The Kerr Center’s beef cattle program has these goals:
- balance production level with production cost
- forage-based: grazing management maintains soil fertility and promotes plant diversity
- training the next generation of ranchers
1st principle of sustainability: create and conserve healthy soils
“Grass farmer plan”: high-density rotational grazing fosters health from the ground up:
Many animals for a short time in a small area
Benefits:
- soil: concentrates animal manure/urine for fertility; reduces compaction
- plants: keeps plants vegetative and growing; increases diversity; reduces weeds
- animals: fresh and nutritious forages; reduced parasites
- rancher: reduces costs; increases profits
Learn About…
Adapted Breeds
The constant quest for an animal optimally suited to its environment. Learn more
Fence
Permanent or temporary? Electric or non-? Mesh or barbed? Which is best for which animals and situations? Learn more
Animal Health
A whole-farm approach to thriving livestock. Learn more
Pasture/Grazing
Healthy soils, healthy forages – warm-season and cool. Haying vs. grazing. The keys to management intensive grazing. Learn more
Watering
Watering system design; gravity flow from ponds; tractor-tire water tanks. Learn more
Cattle Publications
Fact Sheet: Grazing Management
This fact sheet summarizes the Kerr Center’s experience with and recommendations for grazing management.
Grazing Management Basics
This presentation covers grazing systems and their benefits, grazing terms and calculations, pasture design, and grazing strategies.
Watering Systems
New Use for Old Tires
This fact sheet explains why the Kerr Center livestock program uses old tires from heavy equipment as watering tanks, and describes the process of preparing and installing them.
How to Direct Market Your Beef
Management Intensive Grazing
Layout and Design of Grazing Systems
Enough Grass to Make Your Head… Rotate
ATTRA Resources on Sustainable/Organic Beef Production
Soil Health and How it Relates to Healthy Cattle
This presentation covers simple soil health monitoring techniques, basic soil science, and sustainable livestock management.
Heifer Management
This report covers heifer selection and nutrition, early puberty, target weight concept, proper feeding, breeding, calving difficulty, and bull selection.
Herd Health Overview
This presentation includes a detailed discussion of vaccines, discusses managing both immunity levels and disease exposure, and addresses the effect of difficult births.
Compensatory Gain
Cattle Dentition
Body Condition Scoring of Beef Cows
Beef Cow Herd Health Protocol
Beef Cattle Assessment
