pasture design… goals

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To develop the farm to take advantage of the principles of plant growth, animal behavior and all of the interactions that influence daily animal performance and acre production? Pasture Design… goals

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Pasture Design… goals. To develop the farm to take advantage of the principles of plant growth, animal behavior and all of the interactions that influence daily animal performance and acre production?. Pasture Design…. Why is it Beneficial to divide a farm. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Pasture Design… goals

• To develop the farm to take advantage of the principles of plant growth, animal behavior and all of the interactions that influence daily animal performance and acre production?

Pasture Design… goals

Page 2: Pasture Design… goals

• Improved utilization of forage that varies over the farm because of:

– soils and landscape

– stock camps, excreta distribution

– shade distribution

– drinking water locations

Pasture Design….Why is it Beneficial to divide a farm

Page 3: Pasture Design… goals

• Reduced labor needed to manage animals

– health checks

– movements

– to match feed supply with requirements

Pasture Design…cont’

Why is it Beneficial to divide a farm

Page 4: Pasture Design… goals

Controlling animal density and lengthof graze periodcontrols uniformityof forage use, level of use, quality of intake,traffic patterns and excreta distribution

Page 5: Pasture Design… goals

12 3 4

56 7 8910

Having farm subdivided allows manager to better see how much growth is taking place in each pasture and which should be grazed next.

Pad grazed yesterday to desired height

Page 6: Pasture Design… goals

Subdivision for control of feed use and manure distribution

Page 7: Pasture Design… goals

Subdivision to precisely control the intake of forage.

Page 8: Pasture Design… goals

Subdivision to ration daily needs.

Page 9: Pasture Design… goals

Possible Response to Creep Grazing:

1. Supply is limited2. Quality is low3. Species differ

Subdivision to partition the feed supply and quality for specific needs.

Page 10: Pasture Design… goals

Information needed to design farm layout for grazing.

• Farm maps (aerial, soils, topo)

• Plant species and the location

• Animal type, production cycles and seasonal feed requirements (groups)

• Drinking water source/locations

• Labor/equipment available

Page 11: Pasture Design… goals

Design Considerations

• Animal behavior

– preferences for species/landscapes

– lounging habits

– grazing patterns

Page 12: Pasture Design… goals

Design Considerations

• Plant growth responses (all paddocks should provide similar number of days grazing for specific herd)

– slope, soil type

– aspect or exposure

– tolerance to trampling/close graze

Page 13: Pasture Design… goals

Design Considerations

• Drinking water– Central location…in each pad

• gravity vs pressure systems• delivery rate & tank size

– herd vs individual use of tanks… is strongly related to travel distance to water?

Page 14: Pasture Design… goals

Design Considerations

• Stream protection– limiting lounging time

• limited access to stream

• limited stream area

– firm footing– vegetation management– endophyte effects

Page 15: Pasture Design… goals

Design Considerations

• Paddock Arrangement– convenience for equipment/crop rotations– potential for further subdivision

• Paddock Shape– square ….less critical for short graze periods– 4:1 ratio – contour/landscape

Page 16: Pasture Design… goals

Shape of Paddocks..10 acres of different shape

330 x 1320 = 3300’

660 x 660=2640’

220 x 1980 = 4400’

Page 17: Pasture Design… goals

Design ConsiderationsBlock vs Pie shape

Barn

3126’ fence

Page 18: Pasture Design… goals

Design ConsiderationsBlock vs Pie shape

Barn

Secondary method of division….. 3266’ of fence

Trailing, lounging, grazing patterns

Page 19: Pasture Design… goals

1160’

1043’

1475’

10000’

12500’

19300’

8300’4200’

5900’

Block vs Pie Shape Design100 acres (8300’ perimeter)

Interior fence needed

Cross fenceneeded

Page 20: Pasture Design… goals

Design Considerations• Paddock size

– depends on length of graze period, animal numbers and forage available in pad

– size not as important as productive capacity within and among paddocks

• Number of paddocks– based on landscape/specie distribution– subsequently based on use/quality/waste and manure

distribution– 6-9 minimum but more gives most control

Page 21: Pasture Design… goals

Six permanent pads can be temporarily subdivided into 36 (or more) divisions.

4 cross fences provideaccess to 1/24 of farm

6 cross fences = 2.7% of farm3 cross fences provide

access to 18 paddocks

Six permanent subdivisionsprovide a 6 pad rotation

Polywire

Hi-tensile Steel Wire Single cross fence providesaccess to 12 paddocks

Page 22: Pasture Design… goals

Design Considerations

• Lanes– stability– width

• Gates– corners toward working pens, water

• Shade– heat stress 85 F– night- day pads– consistency…none or all pads

Page 23: Pasture Design… goals

Building Good Lanes1...necessary on dairy2.. Not so important on meat animal farms

Firm base, usually large gravelGeotextile cloth

Firm and smooth surface

Page 24: Pasture Design… goals

Two days after rain, when cattle had to go to centralized water tank.

Topography/soil type influences the need

Page 25: Pasture Design… goals
Page 26: Pasture Design… goals

Position gates so the natural flow of animals move toward pens/barn or water source

LaneFrom pens/barn

To Pad

PostWire

Page 27: Pasture Design… goals

Using Farm Maps, color code

• Map1 -- Soil types

• Map 2 -- Land & suitability classes

• Map 3 -- Fences

Page 28: Pasture Design… goals

• Map 4 -- Water lines.

• Map 5 -- Soil Sampling for testing. Map 6 -- Use this map to indicate the yield potential for each field.

Using Farm Maps

Page 29: Pasture Design… goals

Layout to use feed, redistribute nutrients, & minimize animal stress.

No subdivisionsAny Size Farm

Page 30: Pasture Design… goals

Priority Subdivision

Based on landscape (slope & aspect)

Page 31: Pasture Design… goals

Further Subdivision7 pastures

Page 32: Pasture Design… goals

12 pastures

Page 33: Pasture Design… goals

Water tanks

16 pastures

Page 34: Pasture Design… goals

The following maps illustrate how a farm might be subdivided based primarily on landscape position.

Note how water/drainage-ways determine the first division.

Note how slopes are divided horizontally.

Page 35: Pasture Design… goals

First___Second___Third___

Page 36: Pasture Design… goals

First___Second____Third____

Page 37: Pasture Design… goals

First____Second___

Page 38: Pasture Design… goals

First____Second____Third____

Page 39: Pasture Design… goals

Major decisions..drinking locations & ditch crossings