Grazing Livestock Is Combination Art,
(Contlnwd from Pago Al)
have been preparing grazing areas
fust by culturing mixes of peren
nials and some annuals, mostly
mixes of grasses, legumes and,
brassicas, and some small grains.
Nutrient value of these living
plants is testing high in protein,
good fiber, micronutrients, etc., as
well as offering palatability.
According to speakers, in some
instances, this type of operation
may be the only viable choice to
continue dairying. It has been said
that many people are apparently
living off of the depreciation of
equipment and buildings in order
to continue their mainstream
operations.
Overall, the current portrait of
what speakers have been describ
ing as their successful incorpora
tion of grazing into existing Pen
nylvania dairies is one of treating
crop fields as more than places to
raise feed to harvest for die herd,
and pastures as more than exercise
lots.
While com silage, haylage, total
mixed rations, using nutrition con
sultants, top dressing, and testing
forages continues in many cases,
dairy farmers have been telling of
reducing production costs by
incorporating additional grazing
techniques and making cattle
harvest grasses and living forages
during die majority of the year.
High production per animal is
not as high a priority, according to
most who have switched to graz
ing. The priority seenis more to be
that whatever size the operation, it
must be profitable.
While farm management exper
ts can and have advised on die
amount of sales necessary to sup
port a full-time job on a farm, as
well as advising on the proportion
of living expenses that can be
enjoyed without jeopardizing the
financial health of the fanning
operation, graziers have taken a
different tact
Some dairy graziers have said
they accept a reduced rolling herd
average production of milk and
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milk components because the milk
they sell is at aprofit or a higher
profit, than when they made mote
milk' using high confinement
dairying techniques.
. The milk sold per person work-'
ing is still a consideration in deter
mining how many people can be
supported by the farm. However,
with reduced costs and inputs,
there is less need for additional
work and thus employees, some
have said.
The balance of cows-to-land to
the percentage of feed gotten
through grazing that can support a
family of four has not yet been
offered by those who have con
verted to grazing, but many have
said that have they been able to
realize increased profit and better
living expenses through decreased
operating costs.
And most have said they now
enjoy fanning much more.
Speakers said that if the farming
operation’ is viewed more on a
basis of cost per hundredweight,
or, as in New Zealand, on a cost or
profit-per-hectare (equal to 2.47
acres) basis, then it is easier to see
the economic and labor benefits
that come from relying more heav
ily on having the animals 'feed
from the fields than having the far
mer go the field, harvest the feed
and bring it to die cows.
One speaker satirically joked
that some university researchers
have just completed some studies
md have concluded that cows are
mobile and grass is immobile.
That message was repeated in
several different ways by various
speakers. The main message
seemed to be one that has been told
before by others make the farm
work for the fanner, instead of
having the fanner work for the
farm.
Alan Henning was one of the
featured speakers and reiterated
that message by telling the audi
ence of several hundred to “take
control!"
Henning spent 14 months in
New Zealand nine months on a
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Fulbright Scholarship and
learned the basics of grazing from
mentor John Hopkins, a dairy far
mer there for whom Henning
worked while pursuing continuing
studies.
Henning also met and married a
New Zealand woman and spent
several years working in New Zea
land consulting and helping to set
up grazing operations. He has also
worked setting up operations in
Mexico as well as hearing in the
United States.
He and his wife have published
a 20-page handbook on grazing
that provides an overview and
examples of basic tools and con
siderations in grazing. The hand
book is free and can be obtained by
calling 1-800-441-FENCE. It may
be available locally through cer
tain dealers.
In brief, Henning said that dairy
grazing requires a different out
look and perspective than the cur
rent traditional year-round feeding
of stored or prepared feeds.
' According to Henning, the bas
ics of grazing are consistent no
matter where in the world it is
done the grasses and forages
that grow can be consumed by a
bovine under the animal’s own
power and converted in milk.
Hie goal is to keep the program
as simple as possible the few
est amount of tods, equipment and
operating costs should be used.
Henning referred to the “art of
stockmanship” and said that many
in the dairy industry have to learn
what that is to make grazing work.
In effect, he defined stockman
ship as the ability to observe and
understand the needs of cattle and
the plants they consume, the envir
onmental conditions, and to con
trol the activity for peak
efficiency.
Henning’s presentation con
sisted of slides and stories of diffe
rent grazing operations he helped
with at different places and cli
mates in the world and stories of
how he was able to see through a
problem that wasn’t a problem.
He also told about his
own interests, attraction
to dairying and grazing
and his own dairying
operation and decisions
he has made.
Of some of the basics
' to grazing, Henning said
that the farmer has to get
to know his land
intimately and this
can only be done by
walking the property at
least three times per
month and making
notes. He said in this
way, the grazier can
keep aware of changes
in the fields and plants
- and then be in good pos
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ition to make decisions.
The lay of the land and its char
acteristics have to be taken into
account, such Us which slopes face
south and north, prevailing winds
and existing plant populations.
The tillability of the soil isn’t as
necessary as considering the abili
ty of grasses to grow there and pro
duce tonnage of cattle forage. Hen
ning said to consider everything.
“Think outside the box,” he said
several times, after explaining that
he heard the phrase while in New
Zealand and it refers to consider
ing alternatives to conventional
ideas.
“I always consider the
extremes,” he explained. He said
he always considers doing some
thing one way and then totally
opposite, adding that the practical
way is almost always in between,
but without considering both
extremes, the range of possibilities
is more limited.
Also, Henning said that his
grazing mantra learned while in
New Zealand has become. “No
excuses. Get it done now!”
In his case, he was referring to
situations where people would ask
him what to do with grazing
because they thought they had run
out of suitable grazing area.
Henning said that in one case, an
unfenced field that had not yet
been cultivated for grazing but had
a good stand of native grasses at
about the proper grazing height
was across a little traveled road
from a field that had been grazed.
The grazier wanted to know
what to do. Henning said he asked
him whose field was across the
toad and die grazier said it was his.
Homing said he told the man to
open the electric fence and move
the cattle into the adjacent field.
He said the farmer complained
that he couldn't because there was
no fence set up or water available.
He was afraid the cattle would run.
Henning said that to himself, the
immediate problem was getting
the cattle to graze good forage, and
so he proceeded to take the herd
across the street and while they
stayed there grazing, he went to get
some wire fencing and a watering
container. He then ran some hose
to the waterer from the water sour
ce in the other field, through a
culvert in the road, and the man’s
cattle were back grazing again.
While that approach may not
appeal to those in mote highly
populated areas with heavy traffic,
and it may make insurance people
flinch, Henning said that what it
illustrates is that the cattle are not
wild animals, but domesticated
animals that will stay where feed is
good.
Some of Henning’s theories
may not stand up to industry
review he advocates no wot
mers, no vaccinations, etc.,
nothing that is not absolutely
necessary to the act of cattle
grazing.
As far as milking, he said that at
the farm he currently rents, he has
adapted an older existing tie-stall
milking setup to a walk-through
milking station setup that he said
allows him to milk about 60 cows
himself in less than an hour.
He said “I don’t have time” to
herd the cows in for milking as
they come through to be milked
they get milked. He said he used
about a dozen broken and dis
carded barn gates that were lying
around the farm and with baling
twine created a kind of a flat parlor
based on the New Zealand field
design.
He admitted it didn’t look
pretty, but he said it was effective
and fast and the cows didn’t mind
at all.
In fact, he said that a couple who
heard about the setup wanted to try
it Henning said the man and wife,
after milking Henning’s cows,
were amazed at the calmness of his
cows and said that their own cattle
wouldn’t be as calm.
penning said that goes to the
heart of stockmanship the
cows should be made to wok, but
not be harried or afraid, and that
reflects an understanding of the
animal.
In addition to walking the farm,
a key to grazing is observation.
“Observation,” Henning said.
“Everybody has it, but all use it at
different levels.”
He said that when he first started
working for Hopkins in New Zea
land as a Fulbright scholar. Hopk
ins told him to take a walk down to
the cows to observe what was
going on.
Henning said he took off, went
down to the cows, saw where they
were and came back.
At Henning’s quick return to the
farm house, Hopkins said that he
was amazed as how quickly Hen
ning got the job done.
Then Hopkins began question
ing Henning on details about the
cows, the grasses, the other Helds,
the fencing, etc.
Henning took off again, he said,
armed with paper and pencil.
This time he figured he would
be ready to answer Hopkins’
questions.
When he returned from his sec
ond trip, armed with notes of
observations concerning the cows,
Hopkins questioned him, but this
time about different aspects and
conditions of the farm and
operation.
Henning said he was humbled,
because he realized that he had a
lot of learn. He said he is still
learning.
But he told the story
to illustrate that until
one knows what it is
they are looking at, they
don’t really see what
they need to see to make
a sound decision.
Decision-making is a
constant activity of a
successful grazier. The
weather changes daily,
the grass grows diffe
rently daily, the cattle
change slightly daily.
Further, in a family
farm or partnership
operation, communica
tions is key, because
each can share thoughts
and observations that
will help make better
decisions and expand
the knowledge of each