This article was originally published in the Spring 2024 edition of Virtual Beef. Pastures in Ontario usually consist of a mix of bunchgrasses and sod-forming grasses. This diversity in plant structure encourages livestock to sort through the pasture, spending grazing time seeking the most palatable plants instead of maximizing forage intakes. Increased forage intake leads […]
Pasture managers can determine the minimum grass growth rate required to feed their herd or flock. Producers who track grass growth rates and compare them to their minimum required rate can make proactive management decisions to avoid running out of pasture. […]
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 […]
Photo: Low cutting heights increase the odds of soil contamination in the crop. Soil contamination shows up in ash contents above 9%. This can be prevented by raising the cutter bar. Fall and Winter Conditions Rain delays in 2017 pushed harvest in some areas into the critical fall harvest period. Root reserves that contribute to […]
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 […]
Frost seeding or the broadcasting of forage seed on frozen ground in late-winter or early-spring can be an effective way of improving the forage quality and yield of thinning pastures. It allows for the establishment of forages at reduced cost in an undisturbed sod and also shortens the non-grazing period in the spring. For frost […]