' « '; • • •»,»■•'■•- 

 SALTING FOR UNIFORM GRAZING 



SALTING FOR UNIFORM C31AZING is skilful placement of salt to help dis- 

 tribute grazing evenly over the pasture while still meeting needs of 

 animals for salt, 



WHY CORRECT SALTING 



(a) Salting promotes health and growth and whets the appetite of 

 grass-eating animals, 



(b) Livestock use forage that would otherwise be ungrazed. 



(c ) It relieves concentration of livestock around watering places, 

 in narrow valley bottoms, and near shade to some extent, 



(d) Healing of eroded areas at natural points of livestock con- 

 centration can be speeded, 



(e) Cattle prefer to go from salt to grazing and not from salt to 

 water. Tests made where cattle could easily walk from salt 

 to water in 20 minutes, showed an average of seven hours be- 

 tween taking salt and drinking, 



(f) Salting close to adequate forage improves gains because there 

 is less trailing, 



HOW TO DISTOIBUre SALT 



(1) Pick lightly used areas rather than places fully grazed* 



(2) Avoid sandy or other erodible spots, 



(3) Pick places you can check when riding and livestock can reach 

 from several directions, 



(h) Place salt near temporary water to get more use of such areas 

 while water larts, 



(5) Remove salt if area is getting more than full use, 



(6) Rough guides to amounts needed are* 



(a) Sheep and goats - 3 to U pounds per year, 



(b) Mature cattle - 20 to 25 pounds per year, 



(c) Horses - 30 to hO pounds per year, 



(Extreme weathering may increase these needs. Natural salt 

 licks and salty forage may red\K;e needs. Extra salt may be 

 needed where game animals are nximerous, ) 



(7) Rough guides to n\imbers of salting places needed aret 



(a) On long season pasture in rolling country— one 

 salting place for each IiO to 6o cattle, 



(b) On short season pasture in rovigh country— one 

 salting place for each 20 head, 



(c ) Not over ^ to 1 mile apart on ro\igh range and not 

 over 2 miles on gently rolling, 



To\ir local Soil Conservation Service technicians *dJ.l be glad to discuss and 

 help you fit this job to your own land, vegetation, and plan of operations. 



■■■••.• ■•>^^ 



U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE 



Bozsman, Montana Mont. J.S.6 (Rge. 



5, L- 14, 036 



