Grasses for spring calving

[perfecho]

I would like to seed hay/pasture/?? to have cows calve on late April and May. Would then leave until following year to repeat cycle. Any suggestions for grasses best suited for this sort of program.
Thanks in advance......

[grassfarmer]

I would like to seed hay/pasture/?? to have cows calve on late April and May. Would then leave until following year to repeat cycle. Any suggestions for grasses best suited for this sort of program.
Thanks in advance......

If you plan on leaving it un-grazed right through to the next year kentucky bluegrass and creeping red fescue would be the best bets. Might want to add some cicer milkvetch as legume - it does well with the long rest period, reseeds itself and retains more of it's leaves over winter than the other legumes but it's main task would be to fix N.

[perfecho]

Thank you...one option was to seed fall rye and after grazing, use as swath grazing in fall and keep rotating the pieces...although once established, pasture would be easier.

[woodland]

I don’t think fall rye as swath grazing would work very well as when the heads come out the animals will go on strike before eating them. We used fall rye to move pairs on to in mid April or early may and it worked very well. Then just rotate them through the summer to keep it from setting heads and it just keeps growing. Not the cheapest option but but worked well with no till and a way to renovate tired pasture and still put cows on it.

[KKS]

I have a good ol crested wheat pasture I use for this purpose. I’ve found it turns green and starts growing 7-10 days before any other grass I have pastures I have.

[grassfarmer]

I have a good ol crested wheat pasture I use for this purpose. I’ve found it turns green and starts growing 7-10 days before any other grass I have pastures I have.

How much production do you get from that and how dry an area are you in KKS ? I don't think there is much grown where perfecho is.

[perfecho]

Thank you for all the info...some things to consider....

[smcgrath76]

FWIW - I love crested wheat and stockpiled meadow brome.
Crested Wheat is supposed to not be in fashion, but if you graze it in rotation it doesn't get wolfy and it greens up early.

[grassfarmer]

FWIW - I love crested wheat and stockpiled meadow brome.
Crested Wheat is supposed to not be in fashion, but if you graze it in rotation it doesn't get wolfy and it greens up early.

Funny, the fleet meadow brome we had was great all season but over wintered as stockpile it turned to wire the cows wouldn't eat. Maybe different areas, different varieties?
The one species I didn't mention was quack grass perfecho, it was a large and successful component of our banked grass in AB. Grows very early but if you really want to graze only once a year it would likely get out of hand with you. Seed is cheap though lol.

[perfecho]

Well...it certainly spreads quickly too......may rethink....maybe hay mid summer and then leave regrowth for calving...use the bales to keep in that piece for a bit longer to have pastures establish...