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Grazing Links Ruminant Physiology Disease Controls Hay Moving Animals Abattoirs Books Regenerative Pasture & Animal Management
**************************************************Grazing Management Links:
Pastures should be allowed to go to seed every 3-4 years to perpetuate legumes. Therefore, it is useful to have breeds that can digest a higher amount of lignan; such as goats, Galloway, Highland, Hereford, Buffalo, or Beefalo cattle. Cattle can be used to trample the seed heads down.
Science Direct - some lignan is digested Bison can digest more lignan Goats can digest more lignan Univ Illinois - lignan can be healthy Oregon State - harvest at late boot for maximum cellulose Journal of Equine Veterinary Science - list of weeds high in sugar that can aid fermentation. Move water instead of fences VABF - Greg Judy High density grazing. Greg Judy - Managing animals in sync with nature VTForages - Jim Gerrish - Winter grazing, energy to protein ratio VTForages - Jim Gerrish - winter grazing, partial grazier eOrganic - winter stockpiling Mark Bader - grazing Mark Sulc - integrated livestock eOrganic - Sarah Flack, preventing pasture problems Good discussion of characteristics of grazing varieties. VTForages - Silvopasture overview, Honeylocust Forest Connect - Silvopasture examples, Honeylocust Plants cannot utilize full sunlight. VTFORAGES - Joshua Dukart, at 20:25 the examples become very good Cornell University - forage and grazing management Encyclopedia of Animal Science - forage toxicity Montana State - goats sheep for invasive weeds
***************************************************Ruminant Physiology:
FAO - ruminant digestion
The micro-organisms that ferment cellulose are different from the ones that ferment grains. The flora that ferment cellulose use ammonia as an energy source. Rumen fermentation will break down most of the ingested protein to form this ammonia. Therefore, in pure forage fed animals, most of the protein used for animal growth comes from dead bacteria cells that are the product of cellulose fermentation or bypass protein.
TAMU
Grazing Management; an Ecological Perspective - Excellant description of ruminant digestion including pre-gastric fermentation, energy from cellulose fermentation producing fatty acids, nitrogen used by microbes for protein synthesis, protein absorption from microbe cell bodies in the post fermentation gastric system, by-pass or escape protein to supplement microbial protein, cool weather grasses being more nutritious than warm weather grasses, compensatory gains, ATP production and usage, etc.
Mark Bader - effect of hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon Barbara Niwinska - ruminant digestion Penn State - Terminology
Deeper explanation of forage quality terminology.
South Dakota State - terminology
During cold weather, most ATP production comes from converting fat. During warm weather, most ATP production comes from carbohydrates.
***************************************************Links to Natural Disease Controls:
Although cattle, sheep and goats share relatively few parasites, they do share the following economically important parasites: Teladorsagia (Ostertag) circumcinta, Trichostrongylus axei and colubriformis, Cooperia surnabada, Haemonchus contortus, Nematodirus sp., etc. However swine, poultry, and equine share very few parasites with any other animal group. These groups can be used as part of a rotation to reduce disease and parasites.
Lists of Shared Diseases: Parasitipedia University of Michigan Barber Pole Worm Parasite Lifecycles: Chinchilla Vet - parasite lifecycles University of Maryland - parasite lifecycles University of Wisconsin - parasite lifecycles Management: Ecological Agriculture Project Alternative methods for controlling internal parasites in ruminants: SARE - FAMACHA parasite monitoring Virginia State Seasonal cycle of parasites due to moisture. Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont University of Kentucky Skylines Farm Skylines Organic Internal Parasite Control. University of Connecticut Alternative medicine links. Livestock Research for Rural Development in India Country Farm Lifestyles Stockman Grass Farmer
***************************************************Hay was originally baled so it could be sold and transported. If you are not selling the hay, that is a huge expense that can be avoided. Fuel and machinary can be greatly reduced.Hay:
Laying up loose hay. Loose Hay Barn Hay blower
************************************************Links To Moving Animals:
Bud Williams Bud Williams - low stress handling Temple Grandin Temple Grandin - low stress methods
***************************************************Links For Abattoirs:
ATTRA - processing Cornell - abattoir waste disposal Vermont slaughter feasability USDA abattoir law Joel Salatin - poultry processing on farm Joel Salatin - eviscerating a chicken
***************************************************Books:
Beginners: Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle Heather Smith Thomas Beef Cattle Production Verl L. Thomas North American Range Plants Stubbendieck, Hatch, Butterfield ********** Intermediate: Beef Cattle Science Part A / B Ensminger & Perry Forages, Volume 1: An Introduction to Grassland Agriculture (Volume I) Forages, Volume 2: The Science of Grassland Agriculture (Volume II) Robert F. Barnes ************** Advanced: Grass Productivity Andre Voisin Greener Pasture on Your Side of the Fence: Better Farming Voisin Management-Intensive Grazing (4th Edition) (Volume 4) Bill Murphy Back to Garden for Nutrition Index