Grasses and Grazing

The recipe for successful grazing of stockpiled forages starts months before you turn in the livestock.

At the American Forage and Grassland Council’s annual meeting in Roanoke, Virginia, this past January, I was asked to summarize and present the scientific literature on mob grazing. This article provides a distilled version of that research summary.

For those who raise livestock, making hay is a way of life. However, after going through another frustrating hay season dealing with weather and equipment, there has to be a better way … and there is.

It is the time of year that our office begins receiving calls about getting rid of toxic tall fescue. The calls are really questions: “How to?” ... “When to?” ... “What to?” Let’s go through these questions, beginning at the end with the ultimate question: What should I plant after I get rid of my toxic tall fescue?

Production costs remain high as crop prices decline. Cattle numbers increase and compete for scarce pastures. Converting cropland to pasture might make sense, but plan ahead and do it right.

Range and pasture monitoring historically involved a large paper map, clipboards, a camera, a GPS, a calculator, plant and weed identification booklets and a notebook. And heaven help you if you lost your pencil while walking through the grass.