permaculture

[Mark <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>]

> 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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Mark P. Ludwig
Poultry Research Lab
University of Wisconsin -Madison
608-262-1730 WK
608-846-7125 HM