Grasses & Legumes
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Making the most of nutrient recycling in grazing systems

May 31, 2019

Matt Poore

Have you ever run across a grazier who claims to be making high forage yields without fertilizer? Some sceptics don’t believe it is possible, but we work with some pretty astute and credible folks who can document that claim.

Finding the energy in forage

April 29, 2019

Kelli Boylen

“An optimal diet will feed the rumen to maximize energy supplies,” says Jim Paulson of Fieldstone Consulting.

Pasture evaluation: Let’s not and say we did

April 29, 2019

Matt Booher

Let’s evaluate your pasture. “Let’s not and say we did,” would likely be the response from most people. Who can blame them? Evaluating pastures is often so subjective that it’s useless, or made to be so complicated that it’s impractical.

Tire tank has enough room for sheep and goats

Putting together a watering system for grazing livestock

April 29, 2019

Robert Zupancic

Water not only impacts the feed intake of grazing livestock, but the animal’s ability to regulate body temperature. Cattle prefer water between 40 to 80˚F, and water temperature outside this range significantly reduces water intake.

Can grazing corn make dairying profitable again?

March 29, 2019

Lynn Jaynes

What if $14 milk is the new norm? The answer is underwhelming and overwhelming at the same time: Something has to change.

Overcoming the fear of bloat

March 29, 2019

Dennis W. Hancock

The fear of frothy bloat has stopped many livestock producers from integrating alfalfa, clover or other high-bloat-risk species into their forage systems. Most livestock producers fear seeing one of their animals with a distended left side, struggling to breathe.

Measuring and budgeting pasture availability

March 29, 2019

Edward B. Rayburn

How do you decide when to move animals onto a new pasture? How long do you expect the pasture to feed them before they should be moved again? Most likely your answer is “it depends.” It depends on forage available in the pasture, forage available in alternative pastures, animal feed demand and animal production goals.

5 common grazing mistakes

March 25, 2019

Cassidy Woolsey

Whether it’s the use of unnecessary commas, neglecting to floss or making only the minimum payments on a credit card, people often make the same mistakes. Runners may forget their form; homebuyers sometimes skip the home inspection; and graziers – well, they’re not exactly exempt from slipups either.

The economics of grazing cool-season annual forages

February 27, 2019

Jose Dubeux, Chris Prevatt, and Joao Vendramini

Producers throughout the Southeast feed hay and other stored feedstuffs during the fall, winter and early spring due to limited forage availability and lower forage quality.

Mud and what to do about it

February 27, 2019

Chad Hale

This fall and winter has been very wet across most of the eastern U.S. In some areas, fields have been wet since August. In years like this, normal plans for dealing with mud may not be enough.