Walking Pastures

One of my favorite things to do is walk pastures. It's an important thing to do when you have livestock. Having livestock really means you are a grass farmer, so one of the things I do on a pasture walk is evaluate the grass. Is it time for a move to a different pasture? Do we need to mow after this grazing cycle? Should we overseed this fall? Those are all things to look for on a walk. But that isn't everything. Fencing is an ever-present concern. Even if fences are good, one old tree that succumbs to a gust of wind can cause catastrophic damage. I always try to walk the perimeter several times per year so the primary fence and any questionable trees can be evaluated. Water is also always at top of mind. What is the water source like? Is the quality what we expect? Is there an opportunity for us to improve the water situation? Lastly, I evaluate the cattle. That probably sounds counterintuitive, I mean, cattle are our business. However, If the first indication we have of a problem is the appearance of the cattle, we have not done our jobs. The slight indications that can be gleaned from a pasture walk can help us make decisions way before the cattle are affected. Soil, grass, water, pasture rotations, and proper fencing are all foundations of the pyramid of producing good cattle. Cattle are at the top of that pyramid. Management decisions are made by being in close contact with the foundational elements. That's why I take pasture walks and look at the cattle last. The photos above are 2 things I found on 2 pasture walks this weekend. One group of calves has found a new water location I set up for them on a new pasture. The other photo is of a giant limb that fell in a recent windstorm and crushed a cross fence. Thankfully it wasn't a perimeter fence, so when the cows went through they were still fenced on the property.