As I write this, temperatures are near zero and everything is snow-covered. It is hard to think about forages when your main concern is running around making sure there is thawed water for all the animals. But this can be a great time to think back to those “It sure would be nice if” projects that came up throughout the year when you had no time to deal with them.
Thanks to the drought conditions of 2024, one thought was likely “How can I get better productivity and utilization of my pasture?” Many people were feeding hay earlier than they ever have. To reduce hay use, many pastures were over-grazed going into the winter which will likely result in slow growth in the spring.
If pastures were not divided so that animals could be fenced off sections, overgrazing was hard to avoid because, even when feeding hay, those animals were still spending time grazing.
Being able to separate off some areas in the pasture to give a longer recovery period this spring will likely result in increased production in the summer. Research has consistently shown growth improves when forages are given a rest period from grazing and foot traffic.
In addition, the smaller sections encourage a more even distribution of nutrients since manure is spread more uniformly through the pasture. This system of divisions and rotation does come at a cost. Extra fence needs to be installed and water will need to be available in each section. In addition, animals will need to be moved between sections. In years like we just had, the ability to rest sections of pastures may pay great dividends.
I realize not everyone has internet access at home, but for those that do, looking at a satellite view of your pasture can be very useful. Like many of you, I can only see one side of a hill at a time so a satellite view can provide a useful perspective. This can be as easy as typing your address into Google and clicking on the map that appears. The view should go to a satellite image of your address. Some other options include using the auditor’s website, web soil survey or Google maps. If you don’t have internet service, a map from the Farm Service Agency, soil and water conservation districts or even a plat book will work. Studying the overhead view can often provide ideas on how to create or improve sub-lots within pastures. It can also help with adding or improving access to water sources and locating areas for holding, handling and moving animals.
Splitting one large pasture into two is a great place to start. The more divisions, the greater the rest time for the forages. Simple temporary fencing can be set up to effectively split pastures. Some step-in posts and polywire can make a great temporary dividing fence with a limited investment. As you learn what works well and what doesn’t, the temporary fencing can easily be altered. With time you may choose to make some of the divisions more permanent. The hard part is often finding ways to make water access available. With temporary fencing, water sources can often be utilized by multiple sections of pasture while giving other areas a much-needed rest.
Now for the final preparation, when the weather is nice enough, take a walk or UTV ride to finalize your plans. Sometimes what looks good on a satellite view may have obstacles to work around.
While you are making your supply list, check all your fences. Find the broken posts, temporarily patched fences, bad insulators, gates off the hinges and everything else that was on the “to do later” list that had been forgotten about. Make a list of supplies to correct those problems. Having the materials on hand makes it much easier to get the job done when the weather breaks and before the pastures green up.
