Benefits of Proper Forage Management

If you ask any livestock producer what their primary goal is you more than likely will hear something about maximizing profits, after all farming is a business. Any serious grazier knows to get the most out of your forage it needs to be properly managed. If you make your living raising grass fed animals you better have the quality and quantity of forage needed for the job.

While proper nutrients and pest control are important management activities, to get the most from your inputs the forage needs to be utilized efficiently. While livestock have been bred to efficiently convert pounds of forage into pounds of meat, they still need a little work on how to be efficient graziers. Just like you and I if given a choice they eat what they like, when they want, and wherever in the field they wish to go. As managers it is our job to get them to be more efficient and utilize all the forage equally.

So, how can we improve grazing efficiency? Well, since you can not teach or train the animals you have to force them. To do this you must limit the size of the field or paddock, and shorten the amount of time they have to graze it. The most cost effective way to achieve this is by using electric fence, sometimes called power fence.

The purpose of this blog is to educate those wanting to improve the grazing efficiency on their farm; teach those wanting to get started in farming; share what has worked for others and what has not worked (no use reinventing the wheel); and promoting the wise use and conservation of our natural resources.

Stay tuned….