Grazing Basics

1. Grazing Basics Central Wisconsin Grazing Meetings March 2008 Craig Saxe UW-Extension, Juneau Co. 211 Hickory Street Mauston WI 53948 (608) 847-9329 craig.saxe@ces.uwex.edu

2. We’ll be covering • What is rotational grazing • Why use rotational grazing • Understanding plant growth • Setting up a grazing system • Fencing, watering and frost seeding • Grazing tips

3. Grazing Quotes • Management is the single most important factor determining financial success on all farms • Grazing won’t turn a poor manager into a good one • Grazing isn’t about cows & grass it’s about a different type of thinking • Grazing isn’t a goal it’s a Tool

4. 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 Don Ball, 1999

5. 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 Don Ball, 1999

7. What is Rotational Grazing?

8. Farming is all about capturing the sun’s energy and converting it to usable products. L. Paine, 2005

9. If we start by maximizing the amount of energy we capture, all other steps in the process have greater potential to yield profits. L. Paine, 2005

10. Number of Days of Bare Soil L. Paine, 2005

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. Strip Grazing Lane

15. Strip Grazing

16. Which grazing system is right for me? CONSIDERATIONS: • What’s best for the grass • What’s best for the livestock • What moves you toward your goals!!!

17. Why use Rotational Grazing?

19. Managed Intensive Grazing Advantages • We control where animals graze • Increases yield • Increase carrying capacity • Extend grazing season in the fall • Increases forage quality • Increases animal performance • Lowers cost of production • Maximizes efficiency of your time and resources • Offers greater management flexibility

20. It could be argued that managed intensive grazing comes at an added cost • Fence • Water systems • Labor • Higher level of management required

21. Why manage grazing? • Reduces erosion • Improves water quality • Enhance wildlife habitat • Improves range or pasture condition Texas Creek, Colorado, BLM website on Health Riparian Areas

23. CIAS 2006

24. CIAS 2006

25. Gross Returns Per Acre Penn State 1992

26. Direct Costs Per Acre Penn State 1992

27. Profit Per Acre Penn State 1992

28. Dairy Economic Comparison(15,000 vs. 18,000 lbs/cow/yr) * Researchers caution that this study is based on simulated dairy models CIAS Study

29. Livestock Enterprise Comparison Ohio State

30. Livestock Enterprise Comparison Ohio State

31. Livestock Enterprise Comparison Ohio State

32. Livestock Enterprise Comparison Ohio State

33. Understanding Plant Growth

34. Deitz, NRCS

35. Deitz, NRCS

36. Quality Yield ForageGrowth Curve Best time to graze

37. Seasonal growth patterns in forages

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

39. Setting up a Grazing System

40. Fundamentals of successful grazing management • Meet the nutritional needs of the livestock from standing pasture • Optimize pasture yield, quality, and persistence • Maintain or enhance the natural resource base • Integrate appropriate technology and knowledge into a practical system

41. Size of animal Number of animals Daily intake Forage availability Desired rotation length Setting up a Rotation The example to follow was created by Laura Paine

42. 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

43. How much do my animals need? Rule of thumb: Figure 2.5 to 4% of body weight dry matter per animal per day. L. Paine

44. How big should my paddocks be? • Paddock size equals: Number of head x Daily Intake (3% ) x No. of Days Available Forage/Ac./Rotation L. Paine

45. What does a sheep eat in a day? • One ewe/lamb pair weighs about 200 lb • Daily forage need/pair = 3% of body weight = 200 x 0.03 = 6 lb of dry matter/day L. Paine

46. What does your flock eat in a day? • One ewe/lamb pair eats 6 lb/day • 20 pairs eat 120 lb/day • 50 pairs eat 300 lb/day • 100 pairs eat 600 lb/day L. Paine

47. When should I graze and how much forage is out there? • Graze when pasture is 8 to 10 inches high (depending on species). • Take half-leave half rule: graze down to 4 or 5 inches. • At 400 lb/inch, you have 1600 to 2000 lb/acre to work with. L. Paine

48. How long should I leave the flock on one paddock? • One to three days. • Above 3 days, you’re regrazing grass that you grazed the first day. • The shorter the rotation, the better quality and forage utilization you’ll have. L. Paine

49. Putting it all together • Flock of 100 ewes with lambs. • 3-day rotation. • Need 600 lb forage/day. • 600 lb x 3 days = 1800 lb/paddock. L. Paine

50. Putting it all together • Ready to graze pasture = 1600 lb forage/acre available to use. • Acreage needed to last 3 days = 1800/1600 = 1.13 acres. • Just over one acre/paddock. L. Paine