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Four Never Fail Rules of Grazing The Midwest Cattleman · August 19, 2021 · P11

By Victor Shelton, NRCS State Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

It’s state fair time! I enjoy and not dwell on the farm
watching the livestock shows work that must be complet-
and eating some “healthy” ed. I know that I am not the
food. Walking through the only one this happens to.
beef barn always reminds me I had something sent to
of old cattle shows and sleep- me recently and I thought
ing on old Army cots located it made some good points.
where the cattle were stalled When time is sparse, as it
during the day. It was ex- seems it often is, then we
citing and a lot of work, but need to be as efficient as pos-
very traditional and still sible and that includes pas-
done with a straight back ture management. The brief
truck at the time – different synopsis included four never
times, but all good memories. fail rules of grazing. Let’s ex-
I hear people mention the plore these.
“lazy days of summer,” but Number 1 – Never let seed
I’ll have to admit that has heads form on plants. matures if not removed. Ide- viding adequate rest before
never really seemed valid for I often talk about three ally, you want to keep the for- grazing again. Allocating
me. I’m glad that the days major stages of forage ages in that second stage as out smaller amounts helps
are long, because quite often, growth. The immature stage long as possible. During this to provide more even grazing
I need every minute of day- is early in the year when for- stage, nutrition is good, bite and less patch grazing and
light and then some. Pre- ages are high in moisture size is good, and the plant is avoidance. Grazing helps to
carious weather seems to be and usually nitrogen and continuing to grow leaves. delay seed head production
timed quite well to disrupt have less structural compo- Once seed heads start form- and sometimes, if the forag-
plans and tasks. This is only nents. Next is the vegetative ing, a lot of energy is shifted es are not stressed, there can
doubled in difficulty when stage of rapid growth with to seed production and away be a reduced amount of seed
you are also holding down some plants in the boot stage from the leaves and roots. heads.
an off-farm job, which always and thinking about sending We can keep most plants If needed, a timely clip-
seems to take you away when up seed stalks. Finally, is a in vegetative form by rotat- ping can really slow down
the weather is perfect. You maturing stage, where seed ing livestock across them on seed head production and
have to just shut your mind is produced and eventually a regular basis and then pro-
off, focus on the task at hand continued on page 26

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