The two main components that determine profitability from livestock production are production costs and marketing. Money must be saved on the production end, acquired on the marketing end, or a combination of both, in order to insure a profit. Through marketing products directly from the farm to the consumer, producers are better able to control prices and not have to share profits. However, not all livestock producers are interested in using their time and effort to develop the skills necessary to sell their products to individual customers.
With proper management, production input costs can be minimized to produce higher profits. It is important to consider which methods of production are most effective and efficient in utilizing labor and resources. In order to compete in the world market, it is more important than ever to minimize production costs. The old adage, “practice makes perfect” is not always true if what you’re practicing is not effective. It is wise to periodically step back and assess what is working, and what isn’t. If you notice your pasture quality declining and commodity feeds and hay costs increasing, it can be a sign that something is out of balance. Here in southern Missouri we have some of the best grazing land in the country at a comparatively reasonable price. By utilizing some management practices, we can take advantage of that rich and abundant resource. For livestock producers to neglect or abuse pastures is like throwing money away.
Healthy, growing animals require an abundant supply of balanced, nutritional feed and a clean, accessible water supply. If a large banquet table filled with different types of food, including tempting desserts, was provided to a group of children, and those children were told to eat whatever they want, would it be a surprise to see them go to the desserts first? Now imagine that those same children were only allowed to eat what was originally placed on the banquet table until it was gone. Hunger would eventually force the children to eat the rest of the picked over food, but not with the same enthusiasm that they first started with. Essentially, that is what happens when cattle are turned into a large area and expected to ration out their own food supply over an extended period of time. The animals eat only the forages that they most prefer until they are no longer an option. Meanwhile, much of the other nutritional forages are wasted due to trampling, and manure deposits.
There are three main plant types in a pasture; grass, legumes and forbs, or weeds. The leaves of grasses grow tall, slender and upright. Legumes fit in the forbs category, but also have properties which separate them into a category of their own. The leaves of legumes and forbs grow in a broader, flatter manner. Green growing leaves collect sunlight and turns it into energy for plant and root health necessary for growth. When the tasty legumes and grass are eaten away, the forbs (weeds) are left to collect the sunlight and continue to prosper. Healthy stands of grass and legumes are better able to shade out weed growth.
Organic matter is the biological life of the soil. If a pasture is continually grazed short, there is a loss of organic matter from the soil. If the pasture is maintained in a healthy, vegetative state it helps to build organic matter. Organic matter is a source of soil nitrogen and other essential minerals. Because of its spongy make up, ample organic matter helps to fight soil erosion and minimize affects from short term droughts.
All living things need a rest period and plants are no exception. In order to rejuvenate and continue to grow, forages need a period of rest when animals are not able to eat or trample them. Rotational grazing allows for a forage rest period in one area, while providing the animals with sufficient nutritional intake from another area. Animals on pasture learn that by moving to another pasture they will have a fresh food supply available to them. After a few rotations the animals stand at the gate eagerly awaiting access to the new forage and the physical act of moving the animals from pasture to pasture becomes a quick and easy process. It can be as easy as opening and shutting a gate.
Proper management means working smarter, not harder. Controlled grazing practices lead to healthy productive pastures. Healthy, productive pastures lead to higher profitability in livestock production. Visit www.ozarksfn.com for information on your local NRCS office and controlled grazing information.
Connie Krider owns PowerFlex fencing and is a writer and livestock producer in Wright County, Missouri.
