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Grazing and Range/Pasture Management

Also known as pastoralism, grazing livestock have been around for millennia, ever since domestic animals--cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, horses--have been successfully domesticated. Grazing involves the consumption of forages and range or pasture management is a tool used to control grazing activities of livestock, primarily in effort to improve the quality of the land.

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What makes the grass grow?

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A combination of many factors, including: Sunlight, adequate soil temperature, soil microbes, moisture, and disturbance. Disturbance is particularly needed to encourage grass growth before the grass has had a chance to put up a seed head and then go into dormancy.

How does a ruminant animal digests pasture using rumen reticulum microbes and fermentation?

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Actually, the microbes are the key to this question. The rumen and reticulum are just the holding vats of where the fodder from the pasture are digested and provides the mechanical form of digestion, and fermentation is the chemical process that is created by the microbes in the rumen in an anaerobic environment. Put all these together and you have your answer.

Ruminants rely on these microbes to break down the plant matter and release the nutrients from these plants--as well as synthesize their own, like Vitamin B12--in order to get the necessary energy, protein, vitamins and minerals for maintaining body function and meet other physiological requirements like growth, lactation and reproduction. These microbes synthesize an enzyme called cellulase which is designed to break down cellulose, an organic compound found in all plants (and is what gives all plants their structure and support) in order to accomplish this. The anaerobic environment is created when these microbes release carbon dioxide, methane and other organic gaseous or liquid compounds, and these gases need to be released regularly via eructation (or burping). A cow will burp once every minute of every day.

The microbes can't completely break down plant matter, though, so when the cow has eaten her fill, she regurgitates a bolus of partly digested digesta and rechews it, her saliva and chewing actions further breaking it down before swallowing and bringing up another bolus to chew again. This is called "chewing the cud." Her saliva does not have the enzyme to break down starch, but it does act as a buffer to maintain the pH (or acidity) level neutral in the rumen. A cow can easily produce 50 gallons of saliva per day.

The reticulum acts as part of the digestion process, acting as a storage place for foreign objects, and "readying" a part of the digesta from the rumen to be regurgitated and rechewed as cud. However, fermentation also takes place in this stomach chamber, but not nearly as much as in the rumen. (Note: if someone tells you that the rumen is a "storage" area, this isn't entirely true. An organ doesn't act as a storage area if something is constantly being done to the objects inside. The rumen is a home for millions of bacteria, fungi and protozoa, and is very much an ecological environment where these tiny organisms live and die.) The reticulum is known as the "hardware stomach."

Other organs not mentioned are just as important with ruminant digestion. After the plant matter has been digested, fermented, rechewed and fermented again enough, it goes to the third forestomach, called the omasum. Here water is removed from the many folds in this stomach chamber. From there, it moves into the abomasum, or the true stomach of the ruminant animal. The abomasum acts and secretes stomach acid and enzymes very much like our stomachs do. The rest of the digestion process follows like any other mammal.

What plant adaptation protects savanna plants from grazes?

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umbrella trees waxy coatings strong limbs

How many acres do you need per cow in Oklahoma?

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This is not a state issue but a county regulation. You can find out what is permitable by visiting your county court house. Look for the county code that pertains to horses. Or you can try online. At the very least there will be contact info where you can find the right person to answer all your questions.

As far as stocking rate is concerned, which is a little different from the above paragraph, you need to check with your local agricultural extension office to see how many horses you can stock per acre (or how many acres is needed per horse) for your farm or acreage.

What was the consequences of the end of free grazing?

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th cattle industry in texas was virtually destroyed as an economic factor

How can rangeland be managed sustainably?

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Graze your livestock responsibly. That means no over-grazing and no over-stocking your pastures. Keep an eye on how much your animals are taking off, how much should be left and when to put them in or pull them out. Also know what grasses you have in your pastures so you know when the best times are to graze. Cool-season native grasses shouldn't be grazed until after September or October, and cool-season tame grasses should be grazed when they are in the vegetative stage. Warm-season grasses should also be grazed in their vegetative stage. And remember to give rest periods to your pastures: at least 30 days for most periods of grazing. Less for growing periods, more for non-growing periods or when drought is around.

Can sheep and cattle live on the same pasture or near each other?

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No, not really. You need to make sure that individuals do get along with each other and that there is enough grass to maintain all.

Why do Egyptians do cattle grazing?

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Yes, to get proof read the story of the plagues on Egypt in the Bible.

What animals graze on the prairie?

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Herbivores do.

In case you don't know, and herbivore is an animal that eats solely plants. Many herbivores graze, including kangaroos, sheep, goats, deer, capybaras, and elephants.

And FYI, you mean "which animals graze?", not "what."

Difference between grazing food chain and deterial food?

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Characters Grazing food chain Detritus food chain Primary source of energy Solar radiations Detritus First trophic level All herbivores Detritivores (a mixed group in terms of trophic levels and may be herbivores, omnivores and primary carnivores) Size Long-sized chains Small-sized chains

How do you get the legendary treasure in perilous pastures for skylanders?

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some people say you need an earth skylander but you can do it with drill sergeant but he may need to be fully upgraded and mabye some other skylanders might work BUT DO NOT I REPEAT DO NET USE CHOP CHOP HE CANT TAKDOWN THE ROKES. How you get to the treasure is you get to the magic eliment and on the the bottom floor of to the side is some stairs that if you go down and look you will find it.

What is a 3 letter word for Grazing area begins with le?

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The word is lea, an open area of grassy or arable land.

How does Robert Frost depicts nature as in the pasture?

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In "The Pasture," Robert Frost depicts nature as serene and peaceful, inviting the reader to come and experience its beauty firsthand. The imagery of the pasture being "soft underfoot" and the desire to "turn back and begin again" evokes a sense of tranquility and renewal that nature offers. Frost's portrayal of the pasture reflects his deep appreciation for the simplicity and rejuvenating power of the natural world.

What is a good sentence for pasture?

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The horses ran freely in the pasture.

Not sure if that's what you were going for, but there you go.

The enclosing of English pastures and cropland effects?

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England lost its newfound confidence

What is the meaning of graze as it is used in the passage?

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Grazed is the past tense form of the verb "graze".

Graze means to feed with grass.

Should you use grazing muzzles?

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it is usually put on like a halter

it is used to let horses enjoy the benefits of the pasture, without gaining any extra weight by eating - grazing muzzles are very efective for a paddock horse who is a little over weight