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Keeping Pastures Productive In Dry Times

May 13, 2015

By Mena Hautau

Pasture productivity can only be preserved in dry times by being defensive and planning for when the rains come. Orchardgrass is coming into head around the state, so pasture producers can maintain grass productivity by clipping the pastures as high as possible to keep grass vegetative. Once orchardgrass starts to head out, leaf production stops.

If you want to use “animal power”, “blaze graze” or move animals rapidly through pastures and allow them to only take the tops of the grass. Another technique, especially if there are very few acres for pasture, is to not allow the pasture to be grazed below 3-4 inches and supplement feeding with hay on a sacrifice lot. It’s more work and more utilization of your stored feeds but to prevent over grazing is important if we want to keep the grass growing.

All of these options require pasture producers to manage grass and not be complacent.
Another defensive action is to regularly estimate how many pounds of dry matter you have on your farm, whether its pasture or stored feeds. The farm should have adequate feeds and if not, a plan of action should be developed. Of course, weather can rapidly change the outlook, but being proactive about feed inventories is a good practice.

Source:psu.edu