Simple Solutions Can Aid Pasture
Published: Friday, January 12, 2024
Simple solutions can make a pathway fix to pasture problems for sheep, particularly for smaller flocks with limited pastureland. Kim Cassida, MSU Extension Forage Specialist discussed wimple repairs to consider when evaluating pasture problems that impact forage quality during Michigan Sheep Producers annual symposium held Jan. 5-7 in Lansing.
"You don't want to just be randomly doing things and hoping it turns out well," Cassida said. Begin by assessing the pasture quality, soil health, yield goals, and if the pasture feeds additional species than the sheep. She also indicates that simple solutions are often the slowest in showing results. Improvement decisions need to be evaluated through a lens that includes time, available equipment and costs.
Weeds can indicate either soil fertility or grazing management issues. Herbicides cannot solve problems in a legume/grass mix pasture as herbicides cannot selectively kill one class of plants or another. However, herbicides can be used to spot treat selected areas. Mowing and hand removal are elimination methods, and sheep can also be trained to graze and remove weeds.
Soil tests will shed light on fertility issues, and major soil nutrients should be corrected before micronutrients are addressed. Commercial fertilizers and lime are a first resource and supply an infusion of macro nutrients. Foliar fed nutrients are expensive. Manure is the obvious natural fertilizer which captures all nutrients unused by the animal. Additional feed offered in the pastures such as hay and grain are another source of soil nutrients. Targeting problem areas by feeding hay and providing water there is a good approach to quickly improving less fertile spots.
Cassida says that pastures thrive when potassium levels are correct. Potassium is the most important nutrient to promote disease and insect resistance and winter survival. Potassium readily leaches away through water, but organic matter helps retain it.
Nitrogen (N) is a tool often used first in pastures, but Cassida says that a stand with 25% legumes should provide enough soil nitrogen for adequate grass growth. Fertilizer N may drive extra grass growth that peaks about six weeks post applies. Grasses that respond best to N are orchardgrass, tall/meadow fescue, festuloliums, and Perennial ryegrass.
Complete pasture renovation is an expensive proposition. Cassida offered a helpful rubric to determine whether to renovate or replace. If the stand is primarily species that are desirable, then renovation is the answer. If the stand is mostly weeds or undesired species, and a reduced or non-existent harvest can be afforded for the year, then replacing the stand is the best option. If the pasture is nearing the end of its life cycle, the replace or renovate decision is more a matter of timing as to when—now or later—the replacement will take place.
Pasture will improve with managed grazing, but time, livestock water availability and fencing are sometimes limiting factors. Temporary electric fence subdivisions are more affordable than permanent pasture; a high output solar charger that keeps sheep contained begins at $600.
Toxic plants are feared by beginning grazers, but Cassida reminded the audience that sheep are not horses and are far less susceptible to plant toxicity. She said that all plants are toxic, but it is the dose that makes the poison. A few weeds that sheep should never consume are Poison hemlock, Spotted water hemlock, White snakeroot, Cocklebur and cherries.
A good mix of grass and legumes is beneficial, and renovating pasture by inter-seeding additional species can improve total yield and seasonal yield distribution. It will improve stand persistence, digestibility, and feed value, improve soil health through root diversity, provide better erosion control and help suppress weeds. A mix should be less than 50% legumes to manage risk for bloat.
Cassida recommends using the NECS Guide to Pasture Condition Scoring which can be found online with an NRCS search, or in a local NRCS office.
Wool, while worth little in the commodity market, can be an added value to a farm. Penny Swierengen and Ellen Zawada are both experienced wool growers, marketing wool in various finished forms direct to retail buyers. Fleeces intended for further processing should be 3-5 inches in cut length.
Swierengen demonstrated a comparison in fleece strength with two separate fleece samples from her Romney flock. One sample was sheared when the sheep were damp, and a faint crackling sound could be heard when the sample was stretched. The other sample was undamaged by moisture and had no associated crackling sounds. Standing water, mud and dampness cause the wool to lose strength, a defect that is evident through the crackling sound.
Keeping weeds, hay, and debris out of fleeces improves value and reduces cleaning time.
"Never throw hay over the backs of sheep," she said. "Alfalfa leaves and small pieces of hay become stuck in the wool and cannot be washed out."
Zawada said that there a vast pool of artisans looking for local, real wool that is not dyed or processed in China. Indi dyers are located throughout Michigan and can be a good source to sell fleeces wholesale, but at a higher price than the commodity market.
Pelts are popular items that can be sent away to a tannery and later sold for a high value. Yarn and products such as scarves, mitten, and blankets can be created by sending wool to mills that will create the roving and yarns to send to other processors who can create a specific farm product line using the wool produced on farm.
Both women stated that wool is a valuable product, and there is demand. It just takes longer and requires more labor to extract real value from the wool.
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