Page 4 - MWC 8-20-20s

The Midwest Cattleman · August 20, 2020 · P4
Not everyone is setup to
do serious grazing manage-
ment. Not everyone has the
time or even the inclination.
I’m at the point now where,
after twenty-plus years doing
it and having traveled from
one tip of New Zealand to the
other - twice, it’s the only type
of grazing I’m interested in
doing. I realize it is not for
everyone. When asked, I sug-
gest that everyone do as much
as is practical in their opera-
tion. What happens is, once
started, it grows on you. The
cattle handle differently. The
forages respond. The forage
diversity explodes, and soon,
provided they have the time
and water system, a producer
who was only going to ‘try’ it
will be out there dividing more
pastures in half and yes… in
half again. My Grandma used
to say,” The proof is in the
‘puddin’.” Well, it ain’t’ ‘pud- resembles a trip down the
din’… but there is plenty of
proof and anyone paying close
attention can sure see it.
The truth is that it primar-
ily revolves around water. If
you can get water to all parts
of your pastureland then it
becomes a lot easier. Every
season a few more producers
take advantage of the cost-
share programs available to
do just that. Just drive by
fence-lines where you see con-
tinuous grazing next to some
type of rotation. The differ-
ence is like black and white
in some places – even though
nothing changes in soil-type
below the surface – just stew-
ardship and management on
top. Some places are obvious-
ly poor, but many more are
just ‘poorly managed’.
We have a grazing system
where we have been putting
fifty pair on 1-2 acres for a
day and it’s amazing the uti-
lization that causes. I love to
walk by a pasture where the
cattle have been and see it
rebound. It’s also just as ex-
citing to see where they’ll be
going tomorrow – where noth-
ing has touched it for almost
a month. The concept of ‘rest’
is an amazing concept in graz-
ing management. It’s pretty
obvious when you drive by a
pasture that hasn’t had one
in quite a while. It just looks
‘tired’ and unproductive.
We haven’t used a
creep-feeder for years, but
in our grazing system the
younger calves ‘creep-graze’
every day. They consistently
slip under our gates that are
just a bit higher for a reason.
This system allows the calves
to get the ‘best’ and the cows
are forced to work a little for
every bite. talking about?” He was per- pointed. “That’s green beans
Just this morning I sistent. “Why do you have so for cows. They don’t like it so
watched, actually videoed, many fences?” He repeated. much. They want to just eat
two Red Angus cows go nose- We were on an ATV at the the ‘ice-cream’ and move on
to-nose to try to beat the other time, so I let off the throttle until all the ice cream is gone.
to the best clover they could and let it come to a stop. I We close the gate and make
find and later I imagine they then pulled from my vast edu- them eat everything – includ-
did the same for some mature cation and experience and laid ing the ‘green beans’, before
grass that they found remain- the lesson out there so even they get more ‘ice-cream’.”
ing in the afternoon. By eve- a five-year-old could under- I didn’t explain that over
ning, you know they were at it stand. “To make those cows time the ‘ice-cream’ will com-
again - seeking out anything eat their ‘green beans’, I said pletely disappear and all that
edible-including weeds and over the idling engine. Again, will be left is the other. I also
less-desirable plants. Graz- he was silent, but you could didn’t explain ‘rest’, ‘diversity’,
ing pressure works. It’s a see he was thinking. “Pop,” ‘intake’, ‘crude protein’, ‘TDN’,
bite-by-bite competition that he said, “Cows don’t eat green ‘nitrogen fixation’, ‘fertility’,
beans.” or ‘pounds of gain per acre’,
‘paper isle’ at the discount Well he was right, and he but it was enough for him.
store during a pandemic when had no idea what a ‘meta- Ask him today and he still
there is only one roll of toilet phor’ was, so I shut the en- gets it. “Why does your Pop
paper left. Grazing density gine off and pointed to a tall, have so many fences?”
puts animals into a grazing lush sward containing both He’ll answer boldly… “To
competition, and it works. It Red and White Clover. “You make sure those cows eat
works no matter the scale, see that? I asked. That’s ‘Ice- their green beans.”
and no matter the forage base. cream’ for cows – they love KwC
I have to admit I wasn’t it!” And those other plants –
very popular with my sons like that grass right there,” I
who liked to ride horses near-
ly every day when we first put JUG Livestock Waterers
in our grazing system. They WesLynn Enterprises
were not impressed. And to
my surprise, here lately, my
five-year-old grandson Korvin
showed his dissatisfaction
with the arrangement. “Pop,”
He said, “Why do you have so
many fences?” Evidently, he
had noticed other pastures
where they are less prevalent.
I have to admit I was caught Performance Tested for over 25 years
off-guard. What five-year-old Clean Fresh Water Every Time
notices that anyway? What Open Bowl Design
Draw Tube for Natural Drinking Action
five-year-old even cares? Feed Trap Keeps Feed out of Water Reservoir
After a long pause, I stalled No Flap, Disks or Balls for animal to move
and inquired. “What are you www.weslynn.net Ph: 515-771-6036