For stock producers wanting the most out of their pastures , mensurate forage dry matter mental object before and after livestock graze is the most effective direction of superintend an intensive skimming system .
Pasture measurement allows a grazier to determine how much pasturage dry affair is available in a pasturage paddock , and once estimate , the manufacturer can calculate how many animate being should be range for a given period of time of time .
“ forage measure will help the grazier to make decisiveness about how to well utilize lea paddocks and over time will provide a trend of how much forage wry matter is being produced per week , ” says Rory Lewandowski , Ohio State University Extension factory farm and natural imagination pedagog .
“ Using this case of information can avail a grazier plan the livestock revolution for periods of rapid increment as well as periods of dense growing , ” he says . “ The style can provide an early monition system in a drought year and serve the grazier plan accordingly . ”
When to Measure Your PastureLewandowski offers some strategy for taking pasture measurements . One scheme is to mensurate a paddock due to be pasture on a weekly basis .
“ This will give you an idea about your gyration speed , ” Lewandowski said . “ If you systematically measure 2,400 to 3,000 pounds of forage teetotal matter per acre in paddock about to be grazed , this indicates the rest period period has been long enough .
“ If forage ironic affair is less than 2,200 pounds per acre , then rotation speed should be slow down down to grant the pastureland more meter to go back and uprise . ”
Another scheme is to measure the paddock before and after creature are turn out .
“ These extra measure will give you information about how you are managing plant life residual , an important part of how quickly a works recovers from a grazing passing play , ” he said . “ Most grazing land should be managed so there is 1,200 to 1,400 Pound of pasture dry matter after animals have grazed . This will also give you a good idea of pasture growth pace in damage of how much juiceless matter is being lend per acre each week . ”
How to quantify Your eatage
The Pasture StickTo take pasture measurements , the most economical choice is to use a pasture stick . The current pasture control stick model being used in Ohio has a shell to quantify forage altitude , a graduated table to estimate pasture denseness , a table of Cypriot pound of ironic issue per column inch for various grazing land foraging type , information about length of grazing rotation and information about calculate the pounds of wry matter available for browse .
The Rising Plate MeterAnother option to measure pastures is the rising plate meter , which has a built - in counterpunch .
“ The plate meter is quicker , but the price of this instrument is about $ 450 , compared to $ 5 to $ 7 for the pasture stick , ” tell Lewandowski . “ It is important for grazier to put some effort into pasture measurement . Pasture measurement can help take some of the guesswork out of allocating grazing land foraging and it can help slim the side of the learning curved shape associated with management intensive shaving . ”
For more information on pasture measuring and the instruments used , contact Lewandowski atlewandowski.11@osu.edu .
