Page 27 - MWC 9-15-2022s2
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Swath Grazing                           By Adele Harty and Olivia Amundson, South Dakota State University Extension
                                                                                             The Midwest Cattleman · September 15, 2022 · P27






         Feed makes up the largest  tion. Cow behavior became  daily feeding
      expense on a cow/calf oper- similar to that of an intensive  of             harvest-
      ation. In addition to the ini- grazing system, as cows be- ed forages to
      tial expense,  producers need  came trained and knew what  determine if
      to consider the storage and  to do when they were sup- there                    truly
      waste associated with win- posed to move.  The logistics              are labor dif-
      ter feeding in the northern  of moving fencing during the  ferences. A re-
      United States.  As expenses  winter can be a challenge, de- liable winter
      increase, and producers eval- pending on temperatures and  water source
      uate more-efficient manage- the situation, so take that into  will be vital
      ment techniques to lower pro- consideration, as ground tem- to the success
      duction costs, one alternative  perature will affect fencing  of this system
      may be to incorporate swath,  being moved during the rota- and could in-
      or windrow grazing. Swath  tion.                                      crease labor
      grazing can be utilized with          The nutrient value of the  and time re-
      various crops and can im- feed did decline toward the  quirements.
      prove utilization of the crops  end of February when cows               It’s     also                     South Dakota State University Extension
      for feed, while decreasing fuel,  were switched over to a TMR;        important to
      harvest and feeding costs and  however, they saw no detri- consider animal performance  be a cost-effective and effi-
      also improving soil health.        mental effects to the calves  for those animals that are  cient alternative.
         Swath grazing is the prac- as a result. Cows were able  utilizing the swaths.  As the                   As expenses increase and
      tice of cutting hay, small  to utilize the feed with up to  forage quality declines, this  producers evaluate more-ef-
      grains or forage crops and  12 inches of snow accumula- system may not be suitable  ficient  management  tech-
      leaving them in windrows for  tion and temperatures of -20  for lactating cows, as their nu- niques to lower production
      livestock to graze during the  degrees Fahrenheit. Forage  trient requirements  are the  costs, one alternative may be
      winter months. Rather than  utilization was up to 70%,  highest. However, applying  to incorporate swath, or wind-
      having the expense of baling  which makes swath grazing  this method to cows in mid-to- row grazing.
      the hay, moving it off the field  a cost-effective option in com- late gestation, stocker calves
      and feeding it in the winter,  parison to putting the forage  or replacement females, could
      the feed is left in windrows,  in bales. With swath grazing,
      and cattle are allowed access  operating         equipment      and
      to a limited number of wind-       labor decrease, as harvesting
      rows at a time as a means to  and moving bales or manure
      reduce winter feed costs and  hauling are minimal.  The
      increase soil fertility.           study also found that graz-
      Benefits of Swath Grazing          ing crop residue was minimal
         Swath grazing has its ben-      and did not affect regrowth of
      efits in the Midwest, where        a perennial forage crop, thus
                                         allowing grazing to occur on
      colder temperatures and snow
      accumulation regularly occur.      a hay field or permanent pas-
                                         ture.
      If utilizing a small grain crop,
                                            From a soil health perspec-
      such as, but not limited to,       tive, swath grazing increas-
      millet, sudan or sorghum,
      swath grazing may provide an       es soil health through ma-
                                         nure  and urine distribution.
      additional opportunity to uti-
      lize the forage.                   In a dry year, it helps create
                                         a potential seedbed and im-
         A study conducted at Iowa
      State University evaluated         proved filtration by breaking
                                         soil crust, fully trampling all
      forage quality and utilization
      of  swath  grazing on the  cow     the non-eaten materials, and
                                         spreading out dung piles,
      herd. Millet and sorghum
      were harvested in late July as     making them less fly friend-
                                         ly.  This  also  provides a  food
      a hay crop, allowed to regrow,                                                                    • Animals instinctively open our  aps
      and the regrowth was cut and       source for soil microbes, thus                                 • Our  aps will not freeze like ball closures do
                                         increasing fertility of fields in
      raked in late December for a                                                                      • We have less water contamination from animal wastes
      swath grazing trial. Cows in       the long-term.                                                 • Ten Models - For a few animals or for the largest feedyards
      their third trimester of ges- Considerations of Swath
      tation were moved from corn        Grazing
      stalk residue to the swaths,          This can be a more labor-in-
      where they grazed in a simi-       tensive method of grazing and
      lar method to intensive graz-      mimics a management-inten-
      ing. Cows were given enough        sive grazing system. The labor         Zeitlow Distributing - McPherson, KS • 800-364-1605 • Boonville, MO • 800-530-5158
      swaths to graze for three days     required is to move the cattle         SoMo Agri Supply - Springfield, MO • 800-725-1880
                                                                                Central Missouri Feed & Supply - 2707 W Rt F • Clark, MO • 573-881-1798
      at a time, and then fencing        and fencing in relation to ap-           OR SEE AN MFA DEALER          threebarl@hotmail.com


      was moved and cows were  propriate stocking density,
      given access to the  next  sec-    but it is important to compare            WWW.PRIDEOFTHEFARM.COM  800-553-1791
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