While spring brings new life to pastures in the Southeast, as we enter the late-spring time frame we often encounter drier conditions. Short-term dry periods of weather are often referred to as flash drought conditions. This coincides with the time when warm-season perennial grasses are coming out of dormancy from the winter. We also are in the time of year where producers may consider the establishment of warm-season annual forages.
Grazing of warm-season perennial grasses like bermudagrass and bahiagrass can begin at around 8 to 10 inches in height. As warm-season forages are greening up, it is important to weigh the decision to start grazing warm-season forages with adequate forage dry matter production. If grazing starts too soon during the production season, it can delay regrowth and subsequent grazing events on pasture. This is especially the case if grazing occurs and then is followed by flash drought conditions. During greenup, warm-season perennial pastures may have a rich green color but not enough forage production to achieve this overall pasture height range. When short perennial grasses are grazed, the plant begins to pull from root reserves to create new growth. Over time, this can weaken the stand and allow other species (such as weeds) to compete with our warm-season forages.
Some producers may be better served to feed hay for a short period of time (one to two weeks) to allow pastures to adequately come out of dormancy and establish a “stronghold” for the growing season. Identify a dedicated hay feeding area where cattle can be confined to a single pasture or pen for a short period of time. Rather than allowing cattle to have continuous access across short pastures during periods of flash drought, shutting them out of fields during this time may help encourage faster forage growth when rains pick up again. This is because short fields are not overgrazed early in the season, and they have adequate plant reserves to bounce back quickly following brief periods of dry conditions.
A good rule of thumb is to use the “If it’s just a haze, then don’t graze” principle. In other words, if pastures are in the transition period to start production for the season and very little forage dry matter is available for grazing, it is better to wait until there is more growth available to meet animal needs. This is a short-term management option that may have long-term gain in terms of pasture productivity.
