September 2016 Articles

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Utilize the Opportunity to Extend the Grazing Season

Utilize the Opportunity to Extend the Grazing Season
The unusually wet conditions in August this year should provide an opportunity for stockpiling some additional grass growth and stretching the grazing season later into the fall or winter period. Several studies have shown stockpiled bermudagrass can provide adequate nutrition to meet the requirements of late-winter or spring calving cows for several weeks after frost. Bahiagrass can be utilized as stockpiled forage but has been shown to be provide lower quality forage than bermudagrass when used in this manner. Summer annual grasses, such as crabgrass, have been found to work well as stockpiled forage. This practice could allow grazing well into or through December for producers in north Louisiana. It is important to realize that stockpiling warm-season perennial grasses should be a planned management decision. The implication is that later season fertilization needs to be part of the management to stimulate new growth of adequate quality. To utilize warm-season perennial grass as stockpiled forage the standing forage should be removed by grazing or haying to a height of 2-3 inches. This should probably be about mid-August in most years but with the late-August rainfall this year we should be able to begin in early September and produce enough forage to benefit later grazing. About 40-60 pounds of nitrogen (i.e. 100-140 pounds urea) should be applied to the pasture along with any needed phosphorous and potassium fertilizer. Grass growth should then be allowed to accumulate in that pasture until the need for hay supplementation.
When grazing is initiated some type of controlled grazing management should be utilized. If cattle are allowed uncontrolled access to the pasture they will selectively graze the higher quality portion (leaves) before utilizing the lower quality stems which will mean having less than adequate nutrition during the latter part of the grazing period. Control of grazing can be accomplished by limiting the area or time cattle have access to the pasture. Using temporary electric fencing to limit the area of the pasture cattle have access to at any one time is probably the most efficient control method. Use the electric fencing to allow access to enough forage for 1-2 days of grazing and then move the fence to allow for another 1-2 days of grazing is the ideal method for utilizing stockpiled forage. Limiting the time cattle have access to the pasture by opening the gate for a while and then taking the cattle off after a period is another means to utilize the stockpile more effectively. The cattle will still selectively graze the most nutritious parts but you can limit the intake. You may need to supply some hay to the cattle so they intake adequate quantity but you could use a lower quality hay at this time.
Most research results indicate stockpiled forage from perennial warm-season grasses will maintain adequate quality for late winter/spring calving cows only until about mid-December in the southeast. High rainfall amounts during late fall after a frost will cause more rapid deterioration of forage quality and can shorten the grazing window. Utilizing pastures with the best drainage will help reduce the risk of loss because of wet weather conditions. Obviously weather conditions during the remainder of the growing season will impact the amount of growth but the late August rains have provided a good start this year for stockpiling forage for fall and early winter use.
Source: M.W. Alison, LSU AgCenter