DS Family Farm
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Mobile Pork
You are probably aware that we call our mobile floorless chicken protectors “Chicken Tractors”. Now that we have pigs on the move, below is the design of our first “Pig Tractor.”
Basic Setup
The initial idea behind using a pig tractor came from Greener Pastures Ranching (Steve Kenyon). From there we searched YouTube and liked one that showed using upside-down cattle tube panels that have curved ends to skid along the ground. In our version shown above, we used three steel 16-foot tube hog gates. The two “side” gates are flipped over as skids. The front upright steel gate rides on the two skid gates and is also supported by caster wheels. The back is a simple farm store hog panel.
These steel hog tube gates are heavy compared to typical cattle tube gates. The extra weight is a possible drawback, but the short height makes it easy for Doug to step over. What keeps the frame somewhat square as you skid around a corner? It is difficult to see in the photo above, but there are cross wires (12.5 gauge smooth wire) that make an “X” from one side panel to the other. Between skidding along the ground and the cross wires pulling on the side panels, the tractor stays in a fairly uniform square shape as you make a turn. Additional wires keep the flimsy back hog panel from bowing out.
Details
The above photos show how the Pipe Gate Hinges fit between the front upright (pull gate) and the two upside-down skid gates.
- The hinge attached to the side skid gate is below and supports the front upright gate.
- We have filled the upside-down gate pipe with foam sealant to prevent rainwater from running down into the skid gate tube.
- The heavy-duty nylon pull strap is wrapped around and slid up a connector pin in the right photo.
- The strap can be easily removed to create a temporary opening for the pigs to leave the tractor (see photo below).
Water
Providing water to our animals is always a concern. Since water weighs 8 lbs. to the gallon, getting water to different locations quickly and easily is always a challenge. We all know, there is nothing more inviting to a pig than water and soil to create a mud hole!
In this example, they slobbered enough water from the drinking nipple to create a mud hole.
To prevent mud holes in our Pig Tractor, we added a piece of steel mesh that acts as a skid for our water tank. This prevents the pigs from dripping water from the drinking nipple and digging a mud hole. Before we move the tractor, we quickly drain any remaining water in the tank to remove the extra weight.
The Move
As mentioned earlier, the front upright gate is supported by three caster wheels in addition to resting on the top of the gate hinges of the skid panels. Below right photo shows the caster wheel details. These may not be needed but provides extra support to the front panel.
As for the pull straps:
- Two independent straps are attached.
- The smaller strap is attached in the middle of the panel and used for short quick turns.
- The smaller strap has a permanent knot that prevents sliding along the longer strap.
- The longer strap provides additional end panel pull support for long straight runs.
Shade
Pigs love trees and shade. As shown above, we can open the tractor to allow pigs to access temporary electric net areas that run under trees for the pigs to root around. But the tractor also has a tarp for shade and also protects from the rain.
A tarp is important for providing shade and protection from the rain.
Portable Home Base
We attempted to keep it as simple as possible with few moving parts. The pig’s supplemental grains (no corn/no soy) are only fed in the pig tractor. Grazing in electric net areas outside the tractor will be as often as feasible. If a pig happens to escape, we are pretty sure they will want to return to home base to get their grains! This initial group of pigs and Nebraska elements will give this first version of our pig tractor a good test. Looking forward to figuring out how to make it better.
If you have suggestions or comments, please add them to our Facebook page under this post.
Pig Tractor Move Video
Avian Flu
The birds were chirping out our window this morning. Here is a quick list of the wild bird species observed around our place over the past few days:
- Robin
- Finch
- Red Wing Black Bird
- Cardinal
- Grackle
- Mourning Dove
- Ring-Necked Dove
- Swallows
- Blue Wing Teal
- Bob White Quail
- Wild Turkey
- Cow Bird
Will the flu affect our flock?
The question probably isn’t WILL our flock be exposed to the flu (and other ailments) but HOW will the flock respond? I would like to think that our chickens have a well-developed immune system, giving the birds their best chance at surviving any ailments. Of course, if we see a bird that is not performing well, we will remove it from the rest of the birds and allow it to heal (in the hospital coop).
You can track the avian flu within “backyard flocks” and “large confinement buildings” at the USDA APHIS Avian Influenza website. I suppose our operation would be considered a “backyard flock”. A couple of hundred chickens at a time. They move around the pasture under our “chicken tractors” for protection from predators and the elements. Not as impressive as the huge confinement buildings.
The Forgiveness of Grass
Are we concerned about Avian Flu and the chickens we raise on pasture? We are aware that there are concerns with animal health issues at all times! We monitor our animals daily looking for any signs of weakness. Animal health is addressed through adequate nutrition and the “forgiveness” of fresh grass. Grass has superhero healing powers, refer to: “Grass, the Forgiveness of Nature” by Charles Walters, “The Forgiveness of Nature: The Story of Grass”, by Graham Harvey, and “Grass The Yearbook of Agriculture 1948: USDA”.
By orchestrating FRESH GRASS and MOVE, one essentially ensures healthy, happy animals. The “move” part is just as important as the “fresh grass”. Don’t let them stay where they just pooped without providing them a fresh break and opportunity to move. We are trying to mimic how nature functions. Herds are constantly on the move to fresh grass leaving their dung and trampled grass behind. You can do this with animals of any size. Of course, the ideal situation is the integration of multiple species to create synergy. Often you will find that one species eliminates a problem experienced by another species. For example, chickens following cattle will consume fly larvae that would end up being a nuisance to the cows.
What about the wild birds?
We often use the hashtag #FarmingWithNature on our Instagram photos. On our farm, we like to see the diversity of life, from the animals we raise to our wildlife neighbors. Nature thrives on diversity and chaos. At DS Family Farm, we do not try to tame or control nature. Trying to “tame” nature, to conform to our ideals, requires large amounts of input. We try to fit in with the natural flow of energy, nutrients, and water. God designed nature, we can hardly improve on His design. We look for opportunities to work within nature’s design and profit from the surplus. We believe we have a God of abundance.
Look again at the list of wild birds we have observed around the place (scroll to top). The diversity in this list is probably due to the shelterbelt of trees we have planted around the farm. The trees and surrounding habitat are a draw to wild birds. This past weekend I drove by David City Nebraska for a family function. On my trip, I saw a number of the big chicken confinement buildings. The buildings were located in the middle of large crop fields with little to no wildlife habitat nearby. I don’t think any wild birds would be interested in stopping near one of these indoor chicken barns. As for our shelterbelts of trees? We are thankful that we have the trees for the protection provided during our recent wind storms. If we have to deal with wildlife for that benefit, we love it.
Interested in how healthy, happy, no soy, no corn, pasture chicken tastes? Check our website for Pasture Chicken info. You might try a pasture chicken for health purposes, but it is the flavor that will keep you coming back. Remember, nutrition follows flavor. Author Mark Schatzker recently posted a thread with updated research on flavor and nutrition.
Healthier & More Nutritious
Through the years on this website, we often focus on the positive difference found in grass-fed beef compared to conventional grain feed beef. A new study on the health benefits of grass-fed beef was recently reported on by Allen Williams with the team over at UnderstandingAG.
Dr. Williams has an excellent blog post describing the latest grass-fed beef research prompted by The Bionutrient Institute and completed by Dr. Stephan Van Vliet at Utah State University. We encourage you to read the post: Study: Grass-Fed Beef Healthier, More Nutritious.
Nutrition Follows Flavor
Have you ever bitten into a fruit or vegetable and just thought to yourself, WOW, now that tastes great! Well, when that happens to me, sometimes I will pull out a refractometer and test the juice (brix level). (We use a refractometer to test the brix level of grasses in our pasture.) The refractometer will verify that the juice of the fruit or vegetable that just amazed me, has a high brix reading, something my taste buds already told me.
It is one thing to research and understand why grass-fed beef is healthier and more nutritious by looking at lab data. That may get someone to at least try grass-fed beef. But if the eating experience is not pleasant, what’s the purpose?
The key is to find a farmer that can raise and properly “grass-finish” beef. A grass-finished beef will have both flavor and nutrition. Sometimes that “beefy” flavor will catch you off guard and it may take a little time for your tastebuds to adapt. Take a look at some of our past posts on “Flavor” and review past post photos on what to look for in a grass-finished beef (what we call Pasture Grazed Beef).
God designed nutrition to follow flavor. If you bite into a whole, unprocessed, food that has amazing flavor, it will be healthy. You will know it was healthy by how you feel after eating. Find a farmer you can trust and taste the difference between local food and what you find in the grocery store. Your tastebuds will thank you.
Omega 6:3 – 2021 Update
The chart below includes the most recent result of Omega 6:3 ratio testing of our Pasture Grazed (100% Grass Fed and Finished) beef. Feel free to scroll through the numerous past blog posts related to the Omega 6:3 ratio on our website.
Omega 6:3 Trend Analysis
Based on our experience with Omega 6:3 monitoring over the past 7 years we feel confident that LOW Omega 6:3 beef can be harvested consistently using our type of management. After management, the diet of the animal leading up to harvest will create small differences from year to year. Differences in the animals diet just before harvest can be a result of:
- Seasonal Grazing Management
- Seasonal Growing Conditions
We can tweak our grazing management to address both factors, but lack of rain and excessive heat can trump our efforts.
2017 Growing Season Harvest 2.4:1 Background
Refer to the chart above. The highest Omega 6:3 ratio we have found in testing our meet has been 2.4:1 (well below grocery store corn fed beef). Here is a little background for the two results where the Omega 6:3 ratio was found to be 2.4:1.
In 2017, we had an early August locker appointment. Mid-July through late July we experienced some extreme heat on our farm that significantly shifted grass maturity into a more lignified state (difficult to digest). In addition, we were just starting our journey on how to best utilize Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands for grazing. We were on a slow move schedule through CRP grasslands, which in hindsight was an error. Each day the grass was getting more rank leading up to the harvest of the beef that tested Omega 6:3 of 2.4:1.
This experience taught us that slow moves to stretch out CRP grasslands is not the proper method to graze in our situation. Starting in 2018 we used a “flash graze” of all CRP grasslands as soon as it becomes available to graze on July 15 (program rule) in our area. A quick flash graze of all acres allows the animals to pick the best while stimulating the grass into one more re-growth for the season. Our second pass through CRP grasslands is slower and the herd takes advantage of the fresh regrowth. This extends the amount of time we have higher digestible forages on CRP grasslands.
2021 Spring Harvest 2.4:1 Background
Again, refer to the chart above. As for the Omega 6:3 results of 2.4:1 in the spring of 2021, refer to this previous blog post. As explained in this previous post, the Omega 6:3 results from the spring of 2021 documents our first time harvesting an animal from primarily grazing stockpiled (brown) forage and stored hay. The pasture did have some early spring green growth coming, but the majority of the animal’s diet was not green growing grass.
In summary
- In both cases where we have measured the highest Omega 6:3 ratios, the beef was consuming a diet with the lowest lush green growth available.
- The 2017 experience taught us how to better utilize summer available CRP grasslands for grazing and finishing grass-fed/finished beef. Note the better results for the fall of 2018, 2019, 2020 and, 2021.
- It appears harvesting beef from a diet of primarily stored forage, such as hay, while they are still grazing fresh pasture, still results in “acceptable” Omega 6:3 results.
- Will our past testing hold for future results?
- We don’t know, but we will continue to tweak our management to ensure the final product we deliver holds true to the claim of 100% Grassfed/Finished Beef!
Omega 6:3 From Stored Forage
Since 2016 we have been testing the Omega 6:3 ratio from our harvested “Pasture Grazed” beef. In past years we have made it a point to harvest our beef towards the end of the green grass season to optimize the Omega 6:3 ratio because we have learned:
- If you see something green and growing = Omega 3 fats.
- Omega 3 fats are perishable.
- Omega 3 fats are lost when forage is stored (such as hay).
In the spring of 2021, we harvested two beef in mid-April. These beefs were in good condition grazing primarily “brown” stockpiled grass pasture and stored hay. The stockpiled pasture did have some early spring “green” growth, but the bulk of the cattle diet was from non-green forage. Would the Omega 6:3 meat analysis be significantly different from animals we harvest at the end of our green grass season?
Spring 2021 Update Omega 6:3 Data
As you can see from the Spring 2021 test results, we were pleasantly surprised with the beef maintaining a low Omega 6:3 ratio at 2.4 to 1. The spring 2021 result makes us think that as long as we are providing the herd some fresh pasture every day, even if the pasture is primarily brown stockpiled grass, the meat will continue to display low Omega 6:3 ratios. As we wrote about previously, during our non-growing season, we can find “green” in our pastures, even under snow!
We did collect a beef sample following our fall 2021 harvest that we will have analyzed soon. Watch for an updated chart to include the second sample from 2021.
Read all past posts related to Omega 6:3 ratio on this website.
Interested In A Deep Dive Into Omega 6:3 Fatty Acids?
Listen to brain scientist Dr. Richard Bazinet. How your food is produced may very well affect your health, including your brain.
Pasture crop fall 2021
We are in year two of the CCTA-Farms Advancing Regenerative Management Systems project. For our experience in year 1, refer to these two posts:
Rain makes you look smart
The cover crops (pasture crop) planted in perennial grass pasture in 2020 looked great with 2 inches of rain shortly after planting. Looking back at the 2020 blog post, one can easily row emerged seedlings. In 2021, our farm had a dry summer and we seeded the pasture crop on September 11th. The farm did not receive a significant rainfall until the end of October! We cannot “row” the emerging seedlings in 2021 as we could in 2020, but on closer look, we are finding some seedlings.
When looking across the seeded area, the peas have displayed the most growth. Rye/triticale is difficult to find but we hope that these annual cool-season grass seeds have germinated and we will see good growth in the spring. Soil moisture is fairly good in our opinion, well into December. Overall we have experienced a very warm fall with our first killing frost much later than normal.
Another difference between the 2020 and 2021 seeding was seed treatment. In 2020 we sprayed worm juice (vermicompost) on the seed before planting. In 2021, the seed received a compost tea treatment. Next year we will attempt to treat some seeds with vermicompost and some with compost tea as a side-by-side check.
Seeding into reeds canary grass
Several years ago we described using animal impact to shift plant composition in a solid stand of reeds canary grass (July 2015 post and November 2016 post). We have been surprised how well the seeded cover crops have sprouted and grown within an area of reeds canary grass. The grazing impact during the growing season to facilitate planting has probably helped to allow the seeded covers to take hold. The persistence and growth of hairy vetch within the reeds canary grass has been the most impressive.
We are thankful for the support of CCTA to carry out these investigations on our farm and look forward to our final year of the project in 2022. With that, we wish you a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!
Thanksgiving Day Reflection
Happy Thanksgiving Day!
We hope you take time to reflect on your blessings and the source of all blessings. With that in mind we share here the meaning of the First Article of the Apostles Creed: CREATION:
I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.
Luther’s Small Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther (cph.org)
Livestock on the land film
“When the cows leave the farm, the people eventually leave, and the community crumbles, lets bring them back.”
livestock on the land
What a powerful quote from the film “Livestock On The Land”. A film by our friends at the Practical Farmers of Iowa. We have found the information freely provided by the Practical Farmers of Iowa to be of great help in our journey of raising pasture grazed cattle and chickens. If you are considering raising pastured animals or looking to farm using sustainable/regenerative techniques, their website is worth reviewing!
Cows = Community
We previously have written about Cattle as a Keystone Species in our ecosystem and how important they are in natural nutrient cycles. The quote above takes the importance of the Cow to the pinnacle, of actually holding Families and Communities together! How true this is! Of course there are many factors that have lead to the loss of small rural communities, but this film delivers a powerful argument that returning livestock to the land, will ultimately result in the revival of community across our Nation.
We applaud the Practical Farmers of Iowa for preparing and sharing this feature length film. We are more then happy to link here.
Film Trailer:
Full Length Film:
2021 Grass Finished Beef
Pasture Grazed Beef at DS Family Farm is grass-fed beef for life. Some folks refer to this type of management as Grass Finished beef. Since practically all beef are “grass-fed” for a portion of their lives, “grass-finished” implies that the beef was “grass-fed” right up to harvest. Since we do not feed any grain, do not allow the herd to “glean grain” in harvested crop fields and our cattle live their entire lives on pasture, we refer to our beef as “Pasture Grazed“.
This past week we harvested 2021 pasture grazed beeves. Harvesting off green growing forages results in meat with flavor and nutritional value that our customers have come to expect.
Come visit the herd…
COWS = GRASS
This month we reach the 10 year milestone of grazing cattle here at DS Family Farm. Since July 2011 we have embraced “Fresh Grass and Move” management with the cattle herd. Prior to the cattle arriving, we spent about 15 years managing the pastures with periodic prescribed burns (fire).
Without cattle to recycle the old forage, fire was the tool we used to remove old grass. Fire is rarely used now that we have the herd available to manage pasture. Recently we did burn a 5 acre patch of Conservation Reserve Program land (see May 2020 blog post).
10 Years of Cows vs. 10 Years of Fire
Curious to know if cows or fire results in more forage production? We turned to the Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP). RAP gives the ability to investigate “rangelands across space and time” for the western states. We can actually go back in time and compare the past 10 years of managing pasture with cattle versus the previous 10 years of managing with fire.
Managing with cows = more grass produced
For the past ten years we have used a “Fresh Grass And Move” management technique. The cows are constantly on the move. Appropriate animal impact is applied to the land. Cows and grass have a symbiotic relationship. Cattle managed this way ensure that a future harvest of grass will be available. Below we show 10 year accumulated biomass totals for three key points during our growing season.
10 year forage production results
- June 25th represents about 40% of our growing season.
- During the growth period (Jan. 1 to June 25), the pasture accumulated an additional 100 lbs. of forage per acre under cattle grazing versus fire management.
- August 28th represents about 80% of our growing season.
- During the growth period (June 25 to August 28), the pasture, on average accumulated another additional 100 lbs. of forage per acre with cattle grazing vs. no cattle fire management.
- December ends our growing season (100% accumulated forage production for year).
- During the growth period August 28 to the end of the growing season, the pasture, on average accumulated another additional 100 lbs. of forage per acre under cattle grazing vs. no cattle fire management.
Bottom Line: when averaging 10 years of total forage production, cattle grazing management out produced 10 years of total forage production under fire only management by 300 lbs. per acre.
- Fire management only, 10 year average total growing season production = 2,601 lbs. per acre.
- Cattle grazing management, 10 year average total growing season production = 2,899 lbs. per acre.
- 2,899 lbs. per acre – 2,601 lbs. per acre = an additional 298 lbs. per acre production with cattle grazing management.
Additional Considerations
There are many variables that go into each growing season. The only variable that we knew was different between these two 10 year data periods was the addition of cattle grazing and the elimination of fire over the past 10 years.
RAP does include climate data. When we look at temperature and precipitation we find:
- 10 year average precipitation without cattle (fire only management period) = 28.3 inches per year.
- 10 year average precipitation with cattle grazing/no fire management = 31.5 inches per year.
- Note: the 10 years with cattle management had both the highest and the lowest recorded annual precipitation.
- 10 year average annual temperature without cattle = 51.2 degrees F
- 10 year average annual temperature with cattle = 52.0 degrees F.
Further reading on climate variables
The paper “Annual Range Forage Production“, from the University of California, highlights climate variables on annual range production. Below I try to summarize the findings:
ABOVE average annual production under these conditions:
- Warm, wet fall, with an average winter and spring.
- Average fall, mild winter and average spring.
- Average fall, short winter with an early spring.
BELOW average annual production under these conditions:
- Cold, wet fall, average winter and average spring.
- Dry fall, average winter and average spring.
- Average fall, long winter and late spring
NORMAL average annual production under these conditions:
- Average fall, average winter and average spring
- Average fall, cold winter, average spring.
Note how the fall is used as the starting point when considering a growing season total forage production. Annual production in temperate climates start the fall before the growing season. That is why we take interest in how our water year begins in October. Refer to this past post for more information: Happy New Water Year.
Want to produce more grass? Properly managed cattle appears to produce more grass then when cattle are absent. Does this surprise you, that cattle grazing would stimulate more grass growth?
