Increase profits using cross fences

Even though your cows no longer are grazing corn stalks, don’t put away your electric fence for the summer just yet. I’ll explain why in a moment.  

Electric fence is the easiest and cheapest way to increase production from summer pastures. Dividing pastures with electric cross fences gives you more control of when and where your cattle graze.  It helps you encourage cattle to graze pastures more uniformly and completely, including areas they normally avoid.  And, it can help you improve the health and vigor of your grass by giving it time to recover and regrow after each grazing.  As a result, your grass production and pasture carrying capacity will increase.

We are sure you’ve seen many ads promoting high-powered, high-tensile, imported electric fencing systems.  In fact, we encourage using these systems in many situations. But, cross fences do not need to be permanent, nor do they need to be expensive.  This is especially true if you already have electric fencing your animals respect. And using fencing you already have gives you an inexpensive opportunity to experiment with where you might eventually place a more permanent cross fence.

The electric fence that keeps your cows on stalks during winter can give you this inexpensive opportunity to try some cross fencing where you have been reluctant to try it before.

So, as the rapid spring growth of your pastures begin to slow down, use your winter electric fence to try some extra summer cross fencing of your pastures.

More grass, better gains, and better profits might be the result.  

Source:  Bruce Anderson, Extension Forage Specialist, University of Nebraska

Comments from Nebraska on TEFF

Teffgrass has been gaining interest and that interest is generating a number of questions.    Teff is a relatively new summer annual forage grass for our region.  Compared to the millets, sorghums, and sundan grasses we normally use, teff is much leafier and finer stemmed, and it often contains more crude protein and TDN.  However, it usually doesn’t produce quite as much total tonnage.

It makes a very palatable hay and is well accepted by horses, llamas, alpacas, and similar livestock.  Recently weaned calves also adapt to teff hay quite quickly.  These may be the kind of uses where teff is better suited than most of our other summer annual grasses.  Of course, stock cows, replacement heifers, and other cattle also like it.  However, since other summer annual grasses usual produce more tonnage and are acceptable for these animals, they may be a better choice.

Furthermore, teff can be difficult to establish.  It has a very tiny seed, much smaller than an alfalfa seed.  IT must be planted very shallow, about one-eighth of an inch deep,or seedlings will not emerge.  Many producers who have planted teff have had thin or uneven stands, partly because the seed was placed too deep by their drills.  Extra firm seedbeds may be needed when a drill is used; broadcasting seed and rolling or irrigating afterwards might work better.

Seedlings also need a week or so of moist soil to become established well enough to survive.  This shouldn’t be a problem with irrigation, but dry land growers have had some failures, especially when planting after wheat.

Teff has much potential when used with the right livestock.  But know also that it has some risks and challenges.

Source:  Bruce Anderson, Extension Forage Specialist, University of Nebraska