The Rural Voice, 1985-09, Page 37FARM NEWS
nitrogen applications to be the most
effective.
Legume contributions
Adding a legume to the pasture is
an alternate approach to improving
pasture returns. Unlike fertilizer ap-
plication, legume planting doesn't
mean an annual cost. A farmer may
pay $25 per acre to rent the sod seeder
and cover other planting costs, but he
can amortize this input cost over 10
years. Because of the uncertainty of
timely rainfall, the addition of a
legume could be the most cost-
effective way to improve pasture out-
put in this area of the province,
Robinson says.
Grazing guideposts
Grazing management is essential
with both pasture improvement
routes. Robinson offers some sugges-
tions. Keep productive species
available; don't allow the animals to
eat off one certain grass or legume.
Encourage rapid re -growth of the
crop. Make a compromise between
yield and quality. Avoid both over
and under -grazing. When your farm
looks like a golf course, the cows are
working too hard to get the feed. On
the other hand, if cattle are leaving
half the crop in the field, it will go to
seed and cause palatability problems.
It's just as bad as leaving your corn
crop in the field, Robinson says.
Rotational grazing can help to
solve some grazing management pro-
blems, but it doesn't mesh with every
operation. "I can't say you must have
rotational grazing. It might not meet
your needs," Robinson says.
Her information shows that
farmers lose the benefit of 70 per cent
of their forage in continuous grazing
systems. This drops to a 40 per cent
loss in rotational grazing, and can be
as low as 31 per cent with strip graz-
ing. Strip grazing, however, is more
labour and time -intensive.
In a rotational system, the cattle go
into the pasture when grasses are 8 to
10 inches tall and move on when
grasses are 3 to 4 inches tall. In this
system you can also harvest hay or
haylage as well, which makes it more
flexible than continous grazing. Four
separate paddocks are recommended.
In the summer the paddock needs 30
to 40 days of rest before the cattle
return, but in the spring, when
pasture grows quickly, 30 days would
be much too long. Always look to the
field ahead when making the moving
decision.
Rotational grazing can allow the
manager to use different segments of
land for stock division by age, size, or
type of cattle. He can also avoid the
over -grazing of certain terrains by
dividing a hill and valley, for exam-
ple, into two different pastures. The
key advantages to rotational grazing
are: increased carrying capacity, im-
proved gains per acre, improved
forage quality, and improved forage
stands, Robinson says.
Comparatively, continuous grazing
works best with small groups of cat-
tle. Animals are put out in the spring
and brought back in the fall. The
number of cattle per acre must be
limited, but there will be high gains
from animals in these small groups.
Rotation grazing increases gains per
acre, not necessarily per animal. The
choice of pasturing method depends
on whether the farmer wants more
beef per acre or bigger gains in small
groups.
Roskamp Mfg., Inc. •D
Total Processed Ration ink
Dairy • Beef • Hogs
Solid.to-the• Shalt
White iron rolls:
10 year warranty
• Portable
Roller
Mixer
•
•
Also, Stationary Mills &
Feed Processing Centres
Portable
Ear Corn
MITI
STEINER RoII-A-Mix
• Mixing Feed • Mixing Fertilizer
• Mixing Grain & Silage • Treating Seed
• Frey Belt Conveyors • Gem Grain Roasters
• Supreme Farm Equipment • Van Dale Farm Equipment
Parts & Service
DE JONG BROTHERS LTD.
Head Office
R.R. 2, Monkton, Ont.
519-347-2424
SEPTEEMBFR 1985 35
J