SARE PARTNERSHIP GRANT ONC15-004

Transcription

1 SARE PARTNERSHIP GRANT ONC Improving Weight Gain in Goats grazing Cover Crops Selected through Soil Health Samples Susan Jaster, P.I. Jim & Susie Hallar, Hallar Farm, Holden, MO Lynne Stark & Ralph Williams, Lynnewood Farm, Harrisonville, MO Jeff Yearington, Drumm Farm for Children, Independence, MO

2 THE PLAN 1. Soil Health Analysis tests 2. Select Cover Crops 3. Plant /Grow 4. Weigh goats 5. Graze/Browse cover crops 6. Weigh Goats again

3 1 st TIME & ph LOCATION w phs 7 day PMN (mg/ kg) WSA % Active Carbon (mg/kg) Soil Test DRUMM FARM Independen ce, MO HALLAR FARM Holden, MO

4 FIRST Cover Crops Sorghum Sudan Grass Hybrid Pearl Millet, leafy Victor Cowpeas VNS Mung-beans Driller Radish Pasja Hybrid Brassica (Plus inoculant) Learning-Center/Books Managing Cover Crops Profitably, 3rd Edition Purchased from

5 Getting Started: Portable fence Solar charger Heated water buckets Cover Crop seeds

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7 TOO MUCH RAIN Ralph broadcasting cover crop seeds on perennial pastures July 2015 First planting LYNNEWOO D

8 Drumm Farm Crew

9 September 2015 SHAQ catching test subjects

10 September 2015 Weighing Goats at Drumm

11 September 2015 GRASS test plot-drumm Farm

12 September 2015 Cover Crops at Drumm Farm

13 Another angle Cover Crops at Drumm Farm Can you see the goats?

14 DRUMM FARM

15 September 2015-Drumm Farm After Grazing

16 September 2015-HALLAR FARM Fence is up, making the shelter

17 September 2015 HALLAR annuals in perennials

18 Cover crops September 2015-Grass- Hallar

19 September 2015 Cover Crops - Hallars

20 LYNNEWOOD Cut short, drill in-second planting-oct 2015

21 May 2016 Lynnewood Crimson Clover, Cereal Rye, Winter Oats & more

22 Weighing goats at LYNNEWOOD

23 Lynnewood Farm 3 rd Planting May 2016 Cut short Drag Broadcast Drag again

24 Setting the planter

25 A look inside

26 August 2016 Grass-Lynnewood Farm

27 August 2016 Cover Crop-Lynnewood Farm

28 HALLAR August Grass

29 HALLAR-August 2016 Cover Crops

30 4 th Planting August 2016-this photo Oct 2016 Broadcast-by-hand over standing cover crop allowed animals to trample-in while grazing Lynnewood

31 October 2016 Final Soil Sample Lynnewood Farm

32 Hallar Cover crop-final soil sample Oct 2016

33 Hallar- October 2016 Final soil Sample with remnants from third graze Forage Sorghum

34 Hallar October 2016

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36 Final Graze-Drumm Dec 2016-green hairy vetch

37 Drumm Dec 2016-Millet from 3 rd planting

38 Drumm Dec 2016-not much grass

39 Cover Crops-HALLAR Dec Grass

40 LYNNEWOOD Dec 2016-even manure distribution

41 Lynnewood-Dec 2016 Simple windbreak shelter-grass

42 Lynnewood-Dec 2016-Cover Crop bite out of turnipd

43 Let s Look at the Numbers SOIL SAMPLES COVER CROPS GOAT WEIGHTS GRAZING CALCULATIONS CHARTS/SUMMARY

44 Soil Health Analysis Samples Compare first and last sets of numbers Compare May to May Compare October to October Compare pasture to pasture Compare May 2015 to October 2016 cover crops Note the Explanations about soil health analysis

45 Results of Soil Samples SARE Partnership Grant ONC p=pasture DRUMM HALLAR LYNNEWOOD cc=cover crops soil samples ph w 7d PMN WSA Active Carbon (mg/ (mg/ kg) (%) kg) phs May-1 cc/ 5 p Oct-15 cc May-1 soil 6 cc d samples Oct-16 cc PMN 52 WSA 7 Active Carbon Oct-16 p ph (mg/ (mg/ w phs kg) (%) kg) May-1 cc/ 5 p Oct-15 cc May-1 6 cc soil 7d Oct-16 cc samples PMN WSA Active Carbon Oct-16 p ph (mg/ (mg/ w phs kg) (%) kg) May-1 5 cc/ p Oct-15 cc May-1 6 cc Oct-16 cc

46 Cover Crops 50 X 50 foot plots=2500 sq ft 1acre=43,560 sq ft Summer Annuals / Winter Annuals Broadcasting -4 different ways -good stand for annuals in perennials

47 COVER CROPS 50 ft x 50 ft test plots planted planted August planted July 2015 $8.34 October 2015 $6.55 planted May2016 $ $6.00 Graze #1 Graze #2 Graze #3 Graze #4 Cover Crop Cover Crop Cover Crop Cover Crop Sorgum-sudan Cereal Rye Spring Oats Oats Hyb Pearl millet Winter Oats Pearl Millet Rye Austrian Winter Cowpeas Peas Forage Sorghum Crimson Clover Mungbean Crimson Clover Cow Peas Hairy Vetch Radish driller Turnip Lespedeza Radish Pasja Hyb Brassica inoculant Buckwheat Turnip Inoculant Burkant Turnip inoculant note: used earthway seeder to broadcast used MM ground driven drill, after cutting grass short planted with pull behind tub broadcaster & short tooth drag attached, after cutting short hand broadcast prior to graze #3, used animal trampling Grazed: Grazed: Grazed: Grazed: May 6-9, DRUMM Sept. 1-4, Aug. 5-8,2016 Dec. 1-5, 2016 HALLAR Sept.2-6, 2015 May 12-15, 2016 Aug ,2016 Dec , 2016 LYNNEWO May

48 Learn How to use a Grazing Stick & Calculations Cover Crop Pasture SAMPLE 14 6 Total lbs Forage/Ac x Ac x % Grazing Efficiency CALCULATIO N Animal Wt. x Intake rate in % Body Wt. X animal # GRAZING lbs/ac x.057 Ac x 30% = STICK # x 3.5% body wt X 5 animals = /13.1 =3.65 days lbs/ac x 0.057% x 30% = Random # x3.5% x 5 animals= /13.60 = 2.6 days total >>>> Leave Residual average forage height 10-4= = 8 in. in grazable forage, leaving 4 inches for regrowth Quality (350 is the estimated dry matter in pounds per inch) from Grazing stick, x 350 x 350 lbs/ac 2800 lbs/ac 2100 lbs/ac

49 Grazing(FORAGE) Days/Calculations from the Grazing Stick Took 7 measurements in each test plot, took average. Left a residual of 4 inches to get inches of grazeable forage Multiplied by a quality of forage (estimated dry matter in pounds per inch) Multiply by percent grazing efficiency(=top number) Average animal weight per period multiplied by percent body weight multiplied by number of animals in test plot(=bottom number) Calculated for each planting Top cc/grass number divided by bottom number = grazing days

50 Goat Weights Weighed Goats before putting them in the test plots Provided water and shelter Weighed Goats after 3-5 days The results over all were not bad!!

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52 AVERAGE GAIN per GOAT per Graze Cover Crops pounds / period Grass pounds /period See details and stats on your page

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54 Average Days of Forage/ Grazing Days Cover Crops days Grass days By adding cover crops, such as winter annuals or summer annuals onto perennial pastures, the grazing days nearly double on same amount of space, plus

55 QUESTIONS??

56 Thanks for Coming!! Susan Jaster Look for my report at the northcentral.org site under SARE Partnership Grant ONC15-004