Pasture

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

Why
Why Manage
Manage Pastures?
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
Why Manage
Manage Pastures?
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
Why Manage
Manage Pastures?
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
Why Manage
Manage Pastures?
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
Why Manage
Manage Pastures?
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
Grazing Management
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
Grazing Affects
Affects Plant
Plant Growth
Growth
Wow, that stuff I
learned in the
pasture management
class sure did work!

Forage
Forage Regrowth
Regrowth
Slow to recover at first
Rapid growth after recovery
Slow after rapid growth
period

A Good Grazing
Rule 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 Growth

on Plant Nutrient Content
Red Clover
Nutrients
%DM
C.P.
P
K
Mg
Ca

Leafy
29.3
0.32
3.48
0.38
1.38

Stages of Growth
Bud
E. Blm
20.5
0.25
3.17
0.41
1.31

L. Blm
19.5
0.21
2.14
0.37
1.42

14.0
0.15
1.39
0.43
1.61

Source: Forage-Animal Management Systems by Roy Blaser

Influence of Stage of Growth

on Plant Nutrient Content
Orchardgrass
Nutrient
%DM
C.P.
P
K
Mg
Ca

Leafy
33.9
0.41
3.90
0.21
0.47

Stage of Growth
Boot
Head
17.6
10.1
0.30
0.23
2.86
2.47
0.19
0.13
0.36
0.26

Bloom
7.8
0.23
1.87
0.14
0.35

Source: Forage-Animal Management Systems by Roy Blaser

Grazing Management
Controls Plant Growth and Pasture
Composition
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.

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 Control

Grazing Restrictions
Ally..none
2,4-Dmilk cows, 7 days+
Crossbow..milk cows, 14 days+
Banvel.milk cows, 7 days+
Roundup.livestock, 8 weeks
Spikenone
Stinger.none

Why Plant Fertility Management?

Soil testing forms the base of pasture
fertility management.
Nutrient management planning not only
pays, but is now the law.
Fertility promotes healthy forage.
Healthy forage resists disease and
pests and speeds plant recovery.

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 lets take a look at animal grazing

habits.

Animal Grazing Habits

Different 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.

Animal Grazing Habits

Grazing 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%
Dont even
think about
it!

Animal 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 Patterns

Most 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 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 Needs

Grazing 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/day
milk cow. 30 gal/day
sheep... 1 gal/day
horses.. 8 gal/day

Why a Sacrificial Area?

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.
You cows
sure make
a mess!

Pasture Seeding
New pasture
- converting a crop field to
pasture
Pasture renovation
- partial (over seeding)
- complete (new 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 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 Mans 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 Seeding
Mechanically 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
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
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

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 cant, 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 Field

Look 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 Fields

Look 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 Fields

Look 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 Fields

Look 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 Field

Look 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 Field

Look 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 Fields

Look 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 You