grazing

Information on farming and ranching using Irish Dexter cattle

Keeping Cows in the Winter Part #4

By Shelley Hatfield/Whippoorwill Pines Farm

Photo courtesy of Royal Fare Farm

Part #4 of this series is MUD, ugh!!!  I’m thinking that most of us have dealt with mud at one point or another.  Some of us deal with mud more than others.  Right now we are dealing with a lot of mud around my place. You have to really watch foot rot and thrush when you are dealing with mud.  Also you have to make sure they aren’t standing in mud because that makes it hard for them to stay warm.  Even if it is only their legs that are caked in mud.  If you don’t have much room for them to move around, you might want to add gravel and/or wood chips to help with the mud.  Another way to help them stay off mud is to do rotational grazing in the winter.  This lessens the chances that your pastures will turn to mud.  The cows will be moving all the time and won’t be staying in one area.  I hope these little articles are helping you all!!  Happy Winter!!

Keeping Cows in the Winter Part #4 Read More »

Beef

Do you need lots of acres to raise beef cattle? By Shelley Hatfield- WP Farm


 Do you need lots of acres to raise beef cattle?  The answer is absolutely not! But you will need to be a little more prepared than farms who have several acres.  You will need to have sturdier fences for one thing.  Farms with several hundred acres have room for the cows to roam so they aren’t as likely to get out.  I’m not saying they don’t ever get out on large farms but it is not as often.  Smaller farms, the cows don’t have the room to roam.  You need to make sure that your outer perimeter fencing is strong and tight.  That can be barbed wire, woven wire, or the combination of both.  This will keep you and your neighbors in good standing….lol
 Land is the second  thing that I want to talk about. With Dexters it doesn’t take as much as with “full sized” cows.  It is 1.5-2 acres per TWO cow/calf pair of Dexters.  But that doesn’t mean that you can stick them on any ole grass and they will grow well.  You have to maintain your pastures.  That is what I’m in the process of doing myself.  I’m working to get my pastures into regenerative grazing.  Which will help with how well my pastures stay.  
 Thirdly, you will need hay, which is something that all cattle farmers need usually.  Unless you are in some states that you can grow it year round.  But you need to make sure that you have good healthy hay.  That is important for the health of your cows.  You don’t want them to get sick.  
 One last thing, keeping your animal healthy is an overall, big or little farm, thing you need to do.  I think as a small farm it is easier to keep a watch on things than a big farm.  You have a more intimate relationship with your Dexters when you don’t have 100s to keep an eye on.  
 I am a small farm with not alot of acres, that is why I chose the Dexters at first. But as time as went on, they are so much more that good for small farms.  But that is for another time.  
 So in conclusion, you don’t need acres and acres of land to raise beef cattle.  You just need to make sure what you have is the best that it can be. 

https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/livestock/raising-cattle/how-i-raised-a-years-worth-of-grass-fed-beef-for-practically-nothing-zbcz2201

The Beginning Farmer’s Guide To Raising Backyard Beef
Raising cattle on your own place
Raising Grass-Fed Beef (Pros & Cons)

https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/livestock/raising-cattle/how-i-raised-a-years-worth-of-grass-fed-beef-for-practically-nothing-zbcz2201

Do you need lots of acres to raise beef cattle? By Shelley Hatfield- WP Farm Read More »

Beef

An article for the Irish Dexter Cattleman website

Good afternoon, I’m sitting down to write up an article for the Irish Dexter Cattleman website.  I’m going to write this one up myself but I will include a few articles that you can go check out for yourself.  I don’t feel that I have any experience with this production yet as I’m just starting it myself.

I have been reading and watching so many different farms that have been using this as their practice and it is amazing what happens.  I’m talking about regenerative grazing. 

There is a place in Greenfield, IN called Tyner Pond Farm.  I was reading one of their articles this past spring and they had just pulled their cows off in March of this year.  They had wintered all winter on their pastures!!  They finally were feeding hay bales in March.  Their location is in Indiana which is about 2+ hours from me, but it is about directly across from me. So, the temperatures are close to being the same.  When I saw pictures, they had green grass still in March of 2024.  I find that amazing!! That is something that I want to strive for. 

Another place to find information about this practice is Greg Judy at Green Pastures Farm.  There are several videos that you can find on YouTube about how he does this practice.  

There is also Joel Salatin, Polyface Farm, who practices these methods.  

I’m still getting my perimeter fences all put in, hopefully they will all be put in by next spring.  Once you have your perimeter fences put in, you will separate those into small paddocks.  You will move your cattle every day through those paddocks.  As you watch Greg Judy, he has water lines run out to each paddock.  And most other people do, too.  That will be a down the road option for me.

This practice is a lot of work, but I believe that it will be well worth my time!!  Moving the cattle helps keep the microbes in the ground going.  It also helps to keep you from overgrazing your pastures, which is what I’m doing now.  Over grazing lets so many weeds in that it isn’t funny!!  This regenerative grazing also cuts down on the weeds.  

Another reason that I just learned this week is when you get your pastures going, you make sure your grass cocktail is good.  If you have a good cocktail of grasses that will keep the fly problem down!!!  Greg Judy has a Youtube video out that shows his cattle out on pasture with hardly, if any, flies on the cows.  It was amazing to watch!!!  The cows were sleek and shining with hardly any flies.  He talks about it with the guy who oversees it.  It is amazing!!!

I hope to come and write another article in about 3 years or so and tell you how it is going. I know that it will be hard work, but it will be so beneficial in the end!!  

Check out these farms to learn more information.  I believe this is so important for our pastures.  We need to preserve them as much as we can.

Shelley Hatfield

An article for the Irish Dexter Cattleman website Read More »

Beef Farm Management
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