Mob Grazing Bermudagrass

[CJohnson]

I am on my 3rd rotation with MOB grazing. The pastures seem to be responding well, I now am grazing coastal bermudagrass. The rest period is 40 days. The grass is 14 - 16 inches tall and is a good color but the cows are losing some condition and don't seem content even though there is plenty of grass in the section. Of course it is really hot (100 degree highs past 2 weeks), they have good shade and water. I wonder if I need to speed up the rotation and try to shorten the rest period to 30 days, maybe the grass is getting too mature and losing some quality. I thought I needed more maturity and taller grass to get the 'trampling' effect. I am running 250 pairs (300 pound calves) in 8 acre paddocks using electric fencing for daily moves. Any MOB grazers with coastal bermudagrass experience?

 

[novatech]

Cattle will not graze as much in 100 degree heat, especially if they don't have a little Brahman influence. Even those that do will often loose a little in the hot summer. Another factor may be that in this heat cattle graze in the night. It may be that your moving the cattle does not coordinate with their grazing time.
You seem to be governing rotations on time spent on grazing and growth. Forget the time and observe how much they graze down and the grow back on the forage. If you are going to base the grazing on time then the grazing area size should be adjusted to fit the time. Time and size needed can only be determined by your experience gained by knowledge and close observation.
What I used to do is adjust paddock size to 24 hour grazing. (I know others that graze 48 hours and even 72) I turned the cattle into new paddocks in the evening when the grass is standing back up recovering from the heat (wilted look). At this point the grass has a higher sugar content and the cattle are more in the mood to graze with the dropping temps. I would adjust the paddock size according to amount of grass eaten and or stomped down.

 

[CJohnson]

We move first thing in the morning (7am) every day and adjust the size of the paddock for how much grass is there. I can increase the size a little and they will not graze it as close. This will cause me to rotate through faster and will be back to the same area with less paddock rest / recovery time. I can also defer grazing on some and decrease paddock rest time.

 

[BC]

I think you need to speed up the rotation on bermudagrass. Think about how you manage bermuda for hay. Quality starts dropping after about 30 days of new growth. I know that the dairies using bermuda in an intensive grazing program around here use a 16 to 24 day rotation.

 

[1982vett]

I think you need to speed up the rotation on bermudagrass. Think about how you manage bermuda for hay. Quality starts dropping after about 30 days of new growth. I know that the dairies using bermuda in an intensive grazing program around here use a 16 to 24 day rotation.

My guess also...if the bermuda is old and seeding out the quality is dropping pretty fast...possibly falling well below what it takes to maintain BS on a cow with a calf or even without a calf.

Parasites?

 

[TexasBred]

I am on my 3rd rotation with MOB grazing. The pastures seem to be responding well, I now am grazing coastal bermudagrass. The rest period is 40 days. The grass is 14 - 16 inches tall and is a good color but the cows are losing some condition and don't seem content even though there is plenty of grass in the section. Of course it is really hot (100 degree highs past 2 weeks), they have good shade and water. I wonder if I need to speed up the rotation and try to shorten the rest period to 30 days, maybe the grass is getting too mature and losing some quality. I thought I needed more maturity and taller grass to get the 'trampling' effect. I am running 250 pairs (300 pound calves) in 8 acre paddocks using electric fencing for daily moves. Any MOB grazers with coastal bermudagrass experience?

A lot of East Texas has been getting a lot of rain. How about you??? Grass sounds too tall, I'd rotate more often. Do you fertilize? Most coastal hay in the part of East Texas I'm familar with is low protein even when fertilized so the grass may not have the nutrients the cattle really need.

 

[CJohnson]

We were dry in May, good rain mid June, been dry past 2 1/2 weeks. I try to utilize clovers to fertilize warm season grass, and put out K and P w/ a little N in the fall for the clover. We fertilize hayfields but am trying to minimize the use of hay and fertilizer. I did put out fertilizer just for grazing on 80 acres first of June because I got scared that I would run out of grass with the dry May we had.

I would like comments from the MOB grazers out there that have experience with what I am trying to do.....

 

[novatech]

What breed are the cattle?
Do you have a protein tub out with them?
How are the cow patties shaped?

 

[BC]

The key to quality grazing with bermuda is to keep it young and vegetative. That is why I think you need to speed up the rotation. Manage it like you would for hay. 40 day old bermuda makes a lot of lower quality hay (6% to 8% CP), the grass would be the same. At 16 to 24 days old, the crude protein and TDN should be much higher. This will maintain your milking ability and body condition scores.

As you are starting out, you may have to apply some fertilizer depending on your soil test to get the base levels up to speed. After your base fertility is taken care of, the clovers and nutrient recycling should take over.

 

[CJohnson]

What breed are the cattle?
Do you have a protein tub out with them?
How are the cow patties shaped?

Angus cross cattle, average weight of cows 1150lb. Cannot feed protein tubs as 'banned' product for how I market calves. Cow patties are flat but starting to stack some.

 

[CJohnson]

The key to quality grazing with bermuda is to keep it young and vegetative. That is why I think you need to speed up the rotation. Manage it like you would for hay. 40 day old bermuda makes a lot of lower quality hay (6% to 8% CP), the grass would be the same. At 16 to 24 days old, the crude protein and TDN should be much higher. This will maintain your milking ability and body condition scores.

As you are starting out, you may have to apply some fertilizer depending on your soil test to get the base levels up to speed. After your base fertility is taken care of, the clovers and nutrient recycling should take over.

I am thinking the same. I do want some 'trampling effect' to increase soil fertility. I will try to take some pics over the holiday.

 

[BC]

The key to quality grazing with bermuda is to keep it young and vegetative. That is why I think you need to speed up the rotation. Manage it like you would for hay. 40 day old bermuda makes a lot of lower quality hay (6% to 8% CP), the grass would be the same. At 16 to 24 days old, the crude protein and TDN should be much higher. This will maintain your milking ability and body condition scores.

As you are starting out, you may have to apply some fertilizer depending on your soil test to get the base levels up to speed. After your base fertility is taken care of, the clovers and nutrient recycling should take over.

I am thinking the same. I do want some 'trampling effect' to increase soil fertility. I will try to take some pics over the holiday.

What is this "trampling effect" that you have mention a couple of times? I have worked with several dairies that use intensive grazing and none of them ever used that term.

 

[novatech]

With intensive grazing the soil can be improved by mashing some the the grass and manure down into the ground. This adds organic material to the soil and builds soil life. In return the soil is improved due to the cattle grazing. It is basically working within the natural system of nature. Your pasture may become much more sustainable with very little input other than management. If you take drought and flood out of the picture it works pretty well in the right place.

 

[BC]

Thanks Novatech for the explanation. That is what I saw on a couple of dairies. Took a sharp shooter shovel and saw a layer of dark rich soil about 1 inch thick on top of sand. That was after about 10 to 12 years of intensive grazing. Never heard anyone mention trampling effect.