By EMMA HOPKINS-O’BRIEN

Indiana Correspondent

MARSHALL, Ind. — Farming and nature often go hand-in-hand, but the wildlife running through farms, especially predators of livestock, are usually unwelcome.

At the Indiana Forage Council’s (IFC) annual meeting and seminar, one speaker on the agenda argued that some wildlife can have a place on the farm through the right management techniques. Jarred Brooke, a Purdue University extension wildlife specialist, said management starts with those who occupy 96 percent of land in the state.

“The key to conservation with wildlife is in the hands of the private landowners,” Brooke explained. “So anytime we can think about how to achieve win-win scenarios, for wildlife and producers of any kind, we need to think about how we can manage those species on agricultural land.”

He said lots of wildlife live in farm landscapes, and they have diverse habitat needs that can be achieved depending on a producer’s forage goals. The steady decline in wildlife species in Indiana is due to loss of habitat, whether it be via development or conversion to farmland.

When it comes to livestock pastures, Brooke said the problem is that grazing exotic grasses is now more popular than native grasses, which have historically provided cover to a variety of birds and other local wildlife.

Specific birds affected by the change in grasses include the grasshopper sparrow, ring-neck pheasants, eastern meadowlark, northern bobwhite, field sparrow, bobolink, henslow sparrow, common yellowthroat, kingbird, yellow-breasted chet, and blue-winged warbler, as well as birds of prey such as northern harriers, short-eared owls, kestrels, and the loggerhead shrike.

“If we think about grazing management and wildlife, a good rule of thumb is ‘take half, leave half,’” he explained. “If we leave half the forage out there in the field, we’re going to leave cover for those species.”

Frequent pasture rotation is a good way to make sure they are not overgrazed, Brooke said, because it maintains diversity in the field. Planting native grasses and shrubs also provides diversity.

 “Why we push native grasses, is that they grow in clumps – they’re not sod-forming like fescue and other species, which gives wildlife room to move around those clumps and pick up insects off the ground,” he noted. “That leaves room for wildflowers, forage, or whatever else you have in the stand.”

He added native grasses can be a benefit from a forage standpoint because the two variations – warm-season and cool-season – hit their peaks in production at different times of the year, which helps with soil quality. He said the best way to begin using native grasses is to start with small paddocks and slowly expand.

Warm-season grasses shouldn’t be grazed lower than 8-12 inches – not only because that is where they provide the most cover for wildlife, but also because their growing point is high – and shouldn’t be cut off, in order to ensure a strong future forage stand.

“To have diversity on the farm and healthy ecosystems, get out of the perception of a clean landscape,” Brooke said. “What looks messy to our eyes may be good for the wildlife.”

Other than pastures, he said keeping the edges of crop fields “messy” with shrubs and other plants can be good for wildlife and provide some diversity that a crop would normally take away. He said good shrubs for wildlife include blackberry, plumb, dogwood, and hawthorn.

Wildlife other than birds require their own unique habitats on agricultural land. When possible, he said producers should consider fencing water such as streams and ponds away from livestock.

“Keeping cattle and other livestock out of the water and streams is important for a lot of species. It’s important from an erosion and a water quality standpoint, but it’s also important for amphibians that breathe through their skin, because they need very clean, clear water to thrive.”

One such endangered amphibian in Indiana is the hellbender, the second-largest salamander in the world that lives in one waterway in Indiana: The Blue River. They used to be found all over the Wabash River Valley, but now can only be found there, mostly due to sedimentation causing water-quality issues.

Brooke also said forests should fence out livestock, or stock them at a very low density, which can actually improve the habitat for small mammals and other forest wildlife.

To begin aligning your property with what it needs to be to sustain wildlife, he recommends seeking out the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) or the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Fish and Wildlife Division.

“Talk to a conservationist, whether that’s through extension, NRCS, DNR, those are the right people to talk to about what you want to do, and they’ll come out to your property and make an assessment on how you can incorporate wildlife into your farming operation,” Brooke said.

“If you’re looking for ways to dip your toes in this and get assistance while you’re doing it, through the DNR and NRCS, there are incentives and conservation programs.”

For more information on forage in Indiana, visit the IFC’s website at https://indianaforage.org