dairy farming - how we manage our animals holistically presented by adam klaus
TRANSCRIPT
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How Do We Manage our Cowsat Bella Farm?
• Natural Feeding
• Permaculture Cow Genetics
• Seasonal Management
Right farm, right animals, right management
Spectrum of Animal Types versus Pasture Quality•Yaks are lowest nutrient need animals•Sheep can thrive on relatively poor pasture•Bulls and heifers have more moderate needs•Finishing beef requires good to excellent pasture•Lactating dairy cows need the absolute best
100% Grass-fed or Nothing!
Pasture Quality-Do you have Dairy Quality Pastures??
Legumes are the best indicator of pasture qualityRed Clover is the absolute best for dairy cows
Species diversity in our fields equals healthy cows
Mineralize our cows to mineralize our pastures, Not the other way around.
•Not all hay is created equal-•Buy the best quality hay•Alfalfa is ‘the best fodder’
50 pounds per cow per day, feeding excellent quality hayGets real expensive real fast!Number of days per year on hay will determine your profitabilityOur local ranchers average 150 days/year-We have gotten down to 60 days/year!
A small amount of alfalfa hay as a supplement can allow you to keep grazing for significantly longer into the fall and winter.
8 pounds per cow per day can extend your grazing season by several months!
The Breed Spectrum•On one end are the extreme dairy types, notably Jersey and Holstein.
•At the other end, the extreme beef types, like Simmental and Hereford
•The sweet spot is in the middle, “Dual Purpose” cows, such as
•Brown Swiss•Milking Shorthorn
•Ayrshire•Devons
Classic Jersey cow, way too skinny for holistic dairy farming
Dual purpose cows have the body reserves to handle the nutritional demands of permacultural management
Dexter cows, a specialty animal for special situations.
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Brown Swiss Cow and Bull formed the Foundation of our Biodynamic Dairy Herd
Vivian and Arthur, 2007
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An Ideal Dairy Cow- ‘Bootsie’
Permacultural Genetics
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Dairy Yield- 1000 gallons per cow, each year, just from grazing pasture.
Bull Beef- 200 pounds of beef from a yearling bull calf
3 Types of Cows to Buy-•Bottom Cows•Bred Heifer•Retiring Professionals
My Experience- The Story of Vivian and Sugaree
Managing our Cows in Harmony with the Seasons
Essential to Calve in May!
Beef Cows respond to different seasonal plan.
Calving in August makes sense for beef, not for dairy.
The year begins with breeding
Timely Conception is Essential for a Seasonal Dairy
Artificial Insemination
Not as fun or easy as it looks
Keeping a Bull-No joking matter
Every king needs a castle, and every bull needs a bullshed
Laying Hens integrate with and compliment dairy cows perfectly
Meat Hogs make Excellent Use of Seasonal Milk SurplusCow Manure is complete Pig Multi-VitaminJoel Salatin’s ‘Pigerator’ System in Hayshed is Great!
Abundant Cow Manure makes the Best Biodynamic
Compost.
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Market Garden Yields without Purchased Inputs
Fertile Soils in our Fruit Orchards
Produce quality comes from soil biology
The Farmer isThe Most ImportantAnimal on the Holistically Managed Farm
Seasonal Dairying gives the Farmer Quality Family Time in Winter
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Nurturing Life
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Masanobu Fukuoka — 'The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.'