Three Hundred Days of Grazing on your pasture. Do you think that is possible? John Jennings, Professor – Extension Forages, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture said he believes it is.
Mr. Jennings believes that pasture management should be a critical part of farm management as hay management and in fact requires only a few adjustments to the way you are currently operating, with great returns on your efforts.
To begin the program, inventory the forages that are already present. The Extension doesn’t recommend planting a lot of new forage, but rather focus on optimizing what the producer already has. The key is improving the management of what they have. A producer can have a simple forage mix such as Bermuda and Fescue and still be able to hit the 300 day mark. In the program they use average stocking rates of 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 acres per animal unit (1,000 pound cow – young calf considered part of the unit) depending on the availability of the acreage of the producer.
The program consists of eight parts.
Phase 1 – Improve Grazing Management through rotational grazing and strip grazing
Rotational grazing is where you move the herd from one section to another during the course of the year. The pasture is divided into paddocks and the herd is moved to the section according to plans. Strip grazing of stockpiled forage when it is dormant is usually temporary – two or three days, no more than a week at a time and they clean the strip up. This gives you higher utilization and doubles the number of grazing days as compared to letting them do open grazing. Other grazing tactics include fence-line weaning and leader/follower grazer where calves lead and cows follow letting the calves glean the higher nutrient values from the fields.
Phase 2 – Stockpile Fescue
This is where you purposely pull the herd off of the pasture. For Fescue you would start in early September after the herd has picked the pasture down. Do your fertilizing at that time and then let the field grow without any grazing. Hold that field back until the first of December. Start your grazing at that time.
Phase 3 – Stockpile Bermudagrass
Again this is where you pull the herd off but for the Bermudagrass you start in August, fertilize it and hold it back through the end of October. The quality of that pasture will stay good into December.
Phase 4 – Plant legumes
These can be planted over anything. This improves forages quality. It helps in nitrogen and helps reduce the impact of Fescue toxicity. It extends the grazing season.
Phase 5 – Plant winter annuals
Planting rye grass or small grains like wheat over seeded over Bermudagrass gives you winter and spring grazing (when you don’t stockpile).
Phase 6 – Plant Crabgrass
Crabgrass extends summer grazing as summer forage.
Phase 7 – Reduce Hay Waste in Storage
The Extension recommend keeping hay covered or in a barn which will protect it. Keep it off the ground if it is outside. Use good quality tarps if tarps are used. Many inexpensive tarps allow UV rays to penetrate the tarps; they will also fall apart, and allow water to get through them. Protect your investment.
Phase 8 – Reduce Hay Waste in Use
By utilizing a hay ring and unrolling no more than they will use in that one-day cuts down on your waste. Running hay through a grinder and feeding it in tubs or in a trough provides virtually no waste. Remember that any hay not wasted is hay that does not have to be produced.
For more information about starting the 300-day program on your farm visit ozarksfn.com or contact your local Extension office.
