Grazing at Green-up

[MO-Ruminants]

What is your approach to grazing at greenup? (itty bitty grass shoots 1-2" tall)

A. Let em have it...the grass will catch up eventually
B. Feed hay out of the pasture (sacrifice area)
C. Feed hay in a small paddock and just know the grass in it will be stunted
D. Other

 

[Nesikep]

it hurts the grass, I keep them corralled and feed hay until the grass has grown.. I also find the cows do better, rather than spending all day trying to eat 1" tall grass and leaving the hay behind, they just have to eat the hay

 

[M.Magis]

C, out of necessity. I've turned them out too early before, and wouldn't really agree that the grass will catch up.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

B, when possible. I've read enough and seen enough to believe the grass will never catch up.

 

[1982vett]

Mine have the run of the place right now. They have hay if they want it but are mostly hustling pasture greens. Should be able to start closing off pastures around March or not depending on rain and sunshine.

 

[Texasmark]

Not a professional but some tidbits picked up over the years:

Grass has to be in the growth mode to grow so if you have signs of end of life of a plant, aka seed heads, mow/graze it which will put it back in the growth mode. Forage is more digestible and nutritional in the growth mode also.

Stubble has to be tall enough to contain enough "sugars" to activate/supply regrowth until enough leaf emerges for sustainment.

Pasture rotation is essential for productive pastures for the reasons listed above. Amazing what can be grown off properly rotated pastures vs non rotated, free choice, non controlled grazing.

My rule of thumb is once good growth is established, height depends on plant, turn them in on it. When they graze (stomp) it down to 6" for a conservative number, take them off and let it recover. Feed out the hay in a separate area but accessible from the active growth field.

Heavily fertilized, active growing plants for stand alone grazing without dry matter can lead to problems (an observation from other's mistakes).

When turning into a new, freshly grown pasture, ensure they have been fed first, and not turned in hungry.

Be aware of the hazards of your particular type of grazing plants and be alert for problems before they become a problem.

 

[Silver]

Keeping them off the new grass a week in the spring gets you two weeks of grass in the fall.

 

[WFfarm]

Fresh new grass shoots in the spring are partially the result of roots reserves. If grazed too early, there is limited root reserves to restart that growth. Let the grasses get established and producing sugars and food to aid in the regrowth. This is how rotational grazing helps maximize to forage volume.

 

[Bigfoot]

My cows are losing interest in hay, and spending more time out hunting something to pick (my whole place is opened up to them). Don't ever remember seeing that this early. They are still finishing what I put out though. I had set a goal of March 15th to shut them up in an area I plan to convert from pasture to corn. I was mostly interested in seeing what keeping off my pasture for 2-3 weeks would do during the green up. I wouldn't say I've got hay to burn, but I'm gonna have some left over for the first time in a long time. Be a good year to try it.

 

[1982vett]

Mine have the run of the place right now. They have hay if they want it but are mostly hustling pasture greens. Should be able to start closing off pastures around March or not depending on rain and sunshine.

Let me add to this....mine have free choice at the moment because the winter grasses they are on will be toast by the end of May. Rotational grazing management will not change that. Sure I could make them eat hay and let the ryegrass and clover grow. Then I could have hay to bale and I could feed it to them next year while they watched the grass grow while eating the hay I baled the year before.....

The key is stocking rates.

We've finally gotten a little rain and some warmer days. It's getting greener every day. It's the middle of February and probably by March some of the pasture gates will be closed. Juggling between pastures will begin but it isn't intensive management either. Their is a balance between working the land and the land working you.....

 

[Lucasbranham]

Located in Kentucky.

I asked a related question in another group and didn't really get the response I was looking for. So I'll ask again here.
This year I took my animals off of my pastures and left about 6" of residual standing all winter and fed hay in my normal sacrifice area.

Would I have seen a bigger benefit in my pastures by leaving the standing grass? or unrolling hay/grazing the whole farm all winter?they wouldn't have access to the whole place, just where I would unroll hay each day, I would section it off.

 

[Banjo]

Your location would be a big help....profile page. What kind of grass are you talking about? fescue? bermuda grass? something else?
As a rule...everything that is dead(residual) should be removed by grazing because it is dead anyway. If your getting some regrowth like we are here in Ky with a mild winter I like to keep moving them around thru the paddocks and try to avoid grazing right down to the ground....though that is not as harmful in the winter.

 

[Lucasbranham]

Fescue, clover, some Johnson grass. Located in Kentucky.

 

[Post Oak]

Well I have to graze at greenup on my Bahiagrass dominated place in the sandlands to nip all the cheatgrass in the bud while it is palatable before it heads out and also to graze the yellow hop clover before it disappears around tax time. I know that those two species are considered inferior by most,but they are the primary components of my early spring grazing and are good forages if managed correctly.

Now on my redland place I have to nip the Durana clover in the bud before it takes over the world.