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I am a huge fan of rotational grazing, but not so much of intensive grazing. In my opinion, if you have to baby sit beef cattle the same as you would a dairy, it is way to labor intensive. I would recommend getting someone out who can identify your plants, and help set up a grazing plan. Way back when, I spent alot of time range judging, in high school, and college, and all I ever heard was intensive grazing, the Savory system, and the likes. In the last 4 or 5 years, University of Nebraska, has come out saying that, in the Sandhills atleast, you get the same dollars out of large pasture grazing, as you do in paddock grazing.
Talk to some of the guys who are successful running grass cattle in your area, and find out what they are doing.
The other thing to consider are your fences. I know from experience, that fences better be in better shape with the grass cattle, then with cow calf.[/quote]
I agree----so called 'management intensive grazing'?? 'intensive' is just a tad too 'intense' for me---and i can't hit it every 15 minutes in a brittle envirionment anyhow..
Savory, etal's, concepts seem to have evolved into a 'holism' concept and one in which all aspects--family, goals, personal satisfaction, lifestyle, etc are all considered--i like that.
Simple stuff helps a lot for us---calving later, changing/rotating the season of use, for starters. Feeding late. We probably subsidize our cows later than most---and start sooner---but feed less, if that makes any sense. We use best hay we got as protein supplement thru most of the winter---In the past, we have increased body condition substantially by 30# alf every 3rd day---everbody gets filled up, goes to water and comes back and cleans it up at this rate---it figures out to 300# a mo for feb. Not bad for this country. And feeding rate has decreased, since we're going onto more old grass in better condition than we used to and calving later. It's also a way to utilize rank rough fescue, it comes back better and gets more even utilization when you get rid of the wolfy stuff.
In spring, we figure every day we turn out to early will cost you about 3 days grass eventually and it's mostly water anyhow. We'll basically feed them about as much as they'll eat for as long as they'll eat it----right now pairs are ambling in to about 10#, every second or 3 rd day. But field hasn't been used for 3 yrs. It'll be pretty well nuked when I leave. Ya leave half--which half do they leave? With apr 1 calving and several easy past winters, other than storms---we probably havn't been on 'full feed' till late march.
On the storm deals, it's gonna take a cow so much energy to stay warm---we can throw than energy out there or the cow will take it off her back---it's gonna come from somewhere---as are all her requirements--every day. That's kinda our deal---meet their requirements at cheapest input cost----if she's got lotsa energy in front of her, but needs some protein to make it work, we better show up with that.
anyway, just rambling, beautiful morning in big sky country.
