Download - Managing Your Pasture
Managing Your Pasture
Joyce E. Meader
Dairy/ Livestock Educator
Cooperative Extension, U. Conn
Benefits of Pasture
Reduced soil erosionReduced nutrient loading of waterExerciseForage for grazing animalsPleasing landscapes
If forage species survive grazingTall Fescue increases with animal density, not
good for pregnant mares
Bluegrass/ white clover survive continuous grazing, but dormant during the summer
Timothy needs 45 day rest between grazing
Orchardgrass needs >5” regrowth to survive
Ryegrass may not survive winter
Reduce soil erosion by maintaining grass cover:
Need more than 2 acres per animal unit
(if on pasture only)
Avoid wet soils
Use sacrifice area in addition to pasture (well drained, no organic matter, minimal size)
Reduce nutrient loading of surface and groundwater
Vegetative buffers along streams
Divert polluted runoff from sacrifice lots towards level pastures,
away from surface water and wells.
Spread manure on pastures in fall, utilizing the nutrients for growth.
Reduce nutrient loading…
Use soil test before applying N,P, K, lime
Keep stocking rate < 1.5 animal units /Acre to prevent excessive phosphorus levels in the soil if on pasture year around
Apply limestone to maintain soil pH > 6.0 allows nutrient uptake by desired grasses and legumes
Forage for grazing animals
Many grasses need 2-6 weeks rest periods to re-grow roots and shoots
Grass farming requires a sacrifice area for livestock between harvests.
Forage for Grazing Animals
Maximum grazing period = 7 days (1 week)
Summer:
Rest period of 28 days (4 weeks)
Total of 5 paddocks (or 5 week rotation)
Spring:
Rest period of 14 days (2 weeks)
Total of 3 paddocks (or 3 week rotation)
Hay the other 2 paddocks in the spring
Clip pastures before rest periods remove weeds before seed heads mature remove mature grass for uniform regrowth increases grass tillering (density)
Add livestock to graze steep/ rocky land where mowing is difficult
Remove manure or drag before rest periods, to encourage uniform grazing
Use broadleaf weed killer on poisonous weeds and hard to kill brush, before clipping red maple, wild cherry, jimsonweed,
nightshade, milkweed, multiflora rose…
Not too many livestock owners are grass farmers………….
May you become one of the elite….
who are outstanding in the field
of
pasture science