Page 40 - MWC 3-9-2023s

The Midwest Cattleman · March 9, 2023 · P40
Grazing Season is Close, Will You Be Ready?

By Chris Penrose, OSU Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources

Spring is just around the started around March 21). and through experience, this ing hay fields before stem
corner, and it will soon be After teaching pasture and is about 14 days. So, if I start elongation and make hay
time to graze our livestock. grazing programs for over 30 grazing and rotating late from them a little later as
Think it is too soon? I might years and trying to “practice March and the spring “flush” the grazing will set the ma-
be cheating, but I will start what I preach”, here is what of growth starts around April turity and yields back a lit-
grazing my spring calving I try to do. 10, I should be in good shape. tle. This will give my regular
cattle on stockpiled fescue in First, we need to start Maybe you can figure out paddocks a longer chance to
a couple weeks and if things off with healthy pastures, how long it would take you rest and recover, and then
go right, I will be done feed- ones that can take an early to do a fast rotation before they can be grazed more
ing hay to them. In reality, grazing without hurting re- you expect the “flush” of new frequently during the fast
I plan on officially grazing growth too much. Next, I try growth in your area. growth when the hay fields
new growth in late March (on to estimate when the spring Let me explain this further. are not grazed. Depending on
some warmer springs, I have “flush” of new rapid growth If I can slow down growth pasture and hay needs, I can
will start. In a little bit by early grazing, graze or make hay on one or
most years, maybe we can spread out several of the hay fields later
it is around the “flush” of spring growth. in the summer.
April 10 in Since about 70 % of our for- As we get later in the sum-
Southeast age production is in the mer, if a paddock or two needs
Ohio. Then I spring, it would be nice if we attention, we can fertilize or
try to figure could lengthen or more even- add manure to the paddocks
how long it ly spread out the production and give them extra rest.
will take to of our pastures. So, I may If our pastures are not in
do a fast ro- graze early at the expense the best of shape, I would
tation of my of some of my paddocks, but consider letting the forages
paddoc ks they are fairly healthy. I also grow for a while before graz-
and hay do a couple early light graz- ing which will also reduce
fields that ings of a few of my hay fields weed pressure. The initial
I can “early (making sure the cattle do growth will be from root re-
Grazing can begin earlier on healthy pasture with adequate graze”. On not “pug” up the fields in wet
residual. my farm weather). I try to stop graz- continued on page 42