The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Agricuture Week Wednesday, March 21, 2012 D-3 Grazing bites: Don't be fooled by warm winter weather By Victor Shelton NRCS Grazing Specialist They say that this is the mildest winter we have had in more than a hundred years; I'll take their word on that. It cer- tainly is the warmest or mildest I can remember. First time I ever saw daf- fodils blooming in Feb- ruary and I think the ear- liest I've ever seen forag- es starting new spring growth. The recent snow though reminds us that winter is not quite over yet though. Now, just because we have some new growth coming on in the pas- tures does not mean to let the livestock have at it…not just yet. Grazing too early in the spring does nothing but re- move some of that solar panel the plants need to start building sugar and growing new roots. The forages really need to be able to canopy over and get a good start before animals start removing that top canopy or pro- duction will be reduced. Now, sometimes you want to set the stand back a bit to remove some competition. Such would be the case where you have frost seeded clover into the fi eld. This would only be a factor if it was not grazed down tighter at the end of the previous grazing season or as dormant stockpiled forage. If it was grazed down close before, espe- cially if grazed down be- fore going dormant last fall, then you don't want to graze it close again, just utilize it in the nor- mal rotation. Fields that were grazed down tight last fall or over winter as stockpiled forage will not have adequate standing dry matter…fi ber avail- able and will for sure not be the best fi elds to start grazing early any- way. Those fi elds will lack suffi cient fi ber to go with all the washy high water, high protein forage that will come on with fi rst growth. All ru- minant livestock need to balance the carbon ni- trogen ratio in their ru- men to maintain that mat. If they don't then they will not perform the way we want them to, i.e., less gain, less milk production. It just goes through them fast- er than they can effec- tively utilize it…you know what means… don't stand too close be- hind those cows! If you would look at the manure consisten- cy during that time pe- riod, it could be very thin, almost watery, not that pudding consisten- cy that is ideal for the rumen. Fields that do not have adequate dry matter to go along with that lush new growth will need to be supple- mented to keep the an- imals in balance. This is a good time period to put out some low quality hay, baled corn stalks or even straw; if they need it, they will eat it. On a different note, as you have heard me proclaim before, now is a good time to get those soil tests done. Of course, if you haven't taken any for a while, then it is even a better time. They will pull pret- ty easy right now and you should have plenty of time to get them sent in and get results back in time to apply any needed nutrients before the real growing season. It is extremely diffi - cult to maintain a stand of quality forages that will produce quality nu- tritious feed without ad- equate soil fertility lev- els. Everyone has tried it, but you soon see that by "getting by" with low- er levels of nutrients, es- pecially phosphorus and potassium, you are just that, "getting by," but with lower yields, lower quality forages, and low- er carrying capacities. Just like an annual fi eld crop, your forage crop needs to be fertilized and managed. Nothing affects avail- ability of nutrients more than calcium. It is one el- ement that I'm not sure you really could ever over apply and certainly one of the best fi rst dol- lars spent! Calcium and its relationship or ratio with magnesium, have a major impact on the for- ages ability to extract nutrients from the soil and certainly the acid- ity or alkalinity of the soil which can certain- ly dictate what will or can grow there. I would shoot for at least a 4:1 ra- tio of calcium to magne- sium, or 5:1 if a dairy. If you are really short on calcium and start fi xing that problem then you might fi nd out that oth- er elements might start becoming more readily available. I've seen avail- able phosphorus almost double after lime was ap- plied or especially high cal lime. If total phos- phorus is a lot higher than available phospho- rus on a basic soil test, then calcium is normal- ly not adequate. Though I really think that lime is best applied in the fall to allow plen- ty of time over winter for it to break down some, if you are really short, best to go ahead and apply some and preferably pri- or to new spring growth. Regular Ag-lime will be the most economical, but if really low and you are seeding pH sensitive species, you might want to apply some pellet- ized lime which is more readily available. Coated seed for legumes is nev- er a bad idea, especially if it includes some lime in the coating along with inoculants and a small amount of nutrients for that seedling to take ad- vantage of. That coating also makes seeding tiny seeds easier. Now let's talk about timing of fertilizer ap- plication. If you are go- ing to be taking an early cutting of hay off a fi eld, then putting all of your fertilizer on early spring is not too bad an idea; especially any nitrogen. The history of the last three years would make me think twice about the possibility of too much growth early making it harder to dry if cut for hay or purely getting out of control if grazing. If the application is on pas- ture, then you may want to rethink that just a lit- tle. No use adding fuel to the fi re adding a lot of nitrogen to that spring growth spurt, you are much better off to wait and do at least a split application. Put on half of it in mid June toward the end of the spring spurt and the other half on early fall to help that great fall growth period. That June application often will help you keep things going through the summer better…es- pecially with some time- ly rains. Ideally, if you are in a good rotation, apply some fertilizer af- ter every second graz- ing. If you are planning on utilizing summer an- nuals this year you may want to go ahead and or- der that seed; supplies may be limited because of the severe drought in the south-west where a lot of that seed is grown. As always, keep on grazing! UPCOMING EVENT • NE Indiana Pas- ture Walks: April will start the pasture walks in the NE corner of In- diana with one the sec- ond Thursday of each month from 1 to 3 to 4 p.m. or until done. The fi rst one is scheduled at the Jim Courtright farm, a cow/calf producer in Steuben Co. Contact La- Grange County SWCD (260)463-5200 ext. 3 for more information. Safety essential when taking kids to visit a farm Kids often fi nd farms fascinating places to vis- it. Playing with animals and running around in the vast outdoors are just what many kids adore. As fun as farms can be for kids, parents know they can be equally as dangerous, especially for kids visiting farms on va- cation or school trips. Fortunately, there are many ways concerned parents can protect their farm-friendly kids with- out taking the fun out of their next visit. PROTECTION FROM CHEMICALS Kids must be protected from chemical exposure on the farm. Exposure can happen in a number of ways, be it inhaling or breathing chemicals into the lungs or contact be- tween chemicals and the skin or eyes. Kids can even ingest chemicals by eating or swallowing something on the farm. Protecting kids from chemicals, such as pes- ticides, on the farm re- quires that parents edu- cate children about cau- tion or warning labels. Teach kids to stay away from items with caution labels. A caution label is typically used to indicate hazardous items that can cause minor or moder- ate injury. Warning labels are often used to indicate items that cause more se- rious injuries and possi- bly death. Another way parents can protect kids from chemical exposure is to be a good role model. When using chemicals, also be especially careful, wearing protective cloth- ing and discarding con- tainers and other materi- als properly. Make sure all containers are tight- ly closed and stored in locked cabinets that are out of reach of curious kids. PROTECTION FROM ANIMALS Animals present a ma- jor hazard to kids when kids visit the farm. Many kids love animals, and that love often takes precedence over safe- ty. When kids are visit- ing a farm with livestock or other animals, parents should emphasize the fol- lowing points so kids can enjoy the animals with- out risking injury. * Remain calm and move slowly and quietly when around animals. * Avoid an animal's hind legs and approach larger animals at the shoulder. * Steer clear of animals with newborns, no mat- ter how cute and cuddly such animals might ap- pear. * Wear proper attire, in- cluding steel toed shoes. Kids should always wear helmets when riding an- imals. Additional safety mea- sures parents can take in- clude keeping kids away from stallions, bulls, Mary Hathaway THOMPSON INSURANCE is happy to welcome... HATHAWAY ...to their agency as an agent. Call today for your insurance questions and needs. MARY M.R.K. Equipment Co. Inc. Hwy. 64 East 18 Years Insurance Experience Call Mary today for your insurance questions and needs. We'll Be There. 514 E. Main, Washington, IN • 254-1987 514 E. Main Street, Washington 877-250-1987 or 254-1987 Princeton, IN 47670 812-385-4876 or Toll Free: 1-800-264-1482 M.R.K. Equipment sales and service for over 30 years. boars, and rams, and em- phasizing the importance of having an accessible escape route whenever working with animals. PROTECTION FROM GRAINS A host of hazards ex- ist on a typical farm, and grain equipment is no ex- ception. Though fl ow- ing grain might not ex- cite kids who have been around it, kids are often fascinated when they wit- ness grain production on a farm for the fi rst time. It's very easy for kids to get trapped in grain or swept away by fl owing grain, the force of which is diffi cult to understand by those who have nev- er seen grain production close up. When visiting a farm, parents should ensure that all access doors to grain storage structures are locked before letting kids out of their sight. In addition, ask if it's possi- ble to shut off power to grain-producing equip- ment. Keep kids away from grain wagons and do not permit them to enter grain storage ar- eas. When taking kids to farms with heavy grain production, employ the buddy system and ensure each child has an adult with them at all times. Farms are fun plac- es for kids, but parents must be diligent and em- phasize safety when visit- ing a farm with their chil- dren. Insurance is our fi eld Mary Hathaway Thompson Insurance, Inc 514 E. Main St Washington, IN 47501 (877) 250-1987 "Over 18 Years Insurance Experience" Though fun places to visit, farms pose many hazards to children. Parents must emphasize safety when visiting farms with kids in tow.