winter grazing ?

[plbcattle]

I have been really fighting this battle. I can't take pasture out of production to disk and seed rye grass. I spent a ton on grass and winter seeds last year. in the middle of this drought has got me gun shy. What are the recommended grazing rates of your winter pasture. If you took 1/4 to 1/6 of your land and planted would you be able to graze them often enough without having to rotate them all winter. I have plenty of hay(for a change) this year. I am wondering if putting 20-40 acres in rye grass is really that benifital. Taking out what grass is there now to maybe get some rain in the future. I spent a ton on clover last year that did below par. I wonder if it is going to come back at all this year. Any suggestions

 

[Wewild]

I have been really fighting this battle. I can't take pasture out of production to disk and seed rye grass. I spent a ton on grass and winter seeds last year. in the middle of this drought has got me gun shy. What are the recommended grazing rates of your winter pasture. If you took 1/4 to 1/6 of your land and planted would you be able to graze them often enough without having to rotate them all winter. I have plenty of hay(for a change) this year. I am wondering if putting 20-40 acres in rye grass is really that benifital. Taking out what grass is there now to maybe get some rain in the future. I spent a ton on clover last year that did below par. I wonder if it is going to come back at all this year. Any suggestions

We don't plant winter grazing but I go by a place that does. He just clipped his grass close and no tilled in the seed. As the heat comes on and the winter forage dies the fescue takes back over.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have been really fighting this battle. I can't take pasture out of production to disk and seed rye grass. I spent a ton on grass and winter seeds last year. in the middle of this drought has got me gun shy. What are the recommended grazing rates of your winter pasture. If you took 1/4 to 1/6 of your land and planted would you be able to graze them often enough without having to rotate them all winter. I have plenty of hay(for a change) this year. I am wondering if putting 20-40 acres in rye grass is really that benifital. Taking out what grass is there now to maybe get some rain in the future. I spent a ton on clover last year that did below par. I wonder if it is going to come back at all this year. Any suggestions

I have had better luck with elbon rye and it stands up to the traffic better than rye grass. I have used no till and after broadcasting mow the pasture.

 

[Jogeephus]

I fight the same fight. I'm not saying this is right but it does work for me. I don't let my dry cows graze any of the good stuff unless I have plenty - which is rare. I feed them feed quality hay. If I have to purchase any hay, I have found I'll need to fill the syrup tanks or supplement them in some way.

I calve in January. It is not till March or April that the Ryegrass and Clover is coming on strong. Once its up to an acceptable level, I turn the cows onto a field then rotate them around the paddocks as much as possible. If things get tight, back to the hay yard they go. Eventually, as the calves get bigger and acquire a taste for the winter grazing, I'll put a creep gate so they can forward graze the fields.

Heaven knows I'm probably doing 50 things wrong here but it seems to work for me.