The Constant Battle Weed Diaries: The Rotational Grazing Electric Fence Rental Program
Creating a new pasture management/grazing plan for your horses or livestock on any size acreage can feel like a daunting and paralyzing task, but at the Missoula County Department of Ecology and Extension, we have resources to help you make that scary leap from “no land management plan” to “the beginnings of a plan” that is realistic, affordable, and easy to comprehend.
One of the ways that MCDEE can help is with the rotational grazing electric fence rental program. The service is as titled- it’s an opportunity for you to experiment with a variety of temporary electric fencing equipment before making the financial investment. The MSU Extension agent will come out to your property, help you set up the equipment, show you how it works, and give you tips for success. You can rent several sizes of electric solar chargers and conductive wire in the form of thin braid, thick braid, and tape. There are a list of advantages and disadvantages to the various types of wire, so it’s nice to handle the equipment and see how your animals respond to it before purchasing. The department has metal and plastic step in posts and even gate handles- all for a returnable $50 deposit fee. Try the system for 2-4 weeks and return it to the department for your deposit return.
In “THE CONSTANT BATTLE WEED DIARY” Blog #2, we talked bout the most common mistake horse and livestock owners make, which is not having any plan at all before bringing animals onto their property. We discussed, in year one, ways in which you can start gathering information that will be the foundation of your land management plan: taking a soil test, testing with exclosures, naming both the desirables and the undesirables, and calculating the number of grazing hours available to you. The Grazing Hours Calculation Worksheet is a free downloadable worksheet provided by the Missoula County Department of Ecology and Extension. The calculation assumes that you are using some sort of rotational grazing system rather than continuous grazing (animals never leave the pasture). So, that is where the temporary electric fence rental program comes in. You can rent the equipment necessary to enact your new grazing plan at no cost and with a helping hand.
Perhaps you purchased your dream property years ago, bought some animals, and started throwing them out on pasture. You minimized their access in the spring, but over the years, surprisingly quickly, the pastures deteriorated. You now have weeds that weren’t there before, and they come back every year with a vengeance despite your best efforts with herbicides and mechanical control. This is the all too common scenario that we hear over and over again in the department. Sadly, there is very little information to be found online about how to balance your land goals with finances, time constraints, and regional factors. Every property is unique which is why the Missoula County Pasture Evaluation Program is so valuable. You’ve got a team of experts rooting for you when you’re ready to take that big step of forming a rotational grazing system.
