Grazing

This article is the first in a two-part series. Click here to read part-two in the series.

Through the years, you may have heard any number of things about native grasses and the role they can play in a forage program. Some comments I have heard include, “they won’t grow around here,” “they are very low-quality forages” or “they are about impossible to establish.”

As a beef producer, you have been instructed many times to body condition score (BCS) your cow herd.

Rough-coated cattle loafing in the shade, wading in the pond or making a muddy mess at the water trough are common drive-by indications of fescue toxicity in the “fescue belt.”

Many people think there is something magical about moving animals from paddock to paddock that makes animals perform well and keeps grass healthy. But both faster improvements and more spectacular disasters are possible with more, smaller paddocks per herd.

As beef producers you are often instructed to have a plan: a grazing plan, marketing plan, succession plan, nutrition plan – you name it, there’s probably a recommendation to plan for it. But have you ever thought of adding a drought plan to your list?

A December 2015 Ag News and Views article titled “Review of grazing practices could benefit wildlife” elicited several inquiries for more details about grazing management for wildlife.