Pasture Management Terry E. Poole Extension Agent Frederick County, MD.

Pasture ManagementPasture Management

Terry E. Poole

Extension Agent

Frederick County, MD

Why Manage Pastures?Why Manage Pastures?

Pastures are profitable* Grazed forage is a good, cheap feed.* Pastures are inexpensive to develop and maintain.* Animals do the harvesting, therefore there is a reduction in the need for machine harvesting, and forage handling.* While on pasture, animals spread manure in the field, reducing hauling.

Why Manage Pastures?Why Manage Pastures?

Protects surface and groundwater from nutrient pollution.

* Pastures act as a filler to screen out and trap soil particles, which contain nutrients such as N and P.

* The captured nutrients are then utilized by the pasture plants once these nutrients have moved into the root zone of the soil.

Why Manage Pastures?Why Manage Pastures?

Reduces soil erosion* The above ground growth of pasture plants lessons the impact of rain drops on the soil surface and also slows down the surface runoff of water across the field.* Pasture plant root systems bind the soil together, thereby holding it in place.* Most pastures keep the soil covered year around, unlike annual crops.

Why Manage Pastures?Why Manage Pastures?

Improves forage yield and quality* Plants that are maintained at the optimum fertility level and are not stressed by pests or by poor grazing management will be more productive.* Healthy, productive plants will provide a quality product.* Healthy plants will have a higher nutritional value for grazing animals.

Why Manage Pastures?Why Manage Pastures?

Reduces weeds and improves esthetics* Weeds are opportunistic; they will move rapidly into an open area or an area occupied by a weaker plant.* Weeds cannot gain a foothold in a field with vigorously growing plants.* A clean, weed free pasture reflects well on your farm management skills and how people passing by view your farm.

Grazing ManagementGrazing Management

Protecting pasture plant root reserves and maintaining plants in a vegetative state are keys to a good pasture.Overgrazing reduces root reserves, which shrinks the root system and leads to fewer leaves being produced; plants also take longer to recover from grazing.Under grazing reduces quality and yield as over-mature plants become less vigorous and more fibrous.

Grazing Affects Plant GrowthGrazing Affects Plant Growth

Wow, that stuff I learned in the pasture management class sure did work!

Forage RegrowthForage Regrowth

Slow to recover at first

Rapid growth after recovery

Slow after rapid growth period

A Good GrazingRule of Thumb

Take half -----------------------------Leave half

In the long run, the animals will have more forage to graze. It is similar to priming the pump.

Do you drink that cup of water, or do you risk it priming the pump for an unlimited supply?

Grass Morphology

Each grass species tolerates grazing differently.

Influence of Stage of Growthon Plant Nutrient Content

Red CloverNutrients Stages of Growth

%DM Leafy Bud E. Blm L. Blm

C.P. 29.3 20.5 19.5 14.0

P 0.32 0.25 0.21 0.15

K 3.48 3.17 2.14 1.39

Mg 0.38 0.41 0.37 0.43

Ca 1.38 1.31 1.42 1.61

Source: Forage-Animal Management Systems by Roy Blaser

Influence of Stage of Growthon Plant Nutrient Content

OrchardgrassNutrient Stage of Growth

%DM Leafy Boot Head Bloom

C.P. 33.9 17.6 10.1 7.8

P 0.41 0.30 0.23 0.23

K 3.90 2.86 2.47 1.87

Mg 0.21 0.19 0.13 0.14

Ca 0.47 0.36 0.26 0.35

Source: Forage-Animal Management Systems by Roy Blaser

Clover will overtake grasses

grazed down below 2 inches.

Clovers recover more rapidly

from close grazing than our

cool season grasses, allowing

a head start in growth.

Grazing Management Controls Plant Growth and Pasture

Composition

Why Timely Mowing?

Mowing prevents plants from becoming over mature.Vegetative plants are more palatable and more nutritious.Mowing helps to control weeds.Flash grazing can work in place of mowing to help reduce excess forage in paddocks.Harvesting excess forage for hay is a good way to fully utilize forage resources.

Why Control Weeds?

Weeds:

Can get you in trouble, since some have been declared illegal noxious weeds by the State of Maryland.

Will make you look bad, since they reflect poorly on your management.

Why Control Weeds?

Weeds will:Reduce the stand of desirable plants.Reduce overall quality and yield.Reduce overall animal yield.Poison animals, or affect the animal product when dangerous plant species are present in the pasture.Spread their seeds through manure.

Weed Management

Cultural Control

* mowing

* grazing

* over seeding

* improving fertility

Weed Management

Chemical Control* 2,4-D* Banvel* Crossbow* Ally* Stinger* Spike* Roundup

Chemical Weed ControlGrazing Restrictions

Ally…………………..none

2,4-D…………………milk cows, 7 days+

Crossbow…………..milk cows, 14 days+

Banvel……………….milk cows, 7 days+

Roundup…………….livestock, 8 weeks

Spike…………………none

Stinger……………….none

Soil testing forms the base of pasture Soil testing forms the base of pasture fertility management.fertility management.

Nutrient management planning not only Nutrient management planning not only pays, but is now the law.pays, but is now the law.

Fertility promotes healthy forage.Fertility promotes healthy forage.

Healthy forage resists disease and Healthy forage resists disease and pests and speeds plant recovery.pests and speeds plant recovery.

Why Plant Fertility Management?

Why Plant Fertility Management?

Healthy forage recovers more rapidly from grazing, stress, and winter.Healthy forage is a more nutritious feed.Healthy forage stands resist weed infestations.Healthy forage stands produce higher yields.Healthy forage stands persist longer.

Grasses Need Nitrogen Applications

Pure grass stands require timely applications of nitrogen (N).

Pastures with less than 25% legumes are considered grass pastures.

Pastures with 25% or more legumes do not require additional N.

Legumes fix N2 into a form plants can use (clovers,lespedeza, alfalfa, vetch, trefoil).

Now let’s take a look at animal grazing habits.

Animal Grazing HabitsAnimal Grazing HabitsDifferent animal species have different grazing styles.

*cattle and horses cannot eat forage less than one-half inch tall.

*sheep and goats can graze level with the soil surface.

*fowl will strip the soil bare, eating everything including roots, and insects.

Don’t even think about

it!

Animal Grazing HabitsAnimal Grazing HabitsGrazing animals have varied diet selections.

*horses are picky eaters, rarely touching weeds and woody plants

*goats prefer browse (woody plants) over grass

Horses Cattle Sheep Goats

Forage 90% 70% 60% 20%

Weeds 4% 20% 30% 20%

Browse 6% 10% 10% 60%

Animal Grazing PatternsAnimal Grazing Patterns

The time spent grazing differs with animal species:

*cattle graze about 8 hrs/day

*sheep graze about 7 hrs/day or less

*goats graze about 6 hrs/day or less

*horses graze between 12 to 16 hrs/day

Animal Grazing PatternsAnimal Grazing PatternsMost animals prefer not to graze when it is hot:*heaviest grazing occurs 2 to 3 hours after sunset*another preferred grazing period occurs around midnight*on average, 60% of grazing occurs during the day*the other 40% occurs during periods of the night

Animal Grazing PatternsAnimal Grazing Patterns

Grazing periods are not a factor of forage quality or yield.

Forage quality is important so that good nutrition can be obtained by the animals during periods of grazing.

Animal Water NeedsAnimal Water NeedsGrazing animals can get 70-90% of their water from lush forage, however a good supply of clean water is essential.Animal water needs vary with temperature, humidity, milk production, and diet.Average daily requirements:

beef……………………………..8-10 gal/daymilk cow…………………………. 30 gal/daysheep……………………………... 1 gal/dayhorses…………………………….. 8 gal/day

It protects pastures from damage.

Sacrificial areas are for heavy use.

Animals are held in this area when conditions are unsuitable for the pasture.

It helps to minimize soil compaction and trampling of the sod.

It provides an area for supplemental feeding and animal management.

Why a Sacrificial Area?Why a Sacrificial Area?

You cows sure

make a mess!

Pasture SeedingPasture Seeding

New pasture- converting a crop field to

pasture

Pasture renovation- partial (over seeding)

- complete (new seeding)

Pasture Seeding Pasture Seeding Considerations

Complete vs partial renovation

*slope of field (erosion potential)

*existing weed population

*existing forage base

*conventional or no till seeding

Spring vs Fall seeding

*spring seeding can be challenging with weed competition, early heat

No Till SeedingNo Till Seeding

Chemically destroys existing vegetation- Roundup, Gramoxone (Paraquat)These herbicides will not contaminate the soil, so seeding can be done immediately.No till protects against soil erosion.“Poor Man’s No Till” or “Frost Seeding”- in late winter, graze down field, over seed field (animals and weather will work in seed), keep down vegetation until new plants can compete.

Conventional SeedingConventional SeedingMechanically disturbs soil and destroys existing plants (plow, disk).Usually requires complete renovation.Can be done without chemicals.Requires a lot of field work and trips over the field.Will bring up rocks.Soil erosion is a concern.Usually creates an excellent seedbed.

Pastures add to the pastoral beauty of farmland. They also help to protect the land by holding the soil in place.

Pasture Seeding Pasture Seeding Considerations

Can animals be removed during the renovation process and forage establishment period?

*often the overgrazing of new seedlings results in the subsequent loss of the new pasture.

*new seedlings need time to develop a good root system and store energy for regrowth.

Pasture Seeding Pasture Seeding Considerations

What is the purpose of your pasture?

Hay or play?

Will the pasture be expected to supply a significant portion of the feed ration?

What are your forage management skills?

These are questions that need to be addressed when selecting forage species to be seeded in your pasture.

Walking Your Fields Walking Your Fields Look at Your Soil

Previously row cropped fields *If the previous crop was corn, soybeans, or another crop that may have had herbicides applied, investigate. What was used?*If you can’t, be cautious. Carryover herbicides can be a problem.

-consider planting a non-sensitive crop -care should be taken with liming the field (lime can release chemicals

attached to soil particles)

Walking Your FieldWalking Your FieldLook at Your Soil

Drainage *poorly drained soils limit what you can grow

*soils that stay wet during peak times of the year will hamper pasture rotation

*consider these fields for hay or strip grazing

Walking Your FieldsWalking Your FieldsLook at Your Soil

Stony *unless you like picking up rocks, consider no till establishment/renovation in these types of fields

Fertility

*unless money is not a problem, consider forages with low fertility requirements and gradually add fertilizer inputs to build up your poor soil so that it can support better forages

Walking Your FieldsWalking Your FieldsLook at Field Location

Wooded *beware of grazing in, or around wooded areas. Some poisonous plants can be found in these areas.

Potential Winter Pasture *fields that have natural northern wind shelter (trees, hills), or are adjacent to a barn are good.

* winter pastures need to be visible

Walking Your FieldsWalking Your FieldsLook at Field Location

Slope * consider soil erosion potential if you need to renovate the field* the use of no till, forage selection (fast germinating species), or a nurse crop can minimize soil loss* will the slope limit the use of field equipment?

Walking Your FieldWalking Your FieldLook at Existing Vegetation

Forage base *unless money is not a problem, try to work within the existing forage base. *if it has been there awhile, it is adapted to your site.

*over seeding can improve on the existing forage base.

Walking Your FieldWalking Your FieldLook at Existing Vegetation

Reclaiming a field *if a field is wild, or grown up in weeds, regular mowing will do wonders to reclaim an area.

*spot treatment for perennial weeds may be needed.

*if the field is still too trashy after mowing, reseed it. Natural regeneration is very slow and inefficient in this region.

Walking Your FieldsWalking Your FieldsLook at the Fences

Existing fences *unless the existing fence is too decayed or simply cannot be worked into your plan, use it.*in some cases you will need to clean out trees, bushes, and weeds from around old fences*do not forget about gates; they need to be wide enough for equipment to pass

Thank YouThank You