1 / 55

Horse Pasture Management

Learn about the impact of feed price increases on horse pasture management, rotational grazing techniques, stocking rates, rest periods, and forage growth to maintain healthy pastures and reduce costs.

kmee
Download Presentation

Horse Pasture Management

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  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

More Related