Small-Scale Livestock Farming
Page 34
Commercial Providers
Farmstead Health Supply
Hillsborough, North Carolina
919-643-0300
www.farmsteadhealth.com
Linda Phillips offers herbal parasite controls and do-it-yourself fecal test kits.
McCarville Dairy Supplies
Mineral Point, Wisconsin
608-987-2416
Supplies nipples for barrel-feeding calves.
NASCO
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
800-558-9595
www.nascofa.com
NASCO is the Sears Catalog of farming and ranching. If you don’t have a well-stocked farm supply store near you, the NASCO catalog is a must. They have just about everything you could think of for a livestock operation.
Fencing Suppliers
Call for catalogs! Most of these suppliers’ catalogs have lots of good fencing advice, as well as the equipment they supply.
Kencove Fence Supplies
Blairsville, Pennsylvania
800-536-2683
www.kencove.com
Premier 1 Supplies
Washington, Iowa
800-282-6631
www.premier1supplies.com
Southwest Power Fence and Livestock Equipment
San Antonio, Texas
800-221-0178
www.swpowerfence.com
Twin Mountain Fence
San Angelo, Texas
800-527-0990
www.twinmountainfence.com
Appendix F
Calculations, Equations, & Equivalents
Equations Used in Text
Biological Planning
Forage required (i.e., daily intake) = body weight x intake factor
Forage production = hay equivalents/acre x acre
Total paddocks = (recovery period/grazing period) + 1
Paddock size = animal units/stock density
Financial Planning
Assets = liabilities + equity
Opportunity cost = equity x 2 x T-bond rate
Profit = Income – (variable costs + fixed costs)
Other Worthwhile Equations
Area (A) and Perimeter (P)*
Interest and Payments
Note: To use this calculation requires a computer or a calculator that is capable of raising a number to a negative power. Most “scientific” calculators will do the trick.
To calculate the time it takes to double your money at different interest rates, divide 70 years by the rate.
Equivalents
1 acre = 43,560 ft2 = 0.4047 hectares (ha)
640 acres = 1 section = 1 sq mile
1 mile = 5,280 feet = 1,609 meters (m)
1 gallon = 8.34 pounds = 3.79 liters (L)
1 cu ft = 7.48 gallons = 28 liters 1′ of grass in a well-sodded field = 300 pounds of available forage per acre (or, 1 cm = 132 kg/ha)
1 pound = 453.6 grams (g) or 0.4536 kg
Index
Note: Numbers in italics indicate figures; numbers in boldface indicate tables.
A cupressure, 94
Advertising, 107, 108–9, 109, 113. See also Niche marketing
Advocates, 123, 126
Afterbirth, 96
AHA (American Heart Association), 105
AI (artificial insemination), 96
ALBC (American Livestock Breeds Conservancy), 47, 207
Alleles, 47–48, 48
Alternate grazing, 39
Alternative
enterprise, 140
health practices, 93–94
marketing, 102–4
Aluminum versus galvanized wire, 34, 35
American Heart Association (AHA), 105
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC), 47, 207
Ammonia fumes in facilities, 74–75
Animal agriculture, 3
Animal impact, holistic management tool, 22–24, 23, 24
Animals. See also Butchering and processing; Facilities; Feeds and feeding; Genetics, breeding, training; Grass-based farming; Health and reproduction; Livestock and the environment
average weight of, 24, 165, 166
bifocal vision of, 51, 51
blind spots in vision, 51, 51–52
body composition and feed, 63
emotions and senses of, 50–52, 51, 54
exotic, 44, 45, 98, 109, 122
flight zone of, 55, 56
forage quality and animal production, 159–60, 178
grade animals, 44, 58
loose animals, gathering, 56–57, 57
matching to grass-based system, 162
monofocal vision of, 51, 51
mother animal’s biocycle, 160–61, 161, 162
newborns, 70, 70–71, 87, 90, 91, 96–97, 97
niche marketing, 109, 122
overview, 189–200
papered (registered), 44
point of balance of, 56, 56
pressure zone of, 55–56, 56
purebred, 44
restraint of, 98
salvage value of, 45, 58
senses of, 50–52, 51, 54
total weight of, 165, 166
training and handling, 54–57, 56–57
vaccinations for, 83, 85, 85
vision of, 50–52, 51
“winterizing” animals, 162
young animals, purchasing, 58
Animals per class, number of, 165, 166
Animal units (AU), 24
Antibiotics, 82–83, 84, 92, 93, 94
Antibodies, 83, 85
Anticipation of future profits, 147
Antiseptic and sanitizing fluids, 91
Apis mellifica, 94
Appreciation of land, 147
Artemisia absinthium (wormwood), 84
Articles of Incorporation, 118
Artificial insemination (AI), 96
Asexual reproduction, 27
Ash (mineral matter) of feed, 60, 62, 63
Aspirin boluses, 91
Assets, 145, 146, 146, 148, 210
AU (animal units), 24
Available forage (AF), 177, 178, 183
Average yield, 164
Baby animals care of, 87, 90, 91, 96–97, 97
feeding, 70, 70–71
Backgrounding livestock, 6
Bacteria, illness from, 82, 82–83
Balanced ration, 61
Balance sheets, 145–48, 146
“Barn-Bucks,” 155
Bartlett, Te d and Molly, 126
Basic Butchering of Livestock and Game (Mettler), 128
Bateson, William, 47
Beck-Chenoweth, Harman, 98
Bed-and-breakfast scenario, 119
Beef carcass/cuts, 129
Benoit, Virgil, 19
Bifocal vision of animals, 51, 51
Biological agents, illness from, 82–84, 83–83
Biological planning
animals, average weight of, 24, 165, 166
animals, matching to grass-based system, 162
animals, overview, 189–200
animals per class, number of, 165, 166
average yield, 164
biological cycles, 160–63, 161–62
breeding stock for grass-based system, 162
calculations, 210
carbohydrates from feed, 62, 159
carrying capacity (CC) calculations, 167–68, 170, 210
computers for mapping farms, 170
cool-season grasses, 159
crop description for forage budget, 164
defined, 137
diversity of grasses and legumes, 159–60, 180
drainage-area maps, 172, 173
fencing designs for paddocks, 174–75, 175
fertilizing by hay feeding, 28, 162–63
field description for forage budget, 164
forage budgets, estimating, 163–68, 164–65, 166–67
forage production (FP), 164, 164, 210
forage quality and animal production, 159–60, 178
forage quality versus
quantity, 159–60
forage requirements (FR), 165, 166–67, 210
forage supply and livestock energy needs, matching, 160–61, 161
genotype, 162
grass biocycle, 160, 161, 162
grazing period (GP), 172, 174, 180, 183
grazing plan, 158–60, 170, 171
hay equivalents (HE), 159, 165, 165, 166
hay feeding, 78, 78, 162–63
intake factor (IF), 165, 166–67, 178–80, 179
landscape planning, 158, 170, 172–75, 173, 175
livestock energy needs and forage supply, matching, 160–61, 161
mapping your farm, 170, 172, 173
megacalories (Mcal), 159
mother animal’s biocycle, 160–61, 161, 162
paddock design, 172, 174–75, 175
paddocks, number of, 164, 210
and parasite control, 163
phenotype, 162
proteins from feed, 61, 62–63, 63, 159
recovery periods (RP) of paddocks, 172, 174
reserving extra carrying capacity, 167
resources, 206–9
silage stacks, self-feeding, 162, 163
spring grass, 159
starting grazing year, 163
stockpiled forage, 162
subdividing, 163, 172, 174–75, 175
topographic maps (quadrangles), reading, 168–69
total paddock numbers (TP), 172, 174
total weight, 165, 166
vision maps, 172, 173
warm-season grasses, 159
water systems for paddocks, 175, 175
“winterizing” animals, 162
winter management, 162–63, 163
Biology Today, 84
Biotechnology Scholars Program, 53
Bison, exotic animal, 45
Black, Miles and Gail (example farm)
balance sheet, 146
description, 142
gasoline worksheet for, 149
opportunity cost, 148
paddock design, 174
Blind spots in animal’s vision, 51, 51–52
BLM (Bureau of Land Management), 170
Bloat in ruminants, 66, 92
Bolus for scours treatment, 91–92
Bonus points for matrix analysis, 113
Bosle, David and Deb, 22
Bossi, Anne, 154–55
Bottle-feeding, 70
Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), 83
Bowen, Bob, 154–55
Bowne, Dick and Pam, 109
Brainstorming, 110
Break-even point, 150
Breath sounds and health, 88
Breech births, 97
Breeding, 47–50, 48, 49–50. See also Genetics, breeding, training
Brittle environments, 12–13, 12–14, 13, 137
Brochures, 108, 109
Bryonia, 94
Buchmayer, Kerry and Barb, 100–101, 140–41
Budgeting. See Financial planning
Budiansky, Stephen, 42
Buildings, 72–75, 73–74
Bull Springs Ranch, 74
Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 170
Butchering and processing
cured meats, 130
cutting orders, 129, 129–30
eviscerating poultry, 133, 133
freezing meat and “keepability,” 134
handling safety, 134
market and pricing, 116
number, thickness, packaging, 130
pork cutting orders, 128, 129, 129, 130
poultry butchering, 131–33, 131–33
processing, 101, 128
resources, 206–9
sausage, 130
short ribs, 130
trimming, 129–30
yields, 105, 128–29
BVD (bovine viral diarrhea), 83
By-products and profits, 101
C alculations, 210
Carbohydrates from feed, 62, 159
Carbon cycle, 11, 12
Carrying capacity (CC), 167–68, 170, 210
Cash conversion, 138
Cashion, Tommy and Tommie-Lyn, 106, 122
Castner, Stephen and Kay, 108
Cattle
animal units (AU), 24
butchering and processing, 129
digestion, 64, 64–65, 65–66, 92
matching to system, 162
overview, 189, 189–90, 190
reproductive information, 95, 96
temperature ranges, normal, 88
vision, 51, 51 yields, 128, 129
Cause and effect, holistic guideline, 138
CC (carrying capacity), 167–68, 170, 210
Cecum, 64, 65
Cellulose, 62
Center for Holistic Management, 8, 208
Certification for organic products, 104
Channels criteria for matrix analysis, 111
Chemical agents, poisoning from, 81–82
Chemicals, avoiding, 25
Chicago Mercantile Exchange, 102
Chicken and eggs, selling scenario, 121
Chickens
butchering and processing, 131–33, 131–33
chicken-mobile, 73–74, 74
overview, 191, 191–92, 192
reproductive information, 95, 96
Classified advertisements, 108
Clientele, developing and maintaining, 107–10, 108–10
Clipping pastures, 28–29, 29, 30, 30, 31
Coleman, Mel, 103
Coleman Natural Beef, 103, 105
Colostrum, importance of, 71, 86, 88
Common sense or planning, 140–42
Community dynamics and livestock, 9
Community outreach advertising, 109
Competition, understanding, 111, 113
Composition of feed, 60, 62, 62–63, 63, 201–2
Computers for advertising, 108–9, 109
for farm planning, 142
ConAgra, Inc., 101
Concentrate, feed, 61
Concentration marketing, 101, 102
Concrete stock tanks, 60, 61
Congressional Statement of Findings (legislative intent), 123
Constitution, 118
Consumer education for niche marketing, 105
Consumer levels in ecosystem, 10, 10
Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA), 6, 107, 126
Contour lines of topographic maps, 169
Controlling. See Monitoring
Conventional markets, 101–2, 102