Hey Josh! What in your experience is the main factor in motivating a cow to graze non selectively (aside from genetics)? The inherent competition from high density grazing with her herd mates? Or needing to finish filling her belly and all the goodies have already been eaten? Both? In other words, when do you see them eating an unpalatable plant? Is it at first move into a new break or later on when most everything else is already eaten? Nit picky questions, I know. Just curious about what you have observed. Thanks a lot. Eric
It goes hand in hand with higher stock density, and it won’t happen immediately just because of higher stock density it takes a little while for it to happen. Also you will likely have to be at a minimum of 500,000 lbs per acre for several weeks/months before it will start to happen. To start with they will just graze the things they normally graze but once that is gone and before the next move they begin to pick at the less palatable stuff and learn that they can eat them. Pretty soon you will actually see them select things like thistle or horsenettle when they first move into a new paddock. I think part of it also is competition with their herd mates to get the best first.
Hey Josh! Quick question, I’ve got a setup similar to this where I’m trying to backfence my cattle in my paddocks instead of strip grazing them and having them come back to water over 6 days or so and making trails. My longest run I’d have to make away from my main waterline is 550ft. In your experience, would this be too much poly pipe for one guy to handle moving around the pasture? How does it coil when you’re at a closer paddock and you have 300 extra feet of it? Would it be best to split it in half and only use the other half when needed at the further strips? Thanks for any advice!
You should be able to handle that. I don’t usually coil it up as it’s a little harder to manage I just leave it snaked out on the ground. If moving it long distances I just pull behind the gator or 4 wheeler if that’s not an option like crossing a highway or something then I coil it up and haul it.
Girls are working hard! Thanks for the water tank tip.
Great tips and advice Josh
Your cows eating thistle is the best example of nonselective grazing I have ever seen
Hey Josh! What in your experience is the main factor in motivating a cow to graze non selectively (aside from genetics)? The inherent competition from high density grazing with her herd mates? Or needing to finish filling her belly and all the goodies have already been eaten? Both? In other words, when do you see them eating an unpalatable plant? Is it at first move into a new break or later on when most everything else is already eaten? Nit picky questions, I know. Just curious about what you have observed. Thanks a lot. Eric
It goes hand in hand with higher stock density, and it won’t happen immediately just because of higher stock density it takes a little while for it to happen. Also you will likely have to be at a minimum of 500,000 lbs per acre for several weeks/months before it will start to happen. To start with they will just graze the things they normally graze but once that is gone and before the next move they begin to pick at the less palatable stuff and learn that they can eat them. Pretty soon you will actually see them select things like thistle or horsenettle when they first move into a new paddock. I think part of it also is competition with their herd mates to get the best first.
Hey Josh! Quick question, I’ve got a setup similar to this where I’m trying to backfence my cattle in my paddocks instead of strip grazing them and having them come back to water over 6 days or so and making trails. My longest run I’d have to make away from my main waterline is 550ft. In your experience, would this be too much poly pipe for one guy to handle moving around the pasture? How does it coil when you’re at a closer paddock and you have 300 extra feet of it? Would it be best to split it in half and only use the other half when needed at the further strips? Thanks for any advice!
You should be able to handle that. I don’t usually coil it up as it’s a little harder to manage I just leave it snaked out on the ground. If moving it long distances I just pull behind the gator or 4 wheeler if that’s not an option like crossing a highway or something then I coil it up and haul it.
Thanks for the reply! I was planning on just leaving it snaked on the ground. How long of a run from your main water point are you doing?
@@haydenlejeune3601 About 1600’ but I have to drag it with my gator too heavy to move by hand.