Grazing alfalfa

[kens]

I have access to a field of alfalfa that had been cut for hay 6 weeks ago. Regrowth is about 8" tall. Would I have any problems with turning cows in there to graze now after there has been some frost? There isn't alot of other grasses in the same area, but there would be access to some native pasture.

[countryguy]

You shouldn't have a problem.My cows have been grazing pure alfalfa for almost 2 months now.Just make sure they have a full belly of something else before you turn them out.Good luck.

[jmillang]

As countryguy says grazing straight Alfalfa is quite common. Also as he mentioned try and have the cows full the first couple of days they go into the field this will lessen the chance they will gorge themselves on young tender plants.

The only other precaution I'd worry about is the frost - If it has been enough to kill the plant or at least have it stop growing you will likely have no problems. Frost causes the cell membranes to burst and when the cow ingests it the alfalfa it is digested much more rapidly and thus could cause bloat. But if the plant is wilting or drying down you should have no problems. Normally at this time of year we have no problems at all but with it being cut just 6 weeks ago there are a lot of young tender leaves and stems that may cause a challenge.

[crazeeakerz]

Due to lack of pasture we turned our cows into alfalfa about 6 weeks after the first cutting. The plants were about 8-10" high and was already flowering. We had no trouble with bloat, but I can't give you a definitive answer as to why not. We like to think that once the plant flowers it loses some of it's strength.