– Jordan Penrose, Ohio State University Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Gallia County
Anything that reduces stocking density will reduce field pugging and mud.
As the winter season continues for us and spring is fast approaching, it is time for spring calving. For some calving season has started and for the rest who calve in the spring, calving season is starting soon. Since the start of the year here in Ohio, we have seen a wide variation of weather conditions. We have cold and warm temperatures, rain and snow, and we have also been muddy. Most people here in Ohio, calve outside on pastures, and that can be tough on the pastures. You must consider a lot when it comes to calving pastures, like the field conditions, where is the water, how far is away is the field from your facilities if you need to get a cow in a better place to assist her, and whether you are feeding hay or are the cows on a stockpiled field.
Trying to manage your pastures can be difficult no matter the time of the year, but when it is winter and early spring it can be more difficult. During this time of the year, bad weather conditions can be problematic, and you have to feed out on those pastures, in bad conditions. Mud may be one of the most problematic things we deal with during calving. Mud can cause problems for both cattle and pastures. Mud can increase stress for cattle by requiring 30% more net energy for maintenance. Small amounts of mud 4-8 inches can reduce feed intake by 5-15% and when mud is 12-24 inches, feed intake can be reduced by 15-30%. The pastures also have stress on them as well. When stockpiled forages are gone and the ground is thawed, paddocks can decline rapidly. Feeding round bales is where you are most likely to see the most damage because the cattle are spending most of their time there eating. You also have the areas where you are driving to get hay to the cattle that can become problem areas as well if it is muddy, especially driving up hills and going through gates. You can reduce damage in the field by having hay in one location, water in another location, and mineral in a different location from those two, so the cattle get around and move to minimize major damage to one location.
There are a few options that can help you reduce mud in your pastures, especially if you are calving in them. If you have a larger herd one option could be to reduce the stocking density on one field and maybe divide into two groups, so there is less foot traffic on the pastures, and you can divide your groups by when they are due to calve. Fields that sit higher in elevation and have some slope to them will dry out faster because water will drain off easier, and sun and wind will reach these areas first, to help them dry out. As compared to fields that sit low and have no slope, and just sit wet for the winter months. Another option could be calving on a hayfield that has a good sod base to it and does not sit wet. This field will have some sort of growth that can be grazed. The amount depends on when your last cutting was, you may need to supply some sort of supplementation, like corn and minerals. If you do choose this as an option one thing to watch for is “pugging” from the hoof action, also need to consider water source, fencing, and moving of animals. On our family farm, we have a hayfield where we put our spring calving heard on for the first three to four weeks of calving in March. Then we start grazing, we have three fields that are for both grazing and hay, and we stop grazing them by mid-April, getting one to two grazing’s before we let them grow for hay, and we see little reduction in the hay yield. This allows us to graze and stop feeding hay sooner. Just remember if you choose to gaze a hayfield move the cattle before it gets muddy in the field. A future option that you may consider is the use of a heavy-use pad to feed on and to put cattle on when weather conditions are bad so that you can limit damage to your fields. One option that should be considered as the last resort option is the use of a sacrifice pen. The pen should have easy access to feed hay, very little slope for no erosion, and easy to reseed. Remember one thing, sometimes Mother Nature wins.