Extending the fall grazing period with better quality forage, and using
cattle to control brush regrowth are among techniques being showcased in
B.C.’s Peace River Region that could benefit Prairie livestock producers.
The on-going, on-farm demonstrations near Dawson Creek feature practices
that could be used in other parts of the country, points out Julie
Robinson, a forage coordinator with the Peace River Forage Association of
British Columbia (PRFA).
The demonstration projects, launched in 2004 and continuing this year
include stockpiling conditioned, standing forage for fall use, using
cattle to control brush regrowth on logged land, dual cropping a cereal -
once for silage and later for fall grazing, and using cattle in early
summer to manage an oat crop to be used for swath grazing.
“These are relatively simple techniques intended to produce more and
better quality forage later in the year,” says Robinson, who is
coordinating the demonstrations, which are partially funded by the beef
section of the federal Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Program (GHGMP) for
Canadian Agriculture.
The GHGMP is a national program funding dozens of on-farm demonstration
projects across the country.
“The demonstrated practices not only improve forage and livestock
productivity, but at the same time can help reduce greenhouse gas
emissions produced by beef cattle,” says Robinson.
Productive forages and pastures, and healthy soils, for example, help
capture the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and store it as carbon in the
soil. Improved feed efficiency and feed quality helps reduce the amount of
methane produced by livestock. And even swathing feed in the summer so
cattle can graze in the winter, reduces the amount of tractor and feed
truck operating time, which helps reduce emissions produced from burning
fossil fuels, while significantly reducing feed costs for producers.
 Stockpiling
forage
PHOTO: Stockpiled forage provides extended fall grazing.A rotational grazing system that left grass available for late fall
pasture, produced not only a longer grazing season for livestock, but also
high quality forage, says Robinson.
“The stockpiled forage was grazed from October to December and had up to
14 percent protein and high energy levels in the range of 65 percent total
digestible nutrients (TDN),” she says. “There was even enough forage left
to be used as early spring pasture in April.”
The tame and native grass pasture was part of a rotational grazing system.
Cattle were removed from a pasture area in June and the grass allowed to
regrow without grazing until after the killing frost.
“The grass regrowth was essentially the stockpiled forage to be used to
extend the grazing season,” says Robinson. “Removing cattle mid-way
through the growing season conditioned the forage so it retained quality
through until fall.”
A key element to making the system work is a managed or rotational grazing
system, she adds. Rotational grazing can increase both the quality and
productivity of pastures, making it possible to carry cattle on active
pastures while an area is set aside for use later in the season.
 Suckers controlled
PHOTO: Cattle control brush and poplar regrowth on logged pasture. Seeding disturbed soil after logging, and proper grazing management are
tools to be used to prevent poplar regrowth from choking out grass, says
Robinson.
In this demonstration, the producer/cooperator used grazing to control
poplar tree and shrub shoots and suckers that rebound after logging. The
disturbed soil on the 40-acre site was aerial seeded after logging with a
tame forage mix that included fall rye. The site was divided into
five-acre paddocks and managed in a rotational grazing system.
“There was an excellent catch of grass which helped to control weed growth
as well,
says Robinson, noting the area generally receives good moisture to support
grass production.
The cattle were moved to a new paddock every three to four days. The
management strategy called for slightly heavier grazing pressure on each
paddock. “Our guideline was to monitor the grazing and leave the cows for
one day longer than a person might do otherwise,” says Robinson. “ That
forced the cattle to browse more trees and shrubs, and the suckers were
also controlled to some extent by trampling.”
As the demonstration continues through 2005, the plan is to create a
deferred rotational grazing system so paddocks aren’t grazed at the same
time every year.
Dual purpose cereal
The PRFA will also demonstrate a dual purpose cereal silage crop again
this year. Working with another producer/cooperator, the barley seeded for
silage also provided extended fall grazing.
Often barley silage is viewed as a one-time harvest opportunity in July,
explains Robinson, but in this project regrowth on a 40-acre barley field
provided a full month of grazing through September.
“It may not be an option every year if the crop doesn’t have the regrowth,”
she says. “But in 2004 weather conditions provided good recovery of the
barley. The producer was able to take silage and then get an extra month
of quality pasture he hadn’t expected. He plans to include the annual
cereal in rotation with hopes of getting two crops every year.”
 Conditioned swaths
PHOTO: Conditioned swaths provided high quality winter feed. A similar demonstration project in 2005 plans to use cattle to condition
oats to produce high quality forage for swath grazing in the fall. To
optimize the feed value of the swathed cereal, usually oats are cut at the
early milk stage. To ensure the crop doesn’t get too mature before
swathing oats are usually seeded late.
In this project, explains Robinson, the idea is to manage maturity by
grazing oats for a couple weeks in mid-June.
“We’ll plant oats in the typical seeding window of early May and then be
able to get perhaps two to three weeks of grazing in mid-June,” she
explains. “We’ll remove cattle by early July and the oats will regrow and
ideally be in the early milk stage by fall. We’re using the cattle to help
condition the oats rather than delay seeding.”
All demonstrations are designed to improve forage and beef productivity,
and at the same time benefit the environment.
“Through these management techniques we intend to produce more, high
quality forage which is good for beef production, and it also helps to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Robinson. “The forage is able to
sequester carbon from the atmosphere and the improved feed efficiency
reduces the amount of methane gas produced per pound of feed eaten.”
For more details on PRFA projects, visit their website at
http://www.peaceforage.bc.ca/info.htm
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