In light of our recent issues with the lack of rain fall and the rising cost of hay, producers are looking for ways to feed their herds through winter without having to spend over $100 per roll for hay. One of the recommendations to prevent the need for hay use to establishing a great winter pasture to utilize grazing.
Before planting for cool season grasses, you need to prepare your pasture adequately. The first step that we recommend is usually a soil test. This test helps us to establish a base line as to what amendments that your soil will need in order to maximize production. Following your soil test you need to disk you pasture to eliminate the already established plants. This will give your newly planted grasses the best chance to get established. Once you have disked you can re roll your pasture to allow for optimal moisture retention. You will want to plant your choice of cool season grasses in the early fall, from September to October. You want your target planting date to fall 4-6 weeks prior to the first killing frost of the season. This is also when you would want to add your phosphorus and potassium based fertilizers if your soil test deemed it necessary. Once the grasses have been established you can amend your soil with nitrogen based fertilizers. You want to use nitrogen based fertilizers at a rate of 50-60 pounds per acre. When selecting the type of winter grass to work to get established, you will want to determine what will best suit your needs. Ryegrass is highly recommended because it has shallow planting requirements or 0-.5 inches. You want to plant rye grass seed at a rate of 25-30 pounds per acre. Ryegrass will produce viable grazing from February until May. The next option would be planting a small grain variety, such as wheat. Wheat has a little more planting depth required, needing 1-1.5 inches of planting depth, so a drill may be required for successful planting. Small grains should be planted at 80-120 pounds per acre. Once this is established, you should have adequate grazing from December until April. When choosing which winter forage to provide there are many factors to consider. Rye grass tends to be more cost effective, however wheat will give you a longer grazing period. Many ranchers have success with a ryegrass/ small grain mixture, or even a rye grass legume mixture that can ultimately benefit your summer pastures due to the nitrogen fixation provided by the cool season legumes. Adding a legume to the mix will not extend your growing season however, as they are prolific from February until May.
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