Native warm‑season grasses once dominated landscapes across the U.S., evolving under centuries of heat, drought and weather extremes. Their efficiency, resilience and low-input needs offer cattle producers a powerful forage option.

Native to Ethiopia, teff grass holds up well under drought conditions. With drought common in many parts of the country, teff offers up an interesting option as cattle feed. But does it live up to the hype?

 
Everyone knows a livestock producer who’s lost animals to bloat. Because of the risk, some folks flatly refuse to graze their stock on dense stands of clover or alfalfa. Others kind of shrug, saying they’ve rarely lost animals and don’t worry about it much. So … what gives?

Those in the cattle industry have come to understand the term “hybrid vigor” and how it benefits the health, growth and stamina of our livestock. Many of the same things can be said for our pastures.

Winter cereals provide green, actively growing plants during the fall and early winter periods and are the first to green up in the spring.

There are several benefits to seeding alfalfa-grass mixtures rather than pure alfalfa stands, starting with biodiversity.

Drought conditions around the country can be a mixed bag any given year. This year, portions of the Central Plains, West, Southwest and Midwest have dealt with various drought conditions.

Legumes are always beneficial in a pasture because they generally contain more protein and minerals than grasses and add nitrogen to the soil, but some commonly used legumes – alfalfa and some clovers – carry risk for bloat.