Potential to improve winter grazing pastures: Sieben Land and Livestock study

Abstract

Maintaining economic sustainability requires reduced inputs such as mechanically harvested forage. It is estimated that grazing versus feeding cattle during the winter can save 42% to 70% of the yearly input costs in the western United States and Saskatchewan, Canada. Grass mixtures of intermediate wheatgrass and meadow bromegrass produced 2 and 3 times the stockpiled forage than orchardgrass and native range, respectively. Economic pay-back period on the initial pasture establishment costs were < 1 year for intermediate wheatgrass, meadow bromegrass/intermediate wheatgrass, and meadow bromegrass/tall fescue mixtures.