FORAGE FOR THOUGHT
Fall in Murray County is a busy time for ranchers and a good time to begin preparing for next spring’s forage growth. Here are some tips from the Murray County OSU Extension Service.
Forage/Grazing Management Begin strip grazing stockpiled bermudagrass. Strip grazing improves forage utilization and may double the number of grazing days compared to continuous grazing.
Plant winter annuals and clovers in warm-season grass sod. Plant winter annuals between mid-October to late October for grazing in February or early March.Clover can be planted in short-grazed fescue in early October. A Factshees titled “Forage Legumes for Oklahoma” may be helpful and is available at the Extension Office.
Defer grazing of stockpiled cool-season grasses until late November or early December.
Graze out crabgrass before a killing frost. Crabgrass becomes very unpalatable after a killing frost and is usually avoided by grazing animals.
Rotational graze cool season perennial grasses by mid to end of October or when canopy height reaches at least 6 inches.
Pasture Management
Take Soil Samples. Submit separate samples for each area you are willing to manage separately. Consider sampling areas with high variability separately, this may save you money in the long run.
Do not sample unusual areas or locations near hay rings or water troughs as this can skew results Scrape plant debris from soil surface before sampling and take soil samples to a 6’’ depth Depending on the size of the area, take at least 20 samples throughout the field. Mix together all of these samples into one bucket then use around two cups of this mixture for testing. The The Murray County Extension Office does soil testing for a cost of $10 per sample. It usually takes around a week to receive the results. Recommendations will be made depending on the testing results.
For more information on soil sampling there is a fact sheet available titled “How to Get a Good Soil Sample” and is available at the county Extension Office.
Start implementing long-term management during cooler months.
Fence Building And Repair
•Selecting of pastures that are slated for renovation within the next 12 months
•Setup of grazing paddocks and watering devices
•Mississippi State Extension Service has a Factsheet titled “Developing a Grazing System” and can be found online.
•For soil fertility management important steps are long-term correction of pH and mineral imbalances. take soil samples from areas that are to be renovated and apply lime if needed.
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