SARE PARTNERSHIP GRANT ONC15-004 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
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
1 st TIME & ph LOCATION w phs 7 day PMN (mg/ kg) WSA % Active Carbon (mg/kg) Soil Test 05-06-201 5 DRUMM FARM Independen ce, MO 7.5 7.1 39.2 15 429.1 05-06-201 5 HALLAR FARM Holden, MO 6.6 6.2 36.3 60 325.4 05-06-201
FIRST Cover Crops Sorghum Sudan Grass Hybrid Pearl Millet, leafy Victor Cowpeas VNS Mung-beans Driller Radish Pasja Hybrid Brassica (Plus inoculant) http://www.sare.org/ Learning-Center/Books Managing Cover Crops Profitably, 3rd Edition Purchased from
Getting Started: Portable fence Solar charger Heated water buckets Cover Crop seeds
TOO MUCH RAIN Ralph broadcasting cover crop seeds on perennial pastures July 2015 First planting LYNNEWOO D
Drumm Farm Crew
September 2015 SHAQ catching test subjects
September 2015 Weighing Goats at Drumm
September 2015 GRASS test plot-drumm Farm
September 2015 Cover Crops at Drumm Farm
Another angle Cover Crops at Drumm Farm Can you see the goats?
DRUMM FARM
September 2015-Drumm Farm After Grazing
September 2015-HALLAR FARM Fence is up, making the shelter
September 2015 HALLAR annuals in perennials
Cover crops September 2015-Grass- Hallar
September 2015 Cover Crops - Hallars
LYNNEWOOD Cut short, drill in-second planting-oct 2015
May 2016 Lynnewood Crimson Clover, Cereal Rye, Winter Oats & more
Weighing goats at LYNNEWOOD
Lynnewood Farm 3 rd Planting May 2016 Cut short Drag Broadcast Drag again
Setting the planter
A look inside
August 2016 Grass-Lynnewood Farm
August 2016 Cover Crop-Lynnewood Farm
HALLAR August 2016- Grass
HALLAR-August 2016 Cover Crops
4 th Planting August 2016-this photo Oct 2016 Broadcast-by-hand over standing cover crop allowed animals to trample-in while grazing Lynnewood
October 2016 Final Soil Sample Lynnewood Farm
Hallar Cover crop-final soil sample Oct 2016
Hallar- October 2016 Final soil Sample with remnants from third graze Forage Sorghum
Hallar October 2016
Final Graze-Drumm Dec 2016-green hairy vetch
Drumm Dec 2016-Millet from 3 rd planting
Drumm Dec 2016-not much grass
Cover Crops-HALLAR Dec 2016- Grass
LYNNEWOOD Dec 2016-even manure distribution
Lynnewood-Dec 2016 Simple windbreak shelter-grass
Lynnewood-Dec 2016-Cover Crop bite out of turnipd
Let s Look at the Numbers SOIL SAMPLES COVER CROPS GOAT WEIGHTS GRAZING CALCULATIONS CHARTS/SUMMARY
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
Results of Soil Samples SARE Partnership Grant ONC15-004 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 7.5 7.1 39.2 15 429.1 Oct-15 cc 7.3 6.9 72 20 928.8 May-1 soil 6 cc 6.9 6.5 7d 123 9 617.8 samples Oct-16 cc 7.2 6.9 PMN 52 WSA 7 Active 483.1 Carbon Oct-16 p ph 7.3 7.1 (mg/ 185 41 (mg/ 975.6 w phs kg) (%) kg) May-1 cc/ 5 p 6.6 6.2 36.3 60 325.4 Oct-15 cc 6.9 6.4 52.5 36 583.2 May-1 6 cc 6.5 6 56 52 365.8 soil 7d Oct-16 cc 6.5 6.1 85 39 496.1 samples PMN WSA Active Carbon Oct-16 p 7 6.5 90 31 517.7 ph (mg/ (mg/ w phs kg) (%) kg) May-1 5 cc/ p 5.8 5.3 90.3 40 409.7 Oct-15 cc 6.2 5.7 240 82 636.5 May-1 6 cc 5.8 5.1 96 11 409 Oct-16 cc 6.1 5.5 111 23 424.1
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
COVER CROPS 50 ft x 50 ft test plots planted planted August planted July 2015 $8.34 October 2015 $6.55 planted May2016 $7.40 2016 $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, 2015 2016 Aug. 5-8,2016 Dec. 1-5, 2016 HALLAR Sept.2-6, 2015 May 12-15, 2016 Aug. 12-15,2016 Dec. 12-15, 2016 LYNNEWO May
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 10 14 Animal Wt. x Intake rate in % Body Wt. X animal # GRAZING 12 16 2800 lbs/ac x.057 Ac x 30% = 47.88 STICK 12 9 75 # x 3.5% body wt X 5 animals = 13.12 47.88/13.1 =3.65 days 13 8 11 8 2100 lbs/ac x 0.057% x 30% = 35.91 7 Random 13 9 77.7 # x3.5% x 5 animals=13.60 35.91/13.60 = 2.6 days total >>>> 85 70 Leave Residual 12.14285714 10 average forage height 10-4= 6 12-4 = 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
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
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!!
AVERAGE GAIN per GOAT per Graze Cover Crops 1.509090909 pounds / period Grass -0.009090909 pounds /period See details and stats on your page
Average Days of Forage/ Grazing Days Cover Crops 7.924545 days Grass 4.427455 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
QUESTIONS??
Thanks for Coming!! Susan Jaster jasters@lincolnu.edu 816-589-4725 Look for my report at the northcentral.org site under SARE Partnership Grant ONC15-004