2019 SWCS International Annual Conference July 28-31, 2019 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

1. Are Nonconfinement Roofed Winter Feeding
Barns on Small Cow/Calf Operations a
Sustainable Conservation Practice or not?
74th SWCS International Annual Conference
July 28-31 Pittsburgh PA
Tom Basden
West Virginia University Extension Service
Morgantown WV

2. A Team Effort, Here are my Collaborators
• Justin Brackenrich, Former WVU Agronomy Graduate Student now
Penn State Extension Educator, Field and Forage Crop Team
• David Shipman, Soil Conservationist, Northern Panhandle and Upper
Ohio Conservation District. WVU Ag. Ed. Graduate Student,
• Jeff & Janet Allen, Owner Operators, Meadow View Farm

3. Meadow View Farm
Marshall County , WV
Unglaciated
Appalachian Plateau

4. • Well Managed Cow Calf Operation,
• 50 Mature Cows
• 10 Years of Conservation Practices,
Including fence, Prescribed Grazing,
Heavy Use Area, Waste Storage Facility,
Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan

5. Roofed Winter Feeding & Manure Storage Structure

6. EQIP Roofed Feeding Area
(HUA 561) and Manure
Storage (WSF 313)
• Feed Efficiency Improved
• Annual Hay Production is 325, 800 lb. bales
• Before these practices were installed Jeff
used all the hay produced on the farm for the
50 cows
• Current feed utilization for the herd is 250
bales per year.
• So almost 25% of his 325 harvested hay bales
are marketed off the farm.

7. Reduced Tractor and Livestock Damage to Fields.

8. Initial Nutrient Management Research
• Development of Comprehensive Nutrient
Management Plan (590)
• Whole Farm Phosphorus Balance
• Field Soil sampling and analysis
• Hay/Forage Sampling and analysis
• Mineral/Grain feed supplement sampling and
analysis
• Fertilizer purchases

9. Whole Farm P Losses and Gains, pounds per year
• Imports • Exports
Hay 0 213
Feed Supplements 192 0
Mineral, Loose 158 0
Mineral, Tub 130 0
Fertilizer 530 0
Livestock 0 122
Total imports = 1010 pounds per year and total exports = 335
Annual P Gain = 675 pounds of P per year
Total Spreadable Acres using 2017 revised setback criteria is 92 acres.
7.3 pounds of P per acre per year so sustainable P increases across the farm, or not?

10. Winter Feeding Pasture
• Field 5, the winter confinement field
accumulated how much of the whole farm
imported P?
• Cows placed in field 5 from Dec. 15 to early
April
• That would mostly be fertilizer in the hay
crop, 250 bales and mineral that was used
• CNMP used 40% of Livestock manure
generated collected in the storage structure
• P lost to the field 286 pounds per year

11. Sampling Point
Locations
N=31
• February 27, 2019 Grid Soil samples
were collected
• Sample depth was 0 – 2 inches or
0- 5 cm
• Samples air dried, ground and
M-3 Extraction
• Analyzed for pH, P(ppm), P Saturation,
K (ppm), Organic Matter and
Bulk Density

14. What did we find in Field 5?
• Very High P levels and places with high P saturation
• Disturbed soil on sloped land during wet winter and spring
period , so particle P lost from this area
• Connectivity with a feeder stream to Leach Run
• WV P-index would mandate buffers on this field
• An environmental impact that the farmer wants to address
• The equivalent of 6oo pounds of DAP onto field 5
• Economic cost to farmer $150 of unusable P
• K, Ca, Mg, Organic Matter also lost to this pasture area

15. What are the options for the Farmer to consider
• Total Confinement, additional barn and
increased manure storage
• Wood Chip Pad, site development,
effluent management and sourcing chips
• Rotational wintering of herd on hay fields
With potential yield losses due to disturbed
sod and compaction

16. Total Confinement
cost prohibitive for cow/calf operation

17. Wood Chip Pad
• Technically feasible
• Considerable management to
insure proper performance
• Challenge to source suitable
chips
• Drainage system results in point
source discharge
• Distribution system for effluent
all year long

18. Rotational winter confinement on Hay
• Hay and mineral nutrients
returned to field where crop is
harvested
• Improved Nutrient Cycling
• Temporary fence used to move
cattle across a field to allow sod
to recover
• Hay fields located on ridge tops
• Lower cost than other options
• Hard to convince cow calf
operators to damage hay fields

19. Rotational winter confinement on Hay
Management Steps needed
• Commitment to set up temporary fence
allowing the herd to be moved as needed
across the hay field to limit hoof damage to sod
• Spring rehabilitation of the hay field with
seeding followed with Harrow to insure seed to
soil contact and provide some smoothing
• Yield penalty may occur but overall cycling of
nutrients is much better

20. Commitment to Conservation
• Landowner has agreed to
change management to
wintering his cattle herd on hay
fields.
• Pasture condition score in Field
5 is always poor, it never
recovers from the winter
feeding period
• Increased grazing days
• Reduced fertilizer inputs
• Reduced nutrient losses to
surface stream

21. Questions