Frost seeding is a popular way to renovate an existing forage stand and is most effective in fields where patches of bare soil at least the size of a loonie are visible. With spring around the corner, many producers have questions about how to best use this technique to improve their hay fields and pastures. […]
Pugging is sod damage and soil compaction caused by livestock hooves. Prevent pugging by moving livestock to a barn, dry lot, or sacrifice paddock. Assess the severity of pugging to determine the most appropriate repair options. Timely repairs maintain pasture yield and keep weeds out. […]
The author of this article is Mary O’Connor, an OMAFRA summer student who, under the supervision of James Byrne (OMAFRA Beef Cattle Specialist), assisted with this project. The article was first published in the October 2021 edition of Virtual Beef. Introduction In Canada, grazing land, consisting of natural and planted pastures, accounts for approximately 50 million […]
This article was written by Breann Saulnier, OMAFRA Grazing Livestock Assistant You may look out into a pasture and see an abundance of tall, delicious-looking grass for livestock to graze but this is not necessarily what the livestock see. The amount of forage available for grazing is the portion of plant material that the animal […]
Co-written by James Byrne, OMAFRA Beef Cattle Specialist Grass doesn’t just happen. Maximizing pasture yield requires management, and one of the most important decisions a manager can make is to give their grass enough time to fully recover after being grazed. Pastures have fully recovered from a grazing event when the grass plants have 3-4 […]
This post was written by Jessica Brasier, OMAFRA summer student. Jessica works under the supervision of Christine O’Reilly (Forage and Grazing Specialist) and James Byrne (Beef Cattle Specialist). Grazing pasture is a great way to save on feed costs and utilize marginal land. To maximize the profitability of a pasture, a producer can use different […]
by Maja Menegotto, Undergraduate Student Experiential Learning (USEL) program student What is a Falling Plate Meter? A falling plate meter is a tool that can be used to estimate dry matter yield within grazing pastures (Rayburn and Lozier, 2003b). To do this, an acrylic plate is lowered against a metre stick in the center of […]
Spring is in the air, and livestock and farmers alike are eager to start the grazing season. Timing that delightful move is critical, as spring grazing management sets up both yield potential of the pasture and the amount of gain achievable for young stock. How early is too early? Livestock should go out on […]
Key points: Improper grounding is the most common reason for electric fence malfunctions Install 90 cm (3’) of ground rod for every joule of output from the energizer Ground rods should be more than 3 m (10’) from each other Ground rods should be more than 23 m (75’) from other grounds, waterlines, or utilities. […]
Key points: The most economical power source (hydro, batteries, or solar) depends on ease of access to fencer Output voltage needs to be high enough to get the attention of the livestock being contained Output joules rating must be capable of delivering the voltage along the length of wire in the fence When in doubt, buy […]
Spring is just around the corner, and preparations for the upcoming grazing season are in full swing. Farmers are checking their fences and water systems, and frost-seeding legumes to improve pasture quality. Soon there will be livestock out on grass, and less (if any) feeding to do in the barns! But with all the excitement, have […]
by Joel Bagg, Forage Specialist, Jack Kyle, Pasture Specialist, & Melanie Beech, OMAF and MRA Controlling weeds in horse pasture can be challenging. Weeds grow well in poor, overgrazed horse pastures, so good pasture management (sacrifice paddocks, rotation, mowing, fertility, drainage, etc) goes a long way in controlling weeds. Overgrazing thins the grass stand and […]
by Joel Bagg, Forage Specialist, Jack Kyle, Pasture Specialist & Melanie Beech, OMAF and MRA Well managed horse pastures can contribute significant forage to the diet, while providing necessary horse health benefits, fulfilling the horse’s psychological need to graze, and minimizing the risk of poisonous weeds. Too often we see over-grazed horse pastures, filled with […]
