Posted on 07/27/2008 12:43:58 PM PDT by fella
Grazing advocates teach how to do more with less BY SCOTT F. DAVIS Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Sunday, July 27, 2008
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Rising fuel and grain prices create hard times for cattle ranchers, but several heard on Saturday about some ways to increase production without spending much money. About 25 farmers heard ways to better manage their resources during a grazing conference hosted by the Grassroots Grazing Group on Saturday at the Pauline Whitaker Center in Fayetteville. The group includes producers, researchers and educators working together to manage pastures for profit through rotational grazing. The program focused on helping farmers prosper in today's climate of escalating expenses by more carefully using their resources.
Ann Wells of Prairie Grove, a veterinarian with Springpond Animal Health, said the bad news for farmers may be good news for cattle. "High grain prices will mean more cattle are being grazed, which means they are going to be more healthy," Wells said. Advocates of grazing say cattle who eat grasses in pastures are more healthy than those that eat grains in feed lots, even though it takes longer to add weight to cattle through grazing.
Wells' presentation on "minimizing stress"explained how keeping livestock healthy on pasture through preventative measures can ease the stress on the owners' pocketbook.
She said effective preventative measures include improving good animal husbandry, sanitation, keen observation and ensuring timely vaccinations.
She encouraged farmers to take the time to watch their herd from a distance and observe how they interact to help identify problem animals. She explained how to grade the cattle individually to determine if they are too thin or too fat.
She said cattle that are healthy heading into winter require less feed in the winter to maintain their body weight than animals that are thinner.
It's important to keep cattle clean and free of dirt and mud to help reduce stress and keep them more healthy, she said.
She also encouraged weaning calves in the pasture by separating them from their mothers using fences. This works better and is more healthy than confining them in a dusty feed lot, she said.
Terry Gompert, a University of Nebraska extension specialist, encouraged producers to treat the farm as a system where all the parts fit together to maximize sustainability.
Gompert discussed "profitable cow-calf production "that substitutes improved management, rather than with increased spending, to address farm challenges.
Ron Morrow, a grazing specialist with the National Resources Conservation Service explained nutrient management. Properly grazed upland pastures and riparian areas can capture and utilize valuable nutrients instead of allowing them to enter surface waters as potential contaminants, he said.
We do this also with our cattle.
By the way, pasture-raised and grass-finished beef is very healthy and much better for you than the hormone-infused, feed-lot beef that you get at the grocers.
We’re doing this with our cattle (and our horses as well) but haven’t yet started with the goats because of the need to upgrade fencing. We keep our home beef herd at “drought level” to ensure that we don’t stress our pastures - we also run our extra roosters with our livestock to control pests, weed seeds and parasites.
What are you using for goat fencing? We have been installing Redline goat fencing over the existing barb wire fences, but it’s SOOO expensive right now. I’d use the electric, but my goats don’t seem to mind a little electric shock now and then!
It’s been a pay-as-you-go process for us, but if it all works out right, our fencing situation should be resolved soon. We’ll run our goats behind the cattle to clean up the weeds and seeds, then let the pasture rest to grow in nice grass again.
I love our grass-fed beef; our animals are humanely raised, humanely slaughtered and they have wonderful, natural lives with their families. We always give thanks to both God and to the animal for the gift, knowing that someday we shall likewise be called to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others...
For the goats we’ve had good luck with 4 strands of electic fencing at about 4 foot high. With the bottom 2 strands set a little closer togather. You do have to weedeat to keep the grass from shorting the wire but about every 2 weeks or so isn’t to bad.
They’re a little behind in the time’s. They just discovered what’s been a standard practice for as long as i can remember.
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