SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – Limiting the effects of grazing on riparian areas comes down to four basic strategies, producers were told at a recent conference.
Grazing time, supplemental feeding, herding and selective culling are all important in ensuring the sustainability of riparian areas, said Jeff Mosley of Montana State University.
He said cattle prefer not to graze on wet soil so they often won’t graze riparian areas until late summer when it is drier. Grazing them early in the season will move cattle into higher, drier ground and limit trampling along stream banks.
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Supplemental feed can also lure cattle away from riparian zones because they will move farther away if it isn’t provided every day.
“Don’t do it very often,” Mosley advised.
He recommended feeding hand-fed protein supplement one to three times a week, although grain supplements for energy should be fed daily.
Hand-fed supplements should be provided in the afternoon when animals are more likely to be resting. The morning is prime foraging time.
Mosley said it is best to feed supplements near shelter because if the weather gets bad the cattle will choose the shelter first.
Moving supplement sites can limit grazing pressure, but it can also confuse cattle, even if the sites are changed just once a year.
“Don’t play the hide-the-supplement game,” he said. “Think about naturally dry knobs (and) gravel spots.”
Moving or herding cattle is best accomplished by first locating the leaders. These aren’t necessarily the dominant animals, he said, but rather the “sociable and popular” ones.
Herding the leaders first will encourage the rest of the herd to follow. The cattle should be moved in subgroups rather than as a large group.
Once they arrive at their new site they should be shown where to find water, supplements and forage.
“The herd should remain with the animals in their new location until the group has settled,” said Mosley.
This can take 30 minutes to two hours.
Cattle are considered settled when their heads are down grazing and they are all pointing in different directions.
Mosley added cattle should be moved before they have watered.
Supplement should be withheld and the animals rewarded at their new site.
Producers can encourage cattle to use more of a pasture by varying entry points each time they move the herd into the same pasture.
Mosley said persistent, consistent herding is required and it can take three years for cows to adapt. Unco-operative animals should be culled.
“There are riparian dwellers that just won’t learn,” he said.
