A PASTURE HANDBOOK 67 



During periods of drought when the grass is brown and dry, or m 

 the fall or winter when the forage is mature and leached out, it is 

 desirable to feed some supplement such as linseed or soybean meal 

 and some source of carotene such as green leafy alfalfa hay. 



Owing to the smaller quantity of manure it receives, a pasture on 

 which cattle are kept only during the time they are grazing is depleted 

 of fertility faster than a pasture having the cattle on it the full 24 

 hours of each day. On many farms where the rougher or wetter land 

 that is being pastured is situated some distance from the farmstead, 

 and where most of the cattle are kept for milk, such pastures have 

 reached a very low state of fertility. Tliis is due in large part to the 

 custom of turning the cows to pasture after the morning milking, 

 taking them off pasture for the evening milking, keeping them at or 

 near the farmstead during the night, and appljang the manure thus 

 saved to other parts of the farm rather than to the pasture. 



BREEDING CATTLE ON PASTURE 



The common practice in breeding beef cattle is to turn the bull or 

 bulls out with the cows, allowing 1 bull for from 20 to 40 cows, depend- 

 ing on the size and kind of pasture and the age and activity of the 

 bull. T\Tien the bull is kept separate from the cows, about t^vice as 

 many can be bred per bull. This practice is especially desirable 

 when the calves are kept separate from the cows and the cows are 

 brought up twice a day for the calves to nurse. The shy breeders 

 can be weeded out about 6 months sooner by keeping the bull in a 

 pen, marking the cows, and keeping a record of breeding dates or 

 by separating the bred cows from those not bred. 



With a large herd of several hundred cows, much may be saved by 

 eliminating shy breeders promptly. The saving results from reducing 

 the investment in bulls and their keep, and from producing a more 

 uniform calf crop. In the case of large herds it may pay to have a 

 man stay with the herd every day for from 6 to 8 weeks and bring 

 the cows up to the bull pens for breeding. By this method a good 

 bull may serve from 75 to 100 cows. 



^Yhen cows are free of abortion disease, they shoidd be allowed to 

 calve on pasture as conditions there are usually more favorable and 

 sanitary than in or around barns and lots. Cows affected with 

 abortion disease should not be allowed to calve on pastures occupied 

 by healthy stock. One or more small pastures, which save time in 

 watching the cows to see whether they need any help, are valuable. 

 Putting cows about to calve in such pastures is also a good practice 

 with respect to hea\y milking beef cows, which need attention until 

 the calves can take all the milk. It is especially important that 

 hogs, horses, and mules be kept out of pastures where cows are calving. 



On farms having large pastures of several hundred acres wliich are 

 not well supplied with water, shade, and good forage, there are 

 advantages in keeping the calves on a small pasture which is well 

 supplied in these respects. As the cows come in twice a day for the 

 calves to nurse, the condition of all the cattle can be carefully watched 

 each day. AMien the flies are bad the calves can be kept in a darkened 

 barn or shed during the day and turned out at night. Brush which 

 the cattle can walk through, and water in which they can stand 

 knee deep, also afford relief from flies. 



