So in your opinion what is the best grasses for pasture? My dad was always big on orchard grass and Timothy in both the pasture and hayfields. I'm looking to do some broadcast seeding in the fall. By the way we live in Southwest VA
Opinions on pasture grasses
- Thread starter LRAF
- Start date
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Nesikep
Well-known member
I know timothy is well liked, but isn't a great producer.. Orchardgrass my cows love eating the tops, and munching the fresh growth, but don't like the stalks if it gets ripe.. they're my two main grasses, and if bromegrass were a little easier to seed (it loves to plug the seeders) I'd plant more. Timothy is such a small seed I seed it with the alfalfa box in the Brillion seeder.
Might want to consider fescue? perhaps find a way to balance hot season grasses with cool season ones to keep things growing, but I don't know what will work in your area
Might want to consider fescue? perhaps find a way to balance hot season grasses with cool season ones to keep things growing, but I don't know what will work in your area
skyhightree1
Well-known member
I grew up in southwest VA and fescue cinnamon clover and orchard grass was our mix to use we had some Timothy but it wasn't anything worth writing home about.
FlyingLSimmentals
Well-known member
Not sure for you location but here our perennial grasses mostly in our pastures are Fescue, Orchard Grass, and different varieties of white clover. Timothy seem to do better in our hayfields than pasture. I really like Orchard Grass seems to come up and grow better here than the fescue. Finally seem to be getting some Bermuda established here for a bit of warm season pasture.
Karin
Well-known member
I can only speak for my area. Timothy is only good, really, before it sets that seed head out. Otherwise it's a grass that makes those export hay bales look good with not much nutritional value--just a bit more fibre than protein and other nutrients. The Japanese love it because it makes the bales look neat and tidy and green. But the nutritional content has a bit to be desired. Timothy for pasture, though, really, really poor choice. Don't put timothy in a pasture stand because a) it won't last long and b) it's not suitable for pasture in the first place; it's meant as a hay grass, because of its growth form, and tendency to become more stemmy than leafy.
Orchard grass is really good, high quality, dairy guys love it when mixing it with alfalfa or clover, and competitive in the stand. Not great for high moisture areas, and if not managed right to allow seed set--or even just grazed hard--it won't last long in the stand. But, it is supposed to be a long-lasting grass, not sure on the age though.
Smooth brome for hay is good too, not sure if you can grow it in your area though, and certainly versatile for pasture. Meadow brome is another good grass for pasture, good quality, low-growing leaves that spread out and cover the ground quite readily. It'll compete with Kentucky bluegrass and creeping red fescue, in some areas it will do better than those two.
Fall rye is excellent annual, along with perennial and annual ryegrasses, as short-term summer pastures. Again, speaking only from my area as these are short-lived that only last a season or two, but man do they ever put out a lot of biomass for grazing. Thick stand, high quality, good for summer grazing when the other cool-season grasses have gone dormant.
I like to push the legumes too. Cicer milkvetch and birdsfoot trefoil: hard to establish, but once they get established they do well. Cattle love cicer, they'll eat it right down. Give that plant enough rest and it will bounce right back and spread out even more. Allowing for seed set will also increase its population in a pasture stand. Good for the bees too.
Birds foot is pretty well the same. Both are bloat-resistant legumes, as is sainfoin.
Orchard grass is really good, high quality, dairy guys love it when mixing it with alfalfa or clover, and competitive in the stand. Not great for high moisture areas, and if not managed right to allow seed set--or even just grazed hard--it won't last long in the stand. But, it is supposed to be a long-lasting grass, not sure on the age though.
Smooth brome for hay is good too, not sure if you can grow it in your area though, and certainly versatile for pasture. Meadow brome is another good grass for pasture, good quality, low-growing leaves that spread out and cover the ground quite readily. It'll compete with Kentucky bluegrass and creeping red fescue, in some areas it will do better than those two.
Fall rye is excellent annual, along with perennial and annual ryegrasses, as short-term summer pastures. Again, speaking only from my area as these are short-lived that only last a season or two, but man do they ever put out a lot of biomass for grazing. Thick stand, high quality, good for summer grazing when the other cool-season grasses have gone dormant.
I like to push the legumes too. Cicer milkvetch and birdsfoot trefoil: hard to establish, but once they get established they do well. Cattle love cicer, they'll eat it right down. Give that plant enough rest and it will bounce right back and spread out even more. Allowing for seed set will also increase its population in a pasture stand. Good for the bees too.
Birds foot is pretty well the same. Both are bloat-resistant legumes, as is sainfoin.
