Range Management Suggestions for the Upcoming Season
Below are a few range management suggestions from Dr. Jeff Mosley (MSU Extension Range Management specialist).
1. Delay turn-out onto native range as long as possible to let the grass get ahead of the livestock as much as possible. Use tame pasture more heavily to delay turnout on native range.
2. Reduce stocking rate in the pastures you graze in May and June by at least 20%.
3. You can reduce stocking rate in late spring by reducing the number of days you keep the livestock in your May and June grazing pastures. Reduce the number of days in each pasture at least 20% and thereby moving through your pastures quicker than normal. Then once you reach July 1 and the plants are dormant or nearly so, you begin to increase the number of days you spend in each pasture by 20% during July and August.
There is an interesting handout from South Dakota State University titled “Drought Management Tips for Beef Cattle Producers.” The article can be accessed online by searching for the title of the article. One interesting option is shortening the breeding season and pregnancy checking all cows 25 days after breeding ends. This requires pregnancy diagnosis with ultrasound. It is key that cows diagnosed as open are immediately culled and marketed to eliminate their forage demand. Shortening the breeding season to 45 days or less selects the most fertile cows that get pregnant early in the breeding season, ensuring that the retained cattle are the most productive. While the overall herd size may need to be reduced, this practice ensures that the impact on overall productivity is minimized by improving herd reproductive performance. Additionally, the
culled cows will be marketed earlier than most, avoiding the market downturn that is typical when most herds are being downsized in the drought-stricken region.
Montana State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Montana Counties Cooperating. MSU Extension is an equal opportunity/affirmative action provider of educational outreach.
Recropping Potential is Poor for All of Chouteau County
The Chouteau County Soil Moisture Survey was started by Judee Wargo in 1993 to assist farmers in determining recropping potential on cereal grain stubble. After 29 years, the Chouteau County Extension Office continues to compile data for determining recropping potential and providing the state drought committee with soil moisture information.
Testing for soil moisture took place in Chouteau County on March 30-31. All winter wheat locations except one (east of Geraldine) rated in the poor to fair range. Excluding the site east of Geraldine, the Paul Brown probe went from 13-24 inches in winter wheat which calculates to less than 5 inches of moisture in the soil. To get a 40-bushel winter wheat yield, we need five inches of rain during the growing season.
All of the stubble plots located in Chouteau County rated in the poor range. Across the entire County, the Paul Brown probe went from 8-20 inches in the stubble which calculates to less than four inches of moisture in the soil. To get a 25- bushel yield for barley, we need four inches of rain during the growing season. To get a 25-bushel yield for spring wheat, we need five inches of rain during the growing season.
Hard copies of the 2022 Soil Moisture Survey are available at the Chouteau County Extension Office or can be e-mailed upon request.
Montana State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Montana Counties Cooperating. MSU Extension is an equal opportunity/affirmative action provider of educational outreach.
