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Managing Drought Stressed Pastures

Summer drought will likely mean reduced pasture and may increase producers’ need for hay. Late summer and fall rains provide some late-season forage growth but proper management is important in order to make the most of this moisture.

The best way to benefit from the fall rains is to manage the grazing of pastures. Managed grazing will ensure livestock get the most out of the forage without harming the health of the plants.

It is tempting to let the cattle run the entire pasture when forage is short. However, this actually decreases plant health and forage production later. When cattle run all the pasture during a drought, they eat off most of the leaves, reducing the ability of the plant to catch sunlight. As a result, the plant’s roots starve.

A similar mistake can be made in a rotational system if animals are turned back into a paddock for “a day or two of grazing” as soon as pastures show some regrowth, while this may provide some forage in the long run it is likely to be detrimental to the pastures.

Proper rotational grazing allows for a rest period for the pasture plants. If the plants are allowed to rest, the root system will stay healthy and the plants can build up energy reserves in the tiller base (grasses) and roots (legumes) for later growth. Under drought conditions when plants are rested and allowed to build up energy reserves, there will be compensatory growth by pasture plants when rainfall finally comes. Plants overgrazed during drought will grow slowly in comparison.

Allowing the plants to grow to an adequate height will ensure good root health before grazing. For bluegrass, this is 4 to 6 inches; for orchardgrass, bromegrass and endophyte-free tall fescue, 8 to 10 inches. Rotational grazing will also allow good utilization and provide controlled rest for the plants between grazing.

After the plant’s energy reserves are restored and tiller buds formed, pastures can be grazed to use available top growth without hurting plant health or spring growth. Leave at least a 4-inch stubble on orchardgrass and bromegrass since new growth in the spring comes from the energy reserves in that part of the plant. Bluegrass, which has energy reserves in below-ground stems, will survive closer fall grazing.

Pastures that were severely overgrazed during the summer will benefit from resting until growth stops in fall. By resting drought-stressed pastures until mid- to late October, energy reserves will increase since plants will catch sunlight and make sugars even when it is too cold for the plants to grow.

Source: uwex.edu


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Back On The Fields | Cutting Alfalfa Hay| Crop Talk

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We are cutting our second-cut alfalfa hay! Our machinery hasn't been repaired, but the weather is clear, so we take our opportunity to get back on the fields making hay. The alfalfa crop was ready to harvest, and any delays would result in poor quality feed for our sheep, so we decided to go ahead and get that mower rolling. We have a little crop talk about how we cut the hay with our John Deere hydrostatic mower, how we lay the hay out flat in rows to help it dry quicker, and how the two different plantings in that hay field have developed at varying rates and densities. We discuss the quality of the alfalfa hay and show how differing percentages of grasses mixed in with the alfalfa make a difference in the volume of the hay harvested. Hay is the primary feed source on our sheep farm. Getting it done just right is imperative for sheep farming, sheep health, and sheep care. Quality feed sets the stage for producing productive and profitable sheep and allows for feeding throughout the winter season when pasture grazing is no longer an option for those farmers raising sheep in cold climates such as Canada. While in the hay field, we also have a look at the adjacent corn crop and marvel at how well it has developed in such a short period of time.