# grazing in the hay field



## scholtefamily (Feb 25, 2010)

Do any of you let your cows graze in your hay field over the winter? We put up some fencing and put them on it today. 

I don't know the % off hand(DH planted), but it has timothy, brome, orchard, clover and alfalfa. Assuming it's dormant at this time, will we still need to worry about bloat?


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## scholtefamily (Feb 25, 2010)

guess I should have read the previous post about stockpiling hay for the winter...........just noticed it after I posted. oops


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

Lots of good things for the cows.

A couple of bad things for the hayfield:

1. The ground is softer and more grass will be pulled up by the roots. Hooves will damage some grass roots and soil compaction can result. Less grass cover can give weeds a head start next spring.

2. Manure that remains in the hayfield will make next season's hay less palatable.

Bloat can always be a problem whenever the cattle's feed changes. If you turn them into the hayfield, do it for short intervals and continue to feed dry hay. Keep some TheraBloat on hand. Maybe put out a Sweetlix Bloat Block near their water supply.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

in our winter in missouri with the freeze and thaw they will plug the field


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## Karin L (Oct 5, 2006)

Genebo, I'm not getting your opinions on that. The ground isn't any softer than pasture because you got heavy equipment that has been ran on it twice or thrice a year, and the equipment itself can cause just as much soil compaction as the hooves from the cows. For us up north hoof impaction isn't a problem this time of year: it's a little bit more of a worry come spring-melt in April. And I only see grass being pulled up by the roots if (a) it's newly seeded grass where cows shouldn't even be on the field in the first place until after the roots have been allowed to set in, or (b) the hayfield has been mowed or cut so heavily or at too low a level that the roots don't have enough resources or time to regrow. Hence the weed trouble. It's just like with overgrazed pastures: if you have the cattle graze a particular area much too heavily until there's only an inch (or less) of cover, yes, for sure you're going to have weed troubles. It's a different story with MIG though, because you have to make use of four things: rest period, stock density, animal impact and grazing period.

I also have to raise the BS flag on your "bad point" number two, unless I'm missing something. Manure can never remain in the field especially if you have the plants there (as well as the other critters you can't see) to break down the manure back into the soil. Plants grow, use up the manure, cows will eat the plants. Cattle will readily eat hay that has had manure spread on it during the growing season, probably a bit more eagerly than hay that hasn't been fertilized with manure. Besides, how can you say that hay or grass that grows from manure "remaining" in the field is less palatable when cattle will still eat grass or hay that grows from such manure?  Like I said, either I'm missing something or something in the way you said that just doesn't make sense.

ScholteFamily, never the less I would still be careful about how you are grazing your hayfield, especially if there's only a little cover left. I wouldn't be so worried about the cows pulling up the grass, I'd be more worried about putting unnecessary pressure on the grass. You should only graze to a certain height (most say 4 to 6 or inches) then take them off. Normally I wouldn't even graze cattle on a hayfield that's just been cut unless there's a bit of growth left on it for the cows to eat from. Even then it pays to be careful how long to graze it so that it doesn't affect next year's hay crop. 

If it were me wanting to graze the hayfield, I wouldn't do it, not without a number of bales set out for the cows to eat off of. I would rather bale-graze a hayfield than do what you're doing. That's JMO.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

With all due respect Karin L - I guess it all depends on your field and how long you graze them there. My cows won't eat the grass that grew through the piles of manure that had a entire season to decompose. I'd assume that hay made from that same grass will only make hay they won't eat. It's a valid point. 

It's up to the farmer themselves to choose if their soil is too soft and a good warning to those less experienced. Why make such a point to disagree only to agree with the point of the message?


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

My cattle graze the same areas as many as 4 times per year. When the herd is on a parcel of ground there can be as many as 170,000 lbs of cattle on as little as 7/10ths of an acre. That is a lot of manure on a small area. There is no problem with the cattle eating the forage. Distributing the manure is the solution to avoiding cow patties filled with grass that the cattle refuse to eat. This area was consumed less than a month ago and here is what it looked like today. I believe the cattle will eat it again as soon as they are given a chance.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Karin L said:


> ScholteFamily, never the less I would still be careful about how you are grazing your hayfield, especially if there's only a little cover left. I wouldn't be so worried about the cows pulling up the grass, I'd be more worried about putting unnecessary pressure on the grass. You should only graze to a certain height (most say 4 to 6 or inches) then take them off.


I really don't think this an issue with dormant grass. It;s dead, and the only benefit it could offer to the plant is insulation and that would be marginal.


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## scholtefamily (Feb 25, 2010)

Here's a picture of them taken today. Our field could have been cut a 4th time, but the farmer was unable to do it. Anyways, I think we have plenty of growth. 

As far as the cow pies, in the early spring my children and I go out in the fields with a tool and break up the cow patties..............great fun for the whole family. 

We just put them out on it for a few hours this afternoon. There's only 3 of them grazing it. We'll probably do that for the next few days and see how it goes, then move them again. They are getting a belly full of hay before we put them out.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

scholtefamily 

I actually think that the cattle grazing the field will improve the field. You have a lot of dead or dying thatch that will not rot without it being in contact with the soil. The cattle will "walk" the thatch into the soil where it will decay and improve the soil. About two weeks before the last hard frost date in may benefit you field if you will broadcast some seed onto the field. If it were me I would not turn the soil. The probability is that your best dirt is in the top few inches. Let your forage use that soil and improve its production. IMO you could have had some good Fall grazing and some stockpiled grasses now had you clipped the grass prior to it forming seed heads.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

yes , by all means graze that puppy, lots of good grass there to eat. It would be better if the field was frozen, but I like the weather. you could just take a harrow out to the field after they have been out there, and break up the piles. They make pasture harrows but they get a bit pricey. You won`t have to reseed either, should be fine. And where is Loretta, I don`t see her in the picture. > Thanks Marc


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## scholtefamily (Feb 25, 2010)

agmantoo, I have pasture envy for sure. We do want to reseed, our field is not that thick. My DH planted it 2 years ago using a little riding lawnmower with the spreader attachment. It didn't do the best job, but it was all we had. 

Marc, don't worry, Loretta was happily grazing off to the left of the other jersey.

Thanks for the good advice everyone.


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## Karin L (Oct 5, 2006)

From the picture, scholtefamily, the hayfield looks great for grazing, a lot better than I had suspected. The hayfield will definitely benefit from the natural fertilizer from the cows, something that may increase forage biomass of the hayfield itself. 

Tinknal, I think I was referring to what I've heard about winterkill with alfalfa (not grass...), which is the reason I said what I said. There are concerns about killing stands of alfalfa during the season after stockpile grazing since alfalfa tends to loose its leaves after a killing frost. You (and scholtefamily too) might find this link interesting: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/newslett.nsf/pdf/wfbg10406/$file/nov_06_newsletter.pdf?OpenElement


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