A November Pasture Update

Michelle recorded this on the morning of Sunday, November 1, while Tom moved the herd.

A pasture we held back

The pasture in the video hasn’t been grazed at all this year. We set it aside, and now Tom is opening it up to the herd a little at a time, giving them more of it to eat with each move.

This group is a mix of our steers and heifers. They’re about a year old, and some are getting close to two.

Two moves a day

With the weather as nice as it has been, the cattle get moved twice a day: once in the morning and again in the late afternoon or evening, depending on our schedule. On days we can’t get back out, like this Sunday with family commitments, Tom gives them a little extra to hold them over until the next morning.

It has been unusually dry and warm in Michigan for this time of year.

Moving the fence

Every move means readjusting the temporary fencing. With the fence turned off, it’s an easy pull. The cattle know to stay inside the rope. Once in a while one gets out, but they learn young, and they’re respectful of it.

For the longer explanation of why we move the herd this way, read Rotational Grazing: What Is It? Why Do It?

Tom with a round bale at the gate.

When the grass is done for the year, the herd moves onto hay. Here’s how we bale graze through the winter.

Transcript of the video

Good morning. This is November 1st, and we’re looking at one of our pastures that has not been grazed at all this year. This was kind of on a set-aside, and Tom’s in the process of giving them a little bit more of the area to eat. And right now, with the way the weather is so nice, they get moved twice, twice a day: morning and late afternoon, evening, just depending on our schedule.

This is a mix of our steers and heifers, one-year-olds, maybe close to, getting close to two. It’s always readjusting the temporary fencing. Obviously the fence is off, so it’s just like an easy pull. The cattle are very well trained to know that they need to stay within the rope area. We occasionally have some bad ones that get out, but it doesn’t take long when they’re little that they get trained, and they’re quite respectful.

Today’s Sunday. We’ve got some family commitments today. Not sure we’ll be back out here later this afternoon, so he might give them a couple extras, just to hold them over till tomorrow morning. It’s unusually dry and warm here in Michigan this year, this time of year.