A22-Uiuyster Farming, Saturday, March 7, 1998
Tastier
(Continued from Pago At)
Co. Down. His research has
emphasized improving grazing
management to increase intake and
utilization of pasture.
At the 1.000-acre institute, graz
ing research has focused on inten
sively grazed paddocks made up of
ryegrass and grass sward
combinations.
Some of the strongest research
has suggested, according to the
scientist, that? animals prefer a cer
tain type of forage the tetra
ploids over the diploids. The tetra
ploids have a higher sugar content
and are easier to sheer and digest
by ruminants, according to Mayne.
Gradually, research emphasis
has shifted from variety and maxi
mum yields to “varieties that ani
mals will eat more of,” said the
northern Ireland scientist.
Other strong evidence suggests
that grazing animals prefer the
“tall, erect varieties” of forage to
the prostrate, or low- growing,
plants at the research institute.
Devices to measure how often
an animal reaches for forage, tears
it off, chews on it, and ruminates,
are used in the research. And what
the researchers have found,
according to Mayne, is that the
more the animal can bite off, the
more it can handle by its jaws, the
more forage it processes, which
can translate into improved
milking.
Simply put, a “small increase in
bite size has a major impact on
grass intake,” said Mayne. Simply
increasing the amount of forage
taken in from 0.5 gram to 0.6 gram
per bite increases overall intake by
20 percent.
Sward height is also a key fac
tor, Mayne noted. Cows prefer at
least 4 inches of grass height Tall,
dense, leafy swards lead to large
bites, noted the grazing scientist
In charts, the most intake came
from swards measuring about 5-6
inches in height
That’s why. according to May
ne, it is important for graziers to
control the grass left after grazing
to ensure the height of the sward is
suitable for the animals.
Why go about looking into
improving forage palatability and
investing time in studying forage
types? Mayne noted that, three
years ago, milk prices in Ireland
were, based on U.S. figures, about
$lB per hundredweight Now. the
price has dropped to $l2 a hun
dredweight to the producer. And
“all predictions see a further reduc
tion to $lO a hundredweight in the
next 2-3 years,” said Mayne, as
European Union support prices
continue to wither.
The trend is downward for the
beef industry, which went through
some major crises with the “mad
cow” disease scare. The continu
ing trend, even for dairy producers,
is an increase in size of units and a
downward spiral for the amount of
producers.
Mayne noted that 20 years ago,
there were 20,000 dairy producers
in Ireland; that number has fallen
to 6,000 today.
Herd size, on average, is about
60 per farm. These “downward”
trends are similar for the U.S.
So the idea of using grazing as a
way to cut farm costs, including
mechanization and labor, holds
more appeal for producers.
As a result, the Institute has
been tasked with looking at diffe
rent varieties of the same grass
species. Mayne noted that not all
About ISO Attend State Con
Forage, Bigger Bite Highlight Grazing
ryegrass, for instance, is the same
some have relatively improved
dry matter and sugar content than
others.
Also, researchers ate looking at
ways to make the grasses more
drought tolerant And the tetra
ploid varieties can have up to a 20
percent mote nutrients over the
diploids, he noted.
In Ireland, as in many places in
Europe, producers are under
increasingly stringent legislation
for nutrient management The
legislature penalizes farmers for
not using controls. The idea of
using abundant inexpensive sour
ces for nitrogen for grain crops has
been fading. Now, there is more
accountability that is written into
law. That even includes “unrecov
ered” nitrogen the nitrogen
simply released into the air.
But along with the movement
away from mechanization and the
resultant high costs of mainte
nance and repair, many producers
still fail to understand that “graz
ing is much more difficult to man
age,” Mayne said. It’s harder to
maximize management to graze
effectively than it has been to
simply go out and buy equipment
and make the feed.
No matter what the program,
eventually stored feeding is impor
tant and producers have to be able
to implement a plan that will con
tinue the forage intake. Also, there
are some benefits to targeted grain
feeding and can act as supplement
to the cows when no forage is
available.
If storing forage, it is important
to ehsure that respiratory and pro
teolytic enzymes are available arid
that detrimental organisms,
including yeasts and molds, are not
present in the seal.
One item that surprised the sci
entists at the Agricultural Research
Institute was the supposed length
of the glazing season.
While traditionally the animals
aren’t put out to pasture until
April, studies looked at grazing in
February on frosted grass.
“The cows went out and were
quite happy to eat the material,”
available to them for about two
hours a day from February into
March.
It is important for producers, if
they want to use grazing on their
operations, to determine how it
will be implemented.
There is less overall benefits for
the cows if. as an instance, 70 per
cent of the diet is taken in grain
feeding/high TMR programs. The
forage quality won’t bear much of
a factor. But if forages will be used
almost exclusively, quality bears a
huge role in animal productivity.
Overall the acceptance of graz
ing continues unabated, even in
northern Ireland.
"The ’9os, I believe, will be the
ear of grazing.” said Mayne. “I am
convinced of that.”
Other producers spoke of their
experiences with grazing at the
conference.
One day, dairyman Lewis
Stuttle got “sick” of the three
times-a-day milking. “The pay
back was not there,” he said, and
some change was needed.
Even though the herd average
stood at 23,000 pounds, Stuttle, of
Lew-Lin Farm based in central
New York State in the Finger
Lakes region, a Dairy of Distinc
tion, began grazing about five
years ago.
The family includes Lewis’ son,
Steven; herdsman Gordie Morgan;
Lewis’ wife, Linda; and some part
time help.
They have a herd that is lOOper
cent registered Holstein with 190
cows and 130 head of young stock.
Since switching to grazing,
Lew-Lin Farm has gone from 140
to 190 cows using their own
replacements. He was satisfied to
simply “let the cows harvest the
One day, dairyman Lewis
Stuttle got “sick" of the three
tlmes-a-day milking. “The
payback was not there,” he
said, and some change was
needed. Even though the
herd average stood at 23,000
pounds, Stuttle, of Lew-Lln
Farm based in central New
York State in the Finger
Lakes region, a Dairy of Dis
tinction, began grazing about
five years ago.
feed,” and put in a five-acre pas
ture. The previous com fields were
seeded to (Hchardgrass and Ladino
clover.
The Graze N.Y. Participating
Farm now has 110 acres for the
milking herd. In addition to the
new seeding, the farm also added
500-800 pounds of high calcium
limestone to all the paddocks. He
also applies about SO units to the
acre of ammonium nitrate in the
spring.
The cows arc placed out early—
about April 20-25. Some can be
placed out even earlier and do
quite well, he noted.
Stuttle noted that paddocks are
mowed in May and June to prevent
the growth Cram getting ahead of
the cows. They are mowed with a
12-foot disebine and winnowed
and chopped for haylage. The
grass is kept at 8-10 inches maxi
mum height so it is highly palat
able and less feed is wasted by
trampling. After four years, he
noted, the herd milking average is
at 21,000 pounds on SO percent
less TMR fed during the grazing
season, with less labor.
The high average of milk is 72
pounds.
Stuttle uses a 3/4-inch water line
to all die paddocks.
Fences are simple polywire on
posts. Paddocks are rotated every
10-14 days in the spring.
A simple com meal supplement
is added to the diet
In the past, milking used to be
from a double-4 milking parlor
(eight units). Now, they built a new
parlor within the existing one and
are up to a double-8 with 16 units
milking twice a day, at 2 a.m. and 2
p.m. Taking the cows off the fields
on hot, humid days at 2 p.m. helps
the cows stay healthy.
Also, providing water lines to
troughs in the paddocks is working
to improve milk yield. Stuttle
noted that the cows “like to drink
out of the troughs better than in the
bom.”
Stuttle also explained some
renovations done to the laneways.
Where at one time they were mud-
r erence In Grantville
dy and unmanageable, with “six to
eight inches of slop,” the Stuttles
dug the lanes out, put in a textile
fabric and gravel, 6 inches of
limestone dust, and smoothed
them out
Also, the farm makes use of a
mobile grazing unit for the calves,
raised in hutches. In the units, the
young stock gradually get adjusted
to feeding off the land.
The use of grazing has worked
well for neighbors. An electric
fence was installed and the cows
are content to harvest their own
feed. Also, the neighbors like it
because no more manure slurry is
going on the fields.
More information about the
conference will be published in the
PFGC Foraging Around, a special
section of Lancaster Farming to
be published April 18.
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
GRANTVILLE (Dauphin Co.)
Several award-winning forage
and grazing supporters were hon
ored for their work in promoting
forages and grazing in the slate
Wednesday evening here at the
1998 Pennsylvania Grazing and
Forage Conference at the Holiday
Inn.
The Outstanding Pasture Pro
ducer Award was presented to Jim
my Gamer, Mjlntrose, Susquehan
na County.
Gamer has been intensively
grazing his 70 dairy cows on 35
acres for nearly seven years. He
has been actively involved in the
Chesapeake Bay Program and the
use of grazing to meet the program
goals.
‘This accomplishment speaks
for itself in highlighting Jimmy’s
grazing management skills,” noted
Dr. Marvin Hall, extension forage
specialist Penn State. “Mr. Gamer
is always willing and ready to
share his grazing experiences and
knowledge with others.”
Gamer has hosted numerous
field days and tours at his farm.
These have included visiting far
mers from as close as his neighbors
to as far away as Russia.
Dick Kauffman, Pennsylvania
Forage and Grassland Council, a
co-sponsor of the event presented
the award to Gamer.
The Conservation Award red-
Jlm Gamer, Montrose, right, receives the Outstanding
Pasture Producer. Award from Dick Kauffman, PFGC
president.
Reception Honors
Program Winners
Research
The key to Increasing the
milking capability of that
harvest machine is to “allow
that cow to take a big mouth
ful of grass,” said Dr. Sinclair
Mayne, a scientist at the Agri
cultural Research institute of
Northern Ireland, at the Pen
nsylvania Grazing and For
age Conference.
pient is Louis A. Kopczyk, Clym
cr, manager of the Indiana County
Conservation District
Kopczyk has been active in pro
viding opportunities for the resi
dents of Indiana County to learn
about uses of forages and grazing
management
“Louis tries to emphasize the
role forages can play in proper
conservation practices.” said Mar
vin Hall. Penn State extension for
age specialist “Although Louis
discusses grazing management
with many landowners on a one
to-one basis, these educational
opportunities arc provided primar
ily by organizing and conducting
field days and pasture manage
ment meetings on farms around the
county.”
These field days and meetings
arc supplemented with presenta
tions on a variety of related topics
presented by fanners, businesses,
lending agencies, and government
agencies.
Hall noted, “His involvement of
many diverse groups and organiza
tions into these on-farm meetings
stimulates understanding and bet
ter cooperation.”
Kopczyk also obtained a grant
and produced a fact sheet on vari
ous methods of supplying water to
grazing livestock. This publica
tion, noted Hall, has been
“extremely well received by far
mers in both Pennsylvania and
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