Post on 22-Jan-2018
Integrating Livestock into Organic Field Cropping Systems
ACORN Conference Charlottetown, PEI
November 23-‐ 25, 2015
Ruth Knight – Organic Consultant Inc
1. Minimize soil disturbance -‐ tillage
2. Keep soil covered 24/7
3. Living roots as long as possible
Gruver, Joel http://www.slideshare.net/jbgruver/
1. Diversity
4. Diversity
Cool Season Grasses Oats Winter Rye Winter Triticale
Warm Season Grasses Millet Sorghum Sudan
Cool Season Broadleaves Radish Turnip Peas Clover
Warm Season Broadleaves Sunn Hemp Sunflower Buckwheat Cow Peas Faba Beans
5. Integrate livestock
Gabe Brown, Bismark ND Two similar fields: diverse rotation, no till, cover crops One field had livestock grazing 2 years out of past 6 Field that was grazed:
Nitrogen similiar Phosphorous difference 65 # versus 239# Potassium difference 429# versus 595#
changes in OM 1993 to 2014 1.7-‐1.9% to 5.3-‐6.1% value nutrients N,P,K, S 1% OM $751 5% over $3700
Fill nutritional quality gaps for livestock
Use a grazing chart to show peak growth nutrient wise of
rangeland -‐ cool season and warm season
Fill in gaps with crop land -‐ grazing corn, turnips/vetch,
oat/peas BMR Sorghum Sudan
Build grazing plan so try to graze the entire year
Minimize the gaps that have to feed hay
Use refractometer to check on nutrient quality -‐ Brix
easiest way to start with integrated livestock fall seeded biennials
difficult to get cover crops started in perennial grasses...seed into cropland
winter triticale, hairy vetch after cover crop forage winter wheat winter pea hairy vetch and radish brix 16, adg 2.0+
radish will winter kill but radish go several feet deep. adding radish to winter wheat increase yield 5-‐7 bu, nitrogen scavenger release N in spring, help with infiltration
bring cropland up or regenerate..need to add livestock to cropland
allow biennials to get mature with higher carbon state, go with high stock density over 700,000 # ac, move multi moves, use open heifers to matt down carbon, to get more carbon into the soil
dung and manure all spread out 368 head X$1.20/head/day = $441.60/acre gross Expenses, seed seeding, land cost, labour $84 net income per acre-‐ $357.60 plus value of enhanced soil health and rest on pasture
directly seed diverse warm season (late June early July)
sorghum sudan, millet, sunflower, buckwheat. cowpea, sunn hemp etc along with some cool season
to set the drill, put in the middle notch, large seed push up small seed
some spp specific for livestock-‐plaintain for internal parasite control -‐ no dewormers needed, cattle will select
cattle eat money for every $1 they consume they will deposit approx .$85 somewhere on your farm
will they deposit in the correct location bale graze in the place you want to improve
Broilers 5# dressed bird sell at the farm 999 birds per farm limit net profit /bird 12.25
old stock trailer and retrofit -‐ photo sensitive eye above access door
use quick coupler to water line in pasture pull eye mobile on opposite side of water move egg mobile every 5 days 600 hens @ 5 days/ac @350eggs/day $583 cost of hen, feed market and processing $156 net profit /ac $427 selling at $4 per doz...$5 next year sell out at market in 5 minutes sell only once per week
put hens in hoop house (portable) in winter time
feed screening from grains pigs on pasture in rotation
11 piglets per sow Ranch Profit $141 Retail Profit $517 Total Net Profit $658 per hog
1200# animal at 735 days of age Ranch Profit $998 Retail Profit $645 Total net profit $1633
hair sheep -‐ no time to work with wool, learning curve 1.6 lambs per ewe slaughter
finish on cover crops Ranch Profit $62 Retail profit $128 Total net Profit $190 per lamb $270 per ewe
350 cow calf pairs, 400 to 800 stocker cattle, grass finish beef, ewe flock grass finish lambs, egg layers, and broilers, pasture pork, market grain through livestock, limited by slaughter facilities.
harvest different levels of energy stacking enterprises -‐ cash crops, lamb, beef, education, poultry, bees, grazing, vegetables, hunting, pork, cover crops, agri-‐tourism
directly seed diverse warm season (late June early July)
sorghum sudan, millet, sunflower, buckwheat, cowpea, sunn hemp along with some cool season
to set the drill, put in the middle notch, large seed push up small seed
some spp specific for livestock-‐plaintain for internal parasite control -‐ no dewormers needed, cattle will select
could do early seeding cool season -‐early spring
oat/pea/brassica/clover ADG 2.0 brix 20 -‐ stocker cattle forage pea, forage oats, triticale, hairy vetch, red clover, turnips, sugarbeets
grazing stimulates plants to release root exudates feed soil biology -‐ improve soil health
high residue after grazing go into with another cover crop
to integrate into cropping system -‐ if grazing sole activity then use perennials instead of annuals
short season warm mix -‐ cowpea/proso millet/ buckwheat -‐ ready to graze 40 days
cowpea and sudan simple short season tailor mix according to what you need turnips dont bolt -‐ radishes bolt-‐dont put into mix spring
2 pass -‐seed hairy vetch the day before plant corn
1 pass white planter with 15" put corn at 30" and vetch on the other
Transition – seed cover crop after corn established during last cultivation
Browns Ranch mindset: be conservative when it comes to deploying capital and spending resources but be innovative when it comes to learning and practicing ideas to achieve land regeneration and insure sustainability
Farm operation -‐ limited liability Marketing operation LLC -‐ purchase live animals and produce from ranch, process and direct market the products
forage based genetics-‐ convert forage to beef in your environment, short thick and easy fleshing, big middle
cow size matters -‐ steers finish weight approx 100# heavier than their dam, heifers will finish weight approx 100# lighter than their dam -‐ cows ave over 1500# in North Dakota grass finish 1600# steers or 1400# heifers not going to work
past year produced 1200# animal at 735 days of age $1022, nursing includes cost of open cows
total finished beef net profit ranch $2000 -‐ $1022 =$978 retail profit $645 total net profit $ 1623
hair sheep -‐ 1.6 lambs per ewe slaughter cost per ewe $115 total cost per finished lamb $117.87 finish on cover crops gross $427 processing market transport $119 live animal cost $180 Ranch Profit $62 Retail Profit $128 Total Net Profit $190 $270 per ewe
feed screening from grains pigs on pasture in rotation Sow -‐ 11 piglets total cost per finished pig $133.69 gross income $1051 live animal cost $275 Ranch Profit $141 Retail Profit $517 Total Net Profit $658 per hog
Broilers 5# dressed bird sell at the farm 999 birds per farm limit net profit /bird $12.25
old stock trailer and retrofit -‐ photo sensitive eye above access door
use quick coupler to water line in pasture pull eye mobile on opposite side of water move egg mobile every 5 days 600 hens @ 5 days/ac @ 350 eggs/day cost of hen, feed market and processing $156 net profit /ac $427 selling at $4 per doz...increasing $5 sell out at market in 5 minutes sell only once per week
need guard dogs to guard sheep have guard dog pups -‐ use border collie $14000 income from pups cost of parents -‐ earn their living
cattle eat money and for every $1 they consume they will deposit approx .$85 somewhere on your farm
bale graze in the place you want to improve -‐ deposit in the correct location
feed is added fertility animal impact needs rest and recovery
Key driver for nutritional status of plants -‐ mineral density in animals and people
Key driver to moisture holding capacity -‐often most limiting factor
Key driver for farm profit all living things are based on carbon