Cool-season perennial and annual forages often struggle during the heat of summer. Fortunately, there are some strategies to consider — including planting drought-tolerant forages, warm-season grasses and annual legumes.
A healthy pasture is a vital resource for a livestock operation, and it requires year-round attention. One of the most critical periods is the fall when decisions dictate how much forage will be produced for the season.
The potential of a pasture can only be realized when the conditions of growing forage are optimized. Learn how to find the current and potential forage yield of a pasture — and if improvements are worth the investment.
In parts of Oregon, pasture forage for grazing livestock is lacking early in the growing season. That forces livestock producers to rely on costly harvested forages for supplemental feed. There is another option. Research has ...
Pacific Northwest blueberry growers must identify and control a number of bacterial and fungal diseases in order to ensure the highest yields. Fortunately, only a few of the diseases that occur on highbush blueberry in this region cause significant losses when left unchecked.
Jay W. Pscheidt, Jerry Weiland |
Mar 2015 |
Article
Poisonous plants are a major cause of economic loss to the livestock industry. Two poisonous plants common to Oregon are poison hemlock and Western water hemlock. Ingestion of either by humans or livestock typically results in death.
The monthly grazing capacity of a pasture can be stated as animal unit months, AUM for short. It is calculated by estimating the amount of forage an animal eats each day — 2.5% to 3% of its body weight — times 30 days.
Drought conditions have drastically reduced hay yields in the last year or two. With dry conditions forecast to continue, livestock producers need to rethink strategies for conserving forage.