In livestock operations, feed inputs represent a major cost of production. Utilizing land base for grazing can reduce these costs. Letting livestock feed themselves instead of feeding harvested forages saves labor and fuel. The longer the grazing season can be extended the more benefits that will be reaped.
Estimating that livestock consume 2.5 to 3% of their body weight in dry matter a day can help plan for the entire year. An average grazing season in the NWNY region is 180 days, leaving 185 days to depend on stored feed. If the grazing season can be extended, then less stored feed is required.
Plan Ahead
Pre-season planning needs to be done to accomplish this. Today, February 12, winter is here and you may not be thinking about grazing! But, now is the time for planning. Alternative plants, other than cool season grasses or legume-grass mixes may need to be grown to extend grazing. Additional acreage may also be necessary, depending on the amount of planned late season grazing – 25 to 50% of summer’s grazing acres.
Stockpiling
One way to extend the grazing season is by stockpiling perennial cool season forages. Of the cool season grasses, tall fescue is the best to use for stockpiling. It will continue to grow later into the fall and will not lose its leaves after a frost. Tall fescue traditionally has not been a grass that is favored for grazing due to palatability issues. The old varieties of tall fescue were infected with an endophytic fungus. Newer varieties are endophyte-free and also have softer leaves. If low amounts of clovers are present, fertilization later in the season helps with stockpiling. To increase the yield in stockpiling pasture, 50 lbs actual nitrogen may be applied after grazing, approximately 60-70 days before the end of the growing season.
Birdsfoot trefoil is a perennial legume that stockpiles well. For best results, stop grazing trefoil mid to late August until after the first killing frost; since it holds its leaves well it can be grazed anytime after that. Trefoil does not cause bloat the way other legumes can cause problems.
Annuals for Grazing
Annuals can be planted to graze early or late season, or to fill in the summer slump. Brassica species (turnips, for example) can be grown for summer through late fall grazing. Winter small grains can be planted in August to September and with good growing conditions a brief grazing can be done in the fall and again with spring green up. Don’t expect a grain harvest! If you do, keep the grazing to a moderate level.
Teff is a new grass that has been grown in northern New York with some test plots to be planted in our region. It is a warm-season grass native to Ethiopia used for grain. The grain is ground to make flour, porridge or homemade alcohol. It can also be grown as a forage or pasture crop. Teff yields from last summer in NNY rivaled the average for NYS grass hay on a dry matter basis. It can be grazed in the summer when cool-season grass growth slows down. It can be planted later for a later season crop. It is quick to germinate and takes about 50 days to harvest for hay. It grows well with manure or fertilizer. Stay tuned for more on this grass!
A sacrifice area is needed on just about every livestock operation to feed stored forage. Sometimes, the best planning goes awry when the growing season turns out really dry or really wet and animals need to be taken off pasture. Ask your county Soil and Water Conservation District or NRCS office for help choosing an area to prevent environmental issues.

Return to AgFocus Page