A32-lincfcttr Arming, Saturday, Hay Ti, 1991
Grazing Of Alfalfa May Prove Beneficial To Farmers
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
MOUNT JOY (Lancaster
Co.) Some areas in Pennsylva
nia and different sections of Mary
land where the land is more roil
ing may be more conducive to
rotational grazing of alfalfa rather
than mechanically harvesting it
But the farmer who wants to
graze alfalfa which may pro
vide an inexpensive way to harvest
hay for high quality forage— must
learn new management strategies,
according to Dick Kauffman,
research agronomist with W-L
Research, Inc.
Kauffman is working on a test
plot that will study the effects of
alfalfa under intense pasture graz
ing. Varieties will be chosen to see
how they endure the stress of
stocking and being grazed in a
shorter time span than mechanical
harvesting.
According to Kauffman, the
results can determine a variety to
be selected in the future that best
suits rotational grazing.
Way to go
“I have talked to, heard several
people talking about, and read
some articles about farmers who
have done some alfalfa grazing
and they feel read good about it,’
said Kauffman. “They feel that
it’s the way to go you don’t
need to invest in machinery.”
But for farmers to get the most
production out of grazing, they
have to stock the fields correctly
and know how to rotate the cattle
on a timely basis. Also, good site
selection, where the soil is well
drained, fertile, and can withstand
grazing is important.
The Mount Joy test site is less
than a half acre, but includes sever
al experimental lines of the W-L
trifoliate alfalfa (three leaves, with
increased protein and other forage
nutrient attributes). The company
is trying to bieed for grazing toler
ance, and the site allows them to
see the response to varieties and
how the stand maintains under
grazing pressure.
The company has been explor
ing grazing varieties for the past
8-10 years, according to Kauff
man. Experiments in Argentina,
South America—where grazing is
the chief method of harvesting
alfalfa have provided some
important data about yield
selection.
Graze longer
“Most of the alfalfa in Argenti
na is grazed,” said Kauffman.
‘ ‘They graze it rather than spend
all the time making hay and storing
it. But they don’t have the severe
winters as we do here in the upper
U.S., so they can graze a little lon
ger in the fall.”
In Argentina, the alfalfa fields
are allowed to recover about one
month*— the same as the U.S.
“They don’t feel that it’s any more
labor intensive to go out there and
move cattle around every day than
it is to bale hay.”
In southeastern Pennsylvania,
however, the farms are intensively
managed. Many of the farms
already have the equipment.
But for farmers starting out, or
who do not have the capital and
machinery to invest in mechanical
harvesting, rotational grazing may
be one way to harvest alfalfa.
See how it works
“ Wc want to to see how it works
here,” said Kauffman. ‘‘While we
don’t think grazing is going to be
popular in Lancaster County, there
are some places that it will. Most
of the cows here aren’t even out on
pasture they’re in the freestall
bam most of the day. But there are
some states where farmers do
graze their alfalfa, but they’re
using just a regular alfalfa. We
were hoping that we could develop
something that’s going to persist a
little bit better and also produce
lots of pounds of beef per acre (or
whatever they’re grazing).”
Another factor is that, during
harvesting, leaves are often lost
from the plant. Perhaps, said
Kauffman, if the cow or steer is
actually grazing the stand, there
may be less leaf loss.
Kauffman said he is looking for
ward to grazing the test plot this
year “just to look at the ground
after they’ve grazed to see how
much loss there’s been,” he said.
The agronomist will look at factors
such as trampling and how the var
ieties endure the stress of the cattle
in the Held.
Steers, which W-L examined
last year, grazed alfalfa to about
l'/j inches in height. Sheep tend to
graze it “right against the
ground,” he said. Cows this year
will be looked to see how much
alfalfa they graze. The stand
recovery period (normally 30-35
days) will be reduced to about
14-21 days to examine the effects
of that type of stress on the plant.
Plot seeded
The trial plot was seeded in
1990. The plot will be maintained
four years, and then be plowed
under and reseeded.
In the meantime, Kauffman will
continue to run tests on it, and
observe which varieties Stand
tough.
“Alfalfa will produce fairly
well, even under drier condi
tions,” he said. “Whereas cool
season grass production declines
m July and August, when tempera
tures rise and moisture h limiting.
Alfalfa’s going to hang i -'re
and produce something at least
that’s our feeling.”
Farmers must be cautious about
certain factors if they are going to
graze alfalfa, however. One of
those concerns is bloat, caused by
gases emitted during digestion of
alfalfa.
Manage bloat
Kauffman said, “You need to
manage bloat that’s always a
factor when grazing alfalfa. So
either you need to feed them some
thing to prevent bloat, or manage it
in such a way that it’s not a
problem.”
Kauffman said that farmers
should give the cattle lots of grass
particularly!) dry hay. Mixing
the grass seed in with the alfalfa at
planting will not be enough,
because cattle need the dry grass to
absorb the gases. Or farmers can
pasture the cattle on grass
beforehand.
“Until we have a bloat-resistant
alfalfa, farmers are going to need
to watch bloat very closely if they
are grazing alfalfa,” he said.
Kauffman said that if farmers
intend to graze alfalfa, several fac
tors should be considered:
• Sow the alfalfa on the kinds of
Helds that you would normally
sow your alfalfa well-drained,
with good soil quality.
• Stock heavily and manage the
Held intensely, making sure to
graze it with intensity. When the
stand is grazed to about VA inches
high, rotate the cattle to another
field. Allow the field to recover to
next grazing.
• Choose a disease- and insect
resistant variety with adquate graz-
Steers graze an alfalfa plot near Mount Joy. Dick Kauffman, research agronomist
with W-L Research, Inc., Is working on a test plot that will study the effects of alfalfa
under intense pasture grazing. Varieties will be chosen to see how they endure the
stress of stocking and being grazed In a shorter time span than mechanical
harvesting.
ing capability.
• Manage bloat either feed a
bloat reducer or dry grass hay to
the cattle.
• Introduce other elements into
the feeding program as well,
including total mixed rations, to
maintain a healthy dietary balance.
• Read up on the lastest infor
mation and keep in touch with your
county extension agent on the lat
est in rotational grazing using
alfalfa.
Genesee Country Museum
Features Big Wheels
MUMFORD, N. Y. All
kinds of wheels will be featured at
Genesee Country Museum on June
8 and June 9 . . .
. . . spinning wheels and car
riage wheels, that is.
Located in Mumford. New
York, about 20 miles southwest,
the Genesee Country Museum is a
collection of 57 shops, homes and
farm buildings which have been
moved to the museum site,
arranged in a village setting,
restored to their original use and
furnished with appropriate
andques.
Costumed interpreters and
craftspeople inside most buildings
discuss 19lh century life and dmes
with visitors.
The museum also features the
Gallery of Sporting Art, the largest
collecdon of wildlife art in North
America; four gift shops; and the
Carriage Museum, a collecdon of
more than 40 andque carriages and
sleighs.
Saturday's “Spin-In,” centered
in the museum's Exhibition Hall,
will see over 100 spinners and
weavers demonstrate the 19th cen
tury art of spinning wool on a wide
variety of wheels, then weaving
that wool into sturdy, warm fabric.
Several regional sheep-to-shawl
teams will engage in friendly com
petition to determine how quickly
they can take a pile of raw wool,
card it, tease it, spin it and weave it
into a shawl, 18 inches wide by 80
inches long.
A local sheep shearer, Dan
Swartz, will demonstrate how the
whole process begins by shearing a
sheep every hour on the hour,
beginning at 11 a.m.
A variety of spinning-oriented
items will be offered for sale by
area vendors including natural
Farmers benefit
Kauffman believes that some
farmers can benefit from alfalfa
grazing. “I think the possibility is
there,” he said. ‘‘l think that
because you don’t need to invest in
equipment, certainly putting a
temporary, movable fence up is a
lot cheaper than a hay baler, a cou
ple of wagons, and a tractor.”
Kauffman said that for someone
who does not want to invest in
yams, sheepskin, dyes, spindles,
angora goat and sheephom buttons
and niddy-noddys.
Music to spin by will be pro
vided by the Bushnell's Basin Del
egation, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, June 9, will see dozens
of wheels attached to antique car
riages as they drive through the
streets of the museum's historic
village and test the ability of horse
and driver alike in competition on
the Great Meadow.
The day begins early with a ple
asure drive through the countrys
ide surrounding the village
museum
Then, beginning about 11 a.m.,
the drivers will finish the timed
competition by driving through the
streets of the museum's historic
village. Many visitors take this
opportunity to photograph the
restored carriages against the
backdrop of the restored buildings
in the 19th century village.
In early afternoon, competition
will begin in rings set up on the
museum's Great Meadow.
The competitions will include
“Fault and Out” and “Gambler's
Choice” and are designed to test
expensive equipment, “grazing
certainly is a lot cheaper than
harvesting it for haylage or for
baled hay.
“Not to say that grazing is less
productive,” he said. “Grazing
. . . requires much better manage
ment. You’ve got to move your
cattle. Whether that’s sheep or
cows or steers or goats, you’ve got
to move them, and you’ve got to
watch them.”
the skill and patience of both horse
and driver.
Total points from all three
events will be tallied and the entry
with the highest score will receive
the Dr. William Howe Memorial
Trophy. Dr. Howe was an enthu
siastic supporter of Genesee Coun
try Museum and the events which
centered around horses.
All events of each day of the
weekend are included in the regu
lar museum admission of $9 for
adults, $6 for youth 13 through 17;
and $4.50 for children six through
12.
Children five and under and
museum members are admitted at
no charge.
The museum opens at 10 a.m.
and closes at 5 p.m. every weekend
throughout the season. Weekday
hours are 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.,
Tuesday through Friday, in May,
June, September and October and
10 a.m. to S p.m., Monday through
Friday, in July and August.
There are two restaurants in
operation on the museum site, and
picnic tables are available at no
charge. Parking is abundant and
free.