Wednesday, March 24, 2010

March 25, 2010 Grazier Blog

Welcome to my first "grazier blog" entry. As I watch the rain coming down, slop through the mud choring and bemoan our cow's body condition, it would be easy to slip into a dialogue about the bad weather and the very, very tough past four months of winter. I will instead, focus on a brighter future and list my goals for this farm's grazing operation in the coming year.

1)Delay the start of breeding season until July 15th.

2)AI the yearling black heifers to a calving ease polled Hereford bull.

3)Combine the fall calving and spring calving herds into one unit.

4)Try some high density, controlled grazing on mature grass stands.

5)Continue quail habitat/grazing trial plot work

6)Focus our long term beef breeding program on 5 frame cattle with easy fleshing characteristics.

7)Raise the money to facilitate the purchase of a newer big round baler capable of baling crop residues, especially cornstalks.

8)Install rip-rap in at least one washed out crossing

9)Convert the syphon watering system on the Ryan pond to a through-the-dam system with a hydrant to allow for year round livestock watering.

10)Continue removing unwanted trees and brush from our pastures, especially honey locust tress and multi-floral rose bushes.

11)Continue to expand our sheep herd using Ile de France breeding stock.

Each of these goals could be a blog topic in themselves and I hope to touch on all of them in later blogs. Email me anytime with your thoughts and questions. Good grazing to you, Bill

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