During December livestock producers should be doing a forage inventory and balance to make sure you have enough pasture or hay on hand to make it through the winter. Predict how many grazing days you have ahead of you and then figure how many days you will have to feed hay. For planning purposes assume the average cow (1250 lbs) will need about 40 lbs of hay a day. If they are bigger than 1250 lbs they will eat more. For other livestock species you can use the same approach by estimating body weight to determine feed need. Use 3% of their body weight as a planning number for cattle and sheep and 2% for horses. This seems like a lot, but it includes feeding waste which always happens, plus the 10 to 12 % water that is in dry hay. Haylage (wet bales) will have more water so take that into account. Take samples of your hay while you are at it so you can decide how to most efficiently allocate it to your various livestock groups.
New plantings of Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue should be up and growing. If planted more than 45 days ago they should have reached the 4 leaf stage, so they could be sprayed for weeds if necessary. Many winter weeds will be killed by 2-4 D or a mix of 2-4 D and dicamba (Weedmaster), but other weeds might need something like Graze On Next or Duracor. Make sure you identify the major species and be ready to spray during a warm spell in December or January. Control the weeds before they start to grow in spring and cause your fescue stands to thin. Be aware that with the dry weather many experienced this fall, there could be seeds still germinating. Make sure there is a very good stand of plants at the 4-leaf stage before making an herbicide application.
Many farmers planted their new fields but were hesitant to add fertilizer given the long dry spell that was expected to continue. If you did not add any nitrogen at the time of planting consider applying 30 lb of N per acre when you can get on the land without doing any damage. Make sure you get some N out before weather starts to warm in February.
Make sure to use the winter season to get some education. There are many opportunities including AFGC, state cattlemen’s conferences, state Forage and Grassland Councils and many others. Make sure you get to several of these programs so you can interact with other farmers and share your experiences.
If you want to learn more about managing fescue toxicosis and enhancing your tall fescue system then make sure you consider attending an in-person or on-line workshop hosted by the Alliance for Grassland Renewal. Information about these events will be found at www.grasslandrenewal.org
~ Matt Poore, NC State and the Alliance for Grassland Renewal
The Alliance for Grassland Renewal is a national organization focused on enhancing the appropriate adoption of novel endophyte tall fescue technology through education, incentives, self-regulation and promotion. For more resources or to learn more about the Alliance for Grassland Renewal, go to www.grasslandrenewal.org
The Alliance for Grassland Renewal 