winter grazing

[M5farm]

The hay feeding thread has me curious. All I know is what we experience here in the deep south. Alot of you northerners mention grazing stockpiled grass. I understand that and here it is just grass that was not cut but is dead. I get the impression some of you are still grazing a grass that's still green and growing. I may be wrong but that's what I picture I my mind. Could those of you still grazing post some pics please. In neskeps video his cows looked like they were eating green grass out of the snow.

 

[skyhightree1]

some of mine green buy not growing.

 

[torogmc81]

some of mine green buy not growing.

Same for us here. It would take consistant 60s to get it growing again. Our average temp this time of year is 45, low of 30

 

[M5farm]

Ok so it's not growing but how in the heck is it still green. Our first frost last month killed everything Except what we have to plant oats,wheat or rye.

 

[Bigfoot]

Jo said something one time, that made sense. He said if we could grow bermuda, and you guys could grow fescue, we would be unstoppable. Years like this, I'm glad to have my fescue. I do wish I could drill some rye in it, but it's hard to get a cool season to grow in a cool season.

 

[skyhightree1]

Ok so it's not growing but how in the heck is it still green. Our first frost last month killed everything Except what we have to plant oats,wheat or rye.

I'm try to take pics tomorrow each hard frost we get loses color more and more.the rye grass still good and green.

 

[Aaron]

Stockpiled grass is grass the has been cut or grazed early in the year and allowed a long re-growth period before being grazed for the 2nd and final time of that year. Most of my stockpiled grass is 60-90 day re-growth. If I had a better water system on one parcel, I could easily graze into January some years. My stockpiled grass is green right up until it snows and for quite a while afterwards. My cows are out looking during the day, but they pretty much have finished their stockpile off, so they are stuck with hay.

Land is at such a premium in the US, you maximize your production with multiple cuts. Many here do one cut or two cuts and graze the regrowth. I do one cut and have substantial regrowth that I could do a 2nd cut, but cows are much more efficient harvesters, and no one wants to buy my awful trefoil hay anyways, so why put more up than I need to?

 

[jedstivers]

M5 they have so many cool season grasses they grow in colder weather weather or at least stay somewhat green. You being in FL only have warm season so unless you plant ryegrass, wheat, oats ext as soon as you fave a killing frost your toast.

 

[highgrit]

I would also like to add, my cows won't eat stockpiled Bahia. And the Bermuda isn't the ticket either.
Bigfoot and Jogeephus's quote is dead on.

 

[M5farm]

I guess its my ignorance and lack of understanding of the native grasses everyone else has. I had in my mind that summer grass was killed everywhere with the frost like here and you had to plant your cool season grasses. I understand stock piling and Highgrit I know your pain on the bahaia that is frost killed. They will eat the Bermuda but would rather just eat hay instead. That is why I wanted to see some current pictures of grass to wrap my head around it.

 

[skyhightree1]

M5 Took this pic last weekend this is the grass condition at the house. I will take updated pic later or tomorrow its raining here.

 

[Post Oak]

Yes,I have had bahia a foot deep,but when the killing frost hits, it's game over,put out the hay. I have found out that Durana clover will grow good on ground that fescue won't grow well on.

 

[Banjo]

I'll try to get some pics up in a few days if I can.
Question: has anybody down south ever tried to establish some Ky 31 and or Orchardgrass? Here in Ky where we have relatively mild winters, most people are feeding hay already on the heels of one of the best growing seasons ever. Simple reason is, continuous overgrazed short grass grows very very slowly even in warm weather. Most pastures are never allowed to establish to its full potential, so therefore the grass sort of stays in a stunted mode most of the time.
My point being, is I wonder if cool season grasses would grow down south if they were allowed to establish themselves properly. tHey may not do much in the summer but it looks like they would turn on in the cool season. I don't know...just sayin.

 

[Deepsouth]

I would also like to add, my cows won't eat stockpiled Bahia. And the Bermuda isn't the ticket either.
Bigfoot and Jogeephus's quote is dead on.

I'm not totally sure about this but I thought the reason stockpiling Bahia doesn't work is because it loses its nutritional value when the frost kills it. Also as you guys know the bahia slows down its growth in mid to late September when it starts getting dry down here and the grass kind of hardens up.

 

[M5farm]

I would also like to add, my cows won't eat stockpiled Bahia. And the Bermuda isn't the ticket either.
Bigfoot and Jogeephus's quote is dead on.

I'm not totally sure about this but I thought the reason stockpiling Bahia doesn't work is because it loses its nutritional value when the frost kills it. Also as you guys know the bahia slows down its growth in mid to late September when it starts getting dry down here and the grass kind of hardens up.

Stockpiled Bahia will put on green undergrowth in the winter when we have weeks like this where its in the 70s during the daytime.

 

[fitz]

On fescue here. I'll get a picture next time I check that group. They are the lucky ones. I also have some strictly on hay. In mud.

fitz

 

[Post Oak]

I'll try to get some pics up in a few days if I can.
Question: has anybody down south ever tried to establish some Ky 31 and or Orchardgrass? Here in Ky where we have relatively mild winters, most people are feeding hay already on the heels of one of the best growing seasons ever. Simple reason is, continuous overgrazed short grass grows very very slowly even in warm weather. Most pastures are never allowed to establish to its full potential, so therefore the grass sort of stays in a stunted mode most of the time.
My point being, is I wonder if cool season grasses would grow down south if they were allowed to establish themselves properly. tHey may not do much in the summer but it looks like they would turn on in the cool season. I don't know...just sayin.

I live where the clay lands of the Southern Peidmont meet the sands of the coastal plains. Fescue will grow on parts of my place, but it will not grow productively relative to bahia.

 

[MLRGopokes]

In Northeast Oklahoma we have both Bermuda grass and fescue.
We are able to fertilize and stockpile Bermuda grass for grazing in early winter. Of course by this time the Bermuda with be dormant.
You can normally expect it to maintain its protein through December. After that it will start to lose its protein, etc.
They don't love it but will eat it.
Once you put out any hay they will normally quit grazing it much if given the choice.
A lot of the improved grass pastures have a mixture of Bermuda and fescue.

 

[jedstivers]

I guess its my ignorance and lack of understanding of the native grasses everyone else has. I had in my mind that summer grass was killed everywhere with the frost like here and you had to plant your cool season grasses. I understand stock piling and Highgrit I know your pain on the bahaia that is frost killed. They will eat the Bermuda but would rather just eat hay instead. That is why I wanted to see some current pictures of grass to wrap my head around it.

They have grasses that are cool season and live through the summer but just go a little dormant whereas in areas like here and where you are very many days above 90 will shut down or kill cool seasons.
We can grow fescue like nobody's business here but we can grow so many other things I kill it out. This summer is the only one I know of Thea the fescue never went dormant here.
At least that's my thinking in it. I might be wrong.

 

[Tim/South]

Fescue is still green here. It is a cool season grass and does very well when planted with Bahia. Right now the fescue is just as green as the ryegrass.
Orchard grass will not grow here, summers too hot.
I want to try some Fescue drilled into the Bermuda. The only fescue we have on the farm is MaxQ (endophyte friendly). The seed is expensive and I do not want to risk the investment trying to get it started in the Bermuda.
In theory a person in my climate could have Bahia/Fescue/Clover and graze 10 months a year. Drill ryegrass and graze all 12 months. At least on paper.