A4(Mjnc««ter Farming, Saturday, April 16, 1994 HI Lancaster Extension | ■ Pastures Can Be Dr. Green “Pastures, they do a body good.” This might be a good slogan to adopt if you are interested in pro moting good health and physical fitness in cattle. Many times you hear of pastures being referred to as “Dr. Green.” It is a reputation well deserved. Cows that have been raised in close confinement, on concrete and fed feeds that have been cur ed, chopped, fermented and stored for long periods of time, frequent ly “perk up” when turned out to graze fresh spring pastures. They recover from their lame nesses, they appear thriftier and perhaps conceive better. Produc QUALITY MIXER AT A QUANTITY PRICE rttv a HfTl ReelAuggie BUY A 2000 Series REAL knight Mixer Blender/Feeders Specializing In TMR Mixer Set-ups. Call Us Today! iMHBP Just what makes the “Reel Au||l$ N better? You can finally mix and feed all of your ration ingredients including long stem dry hay and other tough roughages that previously could not be mduded in your mixed ration SPECIAL OF THE MONTH • Rlssler 190 cu. ft. Mixer Portable or Stationary . s-600 Bala Processor (Osmo) $1950 • Wslghtronlc Scales, Model 700 E, Fits any brand mixer, 5 yr. warranty • VD 3000 Gallon Manure Tank, For Sale or Rant • Used Knight 225 Mixer Feeder, excellent cond.. 1 vr. old We Will Service All Brands of Electronic Scales And Moat Brands of Mixers MILLCREEK farm E systems 2235 Old Philadelphia Pika Lancaster, PA 17502 (717) 395-8987 tion can go up or down, depending upon feed quality and feeding practices. T-. p k \ppv support on turntable, wide solid belt extend able axle for extra stability, automatic cut & start, unloading ramp, and heavy duty con struction to provide years of reliable service. New for 1994, AW2OOSL 3 pt. machine with self-loading arm and cut & start. Models to wrap big square bales also available. TUBE-1 INE RALE WRAPPER Gray’s Tube-Line Bale Wrappers give the best of both worlds between individual wrappers, and in-line machines. Each bale is individually stretch wrapped for optimum sealing, but approximately 40% less film is required because of wrapping the barrel of the bale alone. A self-contained engine driven hydraulic sys tem provides the power for simple and fast operation. This is not to say that cows can’t be raised successfully in confinement for long periods of time. They can, and many good dairymen do so successfully. The point is, pastures have much to offer. They give cows re lief from concrete stfess. They of fer cows more opportunity for fresh air, sunshine and exercise. Fresh pasture forage can be more nutritious than stored forages, if properly managed, and can reduce purchased feed costs. They gener ally contain more vitamins, miner als, protein and energy, and are lower in non-digestible fiber. Pastures have their down side too. They can get muddy and be come a source of infections and parasites. Streams can become polluted and the water unfit for cows to consume. Cows can also be exposed to toxic weeds, yard 1 Tanco Autowrap *■ - - - - —A CA! CUMMINGS and BRICKER, Inc. Call or Write for more Information on these and other Greenland 100 Stover Drive Carlisle, PA 17013 717-249-6720 hay tools, and the name of your nearest dealer. wastes, and to conditions causing bloat' Getting The Most From Your Pastures To get more benefit from your present pastures you may not have to invest a lot of time and expense. It may be as simple as protecting and encouraging the pastures you already have. Start by limiting cows’ access to pasture areas. Fence off an area close to the bam and use it as a sa crifice area or exercise lot In other words, don’t let cows turn the entire pasture into a non-pro ductive exercise lot To help prevent the fenced off sacrifice lot from becoming a mud lot divide it into about three smaller lots and seed them to a rugged grass such as K3l tall fes cue. Now you have the opportuni ty to rotate cows from plot to plot. WINDROW FLUFFERS windrows to speed up curing and provide large windrows for high capacity machines. Hydraul ically driven for positive pickup and delivery of material. Available in 6’, 8’ and 10’ widths. WIFO ROUND BALE HANDLING EQUIPMENT m 1 I WIFO Round bale handling equipment built with the highest quality material and workman ship. Bale grab attachments for wrapped or dry bales. Loader mounted on 3 FT bale spears with forged tines. WIFO also manufactures a complete range of 3 FT mounted hydrdaulic forklifts. Distributed By This reduces the risk of sacrifice lots being trampled to death and it gives the lots time to rest and re cover. ■ These sacrifice areas are not in tended to be grazing areas, so don’t be concerned about seeding a grass that is palatable to cows The main thing we want from these sacrific lots is a healthy, diy sodded area where cows can rest comfortably. Back to the pasture area. Rather than going to the ex pense and effort of reseeding, risk ing erosion and seeding failure, simply try to encourage what is al ready present. You could be plea santly surprised with the results. Start by controlling cows’ access to pasture areas. Divide the pasture into a minimum of four plots so you can graze them rota (Turn to Pago A4l) 100-120 Lehigh Ave. PO Box 928 Batavia, N.Y. 14021 716-343-3511
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers