Strip grazing vs MIG or rotational grazing

[chukar]

I have been reading about both of these methods of managed grazing to increase the grazing season into the winter. Right now it has been frozen solid for about 2 weeks here and we have been feeding hay now for 3 weeks. If all things go as normal, we will be feeding hay until sometime in April and most likely the middle of May. That 135-150 days is killer. We have a little less cost/hd/day than some that have to buy all their hay, but with the opportunity cost it really is the same...Expensive either way.

I have resolved to get from the 150 days of planned hay feeding to 90 but maybe as few as 60 over the next 3 years. Since we don't know the weather, water, or future I think it might take that long to fully achieve this goal.

Anyways back tot the distinction of strip grazing vs MIG. They are both "managed" grazing, but it seems that one encourages mature plants(strip) that are grazed less frequently and trampled more; while the other encourages immature plants (MIG) that are grazed more frequently or mechanically clipped to prevent the plant from maturing. For an operation that calves in late spring and is carrying dry pregnant cows going into winter, and really won't hit third trimester until February, what system would be most advantageous?

 

[dun]

What will you be grazing? Annuals, crop residue, your regular pasture grasses, etc.? If your regular pasture grasses do they carry enough feed value when stockpiled to carry the cows? Not all dormant grasses are created equal for stockpiling. Unless you have grasses/annuals, etc. that will continue to grow through your winter stockpiled stuff or crop residue is all you would have. What you have depends on what is more advantages.

 

[Banjo]

you should have alot of fescue and orhardgrass...do you? All of our seed down here comes pretty much from Oregon. Those are the 2 main ones that work for me. Plus you have ryegrass and cereal rye too. MIG and IRG are just a play on words IMO. It is a system that restricts the cattle movement and access to pasture. When cattle can go from one end of the farm to the other and graze whenever and wherever they want, your tall grasses become short grasses with short root systems. Overgrazing ....the worst thing one can do to a pasture. many think they can fertilize, spread manure, compost and overcome it. i 've done all that and a year or two later its just right back where I started.
Stripgrazing is just allotting a little more everyday of the same field, more often than not it allows backgrazing, which means they still have access to what they been over before, which is not too big a deal this time of year, because grass isn't growing hardly any. But when grass does begin to start growing in the early spring the backgrazing needs to be stopped or the cattle will go to the new shoots of grass and bite it off every few days....then that starts the whole overgrazing problem again.

 

[chukar]

Yes. The hay field that I would stockpile this first year was planted in the fall of 2011. About 65% fescues, 30% ryegrass and the rest clover. There is some quack grass in parts that is coming back... I will discontinue the fight there and let it come. It grows good and they eat it when given to them. From a planning perspective they would enter the stockpile and begin stip grazing around November 1. All growth has quit here by then so it doesn't sound like back grazing will be a concern, and it will make availability to water more feasible the first couple years.

What about no-tilling some oats or triticale after cutting it once? Anyone tried that for stockpiling?

 

[Banjo]

Yes. The hay field that I would stockpile this first year was planted in the fall of 2011. About 65% fescues, 30% ryegrass and the rest clover. There is some quack grass in parts that is coming back... I will discontinue the fight there and let it come. It grows good and they eat it when given to them. From a planning perspective they would enter the stockpile and begin stip grazing around November 1. All growth has quit here by then so it doesn't sound like back grazing will be a concern, and it will make availability to water more feasible the first couple years.

What about no-tilling some oats or triticale after cutting it once? Anyone tried that for stockpiling?

i have sowed some grazing rye its the earliest in the spring....haven't tried the other.

 

[JustSimmental]

strip grazing on clayey soils will cause some serious compaction issues --- j/s

 

[Banjo]

strip grazing on clayey soils will cause some serious compaction issues --- j/s

Would you care to elaborate? Where are you located and what type of grass? are you talkng about IRG in general or just stripgrazing specifically?

 

[smiling hill]

I use strip grazing when I have tall stock pile going into winter (not this year) or when grazing alfalfa. In the winter you don't need to back fence but if your ground is frozen you will need to make tumble bugs or carry a 3/8 auger bit in drill.

2 years ago I had hay left over and plenty of rain so I kept 50 acres of fescue, some orchard grass and alfalfa (never hayed or grazed) till winter. I started strip grazing in late Nov. and with 120 cows and calves total and that kept them all winter except for about 70 bales during snow. (They will eat through quite a bit of snow). I moved 1/4 mile fence morning and afternoon about 12 feet. It's the best way to see your cattle individually and great excercise. I love it except when I work away from the farm. This grass was about 16 to 20 inches tall and trampling and manure would have left much of it uneaten without stripping---last year the winter stock pile was only about 8" and I just turned them in the whole pasture without much waste.

Rain and melting snow will leach nutrients---it is pretty easy to tell by their stool even before condition begins to deteriorate---that is when I start setting out tubs (feeding alfalfa which I do sometimes cuts down their desire to graze while with tubs they still want roughage)

Good luck---its easier than you think.

 

[johndeerefan]

I use strip grazing when I have tall stock pile going into winter (not this year) or when grazing alfalfa. In the winter you don't need to back fence but if your ground is frozen you will need to make tumble bugs or carry a 3/8 auger bit in drill.

2 years ago I had hay left over and plenty of rain so I kept 50 acres of fescue, some orchard grass and alfalfa (never hayed or grazed) till winter. I started strip grazing in late Nov. and with 120 cows and calves total and that kept them all winter except for about 70 bales during snow. (They will eat through quite a bit of snow). I moved 1/4 mile fence morning and afternoon about 12 feet. It's the best way to see your cattle individually and great excercise. I love it except when I work away from the farm. This grass was about 16 to 20 inches tall and trampling and manure would have left much of it uneaten without stripping---last year the winter stock pile was only about 8" and I just turned them in the whole pasture without much waste.

Rain and melting snow will leach nutrients---it is pretty easy to tell by their stool even before condition begins to deteriorate---that is when I start setting out tubs (feeding alfalfa which I do sometimes cuts down their desire to graze while with tubs they still want roughage)

Good luck---its easier than you think.

what kind of fencing do you use for strip grazing and how do you move 1/4 mile of fence twice a day without the cows running you over. we strip graze with electric fence but only have maybe 1000 foot of wire to move. we make a new paddock then roll up the wire by hand from the previouse section and let the cows in the new section. it always seems like as soon as we let the wire down to start rolling it up the cows cross it and kinda make it tangled up. any tips for strip grazing.

we also have all our fields divided in paddocks for rotational grazing from the first green up in april and rotate through first hard killing frost in fall. we try to clip all our pastures around the first of august to allow fresh growth to stockpile for strip grazing after frost. we can normally graze till end of jan first of feb unless the snow flys and have to feed a bale.

 

[Banjo]

the fence will stretch out for 12' and probly could work it hot if careful.

 

[chukar]

Do you seem to have any difficulty in getting the cattle go resume grazing after a period of feeding hay? Seems like there might be several periods where we might get snowed/iced under and it would be melted off in between. Bi guess if that is what they have to eat then that is what they get.

 

[dun]

Do you seem to have any difficulty in getting the cattle go resume grazing after a period of feeding hay? Seems like there might be several periods where we might get snowed/iced under and it would be melted off in between. Bi guess if that is what they have to eat then that is what they get.

Ours during the winter will spend hours trying to glean anything that resembles grass rather then go to the hay. It's pretty much a given that if they are into the hay there isn;t anything over an inch or 2 high in the pasture.

 

[smiling hill]

both of the last 2 responders are right---use the braided wire, I move reel first if I have to loosen it a bit, then just start moving posts or rolling tumble bugs---you have to get with it in the beginning but I always keep the wire hot and I've never had cows or calves mess with it even if it dips down some. I use paddocks too but am considering going to all stripping of alfalfa---You might try not clipping your paddocks---my fescue and orchard grass just keep growing longer and longer and they pretty well clean it up during winter---it s usually around cow patties which they wont eat short. I find cows always prefer grazing but not as aggressively if you are feeding real good hay.

 

[chukar]

So your 12 ft twice a day represented how much of an acre? I couldn't move wire twice a day with my job in town, but once could be done since we are either feeding hay or checking them anyway.

Maybe the homeschoolers could move the wire on recess and then we could get the twice a day, but usually recess leaves the teacher wondering if they are ever coming back. They eventually do, but until they are cold, hungry, or wounded

 

[smiling hill]

actually didn't say that very well---about 6' twice a day---12' per day more or less that was with heavy sward---that ends up being less than .2 acre per move---it is always a learning experience and often funny if your cows have personality like mine---once i was making a morning strip move in august alfalfa (and i dont give them much in mornings) and they were following me all the way to the other end---as I walked back i saw they had eaten most of it---so i gave them a little more---happy cows.

nice thing about stripping---want to be gone 2 days, just move the fence further

 

[Banjo]

both of the last 2 responders are right---use the braided wire, I move reel first if I have to loosen it a bit, then just start moving posts or rolling tumble bugs---you have to get with it in the beginning but I always keep the wire hot and I've never had cows or calves mess with it even if it dips down some. I use paddocks too but am considering going to all stripping of alfalfa---You might try not clipping your paddocks---my fescue and orchard grass just keep growing longer and longer and they pretty well clean it up during winter---it s usually around cow patties which they wont eat short. I find cows always prefer grazing but not as aggressively if you are feeding real good hay.

So you don't clip your paddocks? What about your fescue seedheads where the highest concentration of endophyte? Just wondering. This past year I think I clipped me pastures too much thinking I needed to even everything back up....I think I sort of shot myself in the foot though. I would like to not clip or do it very little, your thoughts?

 

[chukar]

Although the question was not for me, on the piece we plan to stockpile we usually take two cuttings go grass. If we stockpile, I think we will take one cutting and stockpile the rest. Our second cutting is pretty much seedhead free since they are removed in the boot stage at first cutting.

 

[smiling hill]

how do you speed up replys????---quick reply hasn't gotten on so I am trying 'post a reply'

I love fescue so I try to manage around stems and seed heads (I may try several acres of novel endophyte this year). Keep cows moving thru paddocks and they seem to take out alot of the meristems before stems and heads form encouraging vegie growth (if you get rain). A few times I have mowed high (6") and baled if stems were real thick---some years are---but if you are not moving into a paddock until after seed drop, the stems and heads seem to dry up and they dont eat them like if they have the seeds---its not perfect and I've had endophyte problems---but usually when I've let them munch seeds

 

[pdfangus]

I would very much agree with the comment about back grazing....it is phenominal how quickly the grass will come back if you prevent the back grazing.....usually I can see a difference in the paddock the next day....even into december this year so far. rest and recovery time is every bit as important as controlling consumption on the front end.