GRAZING FOR

PROFITConsider 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

Community dynamics is all species or populations living in an area

Aggregate Stability

Energy Flow Through the Ecosystem

Heat HeatSun Producers Consumers

InorganicDecomposers

Minerals Heat

3) Continuous Grazing

2) Rotational Grazing

1) Pasture with Longer Recovery Period

Infiltration Runoff

Rainfall Simulator

Tilled Tilled w/ No-Till 3” Grass 8” Grass

Residue

Manage Soil Temperature with Cover

20 degree difference in area with cover of plant and residue versus tilled soil

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

Soil Organic Matter and Available Water Capacity

Inches of Water/One Foot of Soil

Percent SOM Sand Silt Loam Silty Clay 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

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

NRCS

Maintain Forages InVegetative State

Forage Species

Height to begin grazing

Height to terminate graz.

Tall fescueorchardgrassan. Ryegrasssericea lesp.

5-8” 3”

Bermudagrass 5-8” 2”

Native warmseason, sudan

18” 8-10”

Ending Height is

very important!!!

Livestock- Grass- Sunlight- Microbe- Farmer

(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.

Above ground 1200 Dairy cow1 or 587 1200 Beef cow2 450 Pasture3 2500

Total 3018Below 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 foragestanding 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.

Biomass of organisms above ground in the pasture

and below ground within the pasture soil.

Organisms Standing crop biomass lbs/a

Reading the Land

What’s the Grazing Prescription? Recovery- Rest Disturbance- Impact Cover- Vegetative

and/or Residue Fertility –Manure C:N Ratio

25:1

Bale Grazing-

Creep Grazing Hay

Continue to get benefits of manure distribution outside of the growing season

Creep Grazing allows growing animals more choice.

90 hay ring areas = 1 ac

ORCHARDGRASSGRAZING RESPONSE

Dr. Ray SmithLaura Schwer

Tom Keene

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  

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. 

Day 1(24 hours after clipping)

1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

Day 2

1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

Day 3

1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

Day 4

1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

Day 5

1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

Day 6

1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

Seasonal grazing: Buying light weight stockers in December,

Selling heavy weights in August

100 acre Pasture Farm

30 cows, 20 stockers and 30 Goats, 25 tons hay

40 cows 4 day rotation, 30 tons hay

Apr. May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

Apr.

MayJun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

JanFeb

Mar

Apr. May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec JanFeb

Mar

Livestock-Forage Balance by Month Forage Avai...

Months

Lb.

of F

orag

e

40 cows 14 day rotation, 102 tons hay

Apr. May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

Apr.

MayJun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

JanFeb

Mar

Apr. May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec JanFeb

Mar

Livestock-Forage Balance by Month Forage Avai...

Months

Lb.

of F

orag

e

40 cows 7 day rotation, 65 ton hay

Apr. May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

Apr.

May

Jun

Jul

AugSep

Oct

Nov

DecJan Feb

Mar

Apr. May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar

Livestock-Forage Balance by Month

Forage Av...

Months

Lb.

of F

orag

e

40 cows 4 day rotation 20% bermuda, 13 tons hay

Apr. May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar0

10,00020,00030,00040,00050,00060,00070,00080,00090,000

100,000

Apr.

May Jun

Jul

AugSep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan Feb

Mar

Apr. May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar

Livestock-Forage Balance by Month

Forage Av...

Months

Lb.

of F

orag

e

40 cows 4 day rotation 10% bermuda, 21 tons hay

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

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

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

Permanent fence

Permanent fence

Water point

BASIC PADDOCK LAYOUT16 PADDOCK with 4 WATERING POINTS

(funneling animals)

Temporary fence

corral

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

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

Trails commonly form between water source and feed area

Traditional Pond Potential Diseases

E-coli Samonella Coccidiosis Leptospirosis Foot rot

Anthrax Brucellosis Erysipolis Other

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!

Comments- Questions Ruminations?