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GRAZING FOR PROFIT

GRAZING FOR PROFIT. Consider the impacts of your decisions. Four Primary Process’s to Consider. Water Cycle Mineral Cycle Energy Flow Community Dynamics Resource Concerns Soil Water Plant Animal Air Human Energy. Water Cycle. Mineral Cycle.

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GRAZING FOR PROFIT

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  1. GRAZING FOR PROFIT Consider the impacts of your decisions

  2. Four Primary Process’s to Consider • Water Cycle • Mineral Cycle • Energy Flow • Community Dynamics • Resource Concerns • Soil • Water • Plant • Animal • Air • Human • Energy

  3. Water Cycle

  4. Mineral Cycle

  5. Community dynamics is all species or populations living in an area Aggregate Stability

  6. Energy Flow Through the Ecosystem Heat Heat Sun Producers Consumers Inorganic Decomposers Minerals Heat

  7. Infiltration Runoff 1) Pasture with Longer Recovery Period 3) Continuous Grazing 2) Rotational Grazing

  8. Rainfall Simulator Tilled Tilled w/ No-Till 3” Grass 8” Grass Residue

  9. Manage Soil Temperature with Cover • 20 degree difference in area with cover of plant and residue versus tilled soil

  10. When Soil Temperature Reaches (F degrees) : • 140 Soil bacteria die, soil sterilization • 130 100% of soil moisture is lost through evapo-transpiration • 100 15% of moisture is used for growth 85% of moisture is lost • 70 100% of soil moisture is used for growth

  11. Soil Organic Matter and Available Water Capacity Inches of Water/One Foot of Soil Percent SOM Sand Silt Loam SiltyClay Loam 1 1.0 1.9 1.4 2 1.4 2.4 1.8 3 1.7 2.9 2.2 4 2.1 3.5 2.6 5 2.5 4.0 3.0 Berman Hudson Journal Soil and Water Conservation 49(2) 189 194 189- March April 1994 – Summarized by: Dr. Mark Liebig, ARS, Mandan, ND Hal Weiser, Soil Scientist, NRCS, Bismarck, ND

  12. What Are The Benefits of Grazing Management? Producer Benefits • Increased production per acre- increased energy efficiency • Increased organic matter • More available water • Drought tolerance • Lower cost • Less hay needed • More cow comfort Society Benefits • Improved water quality- lower cost to purify water • Improved soil quality- cheaper than CRP and better soil • Reduced flooding • Less CO2 emissions • Lower temperature of environment • More energy captured

  13. Ending Height is very important!!!

  14. Livestock- Grass- Sunlight- Microbe- Farmer

  15. (NRCShttp://soils.usda.gov/sqi/concepts/soil_biology/soil_food_web.html ) This chart has not included earthworms, snails, slugs, and other soil dwelling organisms.

  16. Biomass of organisms above ground in the pastureand below ground within the pasture soil. Organisms Standing crop biomass lbs/a Above ground • 1200 Dairy cow1 or 587 • 1200 Beef cow2 450 • Pasture3 2500 Total 3018 Below ground • Pasture roots4 2500 • Bacteria 2052 • Actinomycetes 2052 • Fungi 6244 • Algae 219 • Protozoa 80 • Nematodes 62 • Mites 65 • Collembola 65 • Earthworms 624 • Other fauna 40 Total 14003 Adapted in part from Brady and Weil 2002. 1. Cow producing 40 lbs milk/day 180 days/acre, 50% of forage standing crop consumed, 5 rotations/year. 2. Cow weaning 600 lb calf 3 acres/year. 3. Cool-season grass-clover pasture, 10 inches tall at grazing. 4. Roots equal top growth at grazing.

  17. Reading the LandWhat’s the Grazing Prescription? • Recovery- Rest • Disturbance- Impact • Cover- Vegetative and/or Residue • Fertility –Manure • C:N Ratio 25:1

  18. Bale Grazing- Creep Grazing Hay • Continue to get benefits of manure distribution outside of the growing season • Creep Grazing allows growing animals more choice.

  19. 90 hay ring areas = 1 ac

  20. OrchardgrassGrazing Response Dr. Ray Smith Laura Schwer Tom Keene

  21. Methods • Two similar orchardgrass plants were chosen from greenhouse. • Both were managed the same for 6 months: • Clipped ~once per month • Supplied with good fertility (N,P, K) and water

  22. Methods • Left plant simulates continuous grazing. • Initially clipped to a 1 inch height • Then clipped weekly for the next 4 weeks at a 1 inch height • Right plant simulates rotational grazing. • Initially clipped to a 3.5 inch height • Then clipped again at 3.5 inches four weeks later • Time lapse photography started at the beginning of the fifth week (day 29) for both plants. 

  23. Day 1(24 hours after clipping)1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

  24. Day 2 1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

  25. Day 3 1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

  26. Day 4 1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

  27. Day 5 1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

  28. Day 6 1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

  29. Seasonal grazing: Buying light weight stockers in December, Selling heavy weights in August

  30. 100 acre Pasture Farm 40 cows 14 day rotation, 102 tons hay 40 cows 4 day rotation 20% bermuda, 13 tons hay 40 cows 4 day rotation 10% bermuda, 21 tons hay 40 cows 7 day rotation, 65 ton hay 40 cows 4 day rotation, 30 tons hay 30 cows, 20 stockers and 30 Goats, 25 tons hay

  31. Basic Steps to Improve Pastures • Fertilize by soil test, hopefully most P and K provided by cycling nutrients through livestock • Control weeds – hopefully out compete weeds or turn weeds into forbs by using high density short duration grazing or grazing multi-species livestock

  32. Top Grazing Practices • Grazing Height • Seeding Legumes • High Density Short Duration Grazing • Lime: P and K not N • Fence • Water Management • Stockpiling tall fescue • Multi-Species Grazing • Timing: April 1, July 1 and Oct 1

  33. Farm Considerations and Layout Corral as hub, fence for flow of livestock Determine “Acres per Paddock” for location of fence and water Topography ultimately determines location of Watering Facilities

  34. Basic Paddock Layout 16 PADDOCK with 4 WATERING POINTS (funneling animals) Temporary fence Permanent fence Water point Permanent fence corral

  35. Gate Arrangements 16’ gates 90 degree = 22.5’ gate openings No post in center To layout stake with string in center where gates swing together

  36. 2 Gates Four fields if rotational grazed, bungy gates can be different widths

  37. Trails commonly form between water source and feed area

  38. Anthrax Brucellosis Erysipolis Other Traditional Pond Potential Diseases • E-coli • Samonella • Coccidiosis • Leptospirosis • Foot rot

  39. Summary • Most Pastures need Recovery- Rest • Disturbance- Impact a tool especially at beginning of growing season • Cover- Vegetative and/or Residue most abused, how can you grow grass if you don’t capture energy • Fertility –Manure management • JUST DO IT!

  40. Comments- Questions Ruminations?

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