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permaculture - [permaculture] Fwd: Re: [grazersedge] grades for cow lanes

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  • From: Mark <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>
  • To: midwestpermaculture@yahoogroups.com, permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] Fwd: Re: [grazersedge] grades for cow lanes
  • Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2002 16:35:43 -0500

Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2002 13:43:49 -0400
From: James Cropper <jbc9@psu.edu>
Subject: Re: [grazersedge] grades for cow lanes
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At 06:39 PM 8/15/02 -0400, you wrote:
>Question for anyone,
> Is there any research or information on the maximum grade that is
> suitable for lactating cow lanes. We are planning some lanes and have
> some steep short slopes and we would like to smooth out the walk. Thanks
>Glenn Moyer
>Mercersburg, Pa
>
>
>REPLY: Glenn,

For cattle in general, they hate to walk up slopes of 20% or more (20 feet
up in 100 feet horizontal). They are comfortable walking up slopes of up
to 15%. If you have hillsides that are 20% or greater and no other option
but to go up them, I would build a series of switchbacks keeping the grades
under 15% and provide some means of shedding water off the lanes with
diagonal dips or berms to kick water off them away from the downhill lane
sections. This information came from John Vallentine's book, Grazing
Management. From my observations, where cattle have a choice between
relatively flat and steep pasture areas, this generally holds to be
true. If all they have access to is steep pasture, they make the best of
it by trying to find gentler slopes in drainageways and the like to go up
slope to graze. Failing to find that they just do what they have to
do. The main thing with lactating cows is try to reduce the travel
distance and elevation climbed to conserve energy for making milk rather
than getting to and from a paddock. A general rule of thumb is a 5%
surcharge of maintenance energy used for each mile walked. This, of
course, increases with increased elevational distance walked.

Jim


James B. Cropper
Forage Management Specialist
USDA-NRCS, Grazing Lands Technology Institute
Pasture Systems & Watershed Mgt. Research Unit
Curtin Road
University Park, PA 16802-3702
(814) 863-0942 FAX: (814) 863-0935
jbc9@psu.edu

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