Oversees annual rye grass?

[GreyGus]

Next week I will be moving the cows off my front pasture. 13 acres of mixed cool season grasses, mostly fescue. They won't go back on it until Spring. I plan to frost seed it in February with clover. I was thinking of mixing in some annual ryegrass at the same time. My thoughts were this would have the pasture develop grass earlier and allow me to graze it while the fescue is getting up to height.

But others don't seem to do this, so what am I missing?

 

[wbvs58]

Don't you already have good clover seed from previous years? Clover puts out a lot of seed with it being hard seed that can stay dormant for years. Have you done a soil test of late? Where I am the clover in spring is very dependent on the P levels in the soil.
To answer your question @Mark Reynolds mentioned using annual rye on good fescue pastures just recently and he feels the competition from the rye would have a -ve effect on the fescue but I'm sure mark could explain things better than me.

Ken

 

[GreyGus]

My existing level of clover is minimal. Soil tests were done this fall. Currently waiting for the District Soil and Water guy to give precise recommendations but this particular field will need minimal lime/fertilizer.

 

[Butterbean_Farms]

I would think this would delay your fescue due to competition with the rye grass, and if you turn cows on it when the fescue is still young they will graze it too.