A bi-monthly news publication of The Ohio State University Extension, Editors: Clif Little and Mark Sulc
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Contents:

• Spring Nutrient Management Tips for Permanent Pasture
• Fertilizing Established Forages
• Pasture Walks
• Goat Grazing Management
• Parasite Control Clinic
• The Economics of Grazing Dairy Farms

[top]Spring Nutrient Management Tips for Permanent Pastures- Keith A. Diedrick, OSU Extension Educator, Wayne County

This article was originally published by Farm & Dairy. Used with permission.

A common pasture management question in the spring is: “How much nitrogen should be applied to jump-start my spring pasture?” Surprising to some, “not very much” is the correct answer. In fact, if your pasture contains more than 35% legumes, such as alfalfa, red & white clovers, birdsfoot trefoil, and lespedeza, nitrogen applications are not recommended at all, as legumes “fix” their own nitrogen by way of root nodules associated with a beneficial bacterium. These bacteria convert diatomic nitrogen in the air into ammonium, a form of nitrogen that plants can use. Fortunately, some of this ammonium nitrogen can be shared with the surrounding grasses. Even if the pasture is mostly grass, nitrogen applications with the upcoming spring flush will boost production past the ability of the animals to remove it by grazing. Research shows that excessive spring growth allows grasses to go to seed (lowers quality), decreases tillering, and hinders summer recovery. Light rates (20 to 40 pounds actual nitrogen) can allow earlier grazing by a couple of weeks; however, that practice should be on limited acreage (one-third or less, and use two cows per acre for removal). Also, too much nitrogen in forages can lead to grass tetany in the spring. Grass tetany is an animal condition where magnesium uptake is hindered in ruminant animals, most commonly seen in lactating animals on the spring flush.

Instead, consider nitrogen applications in a more strategic way. Think of when forage supplies are low during the season, and how nitrogen additions might boost production. Application of nitrogen in early June allows for a supply of summer forage, and nitrogen in early August promotes fall stockpiling.

For phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) applications, consult the soil test values for recommended ranges. If the soil tests are more than four years old, re-sample the pasture. If the tests show P or K at deficient levels, apply these fertilizers in the early autumn months of September or October. Spring K fertilization can lead to grass tetany, also. Unlike many other nutrients, potassium in plants never becomes part of the actual plant structure, so plants can and will take up more K than they require if it is available in the soil, a phenomenon called “luxury consumption.” Excessive potassium uptake in the plants inter-feres with magnesium uptake, thus lowering the magnesium content of the available grazing material, leading to the tetany condition. If a pasture shows low levels of magnesium and also needs lime, using a dolomitic (as opposed to calcitic) limestone, which contains magnesium, may remedy the soil deficiency.

[top] Fertilizing Established Forages- Chris Zoller, OSU Extension Educator, Tuscarawas County

Every year I get calls from farmers who are discouraged about the quantity and quality of their forage grasses. Often times I find through the conversation that it has been some time since a soil test was taken and at least as long since any nutrients were applied. It is amazing how well grasses will respond to nutrients if they are applied properly and at the right time. Let’s take a look at some key steps for managing and fertilizing pastures.

A soil test is the best way to determine nutrient levels and what additional nutrients the plants require. It’s important to base your expectations on realistic yield goals. Contact your local Extension office for soil testing information and interpretation. Adequate levels of phosphorus and potassium are important for high productivity and persistence of legumes, especially alfalfa. To maintain productivity, forages will generally need to be topdressed on an annual basis to maintain nutrient levels and achieve production goals.

When hay or haylage is harvested from a field, each ton of tall grass or legume forage will remove approximately 13 pounds of P₂O₅ and 50 pounds of K₂O. It is critical these nutrients be replaced. The rule of thumb is a ratio of one part phosphate to four parts potassium. The tables below can help you determine nutrient requirements based on expected yield.

Under grazing management, over 80% of nutrients are recycled, so overall removal of nutrients from pastures are much lower than in hay meadows. A very important consideration under grazing is where the nutrients are being recycled to. Without good subdivision of pastures and good rotational stocking management, the nutrients will be transferred primarily to areas near water and shade. So fertility management in pastures must consider how evenly nutrients are being redistributed. Site specific soil sampling and site specific fertilizer applications are likely to be more important in many pastures than in hay meadows.

Table 1: Annual Phosphate (P₂O₅) Recommendations for Pure Grass Forage Stands. Includes Maintenance Plus Four-Year Buildup to the Critical Level.

* Values in parentheses are lb/acre

Table 2: Annual Phosphate (P₂O₅) Recommendations for Forage Legume or Legume-Grass Mixtures. Includes Maintenance Plus Four-Year Buildup to the Critical Level.

* Values in parentheses are lb/acre

Table 3: Annual Potassium (K₂O) Recommendations for Forage Grass Only, Legume Only, and Legume Grass Mixtures. Includes Maintenance Plus Four-Year Buildup to the Critical Level.

CEC 10meq/100g

* Values in parentheses are lb/acre

CEC 20meq/100g

* Values in parentheses are lb/acre

CEC 30meq/100g

* Values in parentheses are lb/acre

The timing of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer applications is generally not critical and should obviously be avoided when soil conditions are wet and not suitable for heavy equipment. Often times about one-half of the P & K can be applied after the first cutting with the remainder applied later in the summer or early fall. This is especially helpful if large amounts are required. If soil test levels are marginal or extremely low, P & K applications in the fall are strongly recommended to improve winter survival.

If you are managing a predominantly grass hay meadow, nitrogen fertilizer is critical for good production. The rule of thumb is to apply 150 – 175 pounds of nitrogen per acre per year split three times during the year. Approximately 70 – 80 pounds per acre should be applied in early spring and 50 pounds per acre after each cutting except after the last cutting in the fall. For details on appropriate use of nitrogen in pastures, see the article in this issue written by Keith Diedrick, entitled Spring Nutrient Management Tips for Permanent Pastures.

If you are managing for legumes in your stand you have to evaluate whether nitrogen is needed. Because legumes “fix” nitrogen from the atmosphere, it may not be necessary to spend money on an unnecessary nutrient. Refer to the following table to determine whether your forage stand could benefit from nitrogen applications.

Table 4: Examples of Nitrogen Rates Recommended for Perennial Cool-Season Grass Forages.

*Make split applications of nitrogen in the early spring and after the first harvest. Liquid N should be applied in early spring or immediately following forage removal.

Keep in mind when applying nitrogen that some forms are more likely to volatilize, especially in the summer. Ammonium nitrate is the best source because surface losses are low; however, this form can be difficult to purchase.

If you are willing to invest some time and money managing your forage stands you will be rewarded with good quality pastures. Contact your OSU Extension Educator for more information about fertilizing forage stands and to get a copy of the Ohio Agronomy Guide. This publication is an excellent source of information about crop production and the newest version has chapters devoted to forage management and pasture management.

[top] Pasture Walks

The Ohio Heartland Sheep Improvement Association will sponsor a series of pasture walks this summer. The purpose of the walks is to demonstrate how good pasture management interacts with parasite management.

The 1st walk is scheduled for May 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Jim and Deb Morris farm located at 7258 Columbus Road, Shreve. John Daniel Schlabach, a local seed company representative will lead the walk and discuss the Morris' new seeding and pasture amendments.

The 2nd walk is scheduled for June 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the John and Betsy Anderson Farm at 10131 Munson Road, Fredricksburg. Bob Hendershot, State Grasslands Conservationist with USDA NRCS will discuss the use of annual forages including sudan grass, triticale, and rape. There will also be a presentation on Anderson's parasite management program.

There will be a follow-up pasture walk on September 27 at the Anderson Farm to evaluate what has happened in the pasture over the summer. The pasture walks are open to the public. For more information contact Kathy Bielek at 330-377-4066 or John Anderson at 330-695-5291.

[top]Goat Grazing Management- Rory Lewandowski, Extension Educator, Athens/Hocking Counties

While interest in goat production continues to grow, so does the realization among producers that they must develop a sound parasite management strategy if they desire to raise goats for the long term. Parasite resistance to all classes of chemical de-wormers is driving this realization. Are there grazing management strategies that can help decrease reliance upon chemical de-wormers in goat production? In this article I want to summarize what we know about goat grazing behavior, examine some effects of various grazing management strategies, and suggest possible areas of experimentation on the farm.

Goats are natural browsers, meaning that their preferred diet will come mainly from brushy and woody species and that they like to feed on plants that are at head height or higher. Left to their own, in a mix of brushy species and typical pasture grasses, goats will browse on the brushy species for 60 to 70% of their total diet before turning to pasture grasses and/or forbs (weedy species, woodland understory herbaceous plants). It is because of this behavior that goats have gained a reputation for being useful in helping to convert overgrown brushy land back into pastureland. It is well documented that goats will eat a number of plant species that other grazing animals such as cattle either will not eat at all or graze on only minimally. Some of these species include multiflora rose, autumn olive, honeysuckle, poison ivy, wild brambles such as blackberry, green briar, sumac, ironweed, and ragweed. Goats are also adaptable to browsing in rough, broken and hilly topography. Given the acreages of land in southeastern and southern Ohio grown up into brushy cover, combined with the hilly topography, and one might think that there is nothing but smooth sailing ahead for goat production. In fact, goat production is simplified (but not necessarily simple) when there is a good percentage of brushy species (browse) in the pasture mix.

In the summer of 2004, an on-farm study examining the impact of meat goats on browse in a managed grazing system was conducted in Athens County. The study confirmed previously published literature and what experienced goat producers already knew, namely that goats are very effective at clearing land of brushy species. In fact, after just two rotations through each of 24 plots that were designated as having low, medium and high levels of browse, virtually no browse species remained. The goats were able to maintain or increase their body condition by utilizing browse in a pasture setting. The study demonstrated that goats browsing brushy species require less chemical de-worming than goats grazing in a grass pasture situation. Although this was not a planned portion of the study, it was an effect that impressed the goat producer. Most likely less parasite problems were observed because goats browsing are feeding up higher than goats on grass pasture. Parasite larvae are found primarily within the first 4 inches of grass height. The study also raised some questions about how quickly brushy species might disappear from a pasture mix and if it might not be wise to manage in a way that keeps brushy species in the pasture.

A question I’m beginning to get from goat producers hoping to use browse as a part of their parasite control management strategy is: What can I do to ensure there still will be brushy species in my pasture mix in five years? This area needs research. I’ve searched the literature and most of the studies concentrate on how goats can be used to remove brushy species from an area so that it can return to grass production. Very little is said about how to manage to keep a controlled, maintained percentage of brushy species in the pasture mix. In an article by S.P. Hart entitled “Recent Perspectives in Using Goats for Vegetation Management in the USA” and published in the Journal of Dairy Science in 2001, there is brief mention that the brush veldt in South Africa is being managed for the regeneration of woody species. However, no detail is given on how that is being done. So, short of recommending that goat producers plant multiflora rose and autumn olive (Note that I’m NOT recommending this), here are a couple of grazing management strategies that goat producers might try to keep brushy species in their pasture mix to reduce parasite loads.

First, consider stocking rate/stocking density and grazing time. In the on-farm study in Athens County where brushy species were killed or severely set back in a single grazing season, goats were stocked at either 4 or 8 head in a 75 x 75 ft paddock for a week. That figures to a stocking rate of 30 and 60 head per acre, respectively. At those rates we saw not only complete defoliation of brushy species but also girdling of stems that were less than 4 to 5 inches in diameter. In a Cornell study, it was found that the highest sapling mortality (stems < 4 inches in diameter) occurred using adult goats stocked at a rate of 20 per ¼ acre (80/acre) and moved to a new paddock every 3 to 4 days. Therefore, it seems logical that if a producer wants to keep the brushy species in the pasture mix, a low stocking rate combined with short paddock grazing time should be utilized. The producer will need to experiment with a stocking rate and grazing period that allows some leaf area to remain on the brushy species and/or that moves the goats before stems become girdled.

Second, take advantage of the fact that goats are top down graziers and like to graze on immature seed heads. While our grazing management for most animals focuses on avoiding seed heads, with goats it might be advantageous to allow their development. This allows the goat to graze higher, avoiding the ingestion of parasite larvae. Producers might also consider trying to add forage species to the pasture mix that contain higher percentages of tannins. There is a body of work from Africa, which is not conclusive, but seems to indicate that plants high in tannins may have some antihelminthic properties that bring about a reduction in internal parasites. Plants to consider include lespedeza and birdsfoot trefoil.

Producers may also want to experiment with the timing of when goats are allowed to browse brushy species. The idea here is to select times of the year that will allow the brushy plant to recover and build root reserves. Possibly this could involve a quick rotation through brushy species in late April through late May. By this time, grass pastures should be tall and heading out. Use grass pastures until August and switch to quick rotations through brushy species once again until October, then move back to stockpiled grass. I’ll emphasize again that this is a matter of producer experimentation, since more research is needed in this area before a definitive recommendation can be made.

Goats present the producer with some encouraging market opportunities. Unfortunately, goats also present some demanding challenges regarding parasite management in our part of the world. Thinking through grazing management strategies in new ways may help the goat producer to meet those challenges.

This article was originally published by Farm & Dairy. Used with permission.

[top]Parasite Control Clinic

On Saturday, May 27 Athens County Extension is hosting a Parasite Control Clinic for sheep and goat producers. Dr. Bill Shulaw, OSU Extension Veterinarian, will provide the teaching and FAMACHA training. Dr. Shulaw is widely recognized for his expertise in parasite control and for his willingness to work with producers. The clinic will include classroom instruction and on-farm hands-on training. The classroom portion will run from 9:00 am until noon at the Athens County Extension office. Dr. Shulaw will cover parasite biology and life cycles, chemical de-wormers, parasite resistance, current parasite control strategies, alternative parasite controls, and what the future may hold. Following lunch at the Extension office, all participants will drive out to the Deb Schneider farm where everyone will receive training in use of the FAMACHA system, receive a FAMACHA scorecard, and be able to practice under the supervision of Dr. Shulaw.

The cost of the Parasite Control Clinic, including the FAMACHA training is $30 per participant or $35 for a farm couple sharing a FAMACHA card and handouts. The cost includes morning refreshments, instructor travel, noon lunch, handouts and a FAMACHA scorecard ($12). Pre-registration is required by Friday, May 19 and class size is limited to 30 participants. Contact the Athens County Extension office at 740-593-8555 to pre-register.

[top]The Economics of Grazing Dairy Farms- Kriegl, T., Endress, J, Tranel, L, Tigner, R., Heckman, E., Bivens, B., Taylor, P., Rudstrom, M., Rickard, T., Grace, J., Noyes, T., Little, R., Kyle, J., Williams, J., Molenhius, J., Frank, G.

Ten Land Grant Universities plus Ontario standardized accounting rules and data collection procedures to gather, pool, summarize and analyze actual farm financial performance from many sustainable, small farming systems which lack credible financial data that producers need for decision-making. Over 200 individual management intensive rotationally grazing (MIRG) dairy farms contributed data to this project in 2000 through 2005. This is the largest and most comprehensive set of data for grazing dairy farms on the continent.

Insights include:

• A comparison between the most profitable half and the least profitable half shows a large range in financial performance.
• The average grazing herd with less than 100 cows had a higher Net Farm Income from Operations (NFIFO) per cow and per Hundred Weight Equivalent (CWT EQ) than the average grazing herd with 100 cows or more.
• Achieving a given level of NFIFO/ cow or per CWT EQ is more difficult in a seasonal system (stops milking at least one day each calendar year). Less than 15 percent of the herds in the data were seasonal.
• The grazing dairy system is economically competitive with confinement system.
• The breed of cattle is probably a minor factor among the many variables affecting the profitability of dairy farms. However, because it is an easily recognized variable and one of great producer interest, the profitability of herd by breed was examined. In three consecutive years, herds categorized as Holstein had higher levels of NFIFO/Cow and NFIFO/CWT EQ than herds of other breeds.
• Relatively consistent differences in financial performance between states have appeared in all years.

The up-to-date conclusions of this USDA IFAFS grant sponsored project #00-52501-9708 can be accessed at http://cdp.wisc.edu.

The procedures used here can be expanded beyond grazing dairies, creating a new paradigm by which Land Grant Universities and other institutions use farm financial data to help farm families in all future enterprises.