The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-04-12
GETTING Cattle on Grass.

Getting Cattle on Grass.
One of the nice problems that comes
up to the farmer about this time OF
the year is that Of getting his cattle
that have been used to dry feed all
winter onto grass without losing in
weight. The established rule in hand
ling cattle is that all changes OF feed
should be made gradually as passible.
In changing from grass to dry feed,
this is a comparatively simple matter
AS the grass becomes short, the grain
or roughage can supplement the short
age, and the cattle pass into winter
quarters without the system know
ing anything about the change.
1t is a very difficult matter when
changing from dry feed to green. Cat
tie seldom gain anything for a month
after going on grass; and any method
that can be used for making the
change so gradually as not to inter-
fere with the digestion is exceeding
ly desirable.
There is no problem about it at all
|if the farmer has sufficient land to
keep more or less acreage, depending
on the size of the herd, in blue grass,
allowing it to rest from about the
first of September until winter. 1t will
then be we'll covered with grass, which
will keep green until the snow leaves,
and will furnish protection to the
young growth. Cattle can then go
onto it, eat the dry with the green,
and save about a months time. That
is. they will shed off nearly month
earlier and will make excellent
growth before hot weather and flies
interfere.
Where farmers have clover pasture
that they have not fall ploWed for
crop of corn, cattle may be allowed
to run on it except when the ground
is very vet, with no harm to the pas
ture, and with great advantage to the
cattle. They can be put on it as early
as the farmer likes, and will thus ac-
custom themselves gradually to the
new feed.
Where the farmer has clover mea-
dow or pasture, however, it is not
wise to turn livestock on it until there
has been considerable growth; and
even then there will be securing and
perhaps the danger of boating. The
farmer who keeps his cattle in the
yard on dry feed until the clover be-
gins to bloom is acting the wise part.
1t is particularly unwise to turn cat
tie early in the season on meadows
that are intended for moving. The
plants in these meadows have root
enough. They are ready for an early
growth, but they cannot be expected
to yield a crop of hay if the lungs OF
the young plants are kept constantly
cropped by cattle, simply to save a
little rough feed. II we have mea-
dow at all, we should have one that
gives the largest possible yield per
acre. Why cut it in two by pasturng
up to the middle of May or the first
of June? Keep your cattle off the
meadows, if you want hay crop. A
great many farmers had very light
hay crop last year. Ordinarily they
would have had as heavy crop as
usual because of the dry season; but
to pasture meadows in a season that
is likely to be dry, as this one is,
would be suicidal policy.
When the change is made suddenly
from dry feed to luXuriant clover or
timothy, without other feed, securing
will necessarily follow; the cattle will
make slow growth for month, and
there is danger of bloating. Fortunate
is the man who has a silO and there
fore does not need to change from
dry feed to grass; for silage is prac-
tically a summer pasture, and there
is no real change made; one more rea-
son why every farmer who is grow
ing livestock of any kind should pro-
vide himself with silo next fall
Wallaces' Farmer.