questions for grass farmers, ie grassfarmer

[smcgrath76]

I agree with kpb that land ownership has been a good investment historically.
My challenge as a young producer is that with current local purchase prices (and soon to be lease prices) I can't cash flow the interest payments. I don't see this as sustainable in the long run.

The leasing, stubble grazing, crop sharing and other unusual options that are out there are pretty astonishing at the moment and have really impacted our profitability (positively).

We use a couple of different "systems" in combination on our place, including an intensive rotational system with electric fence and portable reels, swath grazing, bale grazing, and some extensive rest rotation/deferred grazing. As well we have been working with some different approaches to water pumping, etc. that are extremely low cost and have noticable positive impacts on cattle distribution and forage utilization.

What we have noticed with improved grass management (often taking no extra time) is that we have more grass of higher quality, can restore stands of grass pretty fast, and for the most part have moisture to spare, when everyone seems to be dried out. Not only do we cash flow better on the same land base (more production), we are also more profitable and have significantly reduced our risk associated with weather.

As far as mothering and feeding cows...
My thoughts are any cow that doesn't mother her calf is fine, as long as she belongs to someone else.

[kpb]

we use Saltec sulphur blocks which have your basic blue block ingredients along with sulphur.

there is a bit of a controversy regarding the use of sulphur blocks as an insect deterent. I don't think there is any science that says sulphur in blocks stops flys and there are a few web pages around on both sides of the argument. All I know is that it works for me. The cows actually smell different after licking these blocks as the sulphur comes out in their hair and presumably deters the flys from landing on their backs, etc. Their hair coats definitely are better. Sulphur is used in the orchard industry as an insecticide so there is some science to it I guess.

Anyways it works for us and I would suggest anyone who is interested should pick up a couple of blocks and try it. We used to get ours from the Co-op but now get it privately. However, I was at Masterfeeds in Didsbuy this morning and asked them about it and the lady there had just sold a flat to a rancher (which sold her out) and was about to order more so it should be easy to get. It's kind of an orangey yellow in colour.

kpb

[grassfarmer]

Thanks for that kpb i'll look into these blocks as the flies are pretty thick up here just now. I did a google search the other day for fly repellent blocks and came to the sweetlix website - I hoped it wasn't those you were referring to! They are made and sold in the US and appear to be a complete mineral/salt block with an organophoshate component which kills all fly larvae before they hatch out of the manure. Feeding organophosphate to cows? I thing BS-man Bullard will have some more BSE cover ups to do in future if American ranchers are using this product!