Plan Your Forage Strategy for Fall and Winter Grazing

By Andi Anderson

August is here, and with it comes the unofficial countdown to the first frost. In Southeastern Ohio, this marks roughly 60 to 75 days of preparation before cooler temperatures arrive.

One of the most important tasks during this period is staging forages. Whether you're planning for fall grazing or stockpiling for winter, it's essential to assess your fields and plan ahead.

Assess Your Fields:

First, take stock of your forage fields. Know what you have, what quality it is, and how much forage is available. This will help you decide which fields to stockpile for grazing. Fields should rotate, much like your first spring-grazed paddock.

Stockpiling should begin when the forage is still in a vegetative state. While fields that haven't been grazed much can be considered for stockpiling, be prepared for lower quality and efficiency.

Focus on Legumes:

If moisture is available, stockpiling can be as easy as closing the gate, provided you have enough nutrients from cycling, fertilizers, or legumes. Legumes like clover can add nitrogen to the soil, enhancing forage growth.

Aim for at least 30% legumes by dry matter, which often visually appears as 50-60% legumes in the stand. If legumes are lacking, applying nitrogen at 30 to 60 pounds per acre can help improve yield but be mindful of competition between legumes and grasses.

Consider Annuals for Fall Grazing:

Annuals can be a valuable addition to your grazing strategy. Oats, turnips, radishes, and rye are excellent choices that can improve soil health and provide high-quality late-season forage.

Rye, in particular, stays dormant through winter and offers early spring grazing. Even in fields with delayed planting, annuals can improve soil while providing additional forage. However, always consult your crop insurance agent before grazing on prevented planting acres.

Minimize Equipment Use:

While it may seem tempting to bale every available field, think about whether grazing would be a more efficient use of resources. Grazing allows livestock to harvest the forage themselves, reducing machinery and labor costs.

Remember, livestock do a lot of work—harvesting forage and spreading manure all at once. If you're tempted to bale a thin stand of forage, run the numbers first. Low-yield cuttings are often more expensive than grazing or stockpiling.

Plan for Fall and Winter Grazing:

As hay season winds down, don’t rush to bale everything. Think ahead and optimize your entire grazing season. The choices you make in August will determine how well your pastures and livestock perform through fall and winter.

If you’re unsure whether to bale or graze, consider your costs, equipment availability, and the potential benefits of letting animals graze.

Whether you're preparing for fall grazing, stockpiling forages, or considering one last hay cutting, now is the time to take action. Optimize your pasture management, minimize equipment use, and let your livestock do as much of the work as possible.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-zoran-zeremski