Reconnecting Cattle and Quail

 

The “Fescue Belt” is land dominated by non-native cool season grasses, primarily tall fescue. Cool season grasses, such as fescue and orchardgrass, thrive in April to early June and October to November. However, they have obvious drawbacks; and operations that rely exclusively on cool-season forages may find it increasingly difficult to stay above the bottom line.

 

When the summer is at its peak, cool season grasses can be very unproductive. In contrast, native warm season grasses peak during summer months (85 – 95 F). Warm season grasses are well adapted to Ohio’s soils and climate, with deep root systems which sometimes exceed 10 feet, and a more efficient chemical pathway for photosynthesis. During the summer months, the heat- and drought-tolerant warm season grasses exceed cool season grasses in both quality and quantity of forage. By replacing a percentage of non-native pastures with native ones, producers are benefiting from diversified forage that is more resilient to drought and resistant to fungal endophytes found in fescue that impact herd health.

 

 

 

Establishing warm season grasses, and actively managing them as summer forage, can also boost habitat for northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) as well as numerous other grassland birds. The bunch-forming warm season grasses including switchgrass, big bluestem, eastern gamagrass, and indiangrass provide bobwhites with quality habitat for feeding on insects, nesting, and rearing their broods.

 

To reconnect cattle and quail, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and its partners are recommending producers go “old school” by grazing native forages once again. The Northern Bobwhite Quail in Grasslands and Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) a USDA-NRCS Farm Bill Program is a special initiative in 30 of Ohio’s southernmost counties shown in the map linked here. This program is aimed to assist producers with conservation practices like forage and biomass planting, fencing, brush management, and prescribed grazing as described in this USDA Science to Solutions publication.

 

 

 

Video: Selling Rams & Helping New Farmers Begin

It’s shipping day again at Ewetopia Farms as we sell another Suffolk yearling ram! In today’s episode, we load one of our Suffolk rams onto the trailer as he heads off to his new farm to sire the next generation of lambs.

This particular customer has been buying our rams for over eight years, trusting Ewetopia genetics for their gentle temperaments, strong builds, and proven performance. Back home, we get busy looking after the flock that’s staying behind. With the weather turning wet and chilly, it’s time to put down fresh, clean bedding to keep everyone cozy and comfortable for the season ahead. Later, we welcome a wonderful new family who’s just starting out in sheep farming!

They’ve chosen some of our Suffolk ewe lambs to begin their flock — and we couldn’t be happier to help them take their first steps into raising sheep. Stay tuned for a follow-up episode when we help deliver and settle their new flock at their farm.