Multi-Species Grazing

     Multi-Species grazing has many benefits to a pasture management program. I will try and detail as many benefits as I can in this blog. We at Heaven On Earth have been integrating this program into our operation now for several years and are seeing excellent results.
     Cattle prefer grass over other types of plants, and are less selective when grazing than sheep or goats. Sheep and goats, on the other hand, are much more likely to eat weeds. Sheep prefer forbs (broad-leaved plants) to grass, and goats have a preference for browsing on brush and shrubs, and then broad-leaved weeds.
     Typically one would put the three species listed above in the same pasture at the same time. We have chosen to maintain seperate herds and through a management intensive grazing plan we run approximately 15 head of our Longhorn Cattle on the paddock which range from 1-2 1/2 acres followed by our herd of Nubian crossed milking goats. We follow these 2 herds with our chicken tractor. After the livestock has moved out of the paddock I will mow the pasture to a maximum height of 6 inches. Each group will be in the paddock for 1-2 days during the growing season.
     It has been shown that sheep and goats graze near cattle manure deposits, which cattle avoid; this results in more even use of the pasture. Another way that multi-species grazing can improve pasture and animal production is through the consumption of poisonous plants by a species that is not harmed by the toxins. Therefore, using sheep or goats to eliminate those plants will result in more useable and safer pasture for cattle.
     Parasites are a major concern with sheep and goats, under any system. Worm eggs are deposited on the pasture in the manure; the eggs hatch and larvae are consumed by grazing animals. If left untreated, concentrations of parasites will increase with time as this cycle is repeated. Higher concentrations of animals on a pasture may tend to magnify the infestation. Parasites are species-specific; that is, cattle parasites affect cattle, and not goats, while goat parasites affect goats but not cattle. The cattle act as "vacuum cleaners", ingesting the goa worm larvae, and preventing them from affecting the goat. This is most helpful when goats and cattle follow each other in a grazing system.
     In addition, running chickens after the cattle and goats helps control the fly population because they will scratch throgh the manure and consume the fly and parasite larvae. The chickens also help to spread the manure which speeds up the decay process which puts valuable nutrients back into the soil quicker speeding up the regrowth process.
       Mowing after removing livestock is also beneficial to the rejuvenation of the pasture. The partial removal of forage leaves is one of the most important practices in pasture management. Perhaps its most important function is to keep the grass plants in a vegetative stage by preventing seed formation. The routine partial removal of partial leaves also serves as a trigger for the plant to produce tillers and rhizomes, resulting in the establishment of dense pasture. Improper mowing can have negative effects on the health of the grass plants. It has been demonstrated that higher mowing heights promote the development of deeper root systems compared to the lower mowing heights, leading to greater drought tolerance in grass plants.
     In conclusion, while multispecies grazing requires more thought and management, it can have big payoffs for your pasture and your wallet. If you do decide to add one or more species to your operation, be sure to investigate your market options and your fencing options, and then start slowly. Select healthy stock, and be observant.          

I have been doing alot of intraspective thinking lately.
In doing so I have found some neat things that I would like to share with you all.

An Old Cowboy's Advice


* Keep your fences horse-high, pig-tight & bull-strong.

* Keep skunks & bankers & lawyers at a distance.

* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.



* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a International Harvestor tractor.

* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.

* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.



* Forgive your enemies. It messes with their heads.

* Don't corner something that would normally run from you.

* It doesn't take a very big person to carry a grudge.



* You cannot unsay a cruel word.

* Every path has a few puddles.

* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.



* The best sermons are lived, not preached.

* Most of the stuff people worry about is never gonna happen anyway.

* Don't judge folks by their relatives.



* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.

* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.



* Sometimes you get, & sometimes you get got.

* Don't fix it if it ain't broke.

* Always drink upstream from the herd.



* Good judgment comes from experience, & a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.

* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

Ride For the Brand

The following is a poem by Red Steagall Entitled "Ride For The Brand"
It is about the relationship that Employees should have with their Employer.
To often in todays society employees feel entitled to be employed, when in reality they often owe their employer more than they know.

I like the part in the poem where it says:
"Remember it was you Who asked for the job, So don't bitch when you ride for this brand. Mr. Waggoner don't Hold with complainers, He'll fire one before he can quit. So if you don't like your outfit, Then head down the trail, Find a hoss that your saddle will fit. But if you get up early And catch your own bronc, Show the boss that you're makin ' a hand; Mr. Waggoner'll be there To cover your bets As long as you ride for his brand."

People, If all you want to do is complain about your job well then maybe you should go find a different one!

Heres the poem in its entirety,

Ride for the Brand
by Red Steagall

His skin looked like leather,
He walked with a limp
And talked with a slow Texas drawl.
His knuckles were knotted,
His left thumb was gone,
Said a stud bit it off last fall.
We knew he was lyin'
We watched him dally it up,
But it ain't healthy to call him a liar.
It was Saturday night
Before the wagon went out
And he was settin' this new kid on fire.
Now we've all heard his stories
'Bout places he's been - We all think that Jake's pretty strange.
He looked over at me
Said "I'm schoolin' this boy
'Bout the unwritten laws of the range"
The kid was enthralled,
Kinda like a trance,
Jake sensed that he had a good grip.
He straightened up, hitched his pants,
Took a drink of cold beer;
Turned around with his hand on his hip.
He said, "Son, a man's brand Is his own special mark
That says this is mine, leave it alone.
You hire out to a man, Ride for his brand
And protect it like it was your own."
He said, "Mr. Waggoner Come out here in 1903,
This country was sagebrush, mesquite trees and sand
He carved him a ranch Outa blood; sweat, and guts,
So be proud that you ride for his brand.
If you hire out to string barb wire,
Then build him a fence-
Don't matter if it's four or five strand.
Remember it was you
Who asked for the job,
So don't bitch when you ride for this brand.
Mr. Waggoner don't Hold with complainers,
He'll fire one before he can quit.
So if you don't like your outfit,
Then head down the trail,
Find a hoss that your saddle will fit.
But if you get up early
And catch your own bronc,
Show the boss that you're makin ' a hand;
Mr. Waggoner'll be there
To cover your bets
As long as you ride for his brand."
He said, "The winter I spent
At the Sixes,
We had a man at the old
Taylor place He rode up on some hiders
A skinnin ' a cow,
And squared off at them scamps face to face.
Now he coulda rode off;
Never looked back,
But he just wasn't that kind of man.
We found him in Ash Creek Shot all to hell,
Nocona Joe died for the brand"
We know the old man
Tells a windy or two
Like the one about losing his thumb.
And Nocona was killed In a bar in Fort Worth
By the demons in a bottle of rum.
But I got to thinkin ,
'Bout what he had said
And the more of it I understand.
The more I believe
We'd be all better off
If more people would ride for the brand,


Shown is Heaven on Earth's Brand

I Ride for this Brand

Code Of The West

Another Tidbit I just had to share.


Code of the West

(from "Cowboy Ethics: What Wall Street Can Learn from the Code of the West" by James P. Owen)

1. Live each day with courage.

2. Take pride in your work.

3. Always finish what you start.

4. Do what has to be done.

5. Be tough, but fair.

6. When you make a promise, keep it.

7. Ride for the brand.

8. Talk less and say more.

9. Remember that some things aren't for sale.

10. Know where to draw the line.

Advantages of Pure Raw Milk

Raw Milk Real milk comes from real cows The source of most commercial milk is the modern (rather than the traditional) Holstein, bred to produce huge quantities of milk – three times as much as the old fashioned cow – and to survive on a grain based diet rather than on grass. Her average life span is 42 months, compared to about 12 years for the grass fed cow. She must be milked 3 times a day, and she is very susceptible to mastitis. Her milk contains high levels of growth hormone from her pituitary gland, even when she is spared the indignities of genetically engineered Bovine Growth Hormone to push her to the udder limits of milk production. Buy milk only from old fashioned cows, which have a lower production and can do well on green grass. Real milk comes from real cows that are fed real grass Real feed for cows is green grass in spring summer and fall; stored dry hay, silage and root vegetables in the winter. It is not soy meal, cottonseed meal or other commercial feeds, nor is it bakery waste, chicken manure, swill from ethanol production or citrus peel cake laced with pesticides. Vital nutrients like vitamins A,D,E and K2 are greatest in milk from cows eating green grass, especially rapidly growing green grass in the spring and fall. Vitamins A & D are greatly diminished, and vitamin k2 disappears when milk cows are fed commercial feed. Soy meal has the wrong protein profile for the dairy cow, resulting in a short burst of high milk production followed by premature death. Most milk (even most milked labeled “organic”)comes from dairy cows that are kept in confinement their entire lives and never see green grass. Buy milk products only from herds that are allowed to graze green pastures. Real Milk is not Pasteurized Pasteurization destroys enzymes, denatures anti microbial and immune-stimulating components. Diminishes nutrient availability, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B6, & B12, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increasing tooth decay, colic in infants, growth and behavior problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis and heart disease. Calves fed pasteurized milk do poorly and may die before maturity. Raw milk sours naturally but pasteurized milk turns putrid. Pasteurization was instituted in the 1920's to combat TB, infant diarrhea, undulant fever, and other diseases caused by poor animal nutrition, dirty production methods and infected water supplies. But times have changed and effective water treatment, stainless steel tanks, milking machines, refrigerated trucks and improved testing methods make pasteurization absolutely unnecessary for public protection. And pasteurization does not always kill pathogens. The bacteria for Johne's disease, with which a large portion of confinement cows are infected, survive pasteurization; Johne's has been linked to Crohn's disease in humans. Much commercial milk is now ultra-pasteurized to get rid of heat-resistant pathogens and give it a longer shelf life. Ultra-pasteurization is a violent process that takes milk from a cool temperature to above the boiling point in just a few seconds. Clean Raw milk from tested healthy cows is available in stores in several states and may be purchased directly from the farm or obtained through cow share or herd share programs in many more. (Sources are listed at www.realmilk.com ) Missouri is a state in which raw milk may be purchased on the farm. Demand access in all states to clean raw milk, Boycott processed milk. Real Milk is not Homogenized. Homogenization is a process that breaks down butterfat globules so that they do not rise to the top. Homogenized milk has been linked to heart disease. Use only milk with cream on the top. Real milk contains butterfat and lots of it! Average butterfat content from old fashioned cows at the turn of the century was over 4% (or more than 50% of calories). Today butterfat comprises less than 3% (or less than 35% of calories). Worse, consumers have been duped into believing that low-fat and skim milk products are good for them. Only by marketing low-fat and skim milk as health foods can the modern dairy industry get rid of its excess poor quality, reduced-fat milk from modern high-production herds. Butterfat contains vitamins A & D needed for assimilation of calcium and protein in the water fraction of the ,ilk. Without them protein and calcium are more difficult to utilize and possibly toxic. Butterfat is rich in short and medium chain fatty acids, which protect against disease and stimulate the immune system. It contains glycospingolipids, which prevent intestinal distress, and conjugated linoleic acid, which has stronger anti-cancer properties. Buy only full fat milk products. Real milk products contain no additives. Powdered skim milk, a source of dangerous oxidized cholesterol and neurotoxic amino acids, is added to 1% and 2% milk. Low-fat yogurts and sour creams contain mucopolysaccharide slime to give them body. Pale butter from hay fed cows contain colorings to imitate vitamin rich butter from grass-fed cows. Bioengineered enzymes are used in large scale cheese production. Mass produced cheeses contain additives and colorings, and imitation cheese products contain vegetable oils. Boycott Counterfeit Milk Products. Real Milk can save family farms. Pasteurization laws favor large, industrialized dairy operations and squeeze out small farmers. When farmers have the right to sell unprocessed milk directly to consumers, they can make a decent living, even with small herds. Real Milk Natures Perfect Food Galen, Hippocrates, Pliny, Varro, Marcellus Empiricus, Bacchis, and Anthimus, leading physicians of their day, all used raw milk in the treatment of disease. During the 1920's, Dr. J.E. Crewe of the Mayo foundation used an exclusive diet of raw milk to cure TB, edema, heart failure, high blood pressure, prostate disease, urinary tract infections, diabetes, kidney disease, chronic fatigue, and obesity. Today, in Germany, successful raw milk therapy is provided in many hospitals. Studies show that children fed raw milk have more resistance to TB than children fed pasteurized milk (Lancet, p1142, 5/8/37); that raw milk is very effective in preventing scurvy and protecting against flu, diptheria and pneumonia (Am J Dis Child, Nov 1917); That raw milk prevents tooth decay, even in children that consume a lot of sugar (Lancet, p1142, 5/8/37); that raw milk is better than pasteurized milk in promoting growth and calcium absorption (Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 518, p8 1/33); that a substance present in raw cream (but not in pasteurized cream) prevents joint stiffness and the pain of arthritis (Annual Review of Biochemistry, 18:435, 1944); and that children who drank raw milk have fewer allergic skin problems and far less asthma than children who drink pasteurized milk (Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2007 May; 35(5) 627-630). Many parents report an improvement in their children's behavior when they switch from pasteurized milk to raw milk Raw milk contains numerous components that kill pathogenic bacteria in the milk, strengthen the immune system, protect the intestinal tract, prevent the absorptions of toxins and ensure full assimilation of all nutrients in the milk. These components are largely destroyed by pasteurization. Weston A. Price Foundation 4200 Wisconsin Ave. NW Washington, DC 20012 www.realmilk.com

Harvest Time

Yesterday my wife and I started harvesting the wheat field. We hooked the sickle mower to the tractor and away we went.
Next step... gathering up the shocks and then we will be hand thrashing it.
End game... turn it into flour to make bread.

Milking Our Nubian Goats

Today I would like to tell you about what we do to keep our milk tasting the best it can. Milk by its very nature absorbs odor so, the process of keeping the milk tasting good starts before you start milking. Use only stainless steel milk pails. These need to be sanitized between milkings. After I sanitize my milk pail I let them air dry. Next the milk pail goes into the freezer(I will explain later). The next step in keeping milk tasting good is the location that the goat is milked. We milk our goats in a separate building from where they live, this keeps the barn smell out of the milk. The building that you milk in should also be sanitized after each milking. Now I am going to talk a little bit about the milk pail. As I said earlier, I store my clean pails in the freezer. The reason is the faster you cool the milk the better it will taste. I place a frozen ice pack in the bottom of the milk pail, again to speed up the cooling process. Next my milk pail has a plastic lid with a steel filter used for coffee placed in the lid. This helps eliminate debris and hair from falling into the milk. Preparing the goat for milking. Make sure that the goat is clean and with out alot of dirt on it or its udders. Take a pair of hair clippers and clip the goats bag. MILKING THE GOAT. I use a baby wipe to wash the teat. (I also keep them warm by using a baby wipe warming device). Next the teats get stripped of a little bit of milk so that I can check for any impurities. When I am done milking the goat I put a little iodine solution on the teat to prevent infection. As soon as the milking is complete the milk needs filtered and cooled. I use a cooking oil funnel with a cloth filter to transfer the milk to the glass storage container. (Glass is superior to plastic when it comes to taste). The milk is double filtered before it is rushed to the refridgerator. Please come visit me on facebook at www.facebook.com/heavenonearthranch Have a great week, Keith