Targeted Sheep Grazing - Montana State University€¦ · Targeted Sheep Grazing Lisa Surber, PhD...
Transcript of Targeted Sheep Grazing - Montana State University€¦ · Targeted Sheep Grazing Lisa Surber, PhD...
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“Rebuilding the Dream”
Targeted Sheep Grazing Lisa Surber, PhD
Montana Sheep Institute Montana State University
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Trend in cattle, sheep, and weeds in the 11 Western states.
Targeted Grazing Handbook, 2007
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WHY TARGETED GRAZING?
A natural approach to vegetation management
and landscape enhancement
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Targeted grazing is the application of a
specific kind of livestock at a
determined season, duration, and intensity to
accomplish defined vegetation or
landscape goals
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Sheep and goat targeted grazing is being rediscovered and honed as a viable and effective tool to address contemporary vegetation management challenges such as like controlling invasive exotic weeds.
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Grazing Management
Prescription Grazing
Targeted Grazing
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Keys to Targeted Grazing Accomplished by control of: Herbivore Species Breed Background Condition & Age Nutrition Genetics
Intensity of defoliation Stocking Rate Frequency
Timing Appropriate Season
Animal Husbandry
Plant Ecology
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Products of Targeted Grazing
Meat & Livestock Products
Manage Plant Communities
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Benefits of Targeted Grazing Can be highly effective No herbicide residue…
‘environmentally friendly’
Convert weeds into a saleable product
More sustainable control Feasible in rough terrain
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Popularity
“In with grazing, out with baaaad plants”
“Wooly Weed Eaters”
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Early Targeted Grazing for Vegetation Management
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Need to Make the Right Decisions
When to graze?
With which critter? How long to graze?
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Timing of Grazing When weeds are most susceptible and relatively palatable
When desired species are least palatable or least susceptible
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Roughage Feeder (grass)
Intermediate Feeder (forbs)
Concentrate Feeder (browse)
Select the Right Species
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Species Differ in Diet and Topographic Preferences
Grass Forb Shrub
Riparian
Upland
Goat Sheep
Cow
Dietary Preference
Topo
grap
hic
Pref
eren
ce
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Effect of Sheep Grazing on the Density of Leafy Spurge
Bowes and Thomas 1978
And it may take a long time…
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NOTE: Only 5% of seeds ingested pass through sheep.
Of those seeds that pass through only 20% are viable (potential of growing) initially, and falls to less that 5% three days after ingestion and is 0 at 5 days of ingestion. Graze plants prior to setting seed. Do not allow sheep to graze seeds (drylot if necessary) for 5 days prior to moving to noninfested areas
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Weed Technology 6:599
Seed Recovery
Viability
Can sheep spread leafy spurge?
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Leafy Spurge
Sighted in Park County as early as 1925 and is now in every Montana county.
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Leafy Spurge Perennial,
invasive forb Spreads by seeds
& rhizomes 20-25 ft tap
root, resistant to herbicides
Seeds in soil are viable for up to 8 yr
The seed capsules explode when dry, projecting seeds up to 15 feet from the plant. A mature established patch will spread 1 – 3 feet per year!
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Leafy Spurge Nutritional Value
Growth Stage
% Crude Protein
% Phosphorus
% Dry Matter
Vegetative 27.3 0.53 80 Flowering 23.4 0.46 73 Mature 19.5 0.39 66 Regrowth 15.6 0.32 60
Leafy spurge provides a nutritional boost for sheep and goats.
Fox et al., 1991
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Leafy Spurge Natural defense system Toxic milky latex Cattle do not eat (mouth blisters) May cause dehydration in cattle
Sheep and goats prefer However, diets will rarely exceed
50%
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Utiliz
ation
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Leafy Spurge Canopy Cover (%)
Influence of leafy spurge canopy cover on forage utilization of leafy spurge
patches by cattle
Hein et al., 1992 JRM 45:405
When leafy spurge patches exceed about 40% infestation levels ranchers should expect
little utilization by cattle
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M ONTANA S HEEP I NSTITUTE
A cooperative project between Montana Wool Growers Association
and Montana State University
www.sheepinstitute.montana.edu
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The Montana Sheep Institute is a cooperative effort between Montana State University and Montana Wool Growers Association
Our Goals Improve the profitability and competitiveness of the Montana Sheep Industry
Create more opportunities for rural Montana families
Land managers can use sheep as a weed control tool
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Weed projects Major Weed Projects
Leafy Spurge Spotted Knapweed Dalmatian Toadflax
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MSI Grazing Projects 15 Projects 22 with monitoring plots
Approximately 15,000 total sheep from 10 producers on grazing projects
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Weed Monitoring Projects
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Standard Grazing Prescriptions
Grazing Objective – Graze to prevent seed production and reduce biomass.
Graze an infestation until seed heads have been removed and monitor the residual height of the desirable species
Stock infestations at approximately 1 sheep per acre per month
Begin grazing period in the late spring to mid-July and repeat later in the summer
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Landscape Grazing Projects • Sheep grazing plan was developed and
implemented at each site • Monitoring sites on each project are
identified • Prior to start of each study, planning
meetings are held • Landowners • Sheep producers • Agency groups such as BLM, FWP • MSI
• County agents • Weed supervisors
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The Montana Sheep Institute
Objectives: To develop, implement and evaluate controlled sheep grazing strategies for managing large infestations of leafy spurge.
Our specific research objectives were to examine the long-term grazing impacts on leafy spurge following our prescribed grazing approach.
An additional objective was to examine the effects of sheep removal on leafy spurge infestations.
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Low(11) Medium(16) High(6)
lbs
of D
M F
orag
e pe
r Acr
e
Leafy Spurge Forbs Grass
Composition Of Leafy Spurge, Grass & Forbs
High 67%+ Spurge
Med 33 - 66% Spurge Low 0 - 32% Spurge
33 sites throughout Montana
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ompo
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Successive Years of Grazing
Spurge Grass Forb
Spurge
Percent Change in Composition After Successive Years of Sheep Grazing
Spurge (P = 0.0014) Grass (P = 0.005) Forbs (P = 0.073)
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MS Angus Ranch Plot 001 State Lands Pasture Deer Lodge, MT
After 7 Years of Targeted Sheep Grazing
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South View
2002 2009
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MS Angus Ranch Plot 002 Concrete Ditch Pasture Deer Lodge, MT
After 8 Years of Targeted Sheep Grazing
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East View
2002 2010
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MS Angus Ranch Plot 003 Vanisko Pasture Deer Lodge, MT
After 8 Years of Targeted Sheep Grazing
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West View
2002 2010
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Beck Ranch School Section Pasture Deer Lodge, MT
After 8 Years of Targeted Sheep Grazing
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East View
2002 2010
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Vegetation composition over 8 years: Repeated targeted grazing using sheep for the
first 5 years; sheep removed after year 5
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2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
%
Spurge Grass Forb
No Sheep After 2005 Grazing Season
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Leafy spurge composition when sheep are removed after year 5 of grazing compared repeated sheep grazing
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ompo
sition
Successive Years of Grazing
Knapweed Grass Forb
Spurge
Percent Change in Composition After Successive Years of Sheep Grazing
Knapweed (P = 0.013) Grass (P = 0.073) Forbs (P = 0.93)
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Sheep Grazing of Spotted Knapweed
We have learned to simply hedge the plants (taking the tops and buds off)
Allows for lower utilization levels for grass
Adequate control and stress on knapweed
Timing of grazing is more specific than with leafy spurge
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NIRS Knapweed Trial
Develop fecal NIRS equations for predicting percent spotted knapweed & grass in a sheep’s diet
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Band Intake in July and August
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Spotted knapweed in Diet (%)
7/13 8/15
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Five Ewe Average Intake vs. What is Available in the Pasture
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Vegetation Monitoring – Madison River Hillside Site
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
100%
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
8 18 20 29
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67 52
19 8
10 1
25 30
61 63 75
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6 7
A. Grass P. Grass Knapweed Forbs
Cheat grass was detected in 2008 & 2009
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Photo Progression 2004 - 2009 2004
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Photo Progression 2004 - 2009 2009
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Sheep grazing Dalmatian Toadflax
When sheep are co-mingled with goats there appears to be an increase in consumption
Peer effect Experienced training inexperienced? Goats training sheep?
A definite training period involved with adapting to Dalmatian Toadflax Once they learn that it is edible, you can’t
keep them off it.
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2005 2009 Cox Ranch % lbs/ac % lbs/ac Dalmatian Toadflax 21 111 5 8 Grass 61 319 61 105 Forbs 18 87 34 59 John Potter Ranch Dalmatian Toadflax 39 729 0 0 Grass 52 967 55 346 Forbs 9 165 45 286 Doug Potter Ranch Dalmatian Toadflax 30 141 3 12 Grass 27 126 89 353 Forbs 43 197 8 32
Forage production of Dalmatian toadflax, grass, and forbs grazed by sheep and goats
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2005 North View 2007 North View
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Sheep as a Vegetative Management Tool
May provide the most economical alternative to chemicals (estimated at $10 -15 per acre per year)
$0.95
$1.48
$0.35
$1.50$1.03
0
1
2
3
4
5
FencedRange
WeedGrazing
$
Other
IncreasedDeath Rate
Trucking
CampTending
Herding
$2.31
(Alley et al., 1983; Alley & Messersmith, 1985)
(MSI, 2006)
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Herbicide Grazing
Mechanical Insects
“IGNORE”
Large Established Weed Infestations
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Future of Targeted Grazing For the land manager
Another tool in the tool box May provide the most cost-effective method of weed control for large weed infestations May be the only feasible tool
For the sheep and goat producer Alternative income An income source that can’t be out-sourced to other countries
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Future Challenges “Cowboy” mentality
However, you can add 1 ewe for every cow currently being grazed without reducing cattle stocking rates (carrying capacity can be increased by 20% compared to either species alone)
How much do I have to pay or is “free” weed control? Land managers want to be paid for forage Targeted grazers want to be paid for weed control
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It’s a great time to be in the Sheep
Industry
Record Wool Prices Record Lamb Prices
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Wool Record Prices World wool supplies are down Weak US dollar Consumers beginning to replace
synthetics with wool fibers Timely increases in demand for wool
from military (20% of domestic wool clip)
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New Wool Products – Superwash Machine wash and tumble dry on low
Wool shrink treatment processing (Chargeurs Wool USA Jamestown, SC) Washable wool process to US that is
currently being done overseas Applied to a sliver of top, created
after combing and produces shrink-resistant wool top
US military is the largest consumer of domestic wool Berry Amendment: requires all textile processes and products to be entirely of US origin; otherwise they cannot be used by DOD
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Lamb Record Prices US record low herd Lamb imports down Wholesale prices
high Weak US $
Imported product $$ Record pelt prices Mid-west ethnic demand has grown from
a holiday market to a year round market
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Non-traditional Markets From 2000 to 2009
Fed. inspected slaughter declined 30 percent Non-traditional market grew 7 percent
In 2000, 25 percent of total slaughter was channeled into the non-traditional markets
In 2009, that portion increased to 34 percent
Great expansion potential to Muslim, Jewish, Hispanic customers
Major Muslim holidays Festival of Sacrifice (Nov – Dec), Islamic New Year
(Dec – Jan)
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Grow Our Flock twoPLUS program
Goal 1: Encourage producers to increase the size of their operation by two ewes per operation or by two ewes per 100 by 2014.
Goal 2: Encourage sheep producers to increase the average birthrate per ewe to two lambs per year.
Goal 3: Encourage producers to increase the harvested lamb crop by 2 percent – taking it from 108 percent to 110 percent.
This initiative will result in 315,000 more lambs and 2 million more pounds of wool for the industry to market.
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Thank you!