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EX95

Registered: 06-2003
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 637
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Pasture Based Cows


We were looking to relocate to the Texas panhandle, Had thought about Pasture based feeding. Here in California we don't do it because we only get 6" of rain December through march. And it's dry all spring and summer. Also we don't have the land to do it also. What seems to be the best type of grass? What do you do in the winter time if there is some snow or the grass slows down in growth. Is there a problem with things like DA when you go back to regular feed in winter, or out to grass in spring. Depending on the Quality of grass do you have to be always adjusting the Ration. Is it worth going to grass rather then our normal style of plain open lots and feeding a TMR. Are there any links out there to help decide if this would work, and how to go about it? Thanks.
6/7/2004, 14:45 Link to this post PM via Email   PM via Forum
 
smous Profile
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Cowtalk Staff

Registered: 11-2003
Location: South Africa
Posts: 2817
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Re: Pasture Based Cows


I don't know what grasses work in the N Hemisphere, but I would go with perennial ryegrasses under pivot irrigation. Annual ryes and clover also work well. Supplement grazing during slow or low growth periods by feeding maize silage and upping the concentrates, length of grazing rotation is critical to the systems success, the slower the grass grows the longer your cycle must be. You can make a bundle of money on this system especially with your milk price as it is. Hoards Dairyman had an excellent article some time last year about an under graduate who milked cows on grass under pivot in California very succesfully. DAs do occur from time to time but with not nearly the frequency as with cows TMR fed.
As far as links go, just use Google.







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WWS-SA
7/7/2004, 6:45 Link to this post PM via Email   PM via Forum
 
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EX95

Registered: 06-2003
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 637
Karma: 8 (+8/-0)
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Re: Pasture Based Cows


how many cows per acre are normaly ran? Is there a big problem with pasture damage in the winter where the cows come and go from the barn?
8/7/2004, 15:10 Link to this post PM via Email   PM via Forum
 
smous Profile
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Cowtalk Staff

Registered: 11-2003
Location: South Africa
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Re: Pasture Based Cows


Depends on how much you want to push the envelope. Rule of thumb out of New Zealand up until the last ten or so years was one cow per acre (2.4 cows a hectare) Stocking rates have been increasing (alarmingly so in some cases) every year as people change from being 'cow' farmers to 'grass' farmers. Lot of people around here are now running 4 cows to the hectare. Obviously the more you supplement feed, the more cows you can run per hectare as they substitute concentrates and or silage for grass. It boils down to where your happy medium is between production per hectare and production per cow.

Pugging (pasture damage) is a big problem in the wet, especially with high stocking rates and especially if you have very big, heavy cows.

Last edited by smous, 8/7/2004, 16:13


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WWS-SA
8/7/2004, 16:10 Link to this post PM via Email   PM via Forum
 
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Ex97
Cyborg


Registered: 01-2004
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 2203
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Re: Pasture Based Cows


Pasture damage (poaching) can be reduced by laying a network of laneways through a farm whereby cows graze a paddock clean in twelve hours and move on to another one after milking. This way, they only use a gate (or slap) once. In Northern Ireland, there is grass throughout the year, although growth stops mid winter with frost. In summer we have grass right through, no need for irrigation. Ground often becomes waterlogged in winter, and cows are housed for this time.

When we pasture grazed a lot, our Holstein cows were continually struggling to maintain condition. I believe that wagon diet is the right treatment for the American cow. If you are moving to grass only, you need to consider the suitability of your cow for the job.
11/7/2004, 12:15 Link to this post PM via Email   PM via Forum
 
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Cowtalk Staff

Registered: 11-2003
Location: South Africa
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Re: Pasture Based Cows


Within the American breed are pasture cows, and don't let anyone convince you otherwise!

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WWS-SA
11/7/2004, 16:29 Link to this post PM via Email   PM via Forum
 
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Ex97
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Registered: 01-2004
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 2203
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Re: Pasture Based Cows


Basic science shows that when energy intake falls short of energy output, the gap is filled by degrading body tissue.

This has detrimental effects on milk quality and cow health. Therefore, if your cows have been bred to produce maximum milk on maize silage and US by-products, be careful. Remember, the Irish and the New Zealanders aren't crossing Friesian and Jersey and Ayshire and MRI without good reason.
11/7/2004, 16:55 Link to this post PM via Email   PM via Forum
 
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Cowtalk Staff

Registered: 11-2003
Location: South Africa
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Re: Pasture Based Cows


Can’t argue with you there FOAF, my three biggest Jersey clients are all traditional Holstein breeders. They want a quick fix (they are breeding the F1 back to Holstein), but there are Holstein bulls that can perform well on pastures while holding condition and getting back in calf. Ha-Ho Cubby Manfred has 1934 kgs of milk in his New Zealand proof, but he is also positive for Total Longevity and Daughter Fertility in that country. As you probably know he breeds medium sized, ‘smooth’ daughters that hold their condition despite heavy production.

Easily the highest impact bull in the current NZ population is Imperial-C Nedboy Curious (Nedboy x Valiant x Astronaut) – most people on this forum would have an involuntary upchuck at this point, but it is horses for courses. the NZ BW list of bulls with 99% reliability has Curious sons at #3, #7 and#13 Curious himself is the #14 bull, countless top end BW bulls are out of Curious dams. His smaller size and high production, especially protein is a contributing factor, but his positive PL and DPR figures have carried over to the traditionally all grass system; in NZ Curious has a Total Longevity BV of 87 days and a Fertility BV of 6.5 (second high on the list) at 99% reliability. (AEU download 15May04)

Overseas genetics as they call them are crucified by Interbull conversions as new bulls, but by the time they reach higher reliabilities Holstein bloodlines dominate the top end of the BW list. The other interesting fact is that Holstein bulls have the highest Farmer Opinion scores despite all the negative press they get in that country.

Needless to say the Leducs and Bellwoods and Winchesters of this world do not as a rule perform in intensive grazing systems. The dairy production system in the region I live in is pure pasture with no housing what so ever and limited concentrate supplementation (maize silage is fed in winter); some of the oldest cows I see in the herds are daughters of F16, Danver, Winken, Dixie Lee Juniper, Opperman Tong and Maries Blizzard (if you look at their linears they are all breakeven or negative for both stature and dairyness). Younger cows that are surviving the system are daughters of Buttons, Ohio, Tonic, Mountain, Mascot, Duster, Darkstar, Patron, Judge, Buster, Cutter, Bestow, Cash and Lava (both Cutter and Bestow are theoretically too big, but they are not very dairy, hold condition, so get back in calf and survive. The Dusters are truly amazing, they body down and grow old gracefully, they are easy to get back in calf despite their high production and are easy on the eye, I wish I had sold him.)

Bulls like Paradise-R Sailor work here, 1500 lbs of milk, 1.46 shallow udders, 0.66 stature, -0.05 dairyness, 0.68 strength, 1.33 rump width. His oldest daughters are just starting to freshen in this country, they are strong, wide, shallow uddered heifers with good heel depth and straight tracking legs, they will work hard and last, they are not going to go anywhere near a show ring, but I will get return business.

Sometimes farmers are their own worst enemies, they absolutely love their old Winkens and Junipers and the like, but show them a young bull with a similar linear and they say no that’s not for me, I want something with fancier type!

I’ll climb off my soap box now, before I am shot off it.


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WWS-SA
12/7/2004, 6:03 Link to this post PM via Email   PM via Forum
 


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