2010 Annual Report for FNC08-710
Low input pasture renovation through multi species intensive grazing
Summary
WORK ACTIVITIES
Work activities this year began with maintenance of the perimeter fencing by clipping the grass and brush along the outside, tightening wires and setting up the waterline. I introduced 5 mixed breed dairy goat wether kids to the pasture on May 1, 2010 and 34 Border Leicester cross lambs on May 18, 2010. All animals were weighed upon arrival.
Cindy Banh conducted the 2nd of 3 plant surveys on May 30, 2010 (survey spreadsheet is attached).
I collected soil samples for the 6 exclusion fence areas in early spring 2010.
Grazing began this year on May 1, 2010. Each of the 12 paddocks was grazed by sheep and goats approximately 6 times during the season. This year, at the end of the season, I continued the rotation through all the paddocks and added hay as needed towards the end of the season. Three hundred pasture raised broiler chickens were raised on paddocks 3, 4 and 5 during 2010. In 2011 I am planning to raise 200 broilers on paddocks 10 and 11. Hay was not harvested this year. I did clip one time in paddocks 2-6 and 8-11 in early July.
Rain started here in late June and came far too regularly throughout the rest of the summer. (Our rain totals during the 2010 grazing season were nearly double that of 2009). I was plagued by multiple parasite issues (fly strike, coccidiosis, worms and flukes). We had losses by drowning in the young broilers just introduced to pasture. Weather issues added a great deal of work and caused me to need to change my management techniques which had been developed during numerous years of mildly droughty conditions.
RESULTS
Degree Days
Year, Heating, Cooling, Growing
2009, 1471, 231, 1790
2010, 1138, 530, 2328
Precipitation
Year, Inches
2009, 14.62
2010, 27.02
Though the growing degree days are much higher for 2010, I observed in my garden that many plants were too saturated and oxygen starved to actually grow, so I’m not sure that the other optimum conditions for growth were able to make up for the very moist conditions. We did, however, avoid the dormancy for cool season grasses in late July and through August that we had become accustomed to in drier years.
The plant surveys have already indicated changes in the plant communities within the paddocks. Though the 2010 survey indicates that the percentage of red fescue (an undesirable forage – less palatable and low in productivity), I believe that a growing portion of that percentage is actually Kentucky blue grass, which in our situation would be more desirable than the red fescue. The 3rd survey will be helpful to determine whether any trends are occurring. I will work with the biologist to confirm that red fescue and blue grass are being identified properly.
This year does not bring with it many concrete results, rather it was a year to continue intensively managed grazing in preparation for the final year of the SARE project which will include final soil and forage tests and plant survey to use to compare and analyze against the baseline information gathered in 2009.
The rates of gain for the ruminants this year averaged:
Goats – .17 lbs per day
Lambs – .256 lbs per day
Each animal did receive about ¼ lb supplemental grain per day throughout the season. I also developed techniques mid summer that allowed me to graze the pastures more intensively. I created a 160 foot x 40 foot paddock using two electro nets. I then divided this paddock in half with two net gates. I would start the ruminants out in one portion of the paddock. Then, after 12 hours I would remove the net gates which allowed the animals access to the full paddock. They would naturally focus on the new section of forage. By doing this, I feel that I got better utilization of forage and better distribution of manure. This was also a way that I could increase the frequency of rotations without much extra work.
WORK PLAN FOR 2011
Next year I will continue with my intensive grazing practices. Final testing and analysis will be conducted for soil, forage quality and plant types. I will again be raising feeder lambs and goats and broiler chickens.
OUTREACH
Field Day – July 22, 2010: We toured the pastures looking at the Alternative Poultry breeds project first and then discussing the Low Input Pasture Renovation project. We reviewed the record keeping techniques I am using – pasture plate, plant surveys, soil tests, forage analysis, pasture condition score, etc. We discussed techniques I could try that would encourage the ruminants to utilize the forage in each paddock more completely. I wound up using the suggestions and modifying my rotation by dividing a 40 foot x 160 foot paddock in half with net gates and moving the animals twice each day. (Described earlier). Twenty three people attended this field day.
Presentation at SARE Farmer Forum – Nov. 2010 at the National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference in Columbia, MO: Presented info on applying for SARE Farmer Rancher grants, project information and research techniques. Approximately 60 people attended this session. (Abridged version of the presentation is attached).
Next year, I hope to be able to share results from my research at local grazing events.
- Jane Hansen, 2010 Plant Survey
- Jane Hansen, Low input Pasture Renovation through multi species intensive grazing