Setting Up A Pasture System. Terry E. Poole Principal Agent Emeritus University of Maryland Extension Frederick County Office

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1 Setting Up A Pasture System Terry E. Poole Principal Agent Emeritus University of Maryland Extension Frederick County Office

2 Pastures Are Valuable They can be established almost anywhere. They are environmentally friendly. They are low-input and sustainable, considered to be a best management practice (BMP). They improve profitability as most pasture species are perennials, which provide payback over a long period while animals enjoy a nutritious feed.

3 We all want to have lush, green pastures.

4 Planning A Pasture System Considerations Fixed Resources - acreage, soil type, soil conditions Semi-fixed Resources - water supply, existing fences, grass base Changeable Resources - forage type, temporary fences, animal numbers Seasonal Usage - land and forage enterprises

5 Planning A Pasture System Sources of Info and Help Resources * soil survey map * soil capability assessment * aerial farm map * walking the farm Assistance * Extension Service * N.R.C.S * F.S.A. * Farming Supply Companies

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7 Basic Types of Pastures Continuous - animals are allowed to graze in the pasture for extended periods of time - animals often do well in this system since they are allowed to choose the plants they eat - plants are often overgrazed and undergrazed in this system

8 Continuous Grazing

9 Basic Types of Pastures Rotational - animals are allowed to graze for only a limited period of time and animals are moved when existing forage has been removed - intensive rotational grazing systems subdivide pastures into paddocks and use high stocking rates where animals are forced to eat all forages - this system is most efficient

10 Rotational Grazing

11 Intensive grazing is being used successfully on small farms in this region to improve farm profitability.

12 Intensive Rotational Grazing

13 Basic Types of Pastures Deferred Grazing - forage is allowed to accumulate in a pasture for grazing at a later date - stockpiled tall fescue is an example Strip Grazing - high stocking rate of animals are put into a pasture for a limited period - usually involves a specially planted crop typically an annual species i.e. rape, turnips, or summer grasses

14 Strip Grazing previously grazed paddock previously grazed paddock Fresh

15 Leader - Follower Grazing Heifers Resting Heifers Cows Cows Fresh

16 Leader - Follower Grazing Dry cows Resting Heifers Dry Cows Cows Heifers Fresh Cows

17 Creep Grazing Fresh Fresh Ewes & Lambs

18 Forward Creep Grazing

19 Co-grazing We re subbing for beef cattle.

20 Sample Farm

21 Setting Up A Pasture System Recommendations Develop a 5 year farm/business plan - you need to plan ahead * plan for when fields need to be renovated * you need contingency plans Use existing resources whenever possible (fences, water, forage crops) Establish crops according to your plan Existing pastures can be renovated later if needed now for grazing

22 Setting Up A Pasture System Recommendations Put your money into good perimeter fence. - this will help to keep predators out and your animals in. Map out farm, give each field own identity Soil test fields individually - each has its own personality, so treat it accordingly Develop a practical watering system - common problem for many - there are many factors to consider (costs, environmental, system)

23 Setting Up A Pasture System Recommendations Create a sacrificial area - this will protect your pastures Estimate the carrying capacity of your pastures - impacts on the number of animals and paddocks (rotational) Calculate number of paddocks needed and days/paddock (rotational) Temporary fence works well to form paddocks

24 You cows sure make a mess! Sacrificial Area This is a part of your pasture system that, just as it sounds, is permitted to become trashed. What is important here is that the trashing is confined to one small area where the mess can be controlled. Animals are kept in here during periods (i.e. wet) when it is not fit to put animals in the pasture.

25 Paddocks In a rotational grazing system pastures are divided up into smaller units within the pasture; these smaller units are called paddocks. In some smaller operations, permanent fencing is used to divide up the pasture. Temporary electric fence is a low cost, effective method of creating paddocks.

26 Determining Paddock Size One of the keys to a successful rotational grazing system is to have the correct size paddock in relation to the number of livestock and the amount of forage in the pasture. The stocking rate should be high enough that the animals will eat all of the forage in less than 3 days before being moved to a new paddock.

27 Determining Paddock Size A rotational grazing system should have a minimum of 10 paddocks. This number of paddocks is necessary because the plants in the paddocks require more time to recover during the summer when re-growth is slower. The summer recovery period can be as much as 30 days or more.

28 Determining Paddock Size Formula for determining paddock size Animal Size cow will eat 3 to 3.5% body weight ewe will eat 3.5 to 4% body weight Quantity of Forage forage height (in.) x 200 lb /A = = lb /A forage

29 Determining Paddock Size Example: Grazing Dry Cows 1200 lb (cow) x.03 = 36 lb / day 10 in. grass pasture x 200 lb = 2,000 lb /A forage 2, 000 lb x.5 (leave half) = 1, 000 lb available 1, 000 lb / 36 = 27 cow days Plan to rotate every 3 days. 27/ 3 = 9 cows per 1 acre of paddock

30 Calculating paddock sizes on paper is only a place to start. Ultimately your experience in the field will provide you with more accurate paddock sizes.

31 Setting Up A Pasture System Part II Forage Species Selection

32 Forage Species Selection Considerations Hay, grazing, or both? Permanent, or temporary pasture? Soil type and conditions? Livestock species? Length of grazing season? Establishment (equip. or site) options? Management style and abilities? Financial situation? Pasture system? Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.

33 Spreading Out the Grazing Season This is one of the more important aspects of developing a pasture system. This directly impacts on profitability since you have to supply stored feed to animals when they are not grazing. Putting animals out to pasture early in the spring and keeping them out on pasture late into the fall are important to those keeping animals year around.

34 Spreading Out the Grazing Season Use early and later maturing varieties of forages - there can be as much as 2 wks difference in maturity dates Use different forage species - there are some differences in maturity dates between species Management practices affect green-up - heavy grazing delays re-growth - late winter fertilizer application promotes early spring green-up

35 Spreading Out the Grazing Season You re kidding me! Use extended grazing strategies - forage is allowed to accumulate for grazing at a later date when the primary pastures are grazed out. * tall fescue and orchardgrass can be stockpiled for fall grazing. T.F. can go far into most winters. * birdsfoot trefoil can be stockpiled for early summer grazing.

36 Spreading Out the Grazing Season Use crop residues * corn fodder - the leftover material following the combine - there are dried leaves, stalks, and loose ear corn laying around - this is good grazing for dry cows - this helps to reduce volunteer corn in the following crop * there are other crop residues to graze

37 Spreading Out the Grazing Season Annual forage species that can extend the grazing season * Brassicas - rape, turnips, kale - extends spring and fall grazing * Annual grasses - wheat, barley, rye, oats, sorghum, Sudan grass, sudex, millet, ryegrass * Annual legumes - crimson clover, soybeans, vetch

38 Spreading Out the Grazing Season Seasonal Growth Patterns Graph 1: Major Forage and Pasture Grasses 2 Units in Tons of Hay Equivalent per Acre Small Grains Orchardgrass Tall Fescue Ken. Bluegrass Sudex 0 March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan

39 Spreading Out the Grazing Season Seasonal Growth Patterns Graph 2: Major Forage and Pasture Legumes Units in Tons of Hay Equivalent per Acre Red Clover Com. White Clover B. Trefoil Ladino Clover K. Lespedeza 0 March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan

40 Spreading Out the Grazing Season Seasonal Growth Patterns Graph 3: Alternative Forage and Pasture Crops 2 Units in Tons of Hay Equivalent per Acre Small Grains Brassicas Corn Stalks Stockpiled T.F March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan

41 Developing A Pasture System The Pros and Cons of Pasture Forage Species in Our Region

42 Smoothe Bromegrass perennial sod-forming - spreads through rhizomes (roots) palatable - animals willingly eat it hay or pasture slow to establish large seed - this can cause seeding problems

43 Kentucky Bluegrass perennial sod-forming - spreads through rhizomes (roots) palatable - animals really like it native grass brief productive period - early spring and mid fall needs good fertility, soil conditions

44 Orchardgrass perennial palatable predominant hay & pasture grass - mixes well with most legumes has a long growing period - greens up early in spring and can be stockpiled for fall easy to establish matures too rapidly in the spring

45 Pearl Millet summer annual grass history of low palatability - there are some improved varieties can suppress milk production very productive hay and pasture does not produce Prussic Acid

46 Perennial Ryegrass perennial palatable - animals really like it pasture use mostly - some hay when mixed with alfalfa brief productive period - early spring, not heat tolerant germinates very quickly - great for getting quick coverage

47 Annual Ryegrass annual palatable - a favorite of animals germinates quickly easy to establish, faster than perennial ryegrass good temporary cool season pasture - became popular during drought new varieties available some was harvested last year

48 Reed Canarygrass perennial sod-forming - spreads through rhizomes (roots) history of being not palatable - improved varieties are better hay and pasture loves wet soils slow to establish

49 Sorghum summer annual grass very productive easy to establish forage and grain (milo) varieties - even within the forage varieties they are separated into pasture and hay/haylage varieties used for all forms of forage produces Prussic Acid (HCN) - produces this under stress

50 Sudangrass summer annual grass very productive hay and pasture not widely used not as palatable as sorghum produces Prussic Acid (HCN) - produces under stress

51 Sudex summer annual grass sorghum x sudangrass very productive widely used - the preferred summer annual used for all forms of forage palatable produces Prussic Acid (HCN) - worse than its parents

52 Tall Fescue perennial grass low palatability - except after it has been frosted hay and pasture drought tolerant wide range of adaptation - easy to establish endophyte fungus problems - there are Fungus Free varieties

53 Festulolium Both perennial and annual New forage grass that is a cross between tall fescue and ryegrass Longevity depends on whether it is a fescue type or Italian ryegrass type Can have resistance to cold, drought, rapid growth, digestibility, sugar content; all depends on its parents.

54 Timothy perennial grass palatable hay - does not tolerate grazing - seed is added to some prepackaged pasture mixes because it is cheap not competitive productive in moderately wet and low fertility soils best seeded in the fall

55 Teff annual native grass of Ethiopia - 25% of grain production there tolerant of both wet and dry soils not tolerant of frost and cool soils uses include temporary hay, pasture, or silage crop good choice for avoiding summer slump in forage production

56 Small Grains winter annual grasses - wheat, barley, rye spring oats palatable easy to establish pasture and silage provides flexibility to the system - provides adaptability in soils, establishment, and management

57 Field Corn summer annual very productive silage, green-chop - there are some pasture hybrids - if you do graze standing corn, gradually introduce the animals to it or they will go off feed grazing stalks after harvest works well

58 Alfalfa perennial legume most productive legume high in protein, very palatable expensive to establish hay and haylage some pasture varieties - mostly varieties that fall over - still requires careful management

59 Birdsfoot Trefoil perennial legume very palatable maintains quality when mature - can be summer stockpiled no bloat problems very slow to establish disease problems some varieties are better for pasture

60 Common Dutch White Clover perennial legume native species - typically shows up in overgrazed pastures very aggressive (spreads) low in productivity shades out in tall grass causes bloat very palatable

61 Crimson Clover winter annual legume easy to establish - often can just be over-seeded into a field in the late summer pasture - mostly used for cover crop disease problem very attractive when in bloom

62 Crown Vetch perennial legume hay or pasture - mostly used in conservation plantings sensitive to over-harvesting/grazing no bloat problems palatable slow to establish spreads by surface rooting

63 Hairy Vetch winter annual legume very productive very aggressive - will smother other plants in the field easy to establish with late summer seeding hay, haylage, pasture (can get rank ) can become a weed problem

64 Ladino Clover perennial legume tall white clover spreads by runners - for this reason, low seeding rate very palatable worst legume for bloat problems hay or pasture (as part of sward) needs good soil fertility and drainage

65 Korean Lespedeza perennial and annual varieties - annual varieties act as perennials (re-seed themselves) tolerates very poor, infertile soil hot weather crop Sericea matures rapidly, can be stemmy, low in protein, and is not tolerant of overgrazing Korean is good pasture between late spring and fall (killed by frost) Sericea

66 Red Clover perennial legume (short-lived) most aggressive legume easy to establish - seed can be over-seeded where it will germinate quickly with good seedling vigor wide range of adaptation hay and pasture horse owners object to the hairs on the leaves and stems

67 Soybeans summer annual legume hay and haylage generally grown with sorghum, or sudex will require grain drill or planter to establish productive produces nutritious feed and is palatable if harvested at correct stage

68 Brassicas Annual - spring planting lasts until hot weather - fall planting lasts until hard freeze rape, kale, turnips pasture palatable

69 THE END