Forage and Grazing Opportunities

1. Forage and Grazing Opportunities Craig Saxe UW – Extension, Juneau Co.

2. What Grazing Management and Golf have in common • It’s something you do outdoors • Doing it well is more difficult then it looks • Many people “talk” a much better game than they play • Studying about how to do it can be helpful, but real success requires practice and experience

3. What Grazing Management and Golf have in common • Weather can have a huge influence on the results obtained • There are many products you can buy to better your game, but a real expert only needs a few basics • No matter how good you are, there is always room for improvement

4. Livestock Enterprise Comparison

5. Livestock Enterprise Comparison

6. 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!!!

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

8. 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

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

10. S W Traditional Pasture

11. Rotational Grazed Paddocks Lane

12. Lane Intensive Rotational Grazing

13. S W Exercise Paddock

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

15. Quality Yield ForageGrowth Curve Best time to graze

16. Seasonal growth patterns in forages

17. 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

18. 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)

19. Stocking Rate (animals/acre) • Can use formulas for actual numbers • Thumb rule; 1000 pounds of animal per 2-4 acres • Intensive Rotational Grazing = 1000 pounds of animal to 1-1.5 acres • Traditional “Under-managed” pastures = 1000 pounds of animal to 5-10 acres

20. Consider the New Fencing Technology

21. Useful Life of Fencing Materials

22. Sheep & Pasture • Weaned lambs should get the best pasture • Weaned ewes can tolerate lower quality forage • In drought or overstocking conditions wean lambs early and put them on drylot • Utilize stockpiled forage

23. Sheep & Pasture • Manage parasites • Manage predators • Desired lamb weights in the US are difficult to obtain by pasture alone • Wean early

24. Consider Grazing Other Livestock with Sheep Because: • It reduces parasitic infestation • Each will eat around the others’ droppings • It assures more uniform use of the pasture

25. Diet Selection of Livestock a A mixture of grass and legumes b Woody material

26. Grazing Trial on Non-Lactating EwesContinuous vs. Restricted Grazing * U of Minn.

27. Grazing Management Tips • Learn To Manage Your Pastures • Avoid over or under grazing • Apply fertilizer as needed (take a soil test) • Re-seed pastures if necessary

28. Grazing Management Tips • Commit Yourself Totally To Making It Work • Make The Transition Gradually • Solicit A Lot Of Advice, But Make Your Own Decisions • Stay Flexible And Keep Investments Low • Plan, Plan, & Re-plan