Ask SAM: With care, livestock can indulge in cold winter treats

This column is provided by Larimer County Extension's Small Acreage Management (SAM) Program to assist rural residents.

Dear SAM,

I was careful to give my grass adequate rest to recover from grazing last summer. With winter coming, can my horses spend more time on the pasture?

Susan

Dear Susan,

Winter grazing is an option on healthy pastures where grasses have been kept at a height of 6 to 8 inches. Consider winter grazing a reward for good summer management.

Proper fall pasture management precedes winter grazing. Give all of your pastures a rest in the fall as temperatures cool and days get shorter. The grasses sense that winter is coming and move sugars to their roots. These sugars will provide energy for new growth in the spring. If too many leaves are grazed off in the fall, root reserves will be reduced and plant growth will suffer next spring.

With recent snow flurries, fall may be coming to an end. Green pastures will turn brown and gray, and management concerns shift. The dead leaves are no longer supplying energy to the plant and can be grazed without harming your pasture.

While winter grazing can be practiced, don't be too aggressive. Leave at least a couple of inches of leaf material to insulate the crown of the plants from frost and cold, dry winds.

As long as enough dead grass remains to provide an insulating blanket, grazing can continue throughout the winter. Horses might return to favorite grazing spots each day. They could completely remove the protective blanket from some areas while ignoring others. For this reason, rotate animals through grazing cells similar to your summer rotations.

Keep livestock off wet pastures. Heavy hooves on wet soils cause compaction. Compacted soils hold less water and prevent roots from growing. This translates into less grass to graze next year.

Rain is an obvious cause of wet soils. A less apparent scenario occurs as frozen soils thaw. If you feel the ground squish under your boots, you should probably keep your animals off the pasture.

Delay mowing your pasture until next spring. The standing grass stalks might look ragged, but they help trap snow and keep it from blowing away. As the snow melts, your pasture will gain valuable soil moisture. Consider mowing in March, when the first green blades appear.

Winter grazing of grass that was allowed to grow through the fall is just one of many bonuses of good grazing management. Limit winter grazing to what the pasture can support, just as you limited summer grazing to keep your pasture healthy.

SAM

Have a question about rural living? Write to Ask SAM, Larimer County Cooperative Extension, 1525 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80524 or e-mail emarx@larimer.org.