Understanding and implementing applicable fencing and grazing practices pays large dividends for cattle producers. Iowa State College Extension and Outreach beef specialist Erika Lundy-Woolfolk mentioned the 2023 Fencing and Grazing Clinic hosted by ISU’s Iowa Beef Heart targeted on environment friendly and efficient instruments and strategies. The daylong program was held on the ISU Armstrong Analysis Farm close to Lewis in southwest Iowa.
Lundy-Woolfolk, who additionally was one of many program organizers, mentioned timing of the occasion ought to assist members begin utilizing the data as quickly as this grazing season.
“We’ve heard a number of curiosity from cattlemen and livestock producers searching for academic alternatives to assist them improve their pasture and forage administration abilities and take it to the following stage,” she mentioned. “This clinic was designed with them in thoughts.”
IBC extension program specialist Beth Reynolds additionally helped plan the occasion.
“One purpose for this clinic was to show members to instruments and ideas they’ll use to assist meet their grazing objectives,” she mentioned. “Attendees at all times get pleasure from hands-on alternatives, and the developments within the know-how and fencing worlds have actually modified in the previous couple of years and made it simpler to implement rotational grazing.”
The morning session featured new choices in fencing, equivalent to good fencing and digital wiring programs for electrical fences, offered by a Gallagher Animal Administration consultant. Efficient fencing programs go hand-in-hand with ample grazing practices. Individuals discovered how short-term and everlasting fencing instruments could make grazing completely different paddocks simpler when shifting cattle and will follow some electrical fence wiring.
Kayla Creek with Pure Sources Conservation Service shared information on the significance of growing and utilizing efficient grazing programs. She additionally led an exercise by which attendees had been in a position to follow designing paddocks utilizing pasture maps.
“Livestock farmers are additionally grass farmers, and that’s the reason it’s so vital to implement efficient grazing programs,” Creek mentioned. “The advantages of rotational grazing and environment friendly paddock programs present a greater graze and higher fertilization.”
Through the classroom session, ISU extension area agronomist Aaron Saeugling shared info on poisonous crops in Midwest pastures and forages and reminded attendees that quite a lot of poisonous species may be discovered all through Iowa. This spurred questions and dialogue on figuring out invasive species.
IBC analysis scientist Garland Dahlke supplied an summary of water high quality standards, testing and deciphering outcomes, and well being considerations associated to cattle that devour compromised water. He reminded members that each one cattle interactions with water have to be balanced in a food regimen plan, and defined the best way to take a water pattern and the place to ship these samples.
Lundy-Woolfolk and Reynolds talked about planning a grazing calendar, together with the significance of being conscious of seasonal adjustments related to pasture progress and forage availability. Their session additionally coated estimating variety of days obtainable for grazing, calculating grazing days and relaxation instances, measuring forage yields, and contemplating features of cattle consumption.
Greater than 60 attendees from Missouri, Kansas and 19 counties in Iowa attended the Might 16 clinic, which was supplied by sponsors Gallagher, Iowa Forage and Grassland Council, Theisen’s, Millborn Seeds, Iowa State Beef Checkoff Program, Sensible Farmers of Iowa and Dairyland Laboratories Inc.
