Rotational Grazing and Watering System Details
At 9:00 in
Cows Trained? This should be interesting!
What happens here
The farmer explains his pasture management philosophy for the grazed areas. The new pasture will be grazed by 30 head of cattle on approximately 5 acres for 5-6 days, aiming to reduce forage height to 3-5 inches. This intense grazing encourages the cattle to eat undesirable plants like weeds, which are considered valuable forage in a multi-species pasture. He then highlights his unique gravity-fed watering system, which draws cool water from a pond. He previously had issues with air bubbles causing the siphon to break, but solved it by ensuring the highest point of the pipe acts as an air bleed, allowing air to escape and maintaining a continuous flow.
Goal: Understand pasture management and efficient watering solutions.
Tools and materials
- Gravity-fed pipe system — Transporting water from the pond to the trough
- Pasture drag — Spreading manure in grazed pastures
- Pond — Source of water for the system
- Valve — Controlling water flow to the trough
- Water trough — Providing drinking water for the cattle