Winter grazing completed

[agmantoo]

Just finished Winter here and moving into Spring with the rotational grazing. For the herd this was a fairly uneventful season. We made it through without having to feed any hay or other feed supplement. The calves are growing nicely on the new growth of forage and a few of the heifers that calved in early Winter are making use of some compensatory gain. Took this pic today as the cattle grazed a lane instead of a typical paddock. I try to utilize all available land for production of gain.

 

[shaz]

Good job as usual agmantoo.

FYI: I used hay to fill sink holes this year. Less than 1 4x6 roll per cow. Easy year? Yeah it was but the trend is set.

 

[gonzo]

Good lookn stock wish I had all that pasture. Things are dryin out here atleast a month early grass is gettn green hopn to expand a little this year slow process here. :bang:

 

[Douglas]

Spring started here in north carolina about jan.

 

[gonzo]

I'm use to bein a$$ deap insnow till mid april this year hardly had any been a great year for winter workn probobly gonna pay for it this summer

 

[kenny thomas]

I am not nearly to where you are but am getting much closer each year. 60 cows only got 10 rolls this winter. Yours looks great.

 

[CJohnson]

How do you manage rotational grazing when the cows are calving? I lost a calf this year because it went under the electric fence into tall (12 inch) winter pasture. The cow was walking and calling, I looked for it but was almost dark when I went back there to check. I found it dead then next day. Had been born that morning. Do you modify your techniques when the cows are calving to prevent similar problems?

 

[agmantoo]

CJohnson
I move the herd daily and the cattle are very calm. I make no effort to rush them. If I have one that lingers I check her to see if she has any obvious signs of calving. If she has any hint that she may have a new calve I simply leave the poly wire/high tensile wire to where she can back track. I also observe, when I first arrive at the paddock the herd is in, to see if any individual cow is away from the herd or starring elsewhere or bagged up with milk. If I make a distance move, I listen after I leave the area in an attempt to hear if a cow is bawling. Over time this has worked OK for me. I won't say that I have never left a calf behind but I make an effort to get the total herd together and allow no stragglers. Otherwise, I do nothing out of the ordinary, each day for the cattle is a repeat of the previous.

 

[MarkM]

CJohnson,

I have limited experience, but many of my calves will sleep just outside the wire of the current paddock (in tall winter pasture). When they awaken, they come back in to nurse. I have only seen them do this during the day. The mothers seem fine with them doing that. If you are moving them and one gets left behind, that is another issue. Could there have been an underlying health issue with the calf?

 

[CJohnson]

It is possible, buzzards had already got to the calf when I found it so am not real sure.

 

[bigbull338]

that pasture looks real good thats for sure.even with us being in a drought i think we fed less than 60 bales of hay.an even had 20 bales leftover.

 

[shaz]

I am not nearly to where you are but am getting much closer each year. 60 cows only got 10 rolls this winter. Yours looks great.

;-)

what's your setup like?

 

[kciD]

there is a happy medium b/w bragging about not feeding hay- and maximzing land production levels.

My 600 hd Sim cow neighbor says he had to pay for his land-- and as a result-- needs it to pay for itself. he's a big advocator of alternetive grazing and cover crops- and feeding some hay.

Whereas my current landlord believes that bushhogging pastures is the best thing for the land... He's got about 30 goats that cover 150 acres in prime IL grazing farmland... He brags about not feeding hay for 5 years.. Big whoop... That's the poorest converters I've ever seen-- over 10 acres per goat...

 

[agmantoo]

kciD

When one can support his statement, I consider it sharing an accomplishment that can be substantiated, not bragging and at no time did I intent to mislead anyone. I often post pics as I feel it is easier to share information that way. Many users of this site are moving away from conventional production into rotational grazing. If I can share what I have learned the hard way I feel as if I may have made a contribution that could have benefited someone. Have you seen anything in any of the pics that I have posted that remotely indicated that I do not adequately take care of my herd? If the answer is no, why do you want to make vague insinuations or attempt to create doubt that as to whether I am properly caring for my animals or not?

 

[kenny thomas]

I am not nearly to where you are but am getting much closer each year. 60 cows only got 10 rolls this winter. Yours looks great.

;-)

what's your setup like?

I stockpile as much as I can but this year had an extra farm also. Just a lot of extra acres that are used for other things most of the year. Some of it is tobacco farms with acreage of grass there also. I am not stocked as heavy as usual either.

 

[kciD]

kciD

When one can support his statement, I consider it sharing an accomplishment that can be substantiated, not bragging and at no time did I intent to mislead anyone. I often post pics as I feel it is easier to share information that way. Many users of this site are moving away from conventional production into rotational grazing. If I can share what I have learned the hard way I feel as if I may have made a contribution that could have benefited someone. Have you seen anything in any of the pics that I have posted that remotely indicated that I do not adequately take care of my herd? If the answer is no, why do you want to make vague insinuations or attempt to create doubt that as to whether I am properly caring for my animals or not?

I'm not calling you out- or anyone else in particular.. I'm just stating that one who states they have fed zero bales of hay --- needs to be able to back that up and prove they are getting the most from their land prodictivity wise-- and they are still being good steward's of that land...

just an observation from an outsider looking in...

 

[JSCATTLE]

I've seen numerous pictures of agmantoo s operation and cattle . And both look great . He has been posting here a lot longer than you . He doesn't have to prove anything to you . Search his post and do your own research instead of acting like a 2 year old .

 

[kciD]

I've seen numerous pictures of agmantoo s operation and cattle . And both look great . He has been posting here a lot longer than you . He doesn't have to prove anything to you . Search his post and do your own research instead of acting like a 2 year old .

so we have one person doing things the right way... how about the rest who lay claim to zero hay useage? how about your operation>?

 

[JSCATTLE]

Actually my operation consisted of leased land until about 2 years ago . I turned 200 acres of wooded land into pasture . Last fall I started setting my place up for rotational grazing . I fed half the hay I normally would . Keep in mind my soil isn't where it needs to be . Ive started adding chicken litter as of last week trying to build organic matter . I'm hoping in the next 3 to 5 years I'll be where agmantoo is as far as pasture goes . How about you ?

 

[shaz]

I've seen numerous pictures of agmantoo s operation and cattle . And both look great . He has been posting here a lot longer than you . He doesn't have to prove anything to you . Search his post and do your own research instead of acting like a 2 year old .

so we have one person doing things the right way... how about the rest who lay claim to zero hay useage? how about your operation>?

I've copied a lot of what agmantoo and others are doing and can see results in the pasture and my bottom line. Hard to argue with someone who runs twice as many cattle on half as much land and doesn't cut/feed hay whereas I do.