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----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Lucas
To: graze-l@witt.ac.nz
Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 6:14 AM
Subject: Re: Grazing Vetch ?'s
All right Dave, you win...<grin>
I stand corrected. Should read: "like most legumes..."
Feeding hay, but still grazing some in VA....I'd grazed more if my
line fences were better.
Steve
Steve Lucas
The Chinese "curse" or "blessing"
is................"May you live in
interesting times."
Indeed we do live in interesting times.
The poor folks out West have dead cattle, and cattle that have
significant setbacks arising from the recent snow and ice storms. The
added whammy is they were drought impacts for pasture and hay last
summer. Meanwhile rising grain prices are rippling through the markets
depressing the prices of calves and feeders.
For some, conditions add up to disaster. For some, conditions add up
to opportunity. I see opportunity because here in WI we've had a very
easy winter. I'm long on hay and corn silage. Short on cattle numbers.
And lots of acres behind fences once green up begins. So opportunity
knocks.
I've educated myself on grass and legume varieties over the years.
Actually, my research into Berseem clover was primarily into it's
potential to fix N as a cover crop following winter wheat harvest. Then
no-till planting corn into the clover cover crop in 2008. The no-bloat
characteristic might be of use for someone else, though. Opportunity
knocks.
Recently had a discussion with a fellow grazer (he's organic
certified, I'm "natural") on his results from grazing brassicas by
his
dairy cows and heifers. He noticed tremedous positives on his heifers
(and certainly the cows did well, but the difference wasn't as obvious).
Another opportunity to put gain on dairy or beef animals in a rising
grain market. The less grain I feed, is more I have to sell at prices.
Opportunity knocks. GRAZE just covered some great discussions from
grazers as to what levels of grain feeding are profitable (Jan. 2007
issue of GRAZE,
www.grazeonline.com
and once again GRAZE proves well worth it's subscription price. So
again folks, opportunity knocks. But don't forget our winter storm
battered fellow American farmers out West in your prayers. I take no
joy in the misery of other farmers.
Dave G.
WisCOWsin
