March 30, 2007

Most of the snow has melted and small grains such as rye, triticale and even wheat are green and growing and should be ready to graze soon.

These small grain pastures are an extremely important resource, especially after a winter when feed or hay may have been limited. Not only will they produce excellent gains, they will delay when you'll need to turn your cattle into other pastures.

To maximize use of these small grain pastures, wait until grass is 4 to 8 inches tall before starting to graze. Then stock heavily enough to maintain plant height between 6 and 12 inches. To accomplish this, either adjust the number of animals according to grass growth or sub-divide the pasture into paddocks and graze rotationally. Stands, soils, fertility and moisture will affect stocking rate, so adjust stock numbers for your conditions. With careful management, you can have good grazing all the way to June.

One concern when grazing small grain pasture is animal death from grass tetany. Tetany is more common in lactating cows than in dry cows or young stock. Reduce tetany by feeding magnesium oxide supplements mixed with salt, molasses or grain. Monitor consumption carefully and adjust the mixture so cattle consume about one-quarter pound of magnesium oxide per cow each week. Small grain pastures can be convenient and profitable. Just use good management to optimize production and prevent livestock losses.

Bruce Anderson
Extension Forage Specialist