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Hot
Link: The Grazing Wedge
Here's
a simple (but powerful) tool for pasture management.
At his
Owenlea Holsteins website, dairy
grazier F.W. Owen clearly explains an important concept that he admits once
eluded him -- and continues to elude other graziers.
But once
understood, the grazing wedge is a powerful tool that will help you:
- inventory and ration out your pasture.
- know when to get the haybine ready.
- predict shortfalls in pasture forage.
With the help of a
low-cost, farm-made pasture plate, a weekly pasture walk to measure standing
forage, and a simple spreadsheet program, you can construct visual
representations that will help you manage your paddock rotation more precisely.
Explore the rest of Owens' site while you're there. It's perhaps the best
grazing site on the 'net.
The
plate: |
|
The
pasture-walk data: |
|
The
grazing wedge: |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 | Graphics
courtesy Univ. of W.Va. Extension (left) and F.W. Owen |
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Craig Cramer
cdcramer@clarityconnect.com
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