Pasture Management

     Most acreages with livestock use grass pastures to meet much of the nutrient needs of their animals.  Whether you have horses, calves, sheep, or goats, the better you manage a pasture, the more nutritious grass it will produce.

     The first decision to make is to determine if the grassy area will be treated as an exercise lot or managed to get maximum production.  If the area is grazed continuously year round by a large number of animals, it should be managed differently than if the grass is allowed to grow up and be allowed a rest period.  Areas heavily grazed will not show much benefit from fertilization.  They should be seeded with a grass that can withstand heavy traffic and close grazing. 

     If you want maximum production, select a variety of grass that will respond to fertilization.  The nutrient that grass uses the most is nitrogen.  This nutrient can be supplied by liquid, or granular and organic and inorganic fertilizer.  Rates of nitrogen applied should range from 40-80 lbs. per acre depending on fertilizer cost, soil moisture condition, and thickness of the grass stand.  Fertilizer should be applied during late April to early May to stimulate cool season grass growth and discourage other weeds and grasses that begin growing later in the season.

     Seeding of pastures should be done in May or early September to get some growth in the spring before hot weather occurs or frost occurs in the fall. Weed control is also an important management practice.  The key is to clip or spray the invasive weeds when they are small and in the vegetative stage.  Once weeds bloom and form a seed head, control is more difficult.  Some weeds germinate in early spring and some germinate and begin growth by mid-summer.

     A rotational grazing system with 3 or more pastures allows grasses to rest, which allows them to develop leaf surface that catches sunlight, conducts photosynthesis, and builds up root reserves for maximum growth of both roots and leaves.

Source: Stauffer, M. Pasture Management, Acreage E-News, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, http://acreage.unl.edu/Newsletter/NLS/April2009.shtml Accessed April, 2009. 

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