Grazing Bites

March 2012
Victor Shelton, NRCS Grazing Specialist

They say that this is the mildest winter we have had in over a hundred years; I’ll take their word on that.  It certainly is the warmest or mildest I can remember.  First time I ever saw daffodils blooming in February and I think the earliest I’ve ever seen forages starting new spring growth.  The recent snow though reminds us that winter is not quite over yet though.

Now, just because we have some new growth coming on in the pastures does not mean to let the livestock have at it…not just yet.  Grazing too early in the spring does nothing but remove some of that solar panel the plants need to start building sugar and growing new roots.  The forages really need to be able to canopy over and get a good start before animals start removing that top canopy or production will be reduced. 

Now, sometimes you want to set the stand back a bit to remove some competition.  Such would be the case where you have frost seeded clover into the field.  This would only be a factor if it was not grazed down tighter at the end of the previous grazing season or as dormant stockpiled forage.  If it was grazed down close before, especially if grazed down before going dormant last fall, then you don’t want to graze it close again, just utilize it in the normal rotation. 

Fields that were grazed down tight last fall or over winter as stockpiled forage will not have adequate standing dry matter…fiber available and will for sure not be the best fields to start grazing early anyway.  Those fields will lack sufficient fiber to go with all the washy high water, high protein forage that will come on with first growth.  All ruminant livestock need to balance the carbon nitrogen ratio in their rumen to maintain that mat.  If they don’t then they will not perform the way we want them to, i.e., less gain, less milk production.  It just goes through them faster than they can effectively utilize it…you know what means…don’t stand too close behind those cows!

If you would look at the manure consistency during that time period, it could be very thin, almost watery, not that pudding consistency that is ideal for the rumen.  Fields that do not have adequate dry matter to go along with that lush new growth will need to be supplemented to keep the animals in balance.  This is a good time period to put out some low quality hay, baled corn stalks or even straw; if they need it, they will eat it. 

On a different note, as you have heard me proclaim before, now is a good time to get those soil tests done.  Of course, if you haven’t taken any for a while, then it is even a better time.  They will pull pretty easy right now and you should have plenty of time to get them sent in and get results back in time to apply any needed nutrients before the real growing season. 

It is extremely difficult to maintain a stand of quality forages that will produce quality nutritious feed without adequate soil fertility levels.  Everyone has tried it, but you soon see that by “getting by” with lower levels of nutrients, especially phosphorus and potassium, you are just that, “getting by”, but with lower yields, lower quality forages, and lower carrying capacities.   Just like an annual field crop, your forage crop needs to be fertilized and managed.   

Nothing affects availability of nutrients more than calcium.  It is one element that I’m not sure you really could ever over apply and certainly one of the best first dollars spent!  Calcium and its relationship or ratio with magnesium, have a major impact on the forages ability to extract nutrients from the soil and certainly the acidity or alkalinity of the soil which can certainly dictate what will or can grow there.  I would shoot for at least a 4:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium, or 5:1 if a dairy.  If you are really short on calcium and start fixing that problem then you might find out that other elements might start becoming more readily available.  I’ve seen available phosphorus almost double after lime was applied or especially high cal lime.  If total phosphorus is a lot higher than available phosphorus on a basic soil test, then calcium is normally not adequate. 

Though I really think that lime is best applied in the fall to allow plenty of time over winter for it to break down some, if you are really short, best to go ahead and apply some and preferably prior to new spring growth.  Regular Ag-lime will be the most economical, but if really low and you are seeding pH sensitive species, you might want to apply some pelletized lime which is more readily available.  Coated seed for legumes is never a bad idea, especially if it includes some lime in the coating along with inoculants and a small amount of nutrients for that seedling to take advantage of.  That coating also makes seeding tiny seeds easier.

Now let’s talk about timing of fertilizer application.  If you are going to be taking an early cutting of hay off a field, then putting all of your fertilizer on early spring is not too bad an idea; especially any nitrogen.  The history of the last three years would make me think twice about the possibility of too much growth early making it harder to dry if cut for hay or purely getting out of control if grazing.  If the application is on pasture, then you may want to rethink that just a little.  No use adding fuel to the fire adding a lot of nitrogen to that spring growth spurt, you are much better off to wait and do at least a split application.  Put on half of it in mid June toward the end of the spring spurt and the other half on early fall to help that great fall growth period.  That June application often will help you keep things going through the summer better…especially with some timely rains.  Ideally, if you are in a good rotation, apply some fertilizer after every second grazing.   

If you are planning on utilizing summer annuals this year you may want to go ahead and order that seed; supplies may be limited because of the severe drought in the south-west where a lot of that seed is grown. 

As always, keep on grazing!

NE Indiana Pasture Walks, April will start the pasture walks in the NE corner of Indiana with one the 2nd Thursday of each month from 1 PM till 3 to 4 or until done.  The first one is scheduled at the Jim Courtright farm, a cow/calf producer in Steuben Co.  Contact LaGrange County SWCD (260)463-5200 x3 for more information