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West Central Iowa | Once you turn them out and have been successful (nothing dies in the first 6 hours or so) make sure to leave them there. I have heard many people recommend pulling them off if its going to rain, or if they'll be gone, or whatever, but all that means is that you have to go through the considerations to reintroduce them again .....which is riskier than leaving them there.
I grazed stands as high as 50-60% for many years rotationally. Have their bellies full when turning out, open the gate just after lunch and there is no dew (or moisture from rain) on a stand that is just starting to bloom (or more mature) and let them be. Bloat blocks a few days ahead don't hurt either. If they are still OK by sundown, let them be. I lost zero head using this system. If you need to turn them out on a stand later in the season, alfalfa maturity is more important than height. For example, the alfalfa has not been cut/grazed for 25-30 days and is bloomed but only 10" tall.....you are good because the plant is mature. But if the alfalfa is 10" tall in the vegetative stage, and it was cut/grazed only 8-10 days ago.....no way. Short & immature stands are the highest risk. | |
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Grazing an Alfalfa/Grass Pasture Mix
