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Hay Harvest Contracting
For those landowners who typically lease or harvest grasslands for hay, contracting for services is a learned business that can have local variations in how the grass and associated services are valued.
Fertilizing Grasslands
Grassland fertilization, like many other grassland management topics, is highly dependent on certain parameters, such as soil type, vegetation type and harvest methods.
Grazing Contracting
For those who own grasslands not typically grazed, or for those looking for a better contract basis, there are several grazing contract options that can be explored.
Winter Grazing
The predominant factor in winter grazing is ensuring adequate forage availability while considering long-term range health. When managed correctly, grazing winter range can be a viable option for controlling feed costs without negatively impacting rangelands.
Monitoring Success
While periodic monitoring is necessary for continued success, a thorough evaluation in the first few months will tell you a lot about grazing levels, benefits to livestock and livestock-to-acre ratio.
Invasive Species Management in Grasslands
Once invaded, grasslands can shift dramatically toward dominance of exotic species and require an integrated approach to species control that considers all tools, such as mechanical (cutting, burning), cultural (grazing) or chemical alternatives.
Measuring Grassland Production
Assessing pasture forage production is a key step in planning harvest strategies and can also inform the manager on the status of wildlife habitat or other grassland values.
Estimating Livestock Consumption
When planning a grazing strategy, it is important to carefully assess goals and objectives and then match those goals and objectives with the appropriate livestock. It is critical that the manager understand that not all livestock are created equal.
Water Quality
While producers have long acknowledged that access to water makes the difference between a profitable or unsuccessful operation, they are beginning to understand that water quality may be as important as water quantity.
Managing Livestock Attractants Near Water
In the event that your pasture includes riparian areas, such as streams, rivers, lakes or ponds, you’ll want to take special care of these habitats. A riparian area is the space immediately adjacent to the shore, where water and land interact.