2009 Annual Report for FNC08-710
Low input pasture renovation through multi species intensive grazing
Summary
WORK ACTIVITIES
The work activities this year began with the installation of the perimeter and lane fencing, purchase of net fencing and gates and acquisition of the feeder lambs and goats. I purchased 10 Jacob lambs on 5/19/09, six mixed breed dairy goat wethers on 6/5/09 and eight Lincoln Cross lambs on 6/16/09. We weighed the Jacobs individually, but only had an overall weight from the sale barn for the Lincolns and were unable to get a starting weight for the goats.
Cindy Banh conducted the first of three plant surveys on May 30, 2009. We worked together to determine a protocol so that the subsequent plant surveys will be consistent with this first baseline survey. Chris Wallner installed six exclosure fences within the paddocks to exclude grazing and maintain representative patches of pasture or brush the way they were before grazing.
I laid out the 12 paddocks. They are only marked by ribbon tape markers on the perimeter fence since I use moveable netting to confine the sheep and goats within.
I collected soil samples from each paddock in early spring. I consulted Mark Kopecky for suggestions on what soil tests to include. I also frost seeded a small portion of the pastures with red clover which was quite successful.
Grazing began on May 19, 2a009. Every one of the 12 paddocks was grazed by the sheep and goats at least two times, most many more than that. The maximum number of times a pasture was grazed by the ruminants was seven. In October, when there was no longer any grazing available, I kept the ruminants on the paddocks in the southwest corner of the pasture and fed them the hay that had been made earlier in the summer. They had access to several paddocks at this point and did still continue to graze some of the red fescue which I am working to reduce or eliminate. Two hundred pasture-raised broiler chickens were raised on paddocks 7, 8 and 9 this year. Next year, broilers will be raised on paddocks 4, 5 and 6.
Throughout the summer, as I moved into a new pasture, I collected a scissor cut sample of the forage in that paddock which I immediately froze. These were all (one from each paddock) compiled and submitted for testing. They form the baseline results for forage quality in each paddock.
With the smaller number of ruminants and the somewhat late start of grazing, some harvesting of hay was required. Hay was harvested on paddocks 2-6 and 8-10.
RESULTS
Some paddocks are quite acidic. At this point, I am not planning to lime them until after my research for this grant is complete. I would like to see how these paddocks respond to grazing and see if there are measurable differences between the acidic and the more pH balanced paddocks. Also, whether grazing will have an affect on the pH.
I have attached spreadsheets that show the results from the soil and forage testing and the plant survey. These are all the baseline data and the testing from upcoming years can be compared against them in order to evaluate the changes to the pasture paddocks.
Paddocks 2-5 are predominantly red fescue. This is a clumping grass that forms a very thick turf. It is not very palatable to the ruminants and, according to the forage analyses is also lower in protein. I’m hoping that with intensive grazing I will be able to reduce the amount of red fescue in these paddocks and that other more desirable plants will begin to appear. If this isn’t successful, I may need to reseed this area at some point after this research.
I had thought that the goats would have had a quicker affect on the brushy areas in Paddocks 6-8, but have learned that this will take several years to accomplish. There was a distinct browse line and I will be interested to see how the brush grows in the spring.
Paddock 12 has had quite an amazing transformation already. This was an area dominated by Reed Canary Grass and Goldenrod. It is rocky and is the one area of the pasture which has never been plowed. The ruminants seemed very enthusiastic about the Canary Grass and had many opportunities to graze it down. The regrowth was very lush and included a great deal of clover. In past years, without grazing, this area has grown tall with Canary Grass and any other plants in the seed bank have had no opportunity to thrive. Now other plants are growing and the paddock is developing a diverse and desirable sward.
On June 10, 2009 I determined pasture condition using the Pasture Condition Scoresheet developed by Dennis Cosgrove, etc. Scores were – Paddock 1- 20 (poor), Paddock 2 – 21 (good), Paddock 3 – 21 (good), Paddock 4 – 19 (poor), Paddock 5 – 9 (very poor), Paddock 6 – 7 (very poor), Paddock 7 – 7 (very poor), Paddock 8 – 10 (very poor), Paddock 9 – 12 (poor), Paddock 10 – 18 (poor), Paddock 11 – 20 (poor), Paddock 12 – 20 (poor)
The nutritional levels of my pasture do need to increase to optimize growth of the feeder lambs I am raising. This summer I had the following rates of gain:
Jacobs - .19#/day
Lincoln cross - .16#/day
I would like to have larger rates of gain. I think this will improve next year. I will be more experienced with animal husbandry and the pasture nutritional levels should be improved.
WORK PLAN FOR 2010
This spring I intend to get 34 feeder lambs and six goat kids as soon as the paddocks can begin to be grazed. A second plant survey will be conducted in May, which will allow me to compare the results against the baseline survey data from last year. I will also be raising at least 200 pastured broilers on the paddocks in the southwest portion of the pasture. This is an area which is brushy and acidic. I’m hoping the broiler manure with its addition of grains from off the farm will add substantially to the nutrient levels in this area. I will be sampling the soil in the exclosures this spring. I’m hoping to avoid cutting hay this year, but will have to see what the weather brings to my pasture.
During the 2010 grazing season, I plan to conduct more frequent Pasture Condition scoring and will also be using a pasture plate to determine and record the feed available as I turn the ruminants into a new paddock.
I will not be soil or forage testing this season (except the soil tests for the exclosures). I have requested an extension to the research grant and will conduct the final soil and forage testing in 2011 to allow more time for changes to the pasture to develop.
OUTREACH
I sent the SARE press release announcing the grant recipients to our local paper and an article was published using the press release and information about my specific paper in the April 30, 2009 issue of The BEE. Frequently, farmers and neighbors have asked me for details about the project and I have had an opportunity to share information about management intensive grazing and the SARE project.
I declined an opportunity to present at the small farm conference this November because I felt it was too early in the research and that I would have more information to impart at the conference next year.
I have spoken with our local grazing specialist and will be scheduling a pasture walk for this summer in order to begin to communicate the research I am conducting. I am also speaking to the planners of a couple of conferences about including my research in their programming for next year.