Menu
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New profile posts
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Forums
Cattle Boards
Grasses, Pastures & Hay
2.5 cows per acre
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Help Support CattleToday:
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Mark Reynolds" data-source="post: 1806415" data-attributes="member: 43196"><p>OK, I'm laughing, but that is only because I know exactly what you are saying. Here in SE Ohio, 2.5 acres are required per AU (Animal Unit), which is 1,000 lbs of live animal and a typical cow here averages 1,200 - 1,250 lbs, so a single cow = about 1.2 to 1.25 AUs, on average. So about 3 acres, on average, per average cow. Forage production per acre has considerable variation across Ohio but I don't ever recall seeing a soil type that can support more than 1 cow to 1.6 acres on a sustainable basis. I've also seen the other extreme where it takes 5 acres to support a single cow. Grazing carrying capacity (sustainable) varies greatly from state to state across the whole county. I don't recall the carrying capacity of pasture in Georgia, but I know it is considerably better than here in Ohio. Is it 1 - 1.5 cows per acre, with good, proper pasture management?</p><p></p><p>Conversely, has anyone ever heard the term "A 10-80 cow?" Its an illustration used to describe the type of cow and how it had to graze in the SW US. 10-80 is shorthand for a cow that has a mouth 10 feet wide and has to travel at 80 miles per hour eating in order for it to gain weight and be profitable.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mark Reynolds, post: 1806415, member: 43196"] OK, I'm laughing, but that is only because I know exactly what you are saying. Here in SE Ohio, 2.5 acres are required per AU (Animal Unit), which is 1,000 lbs of live animal and a typical cow here averages 1,200 - 1,250 lbs, so a single cow = about 1.2 to 1.25 AUs, on average. So about 3 acres, on average, per average cow. Forage production per acre has considerable variation across Ohio but I don't ever recall seeing a soil type that can support more than 1 cow to 1.6 acres on a sustainable basis. I've also seen the other extreme where it takes 5 acres to support a single cow. Grazing carrying capacity (sustainable) varies greatly from state to state across the whole county. I don't recall the carrying capacity of pasture in Georgia, but I know it is considerably better than here in Ohio. Is it 1 - 1.5 cows per acre, with good, proper pasture management? Conversely, has anyone ever heard the term "A 10-80 cow?" Its an illustration used to describe the type of cow and how it had to graze in the SW US. 10-80 is shorthand for a cow that has a mouth 10 feet wide and has to travel at 80 miles per hour eating in order for it to gain weight and be profitable. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Cattle Boards
Grasses, Pastures & Hay
2.5 cows per acre
Top