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IT PAYS site loads to a degree. Grazing/ The Midwest Cattleman · October 22, 2020 · P26
continued from page 24 browsing taller forages is pre- going to be needed ahead. The
ferred and better. earlier in the late summer or FALL FORAGE
it around a nice mouthful of for- Well, like normal I ran down early fall that this is done the continued from page 21
age tearing it off in the process an unexpected rabbit trail; where better because the later it gets
and pulling it into her mouth. To was I? Oh, could you have done the shorter the days get, and it into wheat stubble or fall plant-
adequately get a full bite, forag- anything different this year to all impacts potential forage re- ed into corn silage stubble. Strip
es need to be at least six inches boost fall grazing? Though not growth yield and even quality. grazing will improve the utiliza-
tall, eight to ten inches or more is conventional by any means and I’m thankful for the little rain tion of those forages in late fall
better. When forages become less also hard to swallow and do, there that I’m getting as I finish this and into the winter months.
than six inches, the swath of for- are sometimes timeframes, espe- on the last days of September, • Make logistical plans for
age becomes increasingly more cially during droughty periods, but the rain would have been winter feeding of hay. This
challenging to tongue harvest when forage growth has slowed so much more beneficial two or might involve distributing bales
and cows turn into horses and down so much that it is no longer three weeks earlier. around the winter pasture area.
bite off forages rather than graze keeping up with livestock needs. Be slow to graze these fields This type of placement can be
as they prefer. It is estimated If you continue to allow it to be even after they start to rebound; strategically used with strip
that shifting from tongue harvest grazed, photosynthesis is usu- they are already weakened from grazing to build up soil fertili-
to biting harvest can reduce for- ally hampered even more, root the conditions so it will be import- ty with manure from livestock
age intake per bite by two-thirds. growth doing the same, energy ant to try and wait until they are during winter feeding on pas-
You would think that if they stores reduced, and the potential dormant to graze them if possi- ture.
had to take more bites to meet for regrowth quite often severely ble or risk slower spring growth, • Collect core samples from
their requirements, they would sabotaged. This was very evident reduced yields and potentially in- hay, haylage bales, and silage
do so, but that quite often doesn’t after the drought of 2012. But, creased weed pressure next sea- and have them tested for nu-
happen. Ruminant livestock where forages were not over- son. So, if you have corn stalks, tritive value in preparation for
spend only about one-third of grazed or taken below the stop hay aftermath or annuals that winter feeding. This will inform
their day grazing, then approxi- grazing heights and let to sit can be grazed, that may provide your livestock supplementation
mately one-third of the day rumi- dormant until rains replenished you more opportunity to defer needs when you begin feeding
nating and the rest just resting. needed moisture, they rebounded those fields longer, and with a lit- the hay.
Sounds like a heck of a life if the with compensatory growth! tle rain possibly grow even more I realize fall is a very busy
buffet isn’t limited! How do you accomplish that? stockpile or feed hay now and time for most of us. But taking
Smaller ruminants are less You shut the gates and feed hay. graze later after the dust settles. care of these items now will only
impacted by bite size, mainly Like I said, easier said than done, Remember, it’s not about max- help make things smoother and
due to their ability to be more but it sure can have a lot of ben- imizing a grazing event, but max- more successful down the road.
selective in their grazing and/or efits. That said, animal numbers imizing a grazing season! Keep
browsing, but shorter forages for always need to be assessed along on grazing! Ohio State University
them impact forage diversity and with stored feed on hand with a Extension
can also certainly impact para- sharp pencil looking at what is

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