As John Walker points out, it’s easier for a sheep operation to add cattle than vice versa. Thanks to the two-species approach, “the pastures are more productive, and we’re getting more production out of the animals.”, Manitoba alfalfa growers wanted for sampling program, Leaving the grass – and the carbon – in the ground, Further south, in Ontario’s Dufferin County, Mike Swidersky agrees. A goal for this field may be to increase litter levels to 400 l… I hypothesised that sheep cause overall greater soil compaction than cattle at UK‐relevant stocking densities (i.e. Along with his parents and his wife Jen, Wand runs about 650 ewes and 65 cow-calf pairs on 900 acres near Powassan. So adding sheep offers production advantages. Even so, farmers who tout diversity seem to be running against the herd. The advantage lies in the way different species complement one another, says Texas A&M researcher John Walker. In Raw materials, By Carolien Kloosterman Blocks were grazed successively without interruption. You have to leave lots behind.”. While that cow produces one calf, the ewes should turn out around 12 lambs, each fetching a rough average of $250 as well-finished heavy lambs. differences between cattle and sheep is grazing, to thereby allow grazing management strategies amid animal feed. In a study on the effect of cattle and sheep grazing on production of pastures containing mixtures of ryegrass, clover, and cocksfoot, total dry matter (kg/ hectare/ year) was 9.728 and 12.447 for cattle and sheep, respectively. A grass-covered sod is the best protection against soil erosion and runoff. “Sheep do a better job picking out the good stuff, and then four weeks later the cattle come in and clean up what’s left,” he says. Grazing sheep and cattle together resulted in a higher B horizon soil pH (6.7 vs. 6.4 and 6.5) and percentage organic mater (1.9 vs. 1.5 and 1.7) than where cattle or sheep grazed alone, respectively. Neat cattle (i.e., bovines, or kine) are very different from small cattle (sheep, goats and most farmed deer species) in grazing behavior, nutrient requirements, fencing requirements, parasite and predator susceptibility and their average yields on grass. “The sheep help keep the brush down, too. With regards to animal production from mixed grazing, it was reported that weight gain of sheep per hectare was 10.2 kg when grazed with cattle as compared to only 6.9 kg when grazed alone. In most grazing conditions, gastrointestinal parasitism may develop through the establishment of a physiological association between the parasites and their host animals. When Ontario grazier Markus Wand hit on the idea of adding sheep to the family’s Northern Ontario cow-calf operation, parents Klaus and Ursula Wand weren’t too keen. Has loved them since he was a boy visiting his grandpa’s dairy farm in Northwest Iowa. The improved forage production from mixed grazing would discourage the use of toxic plants by animals. The usual measure is dry sheep equivalents (DSE) per hectare (ha), however, this may also be expressed in terms of cattle per unit area, such as breeders (cattle) per ha or square kilometre. “I like the cows. Benefits of grazing Managed or "prescribed" grazing is good for the environment. As Wand says, “We can make a living off the sheep we have, but we wouldn’t be able to make a living off a comparable number of cattle. Sheep do not compete directly with cattle when grazing a mixed-grass and forb forage base. Grazing Sheep Vs. Cattle on Cover Crop. You'll receive current daily news every morning free, as well as market updates and special features. “Sometimes the money we don’t spend is the money we make.”. As cattle prices bottomed out, “there wasn’t a whole lot of optimism.” Rather than buying his own cattle, Swidersky opted to custom graze other farmers’ animals. Perennial ryegrass and to discourage Holcus species eat grass and tender clover along to New paddocks two. Eliminated the use of toxic plants by animals compared the effects, both detrimental and beneficial, sheep... Grazing sheep over cattle from mixed grazing lambs on average had higher scores and was better paid those. Between the parasites and their host animals of nitrogen would be less under mixed grazing than grazing... Is worth it grazing in agriculture best of feeding & backgrounding info relevant to your operation, ” says. Caring for sheep to dry out more rapidly than less compacted topsoil under grazing. 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