ColoKen - grazing question

[Anonymous-0]

Hi Ken;
You said that it takes 15-20 acres per beast - is that correct?
Over here the "normal stock rate" on good short term grass lays would be:-
Beef steer 12-18 months old - 1 acre per beast
Dairy cattle - 1.5 acres per cow
Sheep - 1 acre for 4 ewes & lambs.
This would be fertilized grass. They would aim for silage/hay crop plus grazing. ie 10 beef on 10 acres - 6 acres for grazing & 4 acres silage.
On poor upland grazing the numbers per acre would be lower.
Cheers David

 

[Chad Franke]

Yep, sounds about right. I grew up east of where Kenny lives about 70 miles or so. We had one pasture that was a section and a half (960 acres) and ran somewhere in the 150 head range on it (depending on the precip for the year). Couple years ago, guy running that pasture was down under 100 due to lack of moisture and grass.

That's just summer grazing (mid-late May to September), it would take about that much again to raise feed through the winter (one half cropped per year, other half in fallow each year). It's also common to rent corn stalk circles through the winter for grazing, could go most of the winter without supplemental hay on the stalks, only use hay after cows were brought home for calving.

There at one point we were running around 15,000 acres summer pasture for 500 cow/calf pairs, plus around 10,000 acres crop ground (mostly wheat), with roughly half the farmground fallow each year, plus renting around 5-6 circles of corn stalks for the winter. And we weren't that big of an operation, just Dad with me helping out (in high school).

 

[Coloken]

Chad anwered it real good. North east corner of Colorado -West of Kansas. Called "high plains" average rainfall about 12 inches. Elevation right at 5000 feet. Where there is no irigation we call it "dry land" Usual crop is fall wheat raised every other year on "summer fallow". Summer fallow means that all summer long you work it to kill all weeds, saves two years moisture for one crop. Allan does the same thing in western Nebraska. But then he does get rain once in a while. (BIG GRIN).

I should point out that the native grasses are excellent and will faten livestock if not over grazed. Is you ever saw the movie "Centenial" thats us. Can still find you a cowboy and horse.

 

[barnrat]

That's interesting. Here in NE USA, Western NY to be exact I'm feeding my dairy cows on on less then an acre/animal. I've been rotating 45 head on 25 acres up until this week(getting dry). They get about 7 lbs of grass baleage and 12 lbs. of grain while they are in for milking. They are averaging about 60-65 lbs of milk per day.

 

[Anonymous-0]

David
In the US our soil and precipitation varies a lot I run about 20 cows with cales on 25 acres of grass and then get hay off of another field (my nieghbor we have a deal we supplies my hay and I let him use my grain storage The farm I bought has a lot of storage but I do not row crop strictly cattle and Hogs). This rate is pretty typical in my area cows on pasture from late april, early may until october wean calves in september to dry lot.

Clint

 

[Oldmax]

David in different parts of the US the acre per head would vary . climate , water & & soil condition . & then there are people like me that just mow grass down to keep weeds and bushes from growing .

 

[Iowa_tire_guy]

I had a great uncle who ranched in the mountains of New Mexico and they fiqured grazing rate in cows per section (640 acres) and I think it was something like 15 to 20 head and they only grazed it every other year. Got their mail once a month when they went to town.