Egyptian wheat....mowing.....planned grazing

[Bowman]

70 days later....not only has pasture composition changed and need some trampling....but our mystery plant from earlier in the year is blooming. Does not appear to be a plantain. Any ideas now?

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The top picture looks like a type of Hosta.

 

[dgallow]

The top picture looks like a type of Hosta.

Perhaps you are correct.....may have girls dig them for flower beds at house....be envy of the hood. May also plant some NWSG to harvest seed.


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[dgallow]

Cover crop drilled into mowed briers/weeds/brambles....10 June.....29 July pics....just before cow turn-in. It will feed more animals than a thorn bush ever could!

All legumes are welcome here....both tame and native even so called 'invasive'.....air is 80% nitrogen....learn to harvest and appreciate free N!

All plants are welcome here.....biodiversity is what drives the healthy soil system and gives rise to animal diversity. Timely management is needed to keep balance in the plant community. Do realize grasses are the main drivers of soil health.....not forbs....not legumes...not woodies. An over abundance of forbs as with woodies meets the blade!

And many are worried about grassy or forb type weeds in small food plots?....be real! Learn to understand the ebb and flow of your system....the things which matter! If I worried about weeds on the entire ranch, what would quality of life be?....pretty poor!

Here is the food plot planted and roll sprayed with ACV back in May. Did it matter? No....not really.....tall plants now provide tremendous capture of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from air and N from understory or residual legumes. Stop and think for a moment....C H O and N make up 95-97% of plant matter....minerals 3-5%....where should you focus you efforts?...biodiversity and maximum leaf area per acre...soil water... IMO.

Cows....at this time 2 paddocks further away from weaning fence. No bawling, that was over first few days as the need to fill the belly trumps most everything! What do cows do? They eat material further into the plant which has quality unsuitable to meet deer needs....reread that so you understand the following. The bitten plant repairs itself by growing new material to capture sunlight and provides deer quality forage in that new regrowth. Savvy?

If Temps are above 72F (both low and high), the cow can't cool herself so will spend most of day in shade resting.....then fill her belly at night (7pm to 2am) so the heat of fermentation in the rumen can best be dissipated in cool of night. Sound like summer deer patterns don't it?.....and for the same reason....i.e. Dissipation of metabolic heat from rumen fermentation!

Meanwhile weaned calves enjoy full access to lush forage growing from atmospheric N captured by fall/winter/spring vetch and stored in soil. There is ACV in the water tank for general health...testimonials not science.....I'd bet a tank full of clean water does the most good on way less $$....since our calves use mainly pond water.

The process of Hotwire and bunk breaking calves....it can be real complicated or real damned simple. I like real simple.....calves move weekly to fresh forage at low stock density so why challenge a fence?......they have eaten soy hulls at 0.375% BW 3x per week since 15 July weaning....with no competition from adult cattle. Hook the portable troughs to ATV and for-sure the tribe follows like puppies on a string....even into the corral....which is real handy come sale day! Notice again how dark green the forage is from 'free atmospheric N'!

Cows also speed nutrient recycling.....urine is instant source of N and Na and K for soil biology....nutrients in manure require preparation before recycling. The little guys, e.g. Dung beetles, really liking the heat.....for free they take that manure and bury it in soil for you....alas 'natural knifing it in'.....and by dessicating manure fly larvae are toasted in the process.....alas a biological insecticide. So before you go spray against flies....think about it....the whole system needs flies.....cow needs a fly load to develop immunity for fly resistance.....some soil bugs need fly larvae (i.e. Maggots) for food. Save ur spray for when and if fly prey overrides natural predator capability!

About 2008 we were told to get rid of cattle as they compete against deer. Really?

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[dgallow]

30 days post weaning tomorrow.....no dusty dry lot, no ionophones, no low level feed grade antibiotic, no implant, no coccidiosis, no respiratory disease, no pinkeye. None of the crap that don't matter! Vaccinated against clostridial and respiratory disease to challenge and boost immune system....now that does matter down the road for calves! Dung beetle friendly dewormer took care of Cooperia and barber pole worm (yes verified before and after with fecal samples). No brown stomach worm which is a blessing.

$1.75 per lb takes all.....weaned....preconditioned.....settled.....wire and bunk broke....ready for a new zip code.

12 boys

One girl with udder scarring from infection....make a good feeder calf not a good momma.

Star and another heifer get to stay and try to become good mommas....but they soon have to compete with mature cows for that right! Deer don't put their fawns in a weaning pen! Why should cattle differ?

Star's momma sure is a dandy little cow!

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[Mennoniteman]

I enjoyed reading your articles and pics. I agree 100% in the importance of biodiversity in wildlife habitat. But I have a weakness in one area, my clover patch. Grass can and will totally ruin a clover field prematurely, and it's so cheap and easy to keep that from happening with a timely shot of clethodim. I just love to see a deer knee deep in a lush clover stand. But I also have fields that look like your top pics, with just about anything growing in them, and I have fields that I leave like that for years, until I can just so get through with the bush hog, which I will mow in alternating strips about every 3-4 years. This method makes some great habitat.

 

[dgallow]

I enjoyed reading your articles and pics. I agree 100% in the importance of biodiversity in wildlife habitat. But I have a weakness in one area, my clover patch. Grass can and will totally ruin a clover field prematurely, and it's so cheap and easy to keep that from happening with a timely shot of clethodium. I just love to see a deer knee deep in a lush clover stand. But I also have fields that look like your top pics, with just about anything growing in them, and I have fields that I leave like that for years, until I can just so get through with the bush hog, which I will mow in alternating strips about every 3-4 years. This method makes some great habitat.

Not against herbicide....not against mowing.....but those need not let one lose focus of the whole picture!

What if I told the you the easiest most persistent clover patches we have maintained required no more management than what a cow and planned grazing can provide? We have more clover now than we ever had and it does quite well! No mowing clover....no herbicide....no fertilizer....no reseeding...none of that 'to do list' BS you read about! This was first documented in a book by Andre Voison almost 100 yr ago....'how to manage for or against certain plants with timing of intense grazing and suitable recovery'! What I can state with 95% confidence.....put white clover seed in the right spot and you can't kill it out with the things which should kill it out....even with hard effort! This holds true on our farm and many ranches across the mid-west I visit. Can you imaging volunteer white clover so competitive that it's hard for a guy to get grass established in it? The 5% lack of confidence is reserved for severe droughts....when clovers and most other cool season C3 plants (this includes oak trees) get put back in their place. We must remember that the high plains, northern plains southern plains of the central US....and prairie/savannah ecosystems of the eastern US corn belt.....were once C4 warm season grass dominant systems due to long term climate patterns (I'm talking centuries and eons). You don't really seeC# native prairies till you get way up north! C4 dominant doesn't mean lack of C3....those native ecosystems were and still are a 'mix of diverse species'. And for good reason....C3 plants inefficiently use water which is a tremendous benefit during normal/above normal rainfall patters to keep soil aerobic.....but when it get's really dry, C4 plants (NWSG, lespedezas, asters, ragweeds etc) are incredibly efficient at using scarce water and persisting through drought! IT all comes down to root character, root depth, and soil fungal symbiosis. We have not seen anywhere close to the most severe droughts....but must always keep in mind where our ecosystem is headed based on our climate trend...manage according to the trend.....in wet years you fight brush....in dry years you can knock it back easily!

What I need to emphasize from the prior two posts is that grazing managed by man and fence (rather than cow and unmanaged free range grazing) minimizes competition for resources between stock and wildlife....improves animal health, parasite encounters/loading/resistance, soil health, soil water holding capacity, plant diversity, plant regeneration, plant recovery/persistance and so on. Mature cows don't get fly and worm resistance if never exposed to fly and worm loads as adolescents....kep em moving to clean pasture let em suffer through parasites for a while...treat out of necessity not convenience....cull the ones who can't cope without repeated treatment crutch. Clover won't gain browsing and drought tolerance unless it has coped with both of those stresses...and likely in tandem! Deer have coped with EHD by the same exposure/immune boost/resistance mechanism...we didn't treat or vaccinate them for EHD, yet endemic areas are rebounding! As bad as you think CWD is....keep in mind there is no cure....we must have faith the animal will cope and adapt resistance through the natural process of 'epi-genetic adaptation'.

Simply put...the most beneficial thing we have done for the least cost on the ranch for wildlife and ecosystem as a whole is implement the planned grazing tool. The more paddocks we have the better we can adapt and cope with the chaos nature throws at us. 2 herds reduces our flexibility....so I don't like to wean for any longer than necessary to settle calves and dry up cows.

On your clover deal....I am of the opinion both white clover and bermudagrass benefit from partial shade (grass for the former and tress/shrubs for the latter)....direct sun scorch during intense sun and high heat will send both packing for summer dormancy....you learn these things through observation not books!

Another tool (some consider it more than a tool) is prescribed fire in the above mentioned ecosystems. Set back brush...regenerate herbaceous growth....thins grasses too. Grazing restores grass density (if intermittent with long recovery) and with some types of management (patch/burn grazing) prolongs forb and legume availability. Stockmen like fire because of the increased rates of gain and body condition. Fire allows for near maximum leaf area index with the regrowth...all new leaves capturing sunlight...increasing root exudates in soil...increasing soil microbial activity and increasing plant brix content....thus animal performance increases due to higher nutrient density....not due to fire...simply due to increased green leaf area per acre. Use of both tools needs to be carefully weighed and properly timed as overuse of both has lead to range health decline in 3rd world countries as well as the US!

Jeff Hodges was kind enough to send me links to these two great videos on prescribed fire. I am thankful to have him as a friend! Thought I would share them here before updating our native habitat stuff.

Fire Up Your Beef Production (Short Version)

Fire Up Your Beef Production (Long Version)

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[dgallow]

50 d recovery on switchgrass since postfire grazing. What a hardy plant!

Ungrazed post fire growth behind the wire looks awesome. Giant paspalum coming in. It's one of the unsung heros of tall NWSG.....wide leaf.....short recovery. My heaviest steer made fast gains on paspalum, lespedeza and by sucking about 5 cows!

Patch burn grazing (foreground) showing higher forb density and shorter NWSG than ungrazed burn (background). But are the forbs wildlife beneficial? So many observations to ponder!

Greasy grass (purple top) is ready to graze. A mid-height NWSG.....upper left of pic.

I need to keep in mind that last year we ran cows through here 3-4 times.....to put pressure on NWSG and reduce fuel loading for fire break buffer. Not wise to hit a native area hard two years on a row.

We want to manage for NWSG in general....so are the other species (blue stems and Indian and spear-top)fully recovered in 50 d?

The answer is...NO....all NWSG are not fully recovered!

Due to our flexible grazing plan we have options on where to move the cow herd who was finishing up on the cover crops in brier project. Option 1) graze the rangeland knowing all NWSG are not recovered or 2) skip the native paddock and move to 80 d recovered tame pasture with clover? I chose second option to let NWSG express full potential And graze them as winter stockpile.

The tame stuff was thick...got extra days on it while leaving plenty leaf behind.....you think deer have crosshairs on clover regrowth there?....absolutely!

Breezed over 30 d recovered tame stuff after that as the next move would be more complicated than my son's time off work would allow. Our plan is also flexible in terms of available labor. Hitting the 30d stuff again will lessen mower power needed as a prep step to drill winter annual mix next month.....so the grazing plan allows flexibility in objectives also. Bermuda can be grazed on 14-28d recovery for best performance, but cattle will pick up a worm load.....don't do it very often!

Temps cooled and cows hit the 30 d stuff diffidently hard.....full as dog ticks....some dirty backsides from the lush growth...as expected. They are due to calve next month so 'flushing' is welcomed.

Moved them yesterday into our oldest paddocks which were 85 d recovered. Well pleased to see an increase in bluestem and other NWSG species. None of these were planted.....all the result of hoof impact and long recovery. Most NWSG benefit from 90+ d recovery in our area. This is second mesa ground and soil eroded during the dust bowl.....best to graze when soil moisture is available for warm season recovery...2.6" last week.....1.3" this week....that should do. The more paddocks you have the easier it is to hit or skip moisture sensitive areas!

Pictorial tour ends on switchgrass seeded May of 2016 on new pond reclaim ground. Very poor and stony site. Matter of fact, I broke 4 drill springs seeding cover crop there in June. Won't do that again....broadcast and use cows from now on or unroll and feed hay there. The switch grass here was literally leveled last winter as this was where hay was fed to custom herd early Feb. Switchgrass is a tough and awesome plant for poor sites.....deep roots, good grazing, but it's recovery period is too short compared to most of our native species here. Switch, Johnson and purple top have recovery times more suited to tame pasture forages (i.e. 35-60 days). IMO they have the most potential there since most tame pastures lacks upper canopy structure.....but switch is slow to establish and susceptible to competition.

Upperstory switch with understory scribners panicum ( native C3 cool season perennial) and striate lespedeza. The understory could easily house a tame perennial clover once organic matter rises to 4-5%. Clovers tend to be shallow rooted thus requiring high SOM for persistence.

Just graze and observe.....for what you see is true...what you read may just be to get your dollars,
Doug

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[catscratch]

Either I'm starting to catch on... or you're dumbing it down some. I suppose it doesn't really matter which. Great series of posts, looking forward to the next series.

 

[Lewi B]

Thanks for the update on the herd. I am no cattleman but with your explanations on habitat and herd management I have begun to understand the principles. Since learning from your writings and links I find myself observing and analysing habitat with different eyes and thought processes.
I look forward to your next writing.

 

[Mennoniteman]

50 d recovery on switchgrass since postfire grazing. What a hardy plant!

Ungrazed post fire growth behind the wire looks awesome. Giant paspalum coming in. It's one of the unsung heros of tall NWSG.....wide leaf.....short recovery. My heaviest steer made fast gains on paspalum, lespedeza and by sucking about 5 cows!

Patch burn grazing (foreground) showing higher forb density and shorter NWSG than ungrazed burn (background). But are the forbs wildlife beneficial? So many observations to ponder!

Greasy grass (purple top) is ready to graze. A mid-height NWSG.....upper left of pic.

I need to keep in mind that last year we ran cows through here 3-4 times.....to put pressure on NWSG and reduce fuel loading for fire break buffer. Not wise to hit a native area hard two years on a row.

We want to manage for NWSG in general....so are the other species (blue stems and Indian and spear-top)fully recovered in 50 d?

The answer is...NO....all NWSG are not fully recovered!

Due to our flexible grazing plan we have options on where to move the cow herd who was finishing up on the cover crops in brier project. Option 1) graze the rangeland knowing all NWSG are not recovered or 2) skip the native paddock and move to 80 d recovered tame pasture with clover? I chose second option to let NWSG express full potential And graze them as winter stockpile.

The tame stuff was thick...got extra days on it while leaving plenty leaf behind.....you think deer have crosshairs on clover regrowth there?....absolutely!

Breezed over 30 d recovered tame stuff after that as the next move would be more complicated than my son's time off work would allow. Our plan is also flexible in terms of available labor. Hitting the 30d stuff again will lessen mower power needed as a prep step to drill winter annual mix next month.....so the grazing plan allows flexibility in objectives also. Bermuda can be grazed on 14-28d recovery for best performance, but cattle will pick up a worm load.....don't do it very often!

Temps cooled and cows hit the 30 d stuff diffidently hard.....full as dog ticks....some dirty backsides from the lush growth...as expected. They are due to calve next month so 'flushing' is welcomed.

Moved them yesterday into our oldest paddocks which were 85 d recovered. Well pleased to see an increase in bluestem and other NWSG species. None of these were planted.....all the result of hoof impact and long recovery. Most NWSG benefit from 90+ d recovery in our area. This is second mesa ground and soil eroded during the dust bowl.....best to graze when soil moisture is available for warm season recovery...2.6" last week.....1.3" this week....that should do. The more paddocks you have the easier it is to hit or skip moisture sensitive areas!

Pictorial tour ends on switchgrass seeded May of 2016 on new pond reclaim ground. Very poor and stony site. Matter of fact, I broke 4 drill springs seeding cover crop there in June. Won't do that again....broadcast and use cows from now on or unroll and feed hay there. The switch grass here was literally leveled last winter as this was where hay was fed to custom herd early Feb. Switchgrass is a tough and awesome plant for poor sites.....deep roots, good grazing, but it's recovery period is too short compared to most of our native species here. Switch, Johnson and purple top have recovery times more suited to tame pasture forages (i.e. 35-60 days). IMO they have the most potential there since most tame pastures lacks upper canopy structure.....but switch is slow to establish and susceptible to competition.

Upperstory switch with understory scribners panicum ( native C3 cool season perennial) and striate lespedeza. The understory could easily house a tame perennial clover once organic matter rises to 4-5%. Clovers tend to be shallow rooted thus requiring high SOM for persistence.

Just graze and observe.....for what you see is true...what you read may just be to get your dollars,
Doug

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I watched the video on fire, thanks for posting. Although I've never done it, I'm planning to give it a try, in 2009 Pennsylvania finally recognized the value of controlled burning and put laws in place to make provision for it.
And a good primer on clover, I always knew that clover is difficult to start if you don't have a nurse crop, but never really made the connection between that and organic matter. I agree that white clover is persistent to the point that it would be classified as a weed if it wasn't beneficial to so many different species, even the bees love it. I have a few narrow strips of clover in the woods (about 45 yds wide) that is partially shaded. These won't go dormant as quickly in midsummer and have beautiful clover right now. I only need a shot of spray to help it get started, then it's good for years with doing nothing to it. I don't even mow it, the deer have volunteered to do that for me as part of the rent for using it.

 

[dgallow]

Glad you guys are gleaning useful information from the posts. Working 7 d a week so not much time to post.

Fire is a great way to stimulate biodiversity when combined with timber thinning in brush choked areas. First fire gives tremendous diversity but to sustain that diversity over time excess fire tolerant brush must be controlled at the stump.

As warm season forbs near maturity nutritional value declines.....further, pollen is an irritant and may deter animal use of that forb during that growth stage. In normal summers, cool season forbs remain dormant at that time. To avoid a slump, disturbance is needed to rid most of the forb excess but stimulate new growth of the mowed survivors. Forbs in wheel tracks will be spared....rebound quickly and maintain field structure. August is a prime month to mow excess warm season forbs.

Once in 10 years problematic sprouts (mainly persimmon and honey locust) begin to encroach into open pasture. Mowing is ineffective on most sprouts. When sprouts are of suitable base diameter I mow forbs tall and skip sprouts. Then hand cut and treat sprouts. You can also treat via basal bark application. 3 part diesel to 1 part Remedy Ultra.....great spot treatment herbicide. The brush blades for weed eater can be sharpened with chainsaw jig and file.

Under excess forbs there is often a mix of both warm and cool season grass and warm and cool season forb.....balanced diet. Keep blade high to avoid clipping leaf tips of grass. 2,4-D will nuke most clovers and take out your protein supplement and free soil nitrogen generator!

A 'clean pasture' can still be amply diverse. Too much cleaning comes with a cost from unintended consequences and loss of biodiversity. Brush and weeds are inevitable in 30"+ rainfall zones....get used to it and work with it to your advantage.

Just graze and observe,
Doug



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[lakngolf]

[QUOTE="
Star's momma sure is a dandy little cow!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]

Yall excuse me while I pick my nose! Always amazed me how that strong tongue of a cow was like a hand.

 

[dogghr]

A question D on something you mentioned. I've noticed around my grasses that the clovers are actually twice the height of more grass less areas and this even includes more invasive type grasses. Is there a symbiotic type relationship her in that the grasses use the N of the clover increasing soil nutrient and OM which the clover then thrives upon?? Never been much to worry of weeds and grasses in clover plots but have paid more attention to this phenomenon of late when mowing.
I did read article mainly dealing with native grass management, that mowing grass less than 50% of its top growth allows roots to continue growing without pause. Mowing more than half its growth ceased root growth for 17+ days.

 

[dgallow]

Doug,

Clovers network with grasses via mycorrhizal fungi. This feeds additional nutrients to clover and allows flow of N from clover to grass. Most all grasses, except KY31 fescue, host mycorrhizae. It is unclear if the fungi of fescue roots network with clover. I would say they do as clover will grow quite well in fescue. Further, most grasses form canopies taller than most clover, so the response of the clover is to elongate it's stem to capture more sunlight.

The canopy effect is why I have moved to ladino type clover in pasture overseeds. Ladino seems to cover more area in Bermuda in a more collorabitive manner, than the medium type white clovers (Durana, LAS1 etc) which tend to form small patches of monoculture in their preferred soil sites.

Just graze and observe,
Doug

 

[dgallow]

All,

It has been a while since I've posted. Extremely busy on all fronts. Everyone is healthy and the Lil Blonde is having a great school ball season. Enjoying seeing her play out her senior year...she has one offer and we hired a recruiter to find her more college ball opportunities. Grandson is doing well and his face lights up when I visit.

I have started weekly blogs on Facebook to target a different audience....the consumer and potential buyers of our grass fed feeder calves and grass genetic replacement stock. I will be spending very little time on the deer forum as a result. You may follow me on FB, Doug Galloway. If viewers show interest in wildlife habitat management, then I will address those questions along with cattle stuff.

This thread on Egyptian Wheat has come full circle. We are grazing the plots now, then mowing behind the herd for planting prep. I did not mow any lanes before turning cattle in....they pave their own way! Mowing short after grazing not only releases clover but it also provides good mulch cover and suppresses warm season grass growth for the cover crop seedlings.

I want to close out this thread with a few pictures which reiterate the utility of EW.

EW has a well anchored root bracing system which protects against lodging. The root ball on a 14' plant is massive and that creates soil health at depth. Drought tolerance is excellent. Cattle grazing preference is extreme due to high brix content and wide leaf. None of this was fertilized....fertility is supplied by the cool season cover crop legumes and by cow biology. This pic is 96 days post planting.

Another in a different spot at 113 d post planting.

At turn in yesterday, majority of herd is in plot. What....you can't see them? Not to worry....it sounded like lumberjanes at work from 250 yards! You can hear them!

They look like stuffed animals when done and fall into a 'grass coma' while loafing! It's a great forage to top off body condition just prior to calving and lactation.

The best part of EW is that it provides excellent hiding and thermal cover for the newborn calves. Protecting them from blackhead vultures above and providing thermal cover the first 10 days of life when they are poorly able to self regulate their body temperature.

This Oldhe black angus heifer gave birth in the plot yesterday morning. Totally unassisted delivery as has held true for all heifers thus far. Look real close to see him!

Really pleased with the Oldhe line so far......moderate frame, high gut volume, easy fleshing, early shed to short slick shinny hair coat, heat and fly tolerant, calm disposition, excellent mothering instinct and great udders.

The forums have been a fun ride for many years. I've been fortunate to meet some great friends, gleaned good advice and gained some treasured memories. Godspeed in your wildlife habitat management and may He bless you in all you do!

As always just graze and observe,
Doug Galloway

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[catscratch]

Dang man, going to miss you on here!

 

[lakngolf]

WOW, some fat cows, ready to deliver. Hope they all go as smooth as heifer above. My Dad had about 350 head calving at tops for his herd. Always had to pull 8 - 10, either breached or some other cause. Those were days before handy come alongs. We used old Block and tackle rope pullers. Would ALWAYS tangle, but got the job done. I have hanging in my shed the neat little smooth chains that went around calve's feet.
Will look for you on FB. Good luck to blondie in college ball!

P.S. Lot of Doug Galloways on fb. Help us find you.

 

[dgallow]

Really?....I only sired one namesake and he is in SE OK currently.

Fayetteville AR......a black lab and 2 bucks on profile pic.

Nobody around to pull one.....they have to do it themselves!

 

[dogghr]

All,

It has been a while since I've posted. Extremely busy on all fronts. Everyone is healthy and the Lil Blonde is having a great school ball season. Enjoying seeing her play out her senior year...she has one offer and we hired a recruiter to find her more college ball opportunities. Grandson is doing well and his face lights up when I visit.

I have started weekly blogs on Facebook to target a different audience....the consumer and potential buyers of our grass fed feeder calves and grass genetic replacement stock. I will be spending very little time on the deer forum as a result. You may follow me on FB, Doug Galloway. If viewers show interest in wildlife habitat management, then I will address those questions along with cattle stuff.

This thread on Egyptian Wheat has come full circle. We are grazing the plots now, then mowing behind the herd for planting prep. I did not mow any lanes before turning cattle in....they pave their own way! Mowing short after grazing not only releases clover but it also provides good mulch cover and suppresses warm season grass growth for the cover crop seedlings.

I want to close out this thread with a few pictures which reiterate the utility of EW.

EW has a well anchored root bracing system which protects against lodging. The root ball on a 14' plant is massive and that creates soil health at depth. Drought tolerance is excellent. Cattle grazing preference is extreme due to high brix content and wide leaf. None of this was fertilized....fertility is supplied by the cool season cover crop legumes and by cow biology. This pic is 96 days post planting.

Another in a different spot at 113 d post planting.

At turn in yesterday, majority of herd is in plot. What....you can't see them? Not to worry....it sounded like lumberjanes at work from 250 yards! You can hear them!

They look like stuffed animals when done and fall into a 'grass coma' while loafing! It's a great forage to top off body condition just prior to calving and lactation.

The best part of EW is that it provides excellent hiding and thermal cover for the newborn calves. Protecting them from blackhead vultures above and providing thermal cover the first 10 days of life when they are poorly able to self regulate their body temperature.

This Oldhe black angus heifer gave birth in the plot yesterday morning. Totally unassisted delivery as has held true for all heifers thus far. Look real close to see him!

Really pleased with the Oldhe line so far......moderate frame, high gut volume, easy fleshing, early shed to short slick shinny hair coat, heat and fly tolerant, calm disposition, excellent mothering instinct and great udders.

The forums have been a fun ride for many years. I've been fortunate to meet some great friends, gleaned good advice and gained some treasured memories. Godspeed in your wildlife habitat management and may He bless you in all you do!

As always just graze and observe,
Doug Galloway

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Well that sux. But I get it. Thanks for a lot of info shared on this an old forum. I get to compare cattle farms on the way to mine. I can quickly pick up lot of info you have shared observing them from good to bad, and I thot I had a good grip on cattle and sheep management from my past experiences. Sure glad got to personally tour your place last year. We will do again someday. You continue the mission on FB as that is your calling. Thanks.

Really?....I only sired one namesake and he is in SE OK currently.!

Well now those DNA tests have not made it back yet and not so sure of that claim!! That one standing alone in the field does resemble you and your mane somewhat. You be good son, been a fun ride.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

Thanks again D!!!