Life Sciences Commons^™

Made To Graze: Using Cattle To Regenerate Soil Health, Debby Dulworth

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Beyond being a cattle farm in extreme western Kentucky, Dogwood Farm is part of an ecosystem dominated by the nearby Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Northern Ballard County was still a wilderness of temperate rainforest in 1840, when settlers began clearing trees to convert it to farm land. Almost every year since, more land has been cleared, tilled and planted to crops.

Dogwood Farm pastures offer examples of several different ways to affordably and profitably convert long‐farmed row‐crop land‐‐most of which had previously grown annual monocultures of corn, winter wheat and soybeans for many decades‐‐back to perennials that will keep the …

Circle F Farms--Grazing Into The Future, David Fourqurean

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Circle F Farms is a family operation located in Gracey, Ky roughly consisting of 325 acres of farmland. 120 acres are rented out for row crop production, 130 acres of pasture that are rotationally grazed with the balance in woods. The family operation is a partnership of John, David and John David Fourqurean. John David’s 3 kids will be the 6th generation to operate this farm. We run around 60 pairs on 2 different farms, 10 minutes apart. Steer calves are marketed through CPH or private treating sales off the farm. Heifer calves are marketed through the Guthrie bred heifer …

Usda‐Nrcs Graze Model: An Update Of A Static Pasture Balance Tool For Grazing Planners, Jimmy C. Henninger, Ivelin Denev

Kentucky Grazing Conference

The USDA‐NRCS Graze Model is a spreadsheet‐based, pasture budgeting digital tool to assist landowners and grazing advisors assess the pasture balance of current and future forage livestock systems. The tool will assess current stocking rates and help to calculate optimal carrying capacity. The model allows the user to see the impact of changing the forage base and grazing efficiency on the ability of a system to be sustainable. The model will accommodate cattle, sheep, goats, and seasonal grazing livestock. Yield information is based on historic, attainable values for Kentucky and the mid‐South region. Livestock intake is calculated on a percent …

Flexible Fencing And Watering Systems For Rotational Grazing, Morgan Hayes

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Creating proper and watering systems is critical for managing livestock. Not only do farmers need fencing to contain their livestock on their property, but also to ensure the livestock eat down the forage intended rather than areas that are supposed to be rested. With temporary fencing there are many options for laying out flexible fencing which will be discussed below. In many rotational grazing setups access to water is the limiting factor. There are options and considerations that can make a watering system more flexible as well. When trying to develop or improve a rotational grazing strategy being able to …

Selecting The Proper Gps Guidance System For Your Operation, John M. Long

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Computers and other electronics have become commonplace on most newer agricultural equipment. Producers can now collect more information about their operation easier than ever before. Most of this information is commonly tied to the location where it was collected. GPS coordinates are the most common way producers determine this location, so selecting the proper GPS system for the job is critical. Whether a producer has not used a GPS systems and wants to find an affordable entry level guidance system or wants to upgrade to the latest model with all the bells and whistles, there are many different things that …

Precision Ag Isn’T Just For The Row Crop Guys, Christopher D. Teutsch

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Guidance utilizing the global positioning system (GPS) has long been used for various operations in row crop agriculture. However, the high price of these systems has limited use in low input forage‐livestock operations. Reduced prices and the availability of used guidance systems has the potential to increase the use of precision agriculture in ruminant operations. Currently, entry level guidance systems can be purchased for $1,000 to 2,500.

Bale Grazing: Feeding Hay The Rotational Grazing Way, Gregory S. Halich

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Imagine a hay feeding system where you did not have to use a tractor for months at a time and that allowed you to build up pasture fertility without applying commercial fertilizer. Would this be of interest to you? What if this same system also kept your cattle clean during the winter without coats caked in mud and manure, allowed you to creep graze fall‐born calves, and built up the organic matter levels in your pasture soils. Would you be even more interested? As far‐fetched as this may sound, all these benefits are possible with an innovative winter‐feeding technique called …

Right Rate, Timing, Source And Placement: More Bang For The Pasture Fertilizer Buck, John H. Grove, Christopher D. Teutsch

Kentucky Grazing Conference

As we write this paper for the conference, fall fertilizer prices continue to increase, albeit at a slower pace than earlier this fall for most materials. The latest DTN retail price survey https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/crops/article/2021/10/06/fertilizer‐price‐gains-losing‐steam has urea (46‐0‐0) at $620/ton, DAP (18‐46‐0) at $722/ton and potash (0‐ 0‐60) at $647/ton. This gives $0.675/lb N, $0.52/lb P₂O₅ (after the N value in DAP price was accounted for), and $0.54/lb K₂O. Compared to this time last year, urea, DAP and muriate of potash are 71, 64 and 92% higher, respectively. Other important materials used in Kentucky are also higher: …

An Integrated Approach To Weed Management In Pastures, Jonathan D. Green

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Weeds reduce the quantity and the stand life of desirable forage plants in pastures and diminish the palatability and quality of the forages available for livestock grazing. In some situations, certain weed species are potentially poisonous to grazing animals. The aesthetic value of a pasture is also impacted by weeds. Therefore, it is often desirable to implement weed management strategies that reduce the impact of weeds on pasture productivity.

Long‐Term Weather Trends And Implications For Grazing Operations In The Mid‐South, Matt Dixon

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Weather plays a large role in determining our agricultural production and management-related decisions throughout the growing season. In a couple examples, it controls when we can cut hay or when we are able/not able to graze (drought 2019). The short‐term shift in the weather pattern is always on the back of any farmers mind and how it’ll impact their own operation, but what about long‐term changes? These can be just as important. This can be tracked by looking at our climate, which is the average weather conditions over a specific period of time (usually 30 years). Unlike weather, which tells …

Introduction To Pasture Ecology, Ed Rayburn

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Pasture‐based livestock production is an integrated process. Plants intercept solar energy, take up soil water and minerals, making carbohydrates and proteins to feed themselves. Animals graze the pasture. Microbes in the animal’s rumen digest the forage and are then digested by the animal to provide energy, protein, and minerals for animal maintenance, growth, and milk production. Dead plant tops and roots along with manure and urine provide energy and protein to soil organisms. The soil organisms maintain soil pore space and structure, provide water infiltration and soil water holding capacity, and cycle nutrients into forms that can be taken up …

Foreword And Conference Information [2021], Christopher D. Teutsch, Jimmy C. Henning, S. Ray Smith

Kentucky Grazing Conference

No abstract provided.