Question on Stockpiling Fescue

[mnbryant2001]

I am looking at moving to rotational grazing and stockpiled fescue. I am not sure if I understand something right. I have 18 brood cows and a bull on 55 acres of grazing land. Here the recommended rate is 1.5 per cow/calf which would support 36 head. Here is what I'm not sure of. I would have to lay out 21 acres in Sept to stockpile. That leaves 34 to graze. But If I ran the full 36 I would not have enough land to stockpile on. Basically if I reach my maximum stockpile limit in the spring and summer my pasture would be under stocked by 30 to 40%. Am I missing something here?

 

[bigbull338]

I am looking at moving to rotational grazing and stockpiled fescue. I am not sure if I understand something right. I have 18 brood cows and a bull on 55 acres of grazing land. Here the recommended rate is 1.5 per cow/calf which would support 36 head. Here is what I'm not sure of. I would have to lay out 21 acres in Sept to stockpile. That leaves 34 to graze. But If I ran the full 36 I would not have enough land to stockpile on. Basically if I reach my maximum stockpile limit in the spring and summer my pasture would be under stocked by 30 to 40%. Am I missing something here?[/quot
if you set aside the 21acs to stockpile forage an graze it when your grass runs out,you would have 42 days of grazing.because an ac a day grazing should support 40 cows for a day.but if i was you id still plan on feeding some hay during the winter.

 

[mnbryant2001]

I was going by the Extension service info. 1.1 acres for 60 days. But it all varies. I already have 30% of the hay for next year. Just trying to decide if it's worth trying. And at the rate you speak of it takes away a lot of appeal for me.

 

[dun]

I was going by the Extension service info. 1.1 acres for 60 days. But it all varies. I already have 30% of the hay for next year. Just trying to decide if it's worth trying.

It's well worth it. As you get more into MIG and stockpiling you'll get a better handle on it and make it a lot easier. We rotate the pastures that we stockpile and depending on the winter we may use hardly enyhay till greenup or we may use more. Even with stockpiling it never hurts to have some hay put aside incase of drought or winter snow and ice.

 

[mnbryant2001]

Thanks. But am I understanding the stocking rates correctly. Having to keep a very low rate for the summer? To me if I'm going to have to bale the excess anyway I might as well feed it and up the stocking rate in summer. Never messed with stockers but I wouldn't want to fool with that many every year.

 

[dun]

Thanks. But am I understanding the stocking rates correctly. Having to keep a very low rate for the summer? To me if I'm going to have to bale the excess anyway I might as well feed it and up the stocking rate in summer. Never messed with stockers but I wouldn't want to fool with that many every year.

I don;t go by the numbers for stocking rate, I go by my pastures and what they produce. That's why it will take a few years of experience to really get a decent handle on it. We gnerally hay 2 fields then stockpile it till fall for winter grazing. When we turn out on them there is still grass growing in a couple of other fields and that's where we winter the cows. All depends on when the above ground pipes to the hay firld freeze and won;t thaw during the day.
As usual, you mileage may vary.

 

[mnbryant2001]

Thanks Dun. I was thinking it might take doing it to "get it". Answers my question. For now i'll continue as usual and start toying with it.

 

[regolith]

agree, takes doing it to get it and I can't answer for your conditions and fescue but in my situation the cows are held on far less ground in winter because the 'stockpiled' pasture is longer than the length of grass the cows are grazing in summer.
This time of year I might put a dry cow into grass five inches high and give 60 square metres per cow per day, in winter it can be eight inches high and each cow gets 30 - 40 square metres per day, then if it's wet they might need to be taken off as soon as they've grazed to avoid damaging that small area.

My system matches demand to grass growth, usually try to set stocking rate so that there's a small surplus in spring that can be cut and fed out in the dry part of late summer/autumn and cull cows early, pretty much as soon as the latest calving cows can be detected pregnant the opens leave, unless it's a good year with plenty of grass.

 

[dwa]

We've been stockpiling on the farm I work on for about 4 years. It varies from year to year. Normally, on a good stand of fescue, you can stockpile 1ac/cow and get anywhere from 80-100 days grazing without grazing it to the ground.

 

[Douglas]

Calf prices are very good right now and it is tempting to expand. But over the longer haul your are best to not overgraze your pastures and stockpile to reduce expenses. Over time being a low cost producer will make you more money, imo.