How to graze wheat?

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tdc_cattle

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What's the best way to graze wheat? Turn cows on as soon as the wheat is up? Let it grow before turning them in? Mob graze? Rotational graze? Just let them pasture it?

The wheat is intended to be harvested for grain if that makes a difference.
 
tdc_cattle":2i7pg8vt said:
What's the best way to graze wheat? Turn cows on as soon as the wheat is up? Let it grow before turning them in? Mob graze? Rotational graze? Just let them pasture it?

The wheat is intended to be harvested for grain if that makes a difference.
Click to expand...
Most around here will wait until the wheat is lush and full...4 -5 inches tall and limit graze it. Turn cattle in, give them a couple of hours of grazing then pull them off til the next day then repeat.
 
TexasBred":1r140y34 said:
tdc_cattle":1r140y34 said:
What's the best way to graze wheat? Turn cows on as soon as the wheat is up? Let it grow before turning them in? Mob graze? Rotational graze? Just let them pasture it?

The wheat is intended to be harvested for grain if that makes a difference.
Click to expand...
Most around here will wait until the wheat is lush and full...4 -5 inches tall and limit graze it. Turn cattle in, give them a couple of hours of grazing then pull them off til the next day then repeat.
Click to expand...


what he said, You want it to establish a good root system so its not pulled up.
 
:2cents: You definitely need to get it up and established well. I like to only have to move them once a week or so. So I'll split the field with a hot wire and move em from 1 side back and forth. With 2 days off between the swap when their on hay. I also keep a roll of hay accessible at all times. Their pretty good for the most part at going to the hay on their own when they start getting loose and gassy. :2cents:
 
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Kingfisher":yjh74xhg said:
jedstivers":yjh74xhg said:
Kingfisher":yjh74xhg said:
How do you "pull em off" a good wheat field?
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I never could.
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:). They'll laugh at a sack of cubes. ;)
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Ive had some in a feedlot eating corn and ddg's. Turned them into ryegrass and they won't even come to that. Actually led some the first time I feed in the ryegrass and they didn't even eat 1/2 their feed.
 
jedstivers":1gwos8qb said:
Kingfisher":1gwos8qb said:
jedstivers":1gwos8qb said:
I never could.
Click to expand...
:). They'll laugh at a sack of cubes. ;)
Click to expand...
Ive had some in a feedlot eating corn and ddg's. Turned them into ryegrass and they won't even come to that. Actually led some the first time I feed in the ryegrass and they didn't even eat 1/2 their feed.
Click to expand...

Huh..I've don't have any trouble after the first couple days. You can't pull em off at first but if Their cake broke they'll run outta the field for cake after a few days.
 
callmefence":3hny05n5 said:
:2cents: You definitely need to get it up and established well. I like to only have to move them once a week or so. So I'll split the field with a hot wire and move em from 1 side back and forth. With 2 days off between the swap when their on hay. I also keep a roll of hay accessible at all times. Their pretty good for the most part at going to the hay on their own when they start getting loose and gassy. :2cents:
Click to expand...

That's pretty much what I've been doing but rotationally grazing more then splitting the field but I like the sounds of that.
 
The reason I asked is I saw a neighbor that has far more experience then me turn his cows in on some wheat that had just come up.

Can you turn them in on it to late. I mean I know you can but how late is to late? I turned some in on some last spring that they hadn't been on and it was probably a foot tall. Got a crop off it but it wasn't as good as where I'd let them on it shorter.
 
callmefence":2lmn289z said:
jedstivers":2lmn289z said:
Kingfisher":2lmn289z said:
:). They'll laugh at a sack of cubes. ;)
Click to expand...
Ive had some in a feedlot eating corn and ddg's. Turned them into ryegrass and they won't even come to that. Actually led some the first time I feed in the ryegrass and they didn't even eat 1/2 their feed.
Click to expand...

Huh..I've don't have any trouble after the first couple days. You can't pull em off at first but if Their cake broke they'll run outta the field for cake after a few days.
Click to expand...
They just don't want to come off very well. I'm sure in a week or so they will be back to following good.
 
tdc_cattle":2xdihsy5 said:
The reason I asked is I saw a neighbor that has far more experience then me turn his cows in on some wheat that had just come up.

Can you turn them in on it to late. I mean I know you can but how late is to late? I turned some in on some last spring that they hadn't been on and it was probably a foot tall. Got a crop off it but it wasn't as good as where I'd let them on it shorter.
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It can be to small. If they pull it out of the ground it's to small. If you rotate them on it it helps too. Not every day but just every few weeks is better than nothing.
 
If your putting stocker calves on the wheat I would ship them when the crop runs out. They will lose weight if put on pasture after wheat with no grain. The protein level in the wheat is much higher, we have had anywhere from 2-2.5 lbs/day on a well established crop, which in my area is on in the spring. Since were not in the stocker business anymore we cut it for hay. But definitely don't turn in hungry cattle, especially Herefords. Seems we always had problems with them bloating more than others. :2cents:
 
midTN_Brangusman":2gn065b0 said:
If your putting stocker calves on the wheat I would ship them when the crop runs out. They will lose weight if put on pasture after wheat with no grain. The protein level in the wheat is much higher, we have had anywhere from 2-2.5 lbs/day on a well established crop, which in my area is on in the spring. Since were not in the stocker business anymore we cut it for hay. But definitely don't turn in hungry cattle, especially Herefords. Seems we also had problems with them bloating more than others.
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Great. 40¢ a lb of gain seems to pencil out better than feed even on lightweights this winter being I don't have to tend to them for that price either.
 

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