Methods to Establish Grazing of Annual Forages for Beef Cows on Winter Feeding Areas Many cattle producers in Minnesota winter their cattle in confined areas, where a buildup of manure develops. This buildup may cause opportunities for manure contaminated runoff in the spring and summer. Producers then have to mechanically remove the manure to another area, which costs time and money. Often these winter feeding areas are abandoned when cattle are turned out on pastures for the spring and summer until cattle are returned in the fall. The plant nutrients contained in the manure on the winter feeding area are used to produce forage.
Reseachers at the University of Minnesota are evaluating three management strategies to establish annual forages on winter feeding areas. The research is being done on two north central Minnesota farms and at the North Central Research and Outreach Center in Grand Rapids. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is helping sponsor the research.
Description of Project This demonstration project
will compare conventional seeding, no-till interseeding, or broadcasting of an annual
cool and warm season grass utilizing pastures used as winter feeding areas.We will determine the effectiveness and
efficiency of each pasture renovation method by measuring stand establishment,
forage yield, and number of grazing days utilizing pregnant cow/calf pairs in a
traditional rotational grazing system to provide additional grazing days through
the growing season.
Objectives of the Project 1. Demonstrate the establishment and use of cool season and warm season annual grasses on winter feeding areas for livestock forage.
2. Demonstrate effectiveness and efficiency of three different seeding methods for both forage species.
3. Demonstrate cost associated with each forage specie and each seeding method used.
4. Educate livestock producers on management strategies for renovating winter feeding areas. Please follow this link to read more information about this project.
