Grazing Bites

by Victor Shelton,

Retired NRCS Agronomist/Grazing Specialist 

 It is hard to believe that after the heat we have experienced this summer, we are already less than 60 days from the average first frost in much of the region. That does not mean the grazing season is nearly over. In many cases, some of the most valuable forage of the year may still be ahead of us.

September is an important transition month. Days are getting shorter, nights are becoming cooler and cool-season grasses such as tall fescue and orchardgrass can start growing more rapidly again. This year, many areas also have something that is not always available going into fall: adequate soil moisture. When moisture, fertility and favorable temperatures all line up, there can be considerable forage produced between now and dormancy. The question is whether we graze that growth as quickly as it appears or allow some of it to accumulate for later use.

Sometimes the best grazing management in September is simply not grazing certain pastures. That does not mean livestock stop grazing. It means shifting them temporarily to something else and using those alternative forage resources to buy recovery time for perennial cool-season pastures.

Annual forages are one option. Depending on what was planted and when, summer annuals may still have useful forage available, while fall annuals may begin providing additional grazing opportunities. Hay aftermath can also be useful, especially fields that have recovered following the last cutting. Corn residue will soon become available in some areas and can provide another opportunity to keep livestock grazing while selected pastures grow. Every day livestock spend grazing annuals, hay aftermath or crop residue is another day that stockpile fields can continue producing forage.

I often think of this as buying recovery time with forage. We use one forage resource to protect another. Livestock are still harvesting their own feed; nutrients are still being returned to the land and cool-season pastures are quietly accumulating forage for later. After the slower growth and heat of summer, fresh green forage is certainly inviting, but if livestock return every time several inches of regrowth appear, we may never accumulate enough forage to significantly extend the grazing season.

September growth is especially valuable because we do not necessarily need to use it in September. Tall fescue is particularly well suited for this purpose. It retains quality better than most perennial grasses as it accumulates and eventually goes dormant, making it an excellent forage for stockpiling. Instead of mechanically harvesting and storing the forage, we allow it to stay where it grew and let livestock harvest it later.

The amount of forage that accumulates between now and dormancy depends on several things. Soil moisture is obviously important. Fertility is another factor, along with the condition and density of the existing stand. A pasture that has been repeatedly grazed too closely through summer may respond differently than one that maintained adequate residual and root reserves.

Where legumes are abundant, they may already be supplying much of the nitrogen needed by the surrounding grasses. In those situations, additional nitrogen may provide little benefit and can increase competition against the legumes already doing the job for us. Grass-dominant stockpile fields are different. Where soil moisture is adequate and cool-season grass is actively growing, there may still be some benefit from a modest nitrogen application, especially early in the month. The ideal window for fertilizing stockpiled tall fescue is generally earlier, but 30 to 60 pounds of actual nitrogen per acre may still increase forage yield and crude protein when growing conditions are favorable.

The important point is to fertilize an opportunity, not simply a calendar date. Applying nitrogen to dry soil with little expectation of rainfall or growth is different from applying a modest amount to actively growing grass with good soil moisture and favorable temperatures ahead. Plants must be growing to make good use of it.

The same principle applies to deciding which fields to stockpile. They do not all need to be treated alike. Some paddocks may be better suited to remain in the rotation while others are allowed to accumulate. A field with a good stand of tall fescue, adequate fertility, convenient winter access and reliable water may deserve priority for stockpiling. Another may be better utilized now while those preferred fields rest.

We also need to remember that the first frost is not the same thing as the end of plant growth and certainly is not the end of grazing. A light frost may stop or damage some warm-season species while cool-season grasses continue growing. Actual dormancy generally comes later. Eventually plant growth does stop, but grazing does not have to.

There is always some uncertainty going into fall. Rainfall can stop, temperatures can change quickly and an early freeze can alter plans. We manage what we can and adjust to what we cannot. Right now, though, much of the region appears to have an opportunity. Moisture is present in many areas, cooler nights are coming and cool-season grasses should respond.

Take advantage of alternative forage while it is available. Graze annuals, hay aftermath and crop residue where practical. Let selected cool-season pastures rest and grow. Consider a small nitrogen boost where grass dominates and moisture makes it worthwhile, then save some of that growth for later.

The goal is not necessarily to extend the growing season because we cannot do much about that. The goal is to use what remains of the growing season to extend the grazing season.

Reminders & Opportunities 

Stockmanship with Curt Pate - Sept. 25-26, Southern Indiana Purdue Ag Center, Dubois. Sheep/goat and beef-focused sessions on low-stress livestock handling and stockmanship. Info/registration: www.indianabeef.org or www.indianaforage.org.