OSU Extension Darke County
Stockpiling to extend grazing season
By Justin Petrosino
ANR Extension Educator

August 6, 2011 

It is time to think about winter stockpiling to extend your grazing season. 

August just arrived this past Monday, but it is already time to start planning for grazing into the winter! On 90 degree days winter seems a long way off. However, now is the time to think about which paddocks to set aside for winter grazing. Before we dive into stockpiling for winter let’s talk about some summer pasture management tips. 

This time of year hot and dry conditions tend to put a halt to the rapid forage growth seen during the spring flush. To graze or not to graze is a tough decision to make. The golden rule of grazing from the Grazing Guru himself, Bob Hendershot, NRCS Grassland Specialist, still holds true: “Take Half, Leave Half.” If you missed the Grazing School in July I’ll summarize this principle with a simple statement. Turn cattle into a paddock with 8 inches of growth and move them on to the next paddock when 4 inches of growth is left. This will give the cattle the best quality forage while leaving enough plant biomass to support healthy growth. Taking too little short changes the cattle and taking too much damages the plants and slows regrowth. This is especially true under stressful conditions. If a paddock with 8 to 10 inches of forage is not available there are several options. The first is to pull cattle off the pasture and feed hay until adequate growth occurs. This is generally not the best option for the pocketbook but it will allow the pasture to remain healthy. The second option is to choose a sacrificial paddock. If there is a paddock that needs to be reseeded anyway overgrazing will not do any harm. However, forages below 4 inches tall tend to have poor quality and gains will be less than at a desirable height. The third option requires planning ahead. A summer annual forage like sudangrass can provide supplemental forage at times when pasture grass is thin. The optimal time to plant sudangrass for late summer grazing was back in June so it is not a viable option to start now. 

To avoid the late fall and early winter slump in forage availability now is the time to decide which paddocks to set aside for winter stockpiling. According to Rory Lewandowski, OSU Extension Athens County, there are two things to look for in a paddock. The first is tall fescue. This grass provides the best late summer and early fall growth and holds on to nutrients through the early winter. Tall fescue left in the field will have a higher nutrient content than fescue clipped for hay. A little snow won’t bother grass or animal as cows will graze in snow several inches deep without an issue. Rory offers a management tip when it comes to fescue management, “…paddocks will also need to be clipped to remove the seed heads and reset the plant into vegetative growth.”  Clipping the paddock once to prevent fescue from setting seed will keep the plant growing vegetatively leading to better forage quality. 

The second attribute to look for in a paddock for winter stockpiling is drainage. A well drained paddock will allow animals a dry environment while preventing damage to the forages underfoot. Cows can withstand very cold temperatures if they are dry, but being cold and wet in a muddy environment will decrease gains. 

To learn a little more about pasture management and to hear from the Grazing Guru himself, The Bob Hendershot, plan on attending the Darke County Pasture Walk. The pasture walk will be held a mile east of St Rt 127 on Wabash-York Road on August 9th. Follow the signs after making the turn onto Wabash-York. The walk will kick off at 6:00 pm. Be sure to dress for the field! For more information contact The OSU Extension, Darke County at (937) 548-5215.