Phillip Brown USDA-NRCS Grazinglands Specialist
2018GeorgiaGrazingSchool:Sketching Out the Ideal: Planning the Grazing System
1
SketchingtheIdeal
PhilipBrownUSDA-NaturalResourcesConservationService
Athens,GA
SketchingtheIdeal–TheReality
• Idealissiteandmanagerspecific• Thelandscapemaynotfitthetheoreticalideal
SketchingtheIdeal-DevelopingaPlan
• AGoodPlanWillForceYoutoArticulateExactlyWhatYouAreTryingtoAchieve
DetermineYourObjectives
• Whatdoyouwanttoachieve?– NarrowObjectives–Installawateringfacilityinfield#1
– Why?• IncreaseGrazingEfficiencyinfield#1• Excludelivestocktothestreamthatbordersfield#1• Improvewaterqualityforlivestock
– Whatwillaccomplishingthosedoforyouroperation?
DetermineYourObjectives
• IncreaseGrazingEfficiencyinfield#1– RemoveInefficiencies
• ExtendGrazingSeason• IncreaseStockingRate
• Excludelivestocktothestreamthatbordersfield#1– Conservesoilresources– Improvedownstreamwaterquality
• Improvewaterqualityforlivestock– Increasedanimalperformance
DetermineYourObjectives
• OftenaddsuptoBroaderObjectives– Profitability– Time/QualityofLife
Phillip Brown USDA-NRCS Grazinglands Specialist
2018GeorgiaGrazingSchool:Sketching Out the Ideal: Planning the Grazing System
2
InventoryResources
• Money/Budget• Time• Labor• Skills• Equipment/Tools• Soil/LandscapeResources• ForageResources• LivestockResources
IdentifyProblems
• WhatResourcesdoyoulack?– What’sthebestworkaround?
• Whatarethespecificproblemsthatexistrelatedtoyourgrazingsystem?– Lackoffencingandorwatertoadequatelymanageintensityandfrequencyofgrazing
– Seasonaldistributionofavailableforage– Soilfertility
AnalyzeYourInformationandFormulateaPlan/Plans
• Withtheresourcesyouhaveorcanobtainhowareyougoingtoaddresstheproblemsencounteredandachieveyourobjectives.
ConsiderStartingwithStockingRate
• HowdoIcontrolthisweed….• DoIneedtoapplywhatthesoiltestrecommends• CanIbroadcastseedtothickenaweakenedstand
• WhatshouldIseedtoimprovemypasture• Theunaskedquestion………….
ConsiderStartingwithStockingRate
• Authorssuggestthatthedecisionofstockingrateismoreimportantthananyothersinglegrazingmanagementdecision
• Becauseofitsprominentroleindeterminingforageplantgrowthandpersistence,foragemassandallowance,animalperformance,sizeofnutrientpoolsandfluxesbetweenpools,soilchemicalandphysicalcharacteristics,waterquality,andprofitabilityofthegrazingoperation.
Soil/Landscape-InventoryTools• GoogleEarthPRO/SoilWeb/WebSoilSurvey
Phillip Brown USDA-NRCS Grazinglands Specialist
2018GeorgiaGrazingSchool:Sketching Out the Ideal: Planning the Grazing System
3
WebSoilSurvey–AerialPhotography WebSoilSurvey–TopographicImages
WebSoilSurvey-LandCapabilityClass
WebSoilSurvey–Slope&DrainageClass
Phillip Brown USDA-NRCS Grazinglands Specialist
2018GeorgiaGrazingSchool:Sketching Out the Ideal: Planning the Grazing System
4
GoogleEarthPro• FreeDownload-https://www.google.com/earth/desktop/
• GoogleEarthLibrary–DownloadTopographicMapsandSoilsInformation
• http://www.gelib.com/• http://www.gelib.com/soilweb.htm• http://www.gelib.com/usgs-topographic-maps-2.htm
SoilTypeandLandscapePosition
Landscape-Soils
• Productivity• Flooding&PondingDurations
• DrainageClass• SimilarSoilsSupportSimilarProductivity&PlantCommunities
SWPD WD
AlfalfaCrimsonCloverArrowleafCloverSmallGrains
AnimalMovementGateLocation-Wrong
AnimalMovementGateLocation-Right AnimalMovement
• Ideallyworkingfacilitywouldserveasacentral“Hub”witheasyaccessfromallpaddocks
• Realistically–landscapeorinfrastructuresimplymaynotfit,oryouareworkingwithanexistingfacilitybadlyplacedforyournewplan
• Objective–Minimizethroughpaddockmovestootherpaddocksandworkingfacility
Phillip Brown USDA-NRCS Grazinglands Specialist
2018GeorgiaGrazingSchool:Sketching Out the Ideal: Planning the Grazing System
5
AnimalMovement
• LanesMayBeNecessary• FollowContours• AvoidPoorlyDrainedAreas• KeepVehicleTrafficOff• WideEnoughForEquipment• Grazeable
GrazingDistribution-Water˛
Manure and urine distribution, all sampling dates
Urine = 2.22 ft diameter (3.87 sq ft or 0.36 sq m)Manure = 1.28 ft diameter (1.29 sq ft or 0.12 sq m)
All manure and urineUrine 1Urine 2Manure
Whole paddock
GrazingDistribution Utilization&UniformityofUse
Phillip Brown USDA-NRCS Grazinglands Specialist
2018GeorgiaGrazingSchool:Sketching Out the Ideal: Planning the Grazing System
6
ProvidingWater
• WaterLocation– Centralized
• Allowsforeasiersubdivisionandbetteranimaldistribution
– Ideallyallpasturewouldbewithin800feetorlessofawatersource
– Awayfromshadeandmineralfeeder
• Thinkflexibilityrelatedtofurthersubdivision.Whethertemporaryorpermanent
MissedOpportunity….
>900Feet
Water source effect on animal performance
0
1
2
3
AD
G (
lbs)
Cows Calves Steers
PondTrough
0.49
0.01
2.262.70
1.762.05
Willmsetal.,2002 35
MineralFeeder
• PortableMineralFeeder– Easilymovedawayfromwatersourceandshade
– Relativelyinexpensive
– Portabilityallowsforflexibility
– Don’tGroupShade,Minerals,andWater
Phillip Brown USDA-NRCS Grazinglands Specialist
2018GeorgiaGrazingSchool:Sketching Out the Ideal: Planning the Grazing System
7
Heatstressandcattleperformance
• Subjectoflivelydebate.• Radiantenergy(sunlight)increasessurfaceandair
temperatures.• Beefcattleinthesunvs.shadeinhotenvironments
had:– higherinternalbodytemperature(MitlÖhneretal.,2001)– increasedrespiration(MitlÖhneretal.,2002)– increasedheartrate(Broshetal.,1998)– lowerDMI,ADGandmeatquality(MitlÖhneretal.,2002)– decreasedconceptionrates(Roman-Ponceetal.,1976)
HeatStressProblem–SketchWaystoAddressit
HeatStressProblem–SketchWaystoAddressit HaveaContingencyPlan
• WhatIf…– Drought– Excessivemoisture– Thewellgoesout
ImplementingthePlan
• Tryitonlimitedacresfirst• MinimizetheInvestment
– TemporaryFence&Water
• Adaptthesetupasyouworkwithtemporaryequipment
• Transitiontomorepermanentfacilitiesasthesystemgrowsandyoubecomemorecomfortablewiththesetupandmanagement
EvaluateYourPlan
• StartandStopHayFeedingDates• BodyConditionScoring• ManureConsistency• ForageQualityTests• LivestockorAnimalDaysPerAcre• Keepafewgrazingrecords
– On/OffPaddockDates– NumberofAnimalsGrazed– Whatwentwrong……
Phillip Brown USDA-NRCS Grazinglands Specialist
2018GeorgiaGrazingSchool:Sketching Out the Ideal: Planning the Grazing System
8
LivestockorAnimalDaysPerAcre TakeHomeMessage• TrytoDevelopaFlexible
SystemThatGivesYoutheAbilitytoManagetheIntensityandFrequencyofGrazing
• PuttheIdealonPaperFirst
• StartSlow
• EvaluateandAdaptasYourComfortLevelIncreases
TakeHomeMessage–GrowRoots NobodycansketchYOURplanbetterthanYOU
Phillip Brown USDA-NRCS Grazinglands Specialist
2018GeorgiaGrazingSchool:Sketching Out the Ideal: Planning the Grazing System
9
Phillip Brown USDA-NRCS Grazinglands Specialist
2018GeorgiaGrazingSchool:Sketching Out the Ideal: Planning the Grazing System
10
QuestionsorComments?