By Beth McIlquham
Grazing cattle sounds so simple. The forage grows, the cattle eat the forage, and it all ends with a “happily ever after.” Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as it sounds.
To maximize cattle performance while grazing, producers must pay attention to the forage itself and how it can affect the grazing animals.
Growth Stages of Forage
To begin, let’s break down forage growth into three stages. Understanding these is the first step in attaining effective grazing management. The three growth stages of forage are:
- Stage One: The plant must have time to rest and regrow. While in this stage, plants use carbohydrates that are stored in the roots to promote growth. This stage occurs right after grazing or clipping and can also occur when coming out of dormancy in the spring or with newly emerging grasses.
- Stage Two: The plant’s quality maximizes. Effective grazing management extends this phase as long as possible. Here, the plant has enough leaf surface area for photosynthesis, allowing it to grow without using carbohydrate reserves in the root.
- Stage Three: The plant begins reproduction and will start to set seed. At this point, the plant’s yield will be higher than ever, but the quality is low because of the higher fiber concentrations, lower crude protein, and higher stem-to-leaf ratios.
How Forage Growth Stages Influence Cattle
When cattle nutrition requirements aren’t met, performance is hindered, and profits are lost. Grazing cattle may need to be supplemented with additional feed to meet energy and nutrient needs when forage quality is poor or in short supply.
Source : osu.edu