Fausak has also learned that encouraging the thatch layer on grassland protects nitrogen stores. A good layer of thatch protects vulnerable soils from compacting as cattle move through. Raising soil quality is a major commitment of time and labor. During the grazing season, he moves his cattle every two hours to use pasture and replace nutrients. This is done for several reasons.
Frequent moves prevent piles of manure from forming in one spot.
Too much manure in one spot causes brown patches in a pasture. As the soil improves, grass growth improves. Four years ago, he began collecting data on his fields to see if better soil affected grass productivity and weight gains among his cattle. While the cattle appear to show better gains on improved pasture, he feels it is difficult to evaluate animal productivity because improvements happen over time and involve an interaction of many elements including stocking rates, climate and soil quality. Send us an e-mail.