Legumes are often a welcome addition to pastures. They fix nitrogen, improve forage quality with higher protein and digestibility, and can extend the grazing season. Deep-rooted species such as alfalfa also help maintain productivity during dry spells. The balance, of course, is the risk and fear of bloat.
In this episode of Ruminating with RealAg, Jill Burkhardt of Crooked Lake Farm joins host Amber Bell to discuss management techniques that Burkhardt uses to take some of the fear out of grazing paddocks that are as high as 60 to 70 per cent alfalfa.
Ensuring cattle are full before grazing high-legume pastures, giving them the option of straw and the use of rumensin, are some of the practices that Burkhardt has put into place to keep episodes of bloat to a minimum. She says that if they are going to see incidences of bloat, it is likely to be in the younger animals and "a lot of it is just mitigated, just by moving them off of it."
Burkhardt and Bell also discuss non-bloating legumes, the necessity of observing grazing patterns and adapting to how the livestock behave, and how to go about grazing those high legume pastures. So grab your favourite drink, a comfy chair, and settle in for the great conversation below! Or subscribe to this podcast on your favourite audio platform!
