Winter-Grazing Cattle On Corn Stalks

Winter-Grazing Cattle On Corn Stalks LIVESTOCK Beef 24-1-18 Minnesota farmer Donald Struxness is taking a new approach to feeding cattle this winter by keeping his herd of 100 cows in the field grazing on cornstalks. He says the idea saves him from having to haul feed back to the feedlot and from having to haul manure out to fields. To protect animals from winter winds, he put planter shelter belts along the fields and also made six portable 10 by 20-ft. windbreak panels. The panels are set in a 90_ wedge shape pointing into the prevailing Northwest winds. Stuxness also trenched lines to the field to provide water. He sets out round hay bales in rows about 30 ft. apart among the corn stalks and uses a hot electric wire to graze the stalks and bales in strips. He just has to move the round bale feeders and electric wire a few feet each time so no tractor is needed. He also stacks small square bales next to the portable windbreaks so he can feed them to cattle inside the shelters during bad weather. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Donald Struxness, Milan, Minn. (ph 320 734-4877;E-mail: bstruxness@lqpv.k12. mn.us).

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