Have you ever looked at the hunting industry and studied all the businesses that have boomed from the thriving entertainment of the sport? Hunting enthusiasts will spend enormous amounts of time and money to shoot a critter. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a hunting fan and love spending time hunting with my family, but it’s not a year-round addiction for me. However, I do have a year-round addiction when it comes to the cow-calf industry, and that’s creating habitat.
Avid deer hunters, for example, establish habitat to keep trophy bucks on their property all year long. They will establish cover for the winter, various bedding areas, and season-long food sources. As cow-calf producers, we do a great job of creating feed. However, we typically don’t get to the long-term planning for cow habitat.
I think we’ve all been jealous of ranches that we’ve visited that have long thick tree rows circling the pasture to the south. That pasture is loaded with deep grass and has a gentle roll with some cuts for shelter. Due to your terrain, you may not be able to duplicate that perfect scenario, but let’s hash out some ways to emulate it the best we can.
Over the last decade, we have been spoiled with great products like portable windbreaks and calving shelters coming to the market. These certainly provide a ton of protection for cows and newborns alike, but I believe they need to be placed into the right pastures or fields to support herd health best. The principles of keeping calves on clean dry ground with plenty of space still need to be emphasized.
There are two cropping systems that can be utilized to build calf habitat that are functional and profitable. The annual system that fits nicely into your cash crop rotation is utilizing cereal rye. Rye can work well for producers calving late April and May, as it is a winter annual that breaks dormancy in late March or early April. I like to set this up by planting it on corn silage ground in early September. When mid-April rolls around, the rye should be shin high. By late-May it will be waist high. This field provides a fresh clean place for calves, shelter, and supplemental forage for the cows. Your pairs can be on this through May, which lines up nicely with your pasture grasses getting ready to be turned out on. It also times well with planting your cash crop of soybeans or another annual forage such as millet or sorghum.
The second system would be a perennial option. This would be a grass blend designed specifically to calve on and, if your environment allows, provide a cutting of hay. Grasses that I like for calving pastures are sod-forming, early growing, and can tolerate traffic and over-grazing. A few grasses that fit the bill would be Forage Kentucky Bluegrass, Smooth Brome, Crested Wheatgrass, and Tall Forage Fescue. These are all cool-season grasses that will be green and growing in the spring while you have pairs on it. Since they are forage grasses, they’ll re-grow to provide a cutting in July. To manage it well, leave it alone through the fall to allow some growth through the winter. If you do not plan on getting a cutting of hay, I’d also include switchgrass and big bluestem in the pasture. Those are warm-season grasses that will provide more shelter as they’ll start growth in mid-summer while pairs are off it. Then, when it’s spring, you’ll have last year’s overgrowth to provide comfort and protection.
As we approach calving season, take note of your calf habitat. This is always the start to good herd health. Be proactive and grow your environment.
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