Western Cornbelt pastures are drying up. Eastern Cornbelt pastures never did get very lush this year. And Cow/calf operators across the upper Midwest are wondering if their forage resources can be stretched any more. If pasture is a problem, the farm gate has some possible solutions.

Beef cattle are thinking to themselves, “This is déjà vu all over again. Last summer my grass dried up, and this summer it is doing the same thing and it isn’t even August yet!” In fact many cow/calf operators are saying the same thing as their cattle, but they are the ones who can do something about it. There are short term and long term actions that can be taken focused on extending resources, pasture improvement, and reduction of pressure.

Extend your current forage resources
Kansas State beef specialist Twig Marston recommends several actions you can take today to extend what little pasture you may have:
• Enhance grazing distribution with a mineral mixture placed away from water sources.
• Observe pasture weed problems to help plan control methods for next spring.
• Monitor grazing conditions and rotate cattle to different pastures, if possible and practical.
• Be prepared to provide emergency feeds if pastures run out in late summer. Providing supplemental feeding now can help extend the grazing period.
• Supplement maturing grasses with a degradable intake protein for stocker cattle and replacement heifers.
• Avoid unnecessary heat stress by handling cattle during the coolest parts of the day.

University of Nebraska forage specialist Bruce Anderson suggests sacrificing a small paddock where cattle can be kept for longer periods, allowing the rest of the pasture to recover. He characterizes it as, “A small area converted into a temporary feedlot. Although the sacrifice area will be unusable for grazing for the remainder of the season, it leaves the rest of the pasture in better condition due to reduced traffic and grazing. Often the best pasture ground makes the best sacrifice paddock. Good pasture ground will be easier to reseed and more likely to succeed the following year.” Anderson says you can also move the feed bunk, parallel to Marston’s suggestion of moving the mineral box. Wasted hay and manure will enhance grass recovery as much as smothering it.

Anderson says the grazing rules change when pastures dry up. Don’t expect pastures to grow without moisture, “Therefore, it usually is in the producer's best interest to graze pastures completely.” If it takes a heavy rain to get any growth response, Anderson says, "At that point it is best to leave only enough grass to protect your soil from eroding. Any grass left behind will not regrow when it is this dry, and probably will be gone or worthless by the time cattle return later." Six weeks is needed for recovery after a rain, or the plant will be unable to recover from the drought stress.

Reduce the size of the herd
There are two ways to reduce the pressure on the pasture.
1) Marston recommends that producers consider weaning calves earlier than normal. Early weaning can be effective, if current range conditions are limiting milk production in cows and if the cows are losing weight or body condition. Before weaning calves early, producers should make sure that they have the facilities and management available to handle lightweight calves. First calf heifers have the most to gain from early weaning, and feeding early-weaned calves is more efficient than feeding cows without weaning their calves.
2)University of Illinois livestock specialist Justin Sextensays you can also reduce the stocking rate with an early departure of cull cows. He says culled stock contributes 16% of your income and astute marketing will not only ease your pasture problem, but improve your revenue. Sexten says a 10 year study by John Lawrence at Iowa State found that cull cow value peaked in June, then declined through November. To take advantage of that marketing opportunity, conduct early pregnancy checks and cull your open cows early in the summer.

Additional pasture may come from your wheat stubble. After wheat harvest, planting annual grasses can provide an alternative to a dry pasture. Sexten says, “Pearl millet, sorghum-sudangrass, sudangrass and certain forage brassicas can be seeded after wheat and grazed 60 days later. These forages are adapted to growing during the hot periods of the summer unlike cool-season grasses which make up most permanent pastures. Prussic acid can be a concern for sorghum-sudangrass and sudangrass pastures. To avoid this potentially deadly problem wait until these forages are 24 inches tall before grazing or cut them for hay. The drying process of haying allows the toxic compound to dissipate. Pearl millet does not contain the compound causing prussic acid poisoning so it may be grazed later into the fall.”

If you use wheat stubble for a seedbed, Nebraska’s Anderson makes several recommendations:
1) When planting alfalfa the best way to minimize (crop residue) is to bale the straw and be sure to have a well-functioning drill.
2) Control weeds that exist prior to planting with herbicides like glyphosate and be ready with post-emerge herbicides like Select or Poast Plus for weeds or volunteer wheat that emerge later.
3) To ensure a good stand consider cross-drilling or double-drilling by planting one-half of the seed while driving in one direction and the other half while driving at an angle to the first direction.

Bolster pasture health for the future
If you pasture is tall fescue, or another cool season forage, it will appreciate a shot of nitrogen as it prepares for fall growth. University of Illinois Crop Systems Specialist Robert Bellm says August is a prime time for fertilization, “Tall fescue will respond to nitrogen fertilization as well as or better than any other forage grass. In fact, forage production can be increased between 1000 and 2000 lbs per acre for each 50 pounds of nitrogen applied. In addition to a nearly linear increase in forage production from nitrogen applications, forage crude protein also increases while neutral detergent fiber decreases. How much nitrogen to apply depends upon several factors, such as the thickness and uniformity of the grass stand, and whether or not legumes are present in the sward. If at least 30 percent of the forage mix consists of legumes such as clover, additional nitrogen fertilizer may not be needed. On the other hand, if the forage mix is predominantly grass, then 50 – 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre should be applied.”

Summary:
Drought conditions can be as devastating to livestock producers as grain farmers, but pasture management can be easier by reducing stocking pressure with early weaning and early culling of open cows. The supply of forage grasses can also be extended with strategic pasture management, including fertilization prior to fall growth. As an alternative to a dry pasture, annual grasses can be planted into wheat stubble.