Grazing. Rules for grazing farm animals

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Green forbs is the most correct and natural diet for cattle. The grass contains all the nutrients needed for the proper nutrition of ruminants.

There are several systems of cattle grazing: free, on a leash, paddock. But the most effective in terms of increasing the volume of milk yield and gaining weight has been around-the-clock grazing.

Pros of grazing cattle

Cattle grazing is practiced in almost all latitudes of the globe. It's just that somewhere this process takes place year-round, and in most regions of our country - during 3-4 of the warmest months. The transfer of cattle to grazing, even for such a short period, has many advantages compared to the stall:

1. Cost reduction by 25-30%. Green grass is the cheapest food. It costs 2-3 times less than any analogue for stall keeping, therefore, the profitability of dairy or meat production will be higher.
2. Highbiological value of green herbs. Grazing on such a forage base gives high milk yields - up to 20 kilograms or more - and an intensive increase in meat mass.
3. Productivity. Milk yields are not only higher by 25-30%, but the product itself becomes more valuable - it contains a lot of carotene, milk is fatter and tastier. It is not for nothing that Alpine and Dutch milk are considered the best, while the product obtained from cows receiving silage has low taste.
4. He alth of animals. Pasture grazing eliminates the effects of unbalanced nutrition during the stall period.
5. Positive effect on reproduction. Higher fertility rates, more viable offspring, and overall fewer complications at calving.

Which pastures are best?

Cattle grazing is best done on intensively cultivated pastures. These are highly productive fodder lands - they are previously cleared of shrubs and sown with various herbs with good nutrition.

The basis is: four different varieties of ryegrass with different ripening periods and two types of clover or highly nutritious legumes. One field is pitted up to 10 times per season.

Basic rules for keeping livestock on pastures

1. Keeping a herd of more than 200 heads is impractical. With a large number of livestock grazing, some of the grass will simply be trampled down.
2. Green meadow area per livestock unit - 0.5 ha for adult animals and0.2 ha for young stock.
3. Completely transfer cows to the grass stands when the plants are at least 10-12 cm.
4. The transition to a green food base should be gradual, in the first 10 days the animals need to be fed.
5. You can start the grazing season half a month earlier if you graze on winter rye or cruciferous plants.
6. To avoid overripening of herbs, uneaten areas should be mowed.
7. Grass height should not be more than 15 cm, if it is 20-25 cm, then animals will eat 35-40% less on average.
8. Partial mowing and drying of grass tufts improves the forage base.
9. It is very important to provide animals with access to s alt - 150 g per day per cow.
10. Water for drinking in abundance - up to 120 liters per animal.

Restoration of forage base

With intensive grazing, pastures are depleted. In order to restore and increase their productivity, the following methods are applied:

• sowing seeds with pre-tillage;
• sowing seeds without tilling the soil layer to the depth of the seeder;
• surface sowing of seeds before the rainy period;
• fertilizer with mineral complexes and nitrogen compounds;
• flooding with meltwater in the spring.

Each of these methods will increase the efficiency of pasture forage base by 35-40%. But the most effective is a comprehensive improvement, that is, a combination of several methods. So you can increasepasture productivity by 2-3 times.

Rules for grazing livestock and poultry in settlements

In addition to large farms, there are also individual farms. And they also move their animals to pasture feeding during the summer. Grazing rules are determined by local governments, that is, the administration of a particular locality. They determine the order of organization of grazing, determine areas for pastures and cattle walking.

Accordingly, the rules vary depending on the specific locality, but in almost every code you can find similar provisions, for example:

• Animals must graze in fenced pastures, tethered or supervised by a livestock or poultry owner.
• Horses can only be pastured when hobbled.
• The owner must accompany the birds to a natural or artificial reservoir.
• Unsupervised grazing of livestock and poultry along the roads is prohibited.
• Before the start of the grazing season, the animal owner must apply to the administration for the allocation of a site and its lease for the summer period.
• The owner is responsible for livestock polluting the streets and sidewalks.
• Cattle must be marked with an individual number.
• When cattle die, be sure to notify the administration and do not dispose of animal corpses on your own.
• Pigs should only be kept in pens, without grazing and without access to other animals.

Full listthe rules for keeping livestock grazing must be found out in the local government, as in case of their violation, the owner will face an administrative pen alty in the form of a fine.