Dryland Pasture Management
Management strategies for optimal grazing distribution and use of arid rangelands
Management Strategies for Optimal Grazing Distribution and Use of Arid Rangelands (PDF)
Identification and Creation of Optimum Habitat Conditions for Livestock
Identification and Creation of Optimum Habitat Conditions for Livestock (PDF)
Irrigated Pasture Management
Calculation of Fair Pasture Rates
Calculation of Fair Pasture Rates
Irrigated Pastures for Livestock in Yakima County
Forage Production Goals: A well-managed irrigated pasture can supply most of the nutritional requirements of grazing animals. Managed irrigated pasture is high in digestible nutrients. Livestock animals harvest the crop so limited labor is required to maintain pasture production. With proper management, irrigated pastures can last and be extremely productive for decades. Irrigation, fertilization and…
Optimizing Pasture and Animal Production through Planned Grazing
Author: Jim Gerrish, formerly Assistant Professor, University of Missouri - Plant Science Unit * Presented at the 2003 Washington State Graziers’ Conference; October 30, 2003Over the past twenty years, my life has largely been devoted to…
Drought Management
Timothy Hay-Drought Advisory
An introduced cool-season grass, timothy is very winter hardy but lacks heat and drought hardiness compared to many other hay grasses, mainly because of shallow, fibrous roots. Like other C3 (cool- season) grasses grown in the region, mature timothy plants produce roots in the fall and spring. During the winter and summer they shed much…
Oat Hay and Straw
Oat Hay and Straw The annual cereal crop common oat (Avena sativa, a hexaploid crop with n=42 chromosomes; hull colors ranging from white to black) is a widely grown grain for horses and young cattle.…
Drought Cattle Management
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand the problem of drought - when the soil doesn't receive rain, or otherwise get wetted, plants can't grow. When plants can't grow, cattle can't graze. Cattlemen who, on Western average, spend upwards of 50% of their operation budget on supplemental feed are acutely aware that any reduction…
Animal Issues
Prussic Acid Poisoning in Livestock
This publication provides information on prussic acid poisoning (also known as cyanide poisoning), a metabolic condition in livestock that producers in the Pacific Northwest may not see very often,Prussic Acid Poisoning in Livestock
Livestock Management and Water Quality
Livestock Management and Water Quality
Selected Poisonous Plants of the Pacific Northwest
The PNW abounds with a huge variety of native and imported plants. Unfortunately, some of these plants are toxic to livestock. Signs of toxicity can range from as mild as brief indigestion to as severe as sudden death. It behooves all livestock producers to become familiar with the toxic plants growing in areas where he/she…
Pasture Management and Problems While Grazing
Forage crops provide 54 percent of the feed consumed by livestock in the United States. Pastures furnish 36 percent, harvested forages contribute 18 percent and the balance of livestock feed is obtained from concentrate feed including grain and protein supplements. As expected, the importance of each kind of feed varies with the type of livestock.…
Resource Links (Animal Health)
Winter Grazing
Stockpiling for Winter Grazing
Author: Jim Gerrish, formerly Assistant Professor, University of Missouri - Plant Science Unit *Presented at the 2003 Washington State Graziers’ Conference; October 30, 2003As the cost of producing hay continues to escalate, the importance of extending…
Stockpiling Forages
Stockpiling refers to the practice of selecting certain pastures in the late summer where forages are saved or stockpiled for grazing at a later time. These pastures are then managed with the intent of using them late in the season for winter grazing. These stockpiled forages can extend the grazing season for several more months…