alfalfa hay and pasture
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trin":1ela8ggt said:
To your first question - a resounding NO! Our alfalfa field was much more productive as a hay field, rather than a grazing source. Too much potential damage to the field - due to grazing, too much potential damage to the cattle due to bloat. I would think alfalfa would come under the usual guidelines for animal units grazing/acre - but, I'm not sure about that. Why would you want to risk your field or the health of your cattle? Unless this is a very small field, with low output, it would make better sense to find an alternative source of feed than to put your field at risk with hay prices being what they are in most areas. Just my thoughts.
Years ago the partner that raised a couple of thousand acres of alfalfa would graze range maggots during the winter on the alfalfa. He had tried cattle once and the pretty well destroyed the ha field because of hte plant crowns being damaged by the heavier weight and the larger foot on cattle.
That's a FWIW.
That's a FWIW.
kscowboy
Well-known member
Range Maggots ?
Alfalfa can be your ultimate warm season/dry weather pasture, if managed correctly.
First, and most important, we practice MIG. Everything I say in this post is based on our experience grazing using MIG. I'm also writing based on our experience with a beef cow/calf operation. I do know some dairy guys use pure alfalfa stands in their grazing rotations.
We successfully graze alfalfa, but mixed with a grass at about 50/50 to make it a bit easier. We have grazed fields where the alfalfa made up to 80-90% of the forage. You have to be more cautious of bloat then. Still, our only case of bloat from grazing came from a calf that found a patch of white clover and ate herself stupid. So, bloat is fairly easy to manage in grazing alfalfa.
When we put in a field of switchgrass a few years ago I remember a guy from the university saying alfalfa is the ultimate warm season perennial. Because it has a deep taproot it will still grow when it gets dry and it loves heat.
We can, and will, make hay off any pasture our cows graze. If you're utilizing alfalfa as a legume in your pastures, that's the best way to make sure the May/June excess does not go to waste. During July/August, if it gets real dry like it did this year, the alfalfa kept on growing but the grass stopped. The neighbors pure stand of alfalfa didn't make enough to pay his expense of harvesting it, but we let our cows harvest ours. It's been our experience that we harvest more tons/acre when the cows are used in the harvest rotation.
Some tips on grazing alfalfa.
We've done OK using Vernal, but will pick a variety with a low crown designed for grazing when we put in a new field next spring.
Do not graze when the cows will leave a print in the ground. Having grass in the mix seems to mitigate the damage when the ground is damp and more likely to suffer traffic damage.
Have your paddocks small enough that the cows are on the field no longer than 3-4 days.
Select a grass that is compatible with alfalfa for haying or grazing based on maturity and suitability for either haying or grazing.
All our pastures have legumes in them so once our cows are on pasture we don't worry moving them from a grass/clover pasture to a grass/alfalfa pasture. But, when going to a heavy legume pasture in the spring for the first time after being on hay, we take several days to adjust them to the change. Feed hay, then turn out for an hour or so in the afternoon. Pull them off and feed hay, give them a couple more hours the next afternoon, etc. Keep a bit of hay out even when they're on the pasture, they'll keep nibbling it for a week or two.
Feed loose salt & minerals, keep it fresh.
Don't graze while a light frost is on the pasture, you can graze later in the day if it didn't wilt the alfalfa. If the alfalfa wilts, let it die down for a couple days.
Keep 4-6 inches of stubble going into the winter to help protect it from winter kill. That may not be as much of a concern for you as for us since we're farther north.
We usually make our last grazing in November, after the alfalfa has died but the grass contined to grow. We try to not graze the alfalfa fields for a month before the last expected frost date, to let it store reserves for the winter.
Cows don't really like alfalfa as much as other forages. They will eat the top 8-10 inches but if the alfalfa is 18-20 inches high, it's hard to get them to take it closer to the ground. They have to get hungry, and that slows down their gain. The solution is to graze it when it's more like 12-14 inches high.
Alfalfa needs to be on well drained soils, and needs a ph above 6 or so.
How many acres do you need? Do you mean for grazing and to produce the hay you'll need for the winter for 10 cows?
kscowboy -- range maggots are sheep.
First, and most important, we practice MIG. Everything I say in this post is based on our experience grazing using MIG. I'm also writing based on our experience with a beef cow/calf operation. I do know some dairy guys use pure alfalfa stands in their grazing rotations.
We successfully graze alfalfa, but mixed with a grass at about 50/50 to make it a bit easier. We have grazed fields where the alfalfa made up to 80-90% of the forage. You have to be more cautious of bloat then. Still, our only case of bloat from grazing came from a calf that found a patch of white clover and ate herself stupid. So, bloat is fairly easy to manage in grazing alfalfa.
When we put in a field of switchgrass a few years ago I remember a guy from the university saying alfalfa is the ultimate warm season perennial. Because it has a deep taproot it will still grow when it gets dry and it loves heat.
We can, and will, make hay off any pasture our cows graze. If you're utilizing alfalfa as a legume in your pastures, that's the best way to make sure the May/June excess does not go to waste. During July/August, if it gets real dry like it did this year, the alfalfa kept on growing but the grass stopped. The neighbors pure stand of alfalfa didn't make enough to pay his expense of harvesting it, but we let our cows harvest ours. It's been our experience that we harvest more tons/acre when the cows are used in the harvest rotation.
Some tips on grazing alfalfa.
We've done OK using Vernal, but will pick a variety with a low crown designed for grazing when we put in a new field next spring.
Do not graze when the cows will leave a print in the ground. Having grass in the mix seems to mitigate the damage when the ground is damp and more likely to suffer traffic damage.
Have your paddocks small enough that the cows are on the field no longer than 3-4 days.
Select a grass that is compatible with alfalfa for haying or grazing based on maturity and suitability for either haying or grazing.
All our pastures have legumes in them so once our cows are on pasture we don't worry moving them from a grass/clover pasture to a grass/alfalfa pasture. But, when going to a heavy legume pasture in the spring for the first time after being on hay, we take several days to adjust them to the change. Feed hay, then turn out for an hour or so in the afternoon. Pull them off and feed hay, give them a couple more hours the next afternoon, etc. Keep a bit of hay out even when they're on the pasture, they'll keep nibbling it for a week or two.
Feed loose salt & minerals, keep it fresh.
Don't graze while a light frost is on the pasture, you can graze later in the day if it didn't wilt the alfalfa. If the alfalfa wilts, let it die down for a couple days.
Keep 4-6 inches of stubble going into the winter to help protect it from winter kill. That may not be as much of a concern for you as for us since we're farther north.
We usually make our last grazing in November, after the alfalfa has died but the grass contined to grow. We try to not graze the alfalfa fields for a month before the last expected frost date, to let it store reserves for the winter.
Cows don't really like alfalfa as much as other forages. They will eat the top 8-10 inches but if the alfalfa is 18-20 inches high, it's hard to get them to take it closer to the ground. They have to get hungry, and that slows down their gain. The solution is to graze it when it's more like 12-14 inches high.
Alfalfa needs to be on well drained soils, and needs a ph above 6 or so.
How many acres do you need? Do you mean for grazing and to produce the hay you'll need for the winter for 10 cows?
kscowboy -- range maggots are sheep.
dun":3g76mrod said:
there are a few varieties that have the crown below the level of the ground, SA Standard, SA Select and Aurora springs to mind.
Most dairies here graze alfalfa during the summer, it will definately shorten the life of the alfalfa field. As a source of hay, alfalfa is tops in my book.
dyates
Well-known member
We generally get somewhere around 4tons of hay per acre from alfalfa. I would not feed alfalfa hay exclusively to beef cattle, nor would I use it as primary grazing. We only graze in winter (after the ground is frozen) to clean up the field and reduce the population of insects that overwinter in the hollow stems.
If you will be rolling alfalfa, be sure to get it under roof or wrap it. It will not shed rain like grass. One season of normal Kentucky rain will rot away half of a 5' roll.
I prefer to drill orchardgrass into the field 1-2 years after the alfalfa is established. The grass provides more roughage and helps to keep more of the shattered alfalfa leaves in the roll/bale.
If you will be rolling alfalfa, be sure to get it under roof or wrap it. It will not shed rain like grass. One season of normal Kentucky rain will rot away half of a 5' roll.
I prefer to drill orchardgrass into the field 1-2 years after the alfalfa is established. The grass provides more roughage and helps to keep more of the shattered alfalfa leaves in the roll/bale.
