What’s best for the grass • What’s best for the livestock • What moves you toward your goals!!!

  6. Traditional Pastures are often “Continuously Grazed” This usually means: • Lower yields • Serious weed pressure • Erosion problems • General “poor” management

  7. In Rotational Grazing... • Pastures are subdivided into smaller areas (or paddocks) • A portion of the pasture is grazed while the remainder “Rests” • Paddocks are allowed to: • Renew energy reserves • Rebuild plant vigor • Improve long-term production

  8. Intensive Rotational Grazing... Involves a higher level of management • Greater paddock numbers • Shorter grazing periods • Longer rest periods

  9. W S Many Pastures are Continuously Grazed This usually means: • Lower yields due to selective grazing • Greater weed problems • Potential for erosion problems in certain areas • No management or poor management of forage resource

  10. Rotational Grazing • Pastures are subdivided into smaller areas (paddocks) • A portion of the pasture is grazed while the remainder “rests” Lane Rest allows pasture to: • Recover from grazing, • Rebuild energy reserves & plant vigor • Increase forage production

  11. W W W W Management Intensive Rotational Grazing Management Intensive Rotational Grazing (MIRG) involves even greater numbers of paddocks and/or subdivision within paddocks to increase amount of rest and decrease days grazing each rotation Corral Lane

  12. Strip Grazing Recommened for fall pasture since no regrowth occurs

  13. Corral S W Strip Grazing

  14. S W Exercise Paddock

  15. Deitz, NRCS

  16. Deitz, NRCS

  17. Quality Yield ForageGrowth Curve Best time to graze

  18. Seasonal growth patterns in forages

  19. Monthly forage productionin 2-acre grass and grass-legume pastures animal need Grass Pasture Grass-Legume Pasture

  20. How much forage is out there? Rule of thumb: Figure about 400 pounds dry matter per acre per inch of cool season pasture. L. Paine

  21. The Rest Period • Should vary according to plant growth • In general, must increase as growth rate slows • Relates closely to seasonal forage growth • Need to rotate between paddocks every 3-6 days

  22. Relationship of rest period to pasture mass during periods of rapid vs. slow growth Lbs. DM / acre Optimum Rest Period 0 5 10 15 20 25 Period of fast plant growth (days) 0 10 20 30 40 50 Period of slow plant growth (days)

  23. Stocking Rate (animals/acre) • Can use formulas for actual numbers • Thumb rule; one 1000 pound horse per 2-4 acres • Intensive Rotational Grazing = one mature, non-producing horse to 1-1.5 acres • Traditional “Under-managed” pastures = one horse to 5-10 acres

  24. Stocking Rate (animals/acre) • Can use formulas for actual numbers • Thumb rule; 1000 pound animal per 2-4 acres • Intensive Rotational Grazing = 1000 pound horse to 1-1.5 acres • Traditional “Under-managed” pastures = 1000 pound horse to 4-6 acres

  25. Which will cause more overgrazing? The stocking rate of both paddocks is identical: 100 Animal Days per Acre. The effect on the paddocks will be much different.

  26. How much do my animals need? Rule of thumb: Horses Figure 3 to 4% of body weight dry matter per animal per day. L. Paine

  27. Pasture Needs Calculation • 1000 horse needs-3.5% of body weight • Pasture is 8 inches tall • Graze to 3 inches • 5 inches x 400 lbs/inch=2000 of DM forage • 2000 divided by 35 lbs(needs per day)=57 days of forage • Pasture can supply 2 months of grazing

  28. Forage Plots ResultsCentral Wisconsin • Established in May 2000 • Twenty(20) grass and legume mix combinations • 4 replications in Adams County (80 plots • 2 replications in Waushara County at Hancock Research Station • Mix grass and legumes based on height • Harvest mechanically and graze

  29. White clover x Kentucky bluegrass Short 2. White clover x Crested wheat grass Short 3. Kura clover x Kentucky bluegrass Short 4. Kura clover x Crested wheat grass Short 5. Kura clover x Smooth brome grass ½ Short x ½ Tall 6. Birdsfoot treefoil x Kentucky bluegrass Short 7. Birdsfoot treefoil x Crested wheat grass Short 8. Red clover x Timothy Tall 9. Red clover x Tall fescue Tall 10.Red clover x Meadow fescue Tall 11.Red clover x Smooth brome Tall 12.Red clover x Orchard grass Tall 13.Alfalfa x Orchard grass Tall 14.Red clover x Alfalfa x Orchard grass x Smooth brome Tall 15.White Clover x Kura clover x Kentucky blue grass Short 16.Red colver x White clover x Kentucky blue grass x Smooth brome Short x ½ Tall 17.Kura clover x Birdsfoot treefoil x Timothy x Orchard grass Short x ½ Tall 18.Alfalfa x Red Clover x Kentucky blue grass 1/3 Short x 2/3 Tall 19.Red Clover x alfalfa x Kura Clover x Timothy x Smooth brome x Tall fescue 1/3 Short x 2/3 Tall 20. White clover x red clover x Birdsfoot treefoil x Kentucky bluegrass

  30. Forage YieldCentral Wisconsin • White Clover and Kentucky Blue grass Both are short-less than 16 inches Tendency to go dormant in hot dry weather Yield-average 1.47 tons/acre at 22% protein

  31. Forage YieldCentral Wisconsin • Red Clover and Timothy Both are tall Early growth and Greenup Timothy only grass to grow seed head after cutting Yield-average 2.58 tons/acre at 18.1% protein

  32. Forage YieldCentral Wisconsin • Red Clover and Tall Fescue Both are tall Early growth and Greenup, good fall regrowth Tall fescue is good sod former, endophyte free Yield-average 3.65 tons/acre at 19.5% protein

  33. Forage YieldCentral Wisconsin • Red Clover and Meadow Fescue Both are tall Early growth and green-up Meadow Fescue very winter hardy Horses and cattle preferred meadow fescue mix Yield-average 4.12 tons/acre at 20.6 % protein

  34. Forage YieldCentral Wisconsin • Red Clover and Smooth Brome Both are tall Early growth and green-up Spreads by rhizomes, sod former Yield-average 3.98 tons/acre at 19.5 % protein

  35. Forage YieldCentral Wisconsin • Red Clover and Orchard Grass Both are tall Early growth and green-up Excellent Fall Re-growth Orchard Grass is a bunch grass Yield-average 4.26 tons/acre at 20.1 % protein

  36. Forage YieldCentral Wisconsin • Alfalfa and Orchard Grass Both are tall Early growth and green-up Excellent Summer Growth and Fall Re-growth Orchard Grass is a bunch grass Yield-average 3.57 tons/acre at 19 % protein

  37. Forage YieldCentral Wisconsin • Red Clover, Alfalfa, Smooth Brome & Orchard Grass Tall Combination Early growth and green-up Excellent Summer Growth and Fall Re-growth Yield-average 3.74 tons/acre at 20.2 % protein

  38. Forage YieldCentral Wisconsin • Alfalfa, Red Clover, and Kentucky Blue Grass Combination Excellent re-growth and persistent Yield-average 4.23 tons/acre at 16.8 % protein Highest Yielding plot in test

  39. Forage YieldCentral Wisconsin • Establishment-Cost of seeding only, no seed cost • Tillage-plow, disc, drill-cost of $40-50 per acre • Direct seed-$15 • No-till drill-$12 • Frost seeding-$5 • Manure seeding-$0-$1

  40. Forage YieldCentral Wisconsin • Establishment-Seed Cost • In most soils we need 15-20 lbs of seed per acre • Consider cover crop of oats with drill seeding • Frost seeding requires short grass conditions and control of competition-grazing or mowing • Graze cover crop in Mid-June

  41. Forage YieldCentral Wisconsin • Establishment-Seed Cost- From Select Catalogs 2004 • Alfalfa= $1.75-$4.00 per pound • Red Clover=$1-$2.50 per pound • Kura Clover=$4.00-$5.00 per pound • White Clover=$2.00-$4.00 per pound • Kentucky Blue Grass=$1.50-$3.00 per pound • Orchardgrass=$1.00-$3.00 per pound • Brome grass=$1.00-$2.00 per pound • Tall fescue=$1.00- $2.50 per pound • Meadow fescue=$1.75-$3.00 per pound • Timothy=$0.75-$1.50 per pound

  42. Forage YieldCentral Wisconsin • Establishment-Seeding Rates Recommendations • Species Seeded Alone Mix • Alfalfa 15 lbs 8 lbs • Kura Clover 8 lbs 4 lbs • White Clover 14 lbs(not recommended) 2 lbs • Kentucky Blue Grass 15 lbs 10 lbs • Orchardgrass 10 lbs 4 lbs • Bromegrass 16 lbs 6 lbs • Tall fescue 10 lbs 4 lbs • Meadow fescue 10 lbs 4 lbs • Timothy 8 lbs 4 lbs • Do not apply more than 20 lbs of seed mix per acre

  43. FROST SEEDING Adding new seed to a pasture by broadcasting on frozen ground in early spring, letting frost & snow incorporate the seed.

  44. Snow Tracks Help

  45. Frost Seeding in Snow Frost Seeding

  46. Snow Tracks Help

  47. FROST SEEDING • Improves Pasture Quality & Yield • Lower Cost Than Annual Nitrogen Application ($9 vs. $42) • Works Best On Loams & Clay Soils or Fields With Natural Moisture • Clovers Recommended, Birdsfoot Trefoil & Certain Grasses Can Work

  48. Horses & Pasture • A grass-legume pasture can produce enough to meet the maintenance requirements of most adult horses • In general, horses are more destructive to pasture than cattle • Horses are natural “nibblers”

  49. Horses & Pasture A Pennsylvania study showed horses preferred: • Grasses over legumes • Bluegrass over taller grasses • Clovers over alfalfa and birdsfoot trefoil The study also showed that horses’ made satisfactory progress on all pasture mixtures

  50. If at all possiblegraze cattle with horses Because: • It reduces parasitic infestation • Each will eat around the others’ droppings • It assures more uniform use of the pasture • Cattle will graze otherwise wasted feed

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