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The Dairy One Improver
Pasture: Points to Consider
by Cassy Streeter
With the increasing popularity of grass-fed livestock, it
is more important than ever to ensure pasture quality
using forage analysis. It is rather straightforward to
analyze pasture samples in the lab; however, the correct
timing, frequency and collection of pasture samples is
considerably more complicated. The main difficulty in
assessing pasture quality lies in trying to account for all
of the individual influences on a particular pasture. A
single small pasture that is only grazed a few times a
year will have a much different testing schedule than a
large pasture that is grazed year-round. However, it is
important to develop forage testing schedules for
individual pastures to monitor the quality of nutrition
available to grazing animals. Keeping detailed records
of pasture development may allow for scaling back the
frequency of testing, as well as fine tuning a grazing
schedule. While there is no magic formula for deciding how often a pasture should be tested or how many samples should be
taken, the following are a few factors to consider:
1. One of the most important factors to consider when planning forage testing is timing. Ideally, pastures should be tested just
prior to grazing. If a pasture will be rotationally grazed several times throughout the year, then it should be tested after it
has been allowed to recover and just prior to grazing. Depending on the grazing schedule, it may also be important to
consider the time of day. Will the animals be allowed to graze for only part of the day? If so, samples should be taken during that time of day.
2. Next, consider the size and composition of the area being sampled. How uniform is the pasture? Will one sample
accurately represent the entire pasture? For example, if there are areas of dense clover growth, it may be worth submitting
separate samples for these areas. It would also be wise to submit several samples for a large area to ensure quality throughout the pasture.
3. Fertilizer that is selectively applied to certain areas within a pasture should have separate samples submitted for analysis.
4. Lastly, there may be special circumstances that warrant adjustment to the testing schedule throughout the year. As this
summer has proven, the weather can be quite brutal on both plants and animals. The recent heat wave and lack of rain have
likely shifted plants into survival mode, and therefore, pastures will have drastically different composition.
Once the testing schedule and sample total have been established for each pasture, it is now time to collect samples that will
accurately represent the content and composition of each pasture. While this seems like a lot of legwork, it is well worth the
effort to collect a good quality sample for analysis. This is also a good time to review each pasture and look for weeds and
poisonous plants that may have found their way into the area. Bring along a notebook and take notes about the current
condition of the pasture. Be sure to note the predominant species within the pasture, as well as their stage of
maturity. Write a brief description of the use of the pasture and its recent history with regards to fertilizer application, grazing,
etc. Forage analysis results can be joined back to these notes to give a complete picture of the pasture. As for the actual
sampling of the pasture, here are a few tips:
1. Avoid sampling close to feces or urine areas, which can contaminate the sample.
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2. Avoid sampling close to bodies of water such as ponds and streams. The plants in these areas may be less affected by
environmental stresses, such as drought, and may overestimate pasture quality.
3. Only sample species that will actually be eaten. Even with heavy grazing, there will be weeds and poisonous plants that the
animals will avoid. As mentioned above, this may be a good time to note if any poisonous species have found their way
into the pasture.
4. Once you have selected the plants that will be eaten, only sample the portion of the plant that will be eaten. Be careful not
to pull plants up by the roots. A clean pair of scissors will come in handy at this point.
5. Gather a total of 12-20 samples from each pasture/area to be tested. Cut samples into 1-2" section into a clean bucket.
6.
Mix samples thoroughly and pack the
sample into a 1qt sealable plastic bag. Be
sure to press as much air out of the bag as
possible.
7.
Freeze samples overnight and ship frozen
to the lab.
The quality of your pasture will have a direct
impact on the level of supplementation
required to ensure that daily nutrient needs are
being met. Developing and implementing a
sound sampling strategy will help minimize
your purchased feed costs and optimize
production.
Further sample shipping and handling tips can be found at:
http://www.dairyone.com/Publications/Improver/2008/Aug_ImproverPage_web.pdf
http://www.equi-analytical.com/TakingASample/TakingAPastureSample.pdf
Please contact our Forage Customer Support Group at 1-800-344-2697, ext. 2172 with any questions you may have.
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