Beginner Tips for Raising Grassfed Beef

[FisherKot]

This is the video I’ve been looking for. All the other videos don’t explain anything or get to the point. This video gets right to the point and explains everything perfectly. Thank you so much!

[tonicmatsetela]

great tips it was great watching your video im all the way from south africa, i am in a process of starting the cow growing business . than you.

[PurelyPasturedFarm]

Great video! Answered almost every question I had about starting to raise cattle! Thank you!

[servihomestead]

Great to know. We only have a few goats and sheep (and one calf for ourselves), but this info is really helpful. Thanks.

[SealSniper]

I raise meat sheep (hair sheep) and all the cattlemen in my area are coming to me wanting me to help sell them a starter herd and teach them how to raise them. This is primarily because lamb prices are for the most part stable and beef prices fluctuate too wildly. You get less profit per sheep but you can also graze a lot more of them on the same acre than a single cow. It's also very beneficial to graze sheep and cows together because they both consume and kill the parasites that harm the other species.

[pauermusic]

Absolutely amazing video thanks so much, alot of questions answered. Especially the numbers part.

[lousterzenbach]

Great information - easy to understand!

[carmiejones]

This was so practical and helpful. Thank you!!!

[wellsstreet]

Lots of practical gems here, thanks very much, very informative!

[DorothysHobbyFarm]

I really like the numbers, this is a great video.

[downbntout]

If you can stockpile (save) some forage for winter, you can eliminate hay feeding and save a buncha money

[jamesanderson]

SELECTIVE versus NON-SELECTIVE grazing.

• There is confusion between SEVERE grazing and OVERgrazing.
Overgrazing is related to the time a plant is allowed to recover after severe grazing.

Continuous SELECTIVE overgrazing at low animal impact is the problem with conventional management that has to be addressed.

• There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that non-selective grazing results in a lower level of nutrition and poorer body condition.

There is also no doubt about the fact that improved grass utilisation occurs (higher stocking rate) and that plant species composition changes in favour of more productive (higher stocking rate) and more nutritious plants (alleviates poor condition).

• Most protagonists of intensive grazing advocate “grazing the top third of plants” to allow animals an improved nutrient intake.

What is the chance of my cattle only eating the top 1/3 of ALL grass species and leaving 2/3s behind?..ZERO

Notice that even under UHDG they leave most of the very unpalatable Palens grass and graze the rest of the species almost 💯 pct...

There is no way that grazing the top third of all plants in a diverse community of plants can be achieved, unless animals are trained or bred to do so.

Any animal will graze selectively if given the choice. Therefore, instead of grazing the top third they will selectively graze a third of the material on offer - some individual plants will be grazed to a varying degree and some will be left ungrazed.

The ultimate result is better body condition at the expense of stocking rate and species composition.

• A far better option is to address body condition via genotype (high relative intake), rumen supplementation (minerals, protein, urea and probiotic), synchronising production with natural nutrition (calve, breed and wean during the period of best nutrition) and shorter grass recovery (higher nutrient concentration) at critical times.

In regard to a shorter recovery period this applies more to low octane grazing. Deliberately shortening the recovery periods must be done with the provisos of grazing “non-selectively” and alternating these intensively grazed areas with long recovery in the long term.

Non-selective “overgrazing” in combination with high animal impact and alternate longer recovery results in good species composition and maximum profit / unit of land.

There is a serious disconnect in the Holistic Management group between cattle and grass.

References: Johann Zietsman and Jaime Elizondo

[triback]

Awesome video! A lot of great information. Thanks!

[RosySideFarm]

New sub here. We have 10 acres and looking to get cows soon.

[henkjanssen]

I've got another question, what do I do if I can get my hands on land that has been under monoculture crop production? Put seed down or let grow what wants to grow?

[acapellaash]

How did he get the pasture that lush? That's the question I'm trying to get answered.

[danno]

Very helpful thoughts. Thanks — much appreciated…

[downbntout]

Seems like a roller-crimper behind a small tractor would be a good idea. In fact just that for a year or three before cows might be a good way to get pasture going

[CommodeToad]

I have 3/4 of an acer....i want to have a cow, a pig, and a lamb. How should i go about doing it?

[garyschemke]

Where do u find grass seed at 150 per acre?