I have paddocks that are currently in crested wheat/ brome & alf and I want to use them to further extend the grazing season. It would appear to me that its "best" to bale graze more rather than knock out the mix and convert some to cereal swath grazing? How about swath grazing the mix vs bale grazing? I do not have any acres seeded to annual crops for swath grazing. Does swath grazing of a cereal provide alternatives/benefits/limitations that bale grazing grass/alf mix doesnt? (field roughness, costs of :harrowing, baling, incorporation of manure/ residue, baling, seeding) It is my limited experience that bale grazing a mixed grass paddock is superior to that of stock piling the same mixed grass/alf. The cost of rolling it up is made up by the carrying capacity. My goal is 50% forage for cows and 50% left behind. When I stockpile it cows are only using in the 20% range or removing 600 lbs/ac vs yield of about 3000 lbs/ac. I have to make some estimates to get to those numbers or am I letting the girls off too easy in working for their groceries? I would appreciate any thoughts and experience.
Bale grazing vs. swath grazing cereals vs stock piling?
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Northern Rancher
Well-known member
I guess one of the dangers of swath grazing is you can lose a fair amount of it if the weather turns bad. If you already own the equipment to handle it maybe not so bad-but I'd just as soon take the cost associated with swath grazing and buy hay and bale graze it. I get ours delivered to the cows mouth with a picker truck so we never have to touch it. You could probably make your cows clean up their stockpiled grass better-a paddock their bawling to get let out of in the fall they'll break into to graze as soon as the snow goes. Ground that has been bale grazed doesn't need to be harrowed-it looks nicer but the grass will greow through the thatch if you are patient. Some outfits bale half their land and bale graze and pasture the other half and rotate back and forth. No twine is used because they are bale grazing right where it is baled.
We have stockpiled, swathgrazed and done some other things.
I think bale grazing is a good idea. We are going to try pile grazing/rake bunching stockpiled grass this fall.
If you are only getting 20% utilization on your stockpiled forage, I would consider additional fencing (FWIW). It is a bit hard to tell just what is going on from the description.
It is pretty expensive to start renovating pastures into cropland.
I think bale grazing is a good idea. We are going to try pile grazing/rake bunching stockpiled grass this fall.
If you are only getting 20% utilization on your stockpiled forage, I would consider additional fencing (FWIW). It is a bit hard to tell just what is going on from the description.
It is pretty expensive to start renovating pastures into cropland.
Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
Strange but cows will eat baled ripe crested wheat a whole lot better then they will graze it. Personally I think you will get much better utilization by cutting and bale grazing then leaving it standing as you have captured the leaves in their prime. That mixture swath grazed would have to be cut in July to catch it in prime and it could weather quite a bit where you live.
PureCountry
Well-known member
JMO, so take these for what they're worth:
1. I would consider bale grazing as opposed to ripping it up and seeding swath grazing. Bale grazing will improve your soil, swath grazing will deplete it long term.
2. I have heard of guys swath grazing perennial forages, had a conversation with a Beef Specialist today about it in fact. He knows a guy who has done it for years with success in an area that gets more snow than us by far, closer to the Peace country. He apparently grazes/hays it once, then swaths the regrowth after the first frost and claims very little leaf loss on the legumes. This to me seems like it would deplete the soil overtime as well - too much taken without enough given back.
3. The only advantage swath grazing has in my opinion, is that it costs less than bale grazing if you get a big yield, and hay is pricey. This year, the money I spent on swath grazing inputs could have bought a winter's worth of hay. That said, our swath grazing mix of oats and fall rye won't have to be seeded this year, as the rye will come in April/May and be grazed throughout the year, cutting the overall cost down alot. I believe there are opportunities for more of this - seed once every 2 or 3 years with the right mixes of annuals/legumes.
4. Your cows are getting it easy. I can't confidently say how good the utilization is on our stockpiled in any given year, but it would be more than 20%. I don't want them to take 100%, because I believe you can seriously overgraze in winter as easily as in summer. I know that's contrary to what alot of graziers say, but if you think of a plant as a battery, and the leaves are it's solar panels, how will it gain energy if you've eaten all the solar panels? Having good leaf material there when spring really warms up ensures a quick start to regrowth.
I would also consider that by making the cows graze the stockpiled instead of baling it, you are training them to be tougher, independent graziers. If it's always in bale form, they'll always look for bales. But that may not matter to some, depends on your goals and priorities.
1. I would consider bale grazing as opposed to ripping it up and seeding swath grazing. Bale grazing will improve your soil, swath grazing will deplete it long term.
2. I have heard of guys swath grazing perennial forages, had a conversation with a Beef Specialist today about it in fact. He knows a guy who has done it for years with success in an area that gets more snow than us by far, closer to the Peace country. He apparently grazes/hays it once, then swaths the regrowth after the first frost and claims very little leaf loss on the legumes. This to me seems like it would deplete the soil overtime as well - too much taken without enough given back.
3. The only advantage swath grazing has in my opinion, is that it costs less than bale grazing if you get a big yield, and hay is pricey. This year, the money I spent on swath grazing inputs could have bought a winter's worth of hay. That said, our swath grazing mix of oats and fall rye won't have to be seeded this year, as the rye will come in April/May and be grazed throughout the year, cutting the overall cost down alot. I believe there are opportunities for more of this - seed once every 2 or 3 years with the right mixes of annuals/legumes.
4. Your cows are getting it easy. I can't confidently say how good the utilization is on our stockpiled in any given year, but it would be more than 20%. I don't want them to take 100%, because I believe you can seriously overgraze in winter as easily as in summer. I know that's contrary to what alot of graziers say, but if you think of a plant as a battery, and the leaves are it's solar panels, how will it gain energy if you've eaten all the solar panels? Having good leaf material there when spring really warms up ensures a quick start to regrowth.
I would also consider that by making the cows graze the stockpiled instead of baling it, you are training them to be tougher, independent graziers. If it's always in bale form, they'll always look for bales. But that may not matter to some, depends on your goals and priorities.
Here is how I get 20% utilization, my thought process maybe flawed so i want to share it to add to the discussion. I am a rookie rancher.
Denominator or 100% utilization is my average hay yield put up in early mid july. Let's say 3000 lbs/acre on long term yr avg.
Numerator: i assume my cows are 1300 lbs and eat 3% of their body weight/day or 40 lbs/day.
# of Cows x # of days in paddock x 40 lbs/day
---------------------------------------------------- X 100 = % removed or utilized
3000 lbs /acre x Number of acres in paddock
450 cows on a section for 3 weeks in November/Dec is about 20%. This section is not grazed earlier in the year at all.
I agree with the thoughts on paddock size, being too easy on the girls, not tearing up grass to sow cereal and leaving the bales where they are made with sisal or little/no twine. I am trying some different things an appreciate your experiences and advise as we put plans in place for 2011. Thanks a bunch.
Thoughts?
Denominator or 100% utilization is my average hay yield put up in early mid july. Let's say 3000 lbs/acre on long term yr avg.
Numerator: i assume my cows are 1300 lbs and eat 3% of their body weight/day or 40 lbs/day.
# of Cows x # of days in paddock x 40 lbs/day
---------------------------------------------------- X 100 = % removed or utilized
3000 lbs /acre x Number of acres in paddock
450 cows on a section for 3 weeks in November/Dec is about 20%. This section is not grazed earlier in the year at all.
I agree with the thoughts on paddock size, being too easy on the girls, not tearing up grass to sow cereal and leaving the bales where they are made with sisal or little/no twine. I am trying some different things an appreciate your experiences and advise as we put plans in place for 2011. Thanks a bunch.
Thoughts?
Northern Rancher
Well-known member
Could you run a quick graze through there in early summer and top your grass so your regrowth is better quality.
The optimum length of time to grow a stockpile of grass is considered by some to be in the 70 day range. That is take the typical end of grass growing season and backup 70 days.
NR is right in that by grazing or even haying your ground to grow the stockpile early produces a much higher quality and also more even stockpile.
NR is right in that by grazing or even haying your ground to grow the stockpile early produces a much higher quality and also more even stockpile.
Northern Rancher
Well-known member
Up here if your not careful you can end up with standing straw for regrowth. About the best native grasses we have are the blue grasses and fescues for retaining some quality after a frost. They used to be good to harden yearlings on back in the day when they were sold in the fall not midsummer.
Just Ranchin
Well-known member
With the rain we had last year, we were able to stockpile pasture for the first time in several years. We ran into a similar problem though, as we left it ungrazed until the end of Sept. Turns out we screwed up, and should have grazed it a bit in the summer. the grass got too mature, and the cows weren't too fussy about it. At least we can turn cows out there in the spring, it will give the calves shelter and the cows can graze it again.
burnt
Well-known member
It's funny how that works. I have taken cows off of a patch in the fall because they were sure that they were finished grazing that piece but when I put them back there in the spring, they thought it was wonderful grazing!
With the amount of rain we typically get here in the fall, most of the stuff left standing in the field gets to be pretty low quality and swaths would turn into rows of black sticks glued to the dirt. My guess is that swath and bales grazing is more for dry climates than we get here in Ontario.
With the amount of rain we typically get here in the fall, most of the stuff left standing in the field gets to be pretty low quality and swaths would turn into rows of black sticks glued to the dirt. My guess is that swath and bales grazing is more for dry climates than we get here in Ontario.
PATB
Well-known member
I would have to agree with Burnt that the amount of moisture plays a big role in stock piled grazing or swath grazing. I store the hay under cover and place it out in the cuttings to my benefit. I am not prepared to loose 25% of the bale by not storing it under cover until needed.
The cows have bedding out of the waste and I get the nutrients spread in places I can take a manure spreader.
The cows have bedding out of the waste and I get the nutrients spread in places I can take a manure spreader.
