02/16/05 Grazing lecture part one

Grazing Lecture I Grazing livestock on ranges or pastures is not just turning the animals into an area and leaving. I'm Jeff Keane and I'll be back in one minute to explain. All good livestock managers know animals need to be monitored more today than in years past. They practice this management because it adds to the bottom line of their livestock production and because it helps the range plant's bottom line. Good livestock managers are also good forage managers. Animals are moved from pasture to pasture during the year and dispersed within individual pastures for maximum grazing efficiency. Good forage managers use different grazing management plans depending on their particular range, soil, climate, and livestock species. Grazing techniques really get interesting when you add animal behavior and science to management plans. I recently was able to attend a short lecture by Dr. Fred Provenza from Utah State University. Dr. Provenza has observed and researched animal behavior most of his career and even in a limited presentation related enough ideas and science to just about overload a mind like mine that has been away from college a little too long. I think if I had to summarize the talk I would say the how of grazing is fairly simple, but the why of the grazing process is a little more complicated. The how is providing adequate forage and getting the livestock to the forage with the least possible stress; the why and science involves feed intake, palatability, animal behavior, and plant nutrients and toxins. Tomorrow, I'll relate some of Dr. Provenza's interesting science and observations. I'm Jeff Keane.