Introduction to Pasture Management

Introduction to Pasture Management ANSC 110 August 31, 2010

The basics…  Pasture is healthy for your animal  Sunshine

 Room to roam, play, socialize with others  Allows for natural eating behaviors  Nutritious

The basics…  Properly maintained pasture: 1. Can provide adequate energy, protein, vitamins and minerals to maintain most animals

2. A cheap source of feed for your animal

What is a High Quality Pasture?  Characteristics  Dense  Diverse  Weed-free (relatively)  Well-drained  Crumbly, porous soil  Palatable

Advantages of Pasture  Promotes normal healthy behavior  Providing space for play and exercise  Promotes social interaction

 Reduces development of vices

Advantages of Pasture  Reduces likelihood of colic  Lowers incidence of gastric ulcers

 Decreased incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Heaves)  Increases bone mineral content in young horses

Advantages of Pasture  Can produce 1-4 tons of forage matter/acre/growing season  Reduces hay costs by approx. $60-100/month

Advantages of Pasture  Reduces fertilizer costs when manure spread properly during year  Pasture recycles nutrients from dropped manure  Reduces need to manage bedding from stalls and drylots

 $avings

Advantages – Environmental Returns  Reduces erosion  Recycles nutrients  Supplies land surface for ground-water recharge  Provides an aesthetically pleasing environment for rural and residential neighbors

Disadvantages of Pasture  Some weeds, grasses, and legumes contain toxic compounds:  Weed examples:  Jimsonweed, yellow star thistle, pokeweed

 Grass examples:  Tall fescue

 Legume examples:  Aslike clover, red clover

Disadvantages of Pasture  Spread of gastrointestinal parasites  Infective stage of parasites shed in feces  Optimal conditions for larval development  High stocking rates  increased risk of infection

 Manure management, appropriate stocking density, and deworming important for horse health on pasture

Disadvantages – Pasture Associated Laminitis  Condition of the foot characterized by inflammation of the tissues connecting the hoof wall to the major bone of the foot  Severe cases may result in rotation of coffin bone  High prevalence in overweight animals  Hereditary trait in ponies

Creating a Quality Pasture  Things to consider…  Management of the animals  Grazing management  Pasture management  Timing

 Utilize your growing season  Optimize the stocking rate

Horse Grazing Behavior  Time spent grazing varies  Weather  Forage availability

 Alone vs. with pals  Flies  Age

 Will consume approximately ~ 2 – 2.5% BW in DM on a daily basis

Horse Grazing Behavior  40-80% time spent grazing  9% of a horse’s time is spent walking  5-10% time spent lying down  Primarily 3-4 hours before dawn

 SELECTIVE GRAZERS

Horse Grazing Behavior

Grazing Management  Optimize forage available  Leave some for later. Avoid overgrazing.

 Know when to graze, when to rest  Grazing Systems  Continuous

 Rotational  Strip

Grazing Management  Periods of occupation  Recovery periods  Stocking rate and density  Paddock/pasture design  Climate considerations

Optimize the stocking rate  Stocking Rate - a measurement of the longterm carrying capacity of a pasture; the number of animals on the entire grazing unit for the entire grazing season  Stocking Density - the number of animals on a given unit of land for a specific amount of time (short-term measurement).

Pasture Management  Obtaining that optimal pasture requires management of the:

 PLANTS  SOIL

Pasture Management  Species Selection  Pasture Ecology  Water requirements  Temperature  Plant anatomy/growth factors  Pest control

Pasture Management  Pasture Nutrition  Sunlight / Water  Nitrogen  Potassium  Phosphorus

 Other nutrients required  Soil acidity (pH level)  TIMING!

Timing  TIMING IS EVERYTHING!!!!  Seeding  Grazing  Resting  Irrigation

 Fertilization  Climate-dependent

Utilize your growing season  Different species of plants have different growth curves  Variety  healthy pasture year-round

What’s Coming Up?  What plants do I want?  What plants do I NOT want?  How do I get rid of the “stuff” that I don’t want?  How do I keep my pasture looking good?

 Pasture Ecology  And more . . .