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Full-Text Articles in Soil Science
Grazing Options For Fall And Winter, Edward N. Ballard
Grazing Options For Fall And Winter, Edward N. Ballard
Kentucky Grazing Conference
Feed costs represent the major cost in most livestock production systems. A recently completed analysis of 225 Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA) Beef Cow Records on herds in Illinois and Iowa showed that feed cost was the overriding factor determining profitability, explaining over 57 percent of the herd-to-herd variation.
Summer Grazing Options, S. Ray Smith, Krista Lea
Summer Grazing Options, S. Ray Smith, Krista Lea
Kentucky Grazing Conference
During the last 15 years there have been several new forage species that have emerged as useful in grazing systems and many new varieties have been released of traditional species. There are many sources of information on summer grazing options. We especially encourage you to read the publication written by Dr. Garry Lacefield and colleagues, “Extending Grazing and Reducing Stored Feed Needs” (AGR-199, www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/agr199.pdf). I have used information from this publication and other publications from the University of Kentucky Forage Website (www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage) in writing this article.
Technical Service Provider: What Is It And Why Is It Important To You?, Bill Payne
Technical Service Provider: What Is It And Why Is It Important To You?, Bill Payne
Kentucky Grazing Conference
Progressive graziers and forage managers are continually looking to improve their operations’ productivity. The opportunity exists to have a Grazing Management Plan developed for your operation at little or no cost to you. By contacting your county NRCS office, you can apply to have this plan developed by a Technical Service Provider, an independent professional certified by NRCS.
Forage Legumes: Their Importance And Management In Profitable Livestock Systems, Ben M. Goff
Forage Legumes: Their Importance And Management In Profitable Livestock Systems, Ben M. Goff
Kentucky Grazing Conference
The landscape of most Kentucky operations is heavily dominated by the utilization of cool-season grasses as the primary source of forage for livestock. However, legumes species, such alfalfa and red or white clovers are an essential component to a complete forage-livestock system. Relative to grasses alone, incorporating legumes into a mixture has the benefits of improving the nutritive value of the available forage in the field, extending the grazing season by increasing the yield of forage during the early summer months, and providing a more economical source of N compared to commercial fertilizers. This paper will briefly describe each of …
Maximizing Stocker Gains On Pastures, Jeff Lehmkuhler
Maximizing Stocker Gains On Pastures, Jeff Lehmkuhler
Kentucky Grazing Conference
Stocker enterprises by definition utilize pasture forages to add weight to light weight feeder cattle. These operations add value to calves by assimilating small groups of calves and combining them into larger uniform packages. Stocker operators also enhance quality through livestock husbandry practices that “upgrade” feeders which could include castrating bulls, dehorning, improving immunity and other attributes. In an effort to optimize profit margins, stocker operators must manage feeders to ensure high rates of gain while finding a balance in stocking rates that provide adequate gains per acre.
Grazing Method: Tool Or Toolbox?, Garry D. Lacefield
Grazing Method: Tool Or Toolbox?, Garry D. Lacefield
Kentucky Grazing Conference
This conference makes the 15th consecutive year we have devoted a full day to Grazing. Kentucky is a great state for grazing animals since we have a relatively long pasture season, can grow many forage grasses and legumes and a long tradition of producing quality animal products from quality pasture. We have tremendous potential to improve our overall grazing efficiency and the discussion throughout the day will address many of the practical strategies for improvements.
Foreword And Kfgc Award Winners [2014], Garry D. Lacefield, Christi L. Forsythe
Foreword And Kfgc Award Winners [2014], Garry D. Lacefield, Christi L. Forsythe
Kentucky Grazing Conference
No abstract provided.
Kentucky Forage Spokesperson Contest, Kentucky Forage And Grassland Council
Kentucky Forage Spokesperson Contest, Kentucky Forage And Grassland Council
Kentucky Grazing Conference
No abstract provided.
Can We Graze 300+ Days?, Glen Aiken
Can We Graze 300+ Days?, Glen Aiken
Kentucky Grazing Conference
Dependence on stored feeds during the winter months has been necessary in order to maintain body condition and meet nutrient requirements of cattle herds; unfortunately, cost of stored feeds typically are a major part of the farm budget. We know, all too well, that hay shortages and unstable feed ingredient markets have reduced profit potential in cattle production. This has further placed higher demands on supplies of co-product feeds to cause prices of these alternative feeds to rise and make them less cost effective. There will likely be less reliance on concentrate and co-product feeds as the forage-based livestock industry …
Pastures For Horses, Robert Coleman
Pastures For Horses, Robert Coleman
Kentucky Grazing Conference
The horse evolved as a grazing animal. In order to consume enough forage to meet the horses’ nutritional needs a significant amount of time would be spent each day grazing. The pattern of selecting forage-moving to the next area starting to graze again can easily translate into 14 to 16 hours of grazing activity each day. The level of grazing activity will also be affected by the available forage and the daily access to pasture.
Pastures For Goats And Sheep, Greg Brann
Pastures For Goats And Sheep, Greg Brann
Kentucky Grazing Conference
Pasture for sheep is not that different than that for cattle but pasture for goats is very different. Sheep are grazers like cattle whereas goats are browsers like deer. Even though grass and clover are not a goats preference if all of the forage present is grass and clover goats will eat it. Due to goats and sheep being more prey animals than cattle they don’t like to wade off into tall vegetation, also it takes more energy for them to move through tall growth. Many plants that we traditionally consider weeds become desirable forbs when goats or sheep are …
The Role Of Weed Control In Profitable Pastures, Scott Flynn, Pat Burch
The Role Of Weed Control In Profitable Pastures, Scott Flynn, Pat Burch
Kentucky Grazing Conference
Pasture weeds compete for resources such as space, water, and nutrients. This competition reduces forage yield which in turn reduces the carrying capacity of a pasture. Although herbicide applications are needed to gain a quick upper hand on weed control most producers are deterred due to cost, the potential loss of pasture legumes, labor, or the belief that herbicide applications are required frequently to keep weed population under control. However, herbicide use in pastures should not be looked at in this manner but instead as an investment that can pay for itself very quickly and easily, and be long-term especially …
Role Of Legumes In Pastures, Garry D. Lacefield
Role Of Legumes In Pastures, Garry D. Lacefield
Kentucky Grazing Conference
Successful livestock production is dependent on forage programs which supply large quantities of adequate quality, homegrown feed. A major percentage of the feed units for beef (83%) and dairy (61%) cattle come from forages. In addition, forages supply an estimated 91%, 72%, 15% and 99% of the nutrients consumed by sheep and goats, horses, swine and ruminant wildlife, respectively.
(How I Think About) Kentucky's Pastures: One Of Kentucky's Untapped Resources, Jimmy C. Henning
(How I Think About) Kentucky's Pastures: One Of Kentucky's Untapped Resources, Jimmy C. Henning
Kentucky Grazing Conference
One of the privileges of old(er) age is the prerogative to take liberties with assigned tasks. At the risk of confusing producers and offending more scientifically-current forage scientists, the topic of pasture as an untapped resource presented an opportunity to address task from an unexpected angle. Certainly, Kentucky’s pastures are a resource with untapped potential. But the idea that their value as a resource depends on how we think about them is one worth pursuing.
Foreword And Kfgc Award Winners [2013], Garry D. Lacefield, Christi L. Forsythe
Foreword And Kfgc Award Winners [2013], Garry D. Lacefield, Christi L. Forsythe
Kentucky Grazing Conference
No abstract provided.
Strategies To Minimize The Effects Of Drought, Gary Bates
Strategies To Minimize The Effects Of Drought, Gary Bates
Kentucky Grazing Conference
As this summer has shown, forage production from cool-season pasture and hay fields across the state can be dramatically affected by drought. Pastures that consist of cool-season grasses like tall fescue and orchardgrass have been severely overgrazed, and many may have lost some significant stand. Even if you have reseeded these fields, the question is how to prevent having the same problem next year. One of the best practices is to develop a forage program that doesn’t rely on cool-season grasses for summer production, but selects forage species that are better able to produce during periods of limited rainfall and …
Grassfed Beef From A Global Perspective, Glen Aiken
Grassfed Beef From A Global Perspective, Glen Aiken
Kentucky Grazing Conference
Beef production and marketing has been shifting over the last few decades in response to unstable cattle markets, higher input costs, and a need to better meet market demands. Advancement of vertical integration of the production and marketing of beef calves through retained ownership from suckling calf to feedyard has certainly enhanced the genetics of the U.S. beef herd and improved the consistency of beef products. Another shift in production has been an increased number of grassfed cattle (grass finished) for marketing either organic or locally grown beef. These niche markets have developed primarily from concerns of urban consumers regarding …
The Cost Of Pasture Versus Hay, Kenneth H. Burdine
The Cost Of Pasture Versus Hay, Kenneth H. Burdine
Kentucky Grazing Conference
Whenever I discuss the economics of grazing, I like to start by thinking about hay production costs. Regardless of which species we are talking about, a livestock producer should know what his / her most expensive feeding days are. In most cases, these will be winter feeding days, and that will generally consist of feeding either purchased or home-grown hay. So, I encourage producers to start by getting a solid feel for what their daily winter feeding costs are. For the purposes of this article, I am going to present some specific estimates for winter feeding costs, and other items, …
Pastures For Horses, Robert Coleman
Pastures For Horses, Robert Coleman
Kentucky Grazing Conference
For horse owners, the use of pasture in the daily management of their horses provides both exercise for the horses, but also is a valuable source of nutrients. Horse feeding programs are based on forage and pasture is an excellent means to supply nutrients. To make effective use of the forage, horse owners need to manage both the horse and the grass.
Winter Annuals And Short Term Perennials For Grazing, S. Ray Smith
Winter Annuals And Short Term Perennials For Grazing, S. Ray Smith
Kentucky Grazing Conference
During the last 5 years there has been a renewed interest in winter annual and short term perennials for grazing and for stored feed. There are many sources of information on this subject. I especially encourage you to read the new publication written by Dr. Garry Lacefield and colleagues, “Extending Grazing and Reducing Stored Feed Needs”. I have used information from this publication and other publications from the University of Kentucky Forage Website (www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage) in writing this article. This website contains many use publications on the subject of winter annuals and variety trial information on annual ryegrass and …
Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue, Garry D. Lacefield
Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue, Garry D. Lacefield
Kentucky Grazing Conference
“Novel” endophyte is a term used to describe a “good” or “friendly” fungus (endophyte) in tall fescue as opposed to the endophyte that’s present if over eighty-five percent of the tall fescue in the Fescue Belt of the USA. This endophyte is costing beef producers an estimated $1 Billion dollars in losses from animal gains, reproduction and overall performance.
Forages On My Farm, Brent White
Foreword And Kfgc Award Winners [2012], Garry D. Lacefield, Christi L. Forsythe
Foreword And Kfgc Award Winners [2012], Garry D. Lacefield, Christi L. Forsythe
Kentucky Grazing Conference
No abstract provided.
Taking “Grazing” To The Next Level, Edward N. Ballard
Taking “Grazing” To The Next Level, Edward N. Ballard
Kentucky Grazing Conference
Since the late 1980’s, producer awareness of pasture management has been increasing. A number of factors have brought this about. Mainly, economic conditions have forced producers to look at their bottom line and this has reflected the low returns from mismanagement of forages and pastures. Also, advancements in the technology of pasture management and improvement have made more intensive utilization of the forage resource more economically viable. Advances in equipment, especially fencing and water equipment, have also helped bring about the increased interest in better grassland management.
My Grazing Experience: Reflections And Observations, Russell C. Hackley
My Grazing Experience: Reflections And Observations, Russell C. Hackley
Kentucky Grazing Conference
My pastures are utilized by a beef operation consisting primarily of a small cow/calf herd (30 cows), and a stocker operation numbering from 300-350 head annually, which are grazed only, from spring until fall. These stockers are purchased, continental breed calves, weighing from 500-550 pounds. In the fall, they are sold to Laura’s Lean Beef, usually at a forward contracted price after adding 300 pounds of gain. Occasionally, the stocking includes calves not eligible for Laura’s Lean which are then sold in truckload lots through internet sales.
Options For Getting Water In Every Paddock, Kevin Laurent
Options For Getting Water In Every Paddock, Kevin Laurent
Kentucky Grazing Conference
Whether you call it rotational grazing, intensive grazing or management intensive grazing, the economic benefits of controlling how and where your cattle graze are well documented. Increased forage utilization, greater stocking rates, greater legume persistence, reduced hay feeding and more uniform nutrient recycling are just some of the many benefits producers can take advantage of when practicing some form of controlled grazing. However, one of the greatest challenges to implementing a controlled grazing system is the delivery of stock water to the grazing animal.
Stockpiling Tall Fescue: Cost & Return, Greg S. Halich
Stockpiling Tall Fescue: Cost & Return, Greg S. Halich
Kentucky Grazing Conference
An opportunity that Kentucky cattle farmers have in reducing their hay requirements is to apply nitrogen on select pastures to stockpile for fall and winter grazing. By increasing the total pasture production during this time period, the grazing season can be extended and the amount of hay required can be reduced.
Ryzup Smartgrass: Growth Promotion For Forages, S. Ray Smith
Ryzup Smartgrass: Growth Promotion For Forages, S. Ray Smith
Kentucky Grazing Conference
Whenever we discuss grazing management we emphasize how proper grazing will produce the maximum amount of plant growth. Giving forage plants an adequate rest period after each grazing event is essential to allow growth and storage of carbohydrates for the next growth cycle. With grasses, leaving leaf area after grazing allows the plant to maintain photosynthesis and regrow faster. On a more basic level though, all plants regulate growth with hormones. These hormones are termed “plant growth regulators.” Auxin controls cell division and the direction of plant growth. Gibberellic acid (abbrev. GA) has three main functions in plants: 1) stimulate …
Benefits Of "Improved" Grazing--More Important Now Than Ever!, Garry D. Lacefield
Benefits Of "Improved" Grazing--More Important Now Than Ever!, Garry D. Lacefield
Kentucky Grazing Conference
At this Conference twelve years ago I talked about the “Benefits of Improved Grazing”. We have had aspects of that theme at every Kentucky Grazing Conference since and also emphasized that message at 10 Heart of America Grazing Conferences and three National Grazing Conferences. With all that emphasis, why do I bring this up again and even have the nerve to say “More Important Now than Ever”? Well, the short answer is “things are different now!”
Foreword And Kfgc Award Winners [2011], Garry D. Lacefield, Christi L. Forsythe
Foreword And Kfgc Award Winners [2011], Garry D. Lacefield, Christi L. Forsythe
Kentucky Grazing Conference
No abstract provided.