This document discusses research into the sustainability of roofed winter feeding barns for small cow/calf operations. The research was conducted on Meadow View Farm in West Virginia, which uses various conservation practices including prescribed grazing and a roofed winter feeding area. Initial nutrient management research found the winter feeding pasture accumulated 286 pounds of phosphorus per year, resulting in very high soil P levels and potential runoff. Options considered to address this include total confinement, a wood chip pad, or rotational winter grazing on hay fields. The landowner committed to the rotational winter grazing approach to improve nutrient cycling while limiting damage to hay fields.

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