Care and Condition of Sacrifice Areas

 

Sacrifice areas are areas where livestock are kept during inclement weather, or to protect pastures from damage.

 

 

During the winter months, livestock feeding and loafing areas are often of great concern and discussion to animal livestock producers. Often, a limiting resource is prevalent on an operation, such as appropriate land to winter feed or having the proper livestock numbers to suit the available resources. In these instances, winter feeding, especially in wet years, can leave even the most experienced managers struggling for answers.

 

Winter feeding preparation must begin earlier in the year, before winter. If land and wintering facilities are limited, consider adjusting livestock numbers. This will help with stored and harvested feedstuffs, as well as decrease winter manure collection. Stocking rates should always remain fluid and ever-changing depending on feeding resources and facilities and availability to stockpiled and spring forages.

 

Livestock feed consumption and nutritional needs increase in colder temperatures due to increased metabolic processes resulting in the need for additional pounds of dry matter intake (DMI) per day. During winter feeding, 2.5-3.0% of body weight is a general rule of thumb for feed to animal weight ratio. This means, a 1250-pound cow needs to eat between 31 and 38 pounds of dry matter (DM) per day to meet her nutritional requirements. Additionally, livestock expend energy differently based on external temperature and whether their coats are wet or dry.

 

 

 

 

Using a covered barn or reinforced lot is an effective way to reduce stress on the animals, reduce feed waste, and can aid in preserving animal health during winter feeding. Using covered barns also provide some other advantages. By feeding in a covered barn or reinforced pad, manure can be contained and applied to areas of the operation where it is needed, like row crops or forages. Another advantage is that it keeps livestock contained and in a central location, easing the ability for livestock handling and care. As helpful as these facilities can be, they still present their challenges. Feeding in barns and lots means that the liquid, whether that is manure, urine, rain, or snow, is generally contained. Bedding is a major concern and can be an additional cost to operations that are not prepared for it. Indoor hay feeding can help provide some bedding, but the addition of hay, straw, sawdust or corn stalks is necessary to keep the facility dry and the livestock healthy. Another concern is muddy areas that occur along the edge of the barns or reinforced pads. Where the foundation or gravel stops, mud is commonly an issue and is especially troublesome to young stock in these areas. Monitor these areas, as they will often occur along laneways, gates, and any entry point. Other concerns can be manure storage, young stock safety, and runoff issues.

 

Barns with covered areas do not always have a concrete slab or a stone loafing area but can have an area that is clay or another compacted surface which can scraped. The overall goal of these facilities is to reduce the degradation of fields and keep livestock out of standing mud and water, while being able to collect manure nutrients and apply them to fields in the spring. These areas are a gold standard in winter feeding facilities but require keen management and a well-suited area.

 

 

Feeding livestock on pasture during winter months is a common practice, which under certain management, can be quite successful. Pasture feeding is most effective in a climate when the ground is frozen. Otherwise, it can result in a sacrifice area or stress lot, which will be mentioned later. Pasture feeding provides some very positive advantages over other wintering methods for livestock grazers. Feed sources, like hay and mineral feeders, can be moved around to encourage animals to move away from highly traveled, popular areas of the pasture and distribute manure and hoof traffic around the area while reducing nutrient concentration in certain areas of the field. This limits the amount of stockpiled waste that must be spread in the spring during clean-out.

 

Pasture feeding does not limit feeding to a single area, but utilizes all pastures, rotating livestock across the operation, reducing some risk of compaction and degradation. However, there are always negative returns with every system. Some disadvantages of pasture feeding include livestock not being centralized in a single location, making containment difficult in the event of bad weather. Bale wagons, ring feeders, or rolling out hay results in feeding losses from 10-50% and the potential for nutrient hot spots in pastures where the forage has been fed. Young animal morbidity can be a concern when feeding outdoors with cold weather, mud, and wet conditions.

 

Unless the pasture that is being fed in is scheduled for renovation, pasture feeding usually works best when is it coupled with another system like a sacrifice lot or a covered barn and reinforced pad. By combining the two techniques, livestock can be contained during periods of cold and wet weather, preserving the pasture, and they can be pasture-fed when the area is dry or frozen. This will allow the livestock to have area to be out and move, but also be protected during periods of distressing weather.

 

 

Many farmers take advantage of a variety of sources of feed in their fields during the winter months. Corn stalks , cover crops , planted winter annuals and stockpiled fescue are all excellent sources of winter feed. To take full advantage of these winter feed sources, consider strip grazing small sections at a time of these types of forage. This ensures livestock will reduce selective grazing as well as increase grazing days by reducing the opportunity for waste. Stocking rate should be considered and can be calculated by determining available forage, nutritional needs of the livestock and grazing days Figure 2 shows possible days grazing per acre per animal unit (AU) of various winter forages.

 

 

 

Based on the needs of 1 AUM (Animal Unit Month, feed needed for 1,000# cow for a month.)

Wheat estimates from UNL Fact Sheet #EC185

 

All winter forages have benefits and limitations. Corn stalks have 70% TDN and 6-7% crude protein early in the season, enough to meet the nutrient requirements of a dry beef cow in early gestation. As the winter continues, weather degrades the corn stalk quality and supplementation may be needed. Young wheat has nutritive values that are sufficient for nearly all classes of beef cattle and sheep but requires significant acreage and careful attention to soil moisture to avoid compaction. For both systems, supplement accordingly and watch for signs of bloat.

 

Tall fescue is an excellent forage option to stockpile as it retains its leaves well after frost, maintains its nutritive value, and has persistence through overgrazing and frequent grazing events. Stockpiled cool-season perennials offer greater nutritive value than if that forage were harvested as hay due to the absence of harvest equipment and the quality reduction that occurs as a result of the harvesting process, as well as the absence of the degradation of forage quality after mowing as a result of respiration.

 

 

An area designated for winter feeding, ideally with a concrete or clay base that can easily have manure removed from the area. This system works best in dry conditions. One of the perceived benefits is low input cost, although reseeding the area, maintaining runoff, reducing mud and manure removal can quickly increase the costs of this system. If the area is bulldozed, an Agricultural Erosion and Sedimentation plan is needed. If the sacrifice lot is more than an acre, additional permits may be required. The highest concerns of this system include heavy nutrient loads, risk to nearby water and animal health in muddy conditions. High levels of care need to be taken to mitigate these risks, requiring a high level of management and labor hours.

 

 

If a sacrifice pasture or stress lot is the best option, there are many considerations that go into making the decision of the proper area.

 

The lot needs to comply with all manure management and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations with manure setbacks and effluent runoff laws. Fields, pastures, or areas with a high soil test for phosphorus and potassium should be avoided.

 

Consider your ability to manage the area while the livestock are in it. How easily can you feed in it? How far is it from your hay storage? This area should have a good drinking source for livestock. Cattle need between 12 and 25 gallons of water per day with the greatest requirement for lactating cattle. Also, since they are likely going to be eating a dried feed, their water from feed will be reduced compared to spring or summer when they are on grass that is 70% moisture. Livestock also have a higher water demand when weather is cold, due to the metabolic process to keep them warm, so keep water supply in mind when selecting sacrifice areas or pasture.

 

Topography of the land is also something to consider. If the land is sloped toward water or it “lays wet” it is not a good choice for a sacrifice pasture or stress area during winter feeding. Other concerns of topography will be the ability to rejuvenate the area in spring after the area has been used. Likely, it will need to be disked or plowed to remove ruts and hoof marks. If reseeding is needed, consider the ability to get equipment to the area and if equipment rental or contractual labor will be utilized.

 

Selecting a sacrifice or stress lot that can be rotated with hay or crop fields is optimal. By using one or a portion of a crop field, the option of planting or renovation is easier. In the case of a hay field, consider rotating through each of your fields, one portion every six years, and renovate after. This will provide a way to remove the heavy nutrient load that is deposited during winter feeding through harvest and will put your operation on a renovation schedule.

 

 

Many options for wintering livestock exist. Covered barns may be the ideal winter area for some, whereas other operations can take advantage of the economic advantages of pasture feeding or stockpiled feeds. Sacrifice areas require maintenance and care to ensure animal and environmental health. Choose an option that matches your management style and supports the environmental and economic goals of your farm.