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Managing Pastures Little things you can afford to do

published: August 21st 2009
by: Martha Hollida Garrett

    Say pasture management and expensive things like establishing new forage varieties or building lots of fence probably come to mind. But that doesn’t have to be the case, according to Larry A. Redmon, Texas AgriLife Extension state forage specialist.
    Redmon told the audience at the recent Texas A&M Beef Short Course, “It’s the little things that count or cost in production.” He outlined five management strategies that are inexpensive to implement, but left undone can lead to dramatic increases in cost of production.
    The five areas include soil testing, practicing good weed and insect management, protecting hay supply, analyzing hay for nutritive value and evaluating stocking rates.
Soil Testing
    “Without a soil test, you will never apply the correct amount of fertilizer,” stressed Redmon.
    Considering the high costs of fertilizer, it should never be applied without a soil test recommendation. In forage production, it is critical to understand exactly what the forage nutrient requirements are and apply on those nutrients called for by the soil test. Redmon said that fertilizing without the test is costly, because you either over apply, which is an expensive and wasteful proposition or you under apply nutrients, resulting in a declining stand of forage and reduced production.
    Redmon further explains it by comparing the soil test as the dipstick for your soil. A dipstick tells you if you have enough oil in the crankcase and if not, the dipstick tells you how much oil is required. The soil analysis performs the same task by telling you if you have enough phosphorus or potassium or if the pH is too low and then tells you how much nutrient or limestone to apply. The $10 spent on soil analysis will pay many times that amount in production dividends.
Weed and Insect Management
    “If you are mowing weeds, you are not controlling them. Spraying is cheaper over the long term, as multiple mowing costs are considerably higher,” explained Redmon.
    Heavy weed infestations reduce forage production by competing for sunlight, soil moisture and nutrients.
    “The cost to control most broadleaf annuals weed species is still relatively inexpensive and truly a bargain when it comes to enhancing forage production and improving grazing animal performance,” said Redmon, adding that broadleaf weed control can be obtained for $4 to $12 acre depending on the herbicide.
    Pest management is also critical to maintaining a healthy, vigorous stand of forage to meet production goals and that it is also affordable as he said that grasshopper control runs between $2.50 and $4.50 an acre.
    “Forage is a terrible thing to waste and the input costs for controlling weeds and insects have not increased like other costs,” said Redmon.
Protecting Hay
    “Lots of people think you can park hay anywhere in the pasture. If you lose 4 inches around the entire bale of hay, then you have lost one-fourth of that hay bale. You need to protect your investment,” he remarked.
    Redmon went on to explain that the best place to park hay is in a barn and that a simple pole barn can pay for itself in 4-6 years by reducing the amount of hay lost. He cited several forage tests that proved hay stored in barns maintain their nutritive value indefinitely.  If a barn is not an option, then he suggested using hay tarps.
    The least desirable storage measure is of course to leave in the field.
    “The way you arrange hay in the pasture can minimize losses. It should be stored in rows with flat ends together and 2-3 feet between the rows. Hay should be stored on a well-drained site and rows should be going north to south to maximize sun exposure and increase rapid drying when there is precipitation. Never line your hay up under trees,” he instructed.
Analyzing Hay For Nutritive Value
      Whether a producer purchases or produces hay for feeding to his livestock during the winter, a forage analysis should be conducted to determine the hay nutritive value. Looking, feeling or smelling can’t accomplish it, says Red-mon.
    If a producer over estimates the hay nutritive value, animal performance can be severely affected since the animals will not receive the appropriate level of nutrients for their particular physiological statue. For pregnant females (cows or heifers) this may lead to a reduced body condition score at calving, which in turn increases the interval between calving and re-breeding. Knowing the nutritive value of hay helps the manager to formulate a rational supplementation strategy. On the other hand, if a producer under estimates the hay’s nutritive value and the hay will meet the nutrient requirements of the target animal, then unnecessary feed purchased is an increased cost.
    He advised getting a typical hay test, which runs about $5 per sample, as well as a nitrate test, which is also $5. Nitrate testing should be done on warm season annual grass hays such as sorghum sudan, hay grazer types or one of the millets. He reminded the producers that nitrate levels will not diminish with time and can kill cattle when fed.
    “Also a hay probe is the only way to get a good sample,” stressed Redmon.
Evaluate Stocking Rate
    “The one practice you need to put in place is evaluating stocking as this is the most critical aspect of livestock management and one that generally does not cost at all!” he exclaimed.
    Cattle size has increased over the last 50 years and so has forage consumption, add that to additional woody species entering pastures and the fact that fertilizer application has decreased recently because of costs, and stocking rates are lower. Plus as noted weed and insect populations decrease forage and lowers stocking capacity.
    “Stock for drought. This should be built into the stocking rate management plan and producers must make adjustments and define appropriate rates, “ he said adding that in many cases less is more.
    These five areas may seem routine, but in closing Redmon reminds producers that there are several little management things they can do and need to do for productive pastures.