Grazing Can
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
And I will send grass in thy
fields for thy cattle that thou may
esl eat and be full.
Deuteronomy 11:15
BETWEEN OXFORD AND
KIRKWOOD (Lancaster Co.)
To about 85 fanners who attended
a tour of the Lindenhof Guernsey
Farm here last week, the grazing
season may be long enough,
indeed.
Through the heavy heat and
humidity, visitors took off their
straw hats to use handkerchiefs to
wipe away sweat from a blazing
sun. It looked to be a typical sum-
mer daj.
A few days before, about two
inches of rain fell heavily on the 50
acres of pasture that the 56-cow
herd uses at various times through
out the season.
While some farmers shy away
from grazing the animals because
of the “short” season, for those at
the Lindenhof Farm (managed by
the brother-sister partnership of
Axel and Millie Linde), the season
can last from late February well
into November.
When grazing alfalfa, the important thing to remember,
according to Millie Unde, right, Is that "when a cow leaves
the barn, she’s not to be super-hungry. Let her have some
dry hay in her so when she’s gone out here, she doesn’t
attack it like she would candy. It Is candy to her, and you
keep her under control by having some dry matter In her.’’
At left Is Axel.
The . .ides also placed some tall fescue near one of the barns at the Llndenhof
Farm. The fescue was Installed to help retain soil, but for grazing, the cows like It only
when It Is young, according to Axel.
Be Long-Lasting, Effective Feed Source If Managed Properly
With a little common-sense
rumen management and know
ledge about feed, dairy farmers can
take advantage of the relatively
long grazing season that exists in
some areas of southeastern Pen
nsylvania and Maryland.
When grazing alfalfa, the
important thing to remember,
according to Millie Linde, is that
“when a cow leaves the bam,
she’s not to be super-hungry. Let
her have some dry hay in her so
when she’s gone out here, she
doesn’t attack it like she would
candy. It is candy to her, and you
keep her under control by having
some dry matter in her.”
The Lindes have used grazing in
their operation for more than 40
years. Axel and Millie use a com
bination of grazing techniques,
including a passive system which
allows the cattle to move by them
selves from the bam into a “penta
gon” area that links five separate,
permanent pasture fields. The
gates are open so that, whenever
they want to, the cows can make
their way onto some newly seeded
mixed alfalfa stands, chicory
stands, or hay mixtures.
The Lindes also use a “back-
mNgffr m
The Importance of dry hay
In pasture rations Is critical,
according to Leslie Yoder,
herd nutritionist. It's Impor
tant for the herd manager to
be flexible in feeding cows
and to properly balance the
grazing.
fencing” technique using fiberg
lass posts and multistranded poly
wire to move catde around in some
of the paddocks. This intensive
rotational grazing system ensures
that the feed is available in the
right amounts and is managed
correctly.
The pasture areas “have been
forever and ever pasture,” said
Axel. One alfalfa field is still pro
ducing well into its fifth year.
The Lindes have to control some
weed problems, mostly Canada
thistle and horsenettle. Also, when
leafhoppers become evident, some
pesticides have to be used.
They also grow com mostly for
com silage. The remainder is used
for high-moisture com.
In the Linde’s grazing opera
tion, on one side of the farm, three
alfalfa fields measure about
I'/j acres each. The cows graze
them only at night, three nights
each.
They graze at night, according
to Millie, because of the lack of
trees for shade.
Water is provided to portable
water tanks, each costing about
$4O, that hold 23 gallons each.
Water is pumped from a main well
near the house.
In some of the fields, volunteer
clover also grows, which can be an
important feed source, according
to grazing experts. “Some years,
cows like clover better, other years
(Turn to Pago A2B)
Water Is provided to portable water tanks, each costing
about $4O, that hold 25 gallons each. Water Is pumped from
a main well near the house.
v
Two young farmers don plastic boots for blosecurlty on
the tour of Llndenhof Farm. Here, chicory Is grazed about
four times In the season. It Is cut after the second and fourth :
grazing. The cut materials (100 bales off of a two-acre par
cel) are used for heifer bedding, according to Axel.
yo.
ing tanks to get to dinner after the grazing field day.
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