Winter Stockpile Demonstration, December 9, 2003, Leroy Hutchison Farm, Polk County
Bob Howe explains some points of stockpiling fescue for winter grazing.
- Less hay needed
- Higher quality nutrition
- Better utilization using strip grazing
- Uniform manure distribution
- Calculating grazing strip size
- Calving on clean pasture
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Leroy explained improvements made using the DSP-3 Practice. He installed one freeze-proof stock tank and two hydrants, buried water line, and electric fencing to better utilize his forage growth year around. |
| Richard McConnell explained the extension of water lines using above ground pipe for spring through fall grazing. He also discussed the use of polywire electric fencing placement to better utilize stockpiled fescue. |
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An attendee at the demonstration asked about grazing stockpile in snow. It used to be believed that cows would only graze through a few inches. New thoughts are that they can and will graze through deeper snow.
The morning after the demonstration was a good test, with 6 to 8 inches of new snow on the ground. It was time for a new strip, and the cattle quickly learned to nose down through the snow for the tasty stockpile below. |
Would the cows graze through it? The answer was yes!
These pictures give an idea of the depth of snow they would graze through. Can or will they go deeper? Maybe.
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The second day after the snow and getting the new paddock, the cattle had cleared away large areas of snow to get to the grass. |
| Looking down over the paddock, see all the grazing action. |
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They ate right up to the hot wire marking their grazing strip. |
And it snowed yet again 3 days later.
The cows are pros at eating through it by now! |
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