Dairy & Livestock Management

Pasture Management

The climate and soils in Onondaga County are natural resources that support the use of farmland for pasture. Pasture maybe considered an old-fashioned farm and land management strategy. Pastures properly maintained and managed can be a low cost source of high value protein, energy, and fiber for grazing animals. Onondaga County is best suited for growth of cool season grasses, those grasses that emerge early in the spring and experience rapid growth followed by some decline in mid-summer, ending with renewed growth in the fall months. There are two main types of pasture management – continuous stock and prescribed pasture management. Continuous stocking involves placing the grazing animal on pasture for the entire grazing season. Grazing animals usually prefer some areas over others, and thus there is more risk for over grazing. Prescribed grazing management involves moving the grazing animals through a series of small paddocks, grazing the pasture grass when the grass reaches 6” to 8” in height and removing the animals (usually less than 12 hours to as much a 7 days) when the grass is grazed to 2” to 3” in height. A pasture system is designed to meet the goals of the animal operator, the needs of the grazing animals, and the land resource available.

Planning a Pasture System
Planning a pasture system involves evaluating the space of the pasture, the designing of fencing, laneway, and water systems, and determining how much of the nutritional requirements of the grazing animal can be met through the grazing season on a daily basis. To learn more about designing a pasture system click here.

Soil Fertility and Forage Selection
Understanding soil characteristics, such as soil types (sandy, clayey, loamy), fertility, drainage, and pH are important to determine the type of species of grasses or legumes that can be most easily grown. Soil analysis is highly recommended to determine the need for supplemental fertilization. Species of grass grown should merge the soil type with the nutritional needs of the grazing animal.

Livestock Management

Livestock are cloven-footed animals used for meat or fiber production, including: beef cattle, sheep, goats and some hogs.

Beef

Beef is an extremely large industry in the United States, thus, it comes to no surprise that there are many organizations that help support beef and cattle farmers with resources and information concerning herds, processing, census data, and cattle raising information.

Goats

Goats can roduce a variety of products, including dairy, fiber, and meat. Dairy goats produce milk that is easier for humans to digest than regular milk. It can also be used as a supplement for mare’s milk as well. Meat goats can be used as a source of protein, and other goats such as angora goats can be used for fiber purposes.

Sheep

The Cornell Sheep Program (CSP) strives to be a global source of information about sheep, wool, sheep milk, and their management, production, and marketing in the Northeastern United States. To access the web site click here.
 

Dairy Production

 PRODAIRY click here.

Onondaga County is the home of 20,000 dairy cows and a similar number of young stock living on 100 dairy farms.   The dairy cows produce over 21,000 pounds of milk per cow or 2,625 gallons of milk per cow each year. Dairy farmers have the opportunity to evaluate management practices through one-on-one consultations, attending meetings and seminars and through newsletters. The dairy industry is served through the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in numerous ways.

PRODAIRY
PRODAIRY provides information and education on dairy herd management, dairy nutrition, nutrient management, dairy cattle health, heifer rearing, facilities design, and environmental stewardship. For more information on resources and programs available through

Quality Milk Promotion Services
Quality Milk Promotion Services provides site consultations and milk analysis that leads to improved herd health and milk quality. For more information on the services provided by QMPS

Cornell Program on Dairy Markets and Policy
The purpose of CPDMP is to educate dairy industry leaders about the economic principles and characteristics relevant to dairy markets and dairy policy. This is done through analysis and interpretation of market information. For more information about CPDMP click here.
NYS Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University
The Diagnostic Center is focused on improving the health and well being of food and fiber animals, companion animals, sporting, zoo, and wildlife animals. It provides testing, consulting, outbreak and prevention programs. To learn more about the services provided by the Diagnostic Center click here.
The Pennsylvania State University Income Over Feed Cost Tool
Cost of purchased feed maybe as much as 30% of the cost of producing milk. By managing feed costs, dairy farmers will improve profit margins. To learn more about the PSU IOFC Tool click here.
NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets Division of Animal Industry
The Division of Animal Industry promotes sustainable animal production agriculture of the animal origin food supply. This is done through regulatory and cooperative agreements. The NYS Cattle Health Assurance Program consists of a series of best management practices to reduce the transmission of animal disease and promote the safe handling and care of dairy and beef cattle. To access these resources at the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, Division of Animal Industry click here.
Organic Dairy Production
While a small portion of the overall milk and dairy products sales sector. The demand for organic milk and dairy products has been one of the fastest growing components of the dairy sector. To analyze the transition to organic dairy farming click here.