Jaylor: Pasture Points to Ponder

Pasture Points to Ponder…

PPPPPasture Points to Ponder…

Once again the pasture season is upon us, here are a few points to ensure that your

pastured animals have a successful season!



Research suggests that sugars begin accumulating in forages at a steady rate from an hour or two after sunrise and continue until

one to two hours before sunset.

This suggests starting cutting at mid afternoon and continuing until an hour or two after

sundown. This will provide a six to seven-hour cutting period, which is common to many

operations.

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What does this mean to you?

It has been demonstrated that dairy cows strongly preferred hay cut at sundown

compared to hay cut at sunup, due to the high soluble sugar content.

Keeping with the old adage “More in, more out”: cows ate more forage and produced more

milk when fed late cut hay. This proved truefor animals pastured as well as animals

fed dry forage.•


Pastured animals must have free and easy access to high quality clean

water.



Remember that if you are pasturing animals this summer they MUST have shade.

Cows are susceptible to sun burn in the same manner that humans are, in addition, high exposure to sunlight also increases the

possibility of “cancer eye”.



Close-up dry cows in particular must have good shade.

Newborn calves are very susceptible to heat and sun and will not survive for long

exposed in the mid-day heat.



Heifers less than one year of age can be stressed on pasture, due to competition, heat

and parasites.

It recommended that they summer inside.



One strategy used by many producers to lessen heat stress, is to pasture animals later in the afternoon and over night; keep them in the barn until after lunch when the sun is at

its hottest.


Remember that pasture quality drops rapidly, particular if growing conditions are good.

Pasture quality adequate to support milking or young animals is often diminished by July.

Fence-line or portable manger supplementation of protein &/or energy ingredients are often needed, particularly to heifer groups. Work

closely with your nutritionist here.


The most neglected ingredients in pasture situations are vitamins and minerals.

Good consumption of adequate vitamins and minerals often requires a carrier such as

grain and this is usually not accomplished on pasture.

“Lick” products are often a good remedy to this situation and ease with labour in the

busy summer months.


Remember to check on pastured animals regularly.

Check body condition score and growth in young animals; watch for any health or injury

issues.

It is distressing, unnecessary and often very costly to repair “wrecks” in the fall because of

summer pasture mismanagement.


Remember to bring animals in at the end of the pasture season, and this is NOT the first

snowfall!

Animals out of the barn are “easy” to manage. But by mid to late summer pastured animals require so much supplementation that it is

usually easier simply to bring them back into a more controlled environment. As with the

above point, avoid “wrecks”, bring them back in early, not late!

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Jaylor: Pasture Points to Ponder