banked grass

[dfarms11]

I have a pasture that hasn't been graxed in a couple of years and I was thinking of taking the cows out there right away. Would the old grass be good enough for them? Would I have to still supplement it with hay? It wouldn't be very easy for me to take hay there every day as it is a ways away from home. Also in our area there is very little green growth coming yet as it is very dry.

[grassfarmer]

My guess is it won't be good enough if your cows are calved or close to calving. We use banked grass regularly and it has to be good quality this time of year. The grass we are grazing now was grazed last summer between June 20th and July 10th, so it's really regrowth, and that ensures the quality is good enough. Even so our cows go a little backwards on condition until the green shoots start coming through. We have enough green in the last couple of days that will boost our feed values - it doesn't take much - just inch high shoots because the quality is terrific. Two years of growth on a pasture is different - quality will be way lower and likely the blanket of old dead material will be so thick the fresh growth will be slower to come through. I know we have rented a quarter that is exactly as I just described - I put some yearling steers on it last week just to see how they did. I think it will work out fine in 10 days or so from now but it is a slow, slow start and milking cows would lose considerable condition on it unsupplemented. If you were thinking of feeding cows on the old grass don't give them hay give them high protein/energy tubs (if you can find one that is hard enough that they won't eat you out of house and home!)It would be a more suitable supplement as they already have enough roughage.

[kato]

And don't forget your minerals!

[PureCountry]

Clip some of it with scissors, stuff it in a bag and send it to a lab for testing. Get the results to a Beef Specialist with Ab Ag's Call Centre - 310-FARM - and they'll tall you what you may or may not need.

My suspicion is the Grassfarmer is right. That old grass may not be great. Your genetics in your cows, current body condition and stage of pregnancy will all be factors.

Best of luck.