173
Cold Winter Climates
When cattle need to graze through snow there should be;
• High forage volume • Adequate forage quality
• Softer snow type • High stocking density so as to break the snow crusts.
To estimate how much of the swath will be utilised, assume that a cow will use about 2.5 of its body weight
per day. For example, a 600kg cow will consume 15kg of dry matter of swath feed per day.
Access to the swath can be controlled by using portable electric fencing so that high utilisation rates can be
achieved. If the cattle are allowed uncontrolled access to the entire ield of swathed material, much will be
wasted as the cattle trample on the material and reduce its quality. With controlled access, the electric fence can
be moved every 1 to 3 days, this way there will be less wastage of feed. Straw bales can be used to monitor
when the cows are ready to move. When they start to eat the straw bales it is time to be moved on.
When selecting crops for swath grazing, the best crops to choose are those with a good dry matter yield potential.
Barley, triticale and oats are the most commonly used cereal crops. If barley is used, smooth awned varieties
are better as the rough awns can get caught in the cow’s mouth and cause a condition known as ‘lumpy jaw’.
Seeding for swath grazing should take place in late spring to early summer May to June when soil tractability and
soil moisture are favourable for sowing. When the crop is at the soft dough stage it should be cut as this provides
the best quality forage for grazing.
Early seeding in mid-May has up to 25 more yield than late seeding. However, this leads to an early harvest
which has risks associated with swaths being exposed to the weather for longer periods in autumn, and this
can result in yield and quality loss from leaching and the growth of moulds. If a long season species of crop is
chosen this will allow for early seeding and reduce the problems associated with early swathing.
7.5.6. Bale Grazing
Bale grazing is a very simple system where forage is harvested as round bales, and the bales are moved to an
open area selected for use as a winter feeding site Fig. 7.14. The bales are arranged in lines across the site at
about 6m spacing, and portable electric fencing is used to control the rate of access of the cattle to the bales.
The cattle then ‘self-feed’ from the bales, and as they consume the material, the electric fence is moved back
to expose more fresh bales for the cattle. Round bales work very well in bale grazing systems.
Their shape and construction prevents signiicant weather damage to the conserved feed if it rains, as the
rain tends to shed of the bale, unlike square bales that tend to absorb much more water. Some quality loss is
evident in round bales, however this is conined to the outer 100mm or so of the bale.
An advantage of bale grazing compared to grazing swaths and stockpiled pasture is that the snow can
accumulate to greater depths without impacting on the ability of the cattle to access the baled material,
and snow depths of greater than 1m can be managed. Where snow accumulates in front of the bales, this can
be easily moved with a tractor equipped with a loader bucket, or a snowmobile can be run up and down in
front of the bales to make a track by packing down the snow.
Areas that are used for bale grazing through winter have signiicant quantities of manure and urine deposited on
the site from the cattle as they feed and camp. When identifying an area for bale grazing, the producer must
consider the risk of nutrient runof from the site in spring as the snow thaws, and ideally locate these sites away
from water courses and on level ground. In the spring, these sites subsequently make good areas for sowing
forage crops or new pasture, as the added fertility gained from manure and urine deposition provides an excellent
source of nutrients for the crop. As is the case for all other outdoor grazing systems, site
access throughout winter, shelter, bedding, and water
173
Cold Winter Climates
174
Beef Breeder MANUAL
Figure 7.14. Bale grazing is an efective and low cost winter feeding strategy for cattle, with the bales also providing protection from wind and weather. Source: International Agriculture for Development.
are essential requirements for bale-grazing systems; as is daily monitoring.
7.5.7. Developing a Winter Feed Budget
