Utedrift med köttdjur: effekter på mark, skog och djurmiljö

De-coupling of the former EU-animal premiums has decreased the variable income in beef production. This has done it still more important to reduce the costs of buildings in order to make the beef production and grazing-based nature management economically sustainable. Out-door wintering of the cattle with natural or cheap built shelters is an option in this respect.In this report the possibilities to give out-wintering cattle shelter by open-front pole barns, wind-fences and roof in wind-protected areas as well as protecting the ground vegetation and forest from treading and gnawing damages from out-wintering livestock are investigated. Also prevention of water pollution from manure in winter paddocks is scrutinized.The investigation is based on literature surveys and field studies on Swedish and Canadian beef operations with out-wintering of mainly suckler cows. The Swedish operations were visited twice during the winter of 2006/07. The aim of the first visit was to study the animal welfare at a point of time when the ground was un-frozen, soaked and muddy and, thus, the risks of dirty cattle was as worst. The second visit was made at the end of the wintering season when the final outcome of treading damages could be observed.The Canadian operations are situated in a region with natural conditions relatively similar to Sweden. However, the Canadian experience of out-door wintering is much more widespread due to a history with no income support, which has compelled cattlemen to find cheap solutions. The Canadian ranches were visited once at the end of the wintering season.The results suggest that wintering on large areas (≥ 0.3 ha/cow) of well drained gently sloping land with forest edges or wind fences as wind protection, and roofs in wind protected areas as precipitation shelters is a good alternative to conventional pool barns. In such a variable environment the cattle can move freely to the place where the wind, moisture and sun conditions are best at every point of time. The feeding place should be moved continuously to the place with the best microclimate. By continuously moving the feeding place, concentrated treading and manure accumulation, and thus sward damage and water pollution, can be prevented.Risks for severe vegetation damage and manure concentrations around stationary pole barns might be prevented by feeding the cattle far away from the barns when the weather conditions are fair. Experiences from several of the Swedish farms show that the cattle use the barns only when the weather is especially severe.Access to dense spruce forests might be an alternative to pole barns, forest edges, wind fences and roofs. However, experiences from both Swedish and Canadian operations show great risks for damage of the spruces by the cattle. According to Canadian experience, wind protection, but not roof, is necessary for beef cattle.Many farms do not have land suitable for out-door wintering at the farmstead. Open flat agricultural land with clay or silt soil is not suitable. Some of the studied operations with the best functioning out-door wintering had their cattle on carefully selected land some kilometers away from home.