Patience is Key in Strategic Grazing Practices
Barrett Simon, Livestock Agent
Manipulation is often a word used with a
negative connotation; however, the art of manipulating cattle to graze an
overgrown area or piece of grass that they typically avoid, can be just what
the doctor ordered for some pastures.
Whether it be the farthest grass from a pasture with a lone pond or a
stand of fescue, utilizing these areas can be pivotal in many operations.
Time and time again we drive cattle to a part
of the pasture that we want the group to graze, and time and time again they
end up right back in the original spot the very next day. Sure, things such as water availability and
mineral feeder placement can play a factor, but Bud Williams, one of the most
impactful cattle handling experts of our time, was quoted in Drovers saying that “Animals stay where
they’re comfortable, not where there’s the best feed.” Is it possible that relying on the herding nature
and low stress handling could prove to be successful in getting cattle to graze
specific sections of grass? Whit Hibbard
and Dawn Hnatow shared their expertise with Drovers
by giving some of the following tips to do just that.
First, minimize force. Many cattle handling experts have stated the
concept that cattle will always want to return to wherever it was they came
from. This is why S-curve chutes and bud
box systems have become so popular as they revolve around that state of
mind. It is no different in a wide open
patch of grass. If we drive them even
semi-aggressively, we will probably get them to the destination but it won’t be
long and the group will turn right back around.
Next, let the cattle become comfortable.
Not only will moving them at their own pace help with this but also
allowing them to stop on their own accord, spread out and begin grazing. Finally, give yourself plenty of time to
stick around. Hang tight until the
entire herd is comfortable and out grazing.
Every herd, no matter the size, has the dominant animal. As you read this, I would bet we all have
that one boss cow or a certain tag number of a stocker that is always a thorn
in your side. That one animal seems to
always change the dynamic of the group and when settling the cattle into a new
area, it is imperative that all of them are content. We all know that if that one animal decides
to head out, the rest of the group will certainly follow suit.
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| Photo By: Wyatt Betchel |
It is always a pretty sight when the herd is
spread out, grazing in different directions, paying no mind to one another and
no mind to you. Once this occurs, we
know the cattle are content and that if one animal starts grazing off in a
different direction the rest are not worried enough to follow them. For Post Rock cattlemen reading this article,
many of you have seen this far more often than I have and understand good
stockmanship practices. There are no
magic words and it is certainly not a new concept. Rather, I believe the most important factor
is realizing the patience it takes to accomplish this. All too often, and I’m guilty of it myself,
we have so much going on in a day that we are trying to cram and get cattle out
and move on to the next task. Taking the
time to allow the cattle to move at their own will and for us to somewhat manipulate
that movement will prove much more impactful in getting groups to graze those
tricky areas and allow us as producers to utilize all of our grass, an asset
that is harder and harder to come by.
We are fortunate that Dr. Justin Waggoner,
K-State Beef Systems Specialist, is highly knowledgeable when it comes to
stockmanship and cattle handling. If you
have been to any Post Rock Extension meetings, you may have heard from Dr.
Waggoner or you may have seen some of his information that I’ve shared in this
paper or via radio. With further questions,
I would be glad to work alongside of you and Dr. Waggoner in improving
techniques or approaching issues that you feel may be able to be solved by
using a different approach to cattle handling.
Source
Hibbard, Whit & Hnatow, Dawn “Placing
Cattle”, Drovers, March 2018
Post Rock Extension District of K-State Research and Extension serves
Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, and Smith counties. Barrett may be
contacted at Barrett8@ksu.edu or by calling Smith Center, 282-6823, Beloit
738-3597, Lincoln 524-4432, Mankato 378-3174, or Osborne 346-2521. Join us on
Facebook at “Post Rock Extension” along with our blog site at
postrockextension.blogspot.com. Follow us on Twitter @KSRE_PostRock. Also
remember our website is postrock.ksu.edu
