For much of this area, 2024 looked to be a once-in-a-lifetime event, having the most severe drought conditions on record. Turn the page one year and, while not as bad yet, much of the area has experienced the driest August in the 131 years of records.
To add insult to injury, September is on track to be one of the driest in history if precipitation doesn’t happen soon.
This summer, the volume of calls about pasture weed issues has been the highest I have experienced. I attribute much of the problem to a combination of overgrazing and the 2024 drought being severe enough to thin out many of our pasture forages.
The lack of forage ground cover combined with wet conditions this spring and early summer provided ideal conditions to bring dormant weed seeds to life. Now, we may be facing the pressure of weeds crowding out desirable plants as weeds compete for the little moisture that may be available.
Protecting the future
One year of heavy stress on a pasture may take several years for full recovery. Back-to-back years can lead to damage beyond repair. Feeding stored forages is often the last option considered.
Often when there is a shortage of pasture, there is also a shortage of stored forages. This year, the situation may be a little different. The early wet conditions may have provided the opportunity to harvest a good quantity of forage.
Unfortunately, research has shown that forage samples from much of the first cutting hay this year were not high quality. Weather conditions provided quantity but not quality.
We know there is a cost associated with harvesting forages, and that cost does not occur when the grazing animals are doing the harvesting for us; however, use of a sacrifice lot and stored forages can provide many benefits.
Forages in the resting pasture can have a longer recovery time. During the recovery, period plants can build energy stores to help them survive winter and get off to a better start in the spring.
Compared to overgrazing, this rest period will allow more ground to remain covered with forage which will reduce the soil temperature, evaporation rate and soil compaction. Sacrificing a smaller area can help prevent a much larger renovation project in the future.
Conserving resources
Are the animals that are utilizing valuable pasture resources productive? If they are spring calving cattle, are they bred?
Pregnancy checks are not expensive and can identify animals that may be wasting resources if they are not going to have a calf at the desired time next year.
Beyond identifying open cows, this could be a good time to look at other health and performance issues such as chronic lameness, poor calf performance, age, inability to maintain condition and other health conditions.
Cull cow prices have been very good and removing non-productive animals is a quick way to stretch your feed resources.
Another way for beef producers to conserve pasture resources is by early weaning.
Lactating cows need a much higher level of nutrition than non-lactating cows. Calves also consume significant amounts of pasture forages. The current low price of corn helps make early weaning a viable decision. Removing the milk production nutrient needs for nursing calves and taking those calves off the pasture can stretch the available grazing days.
Preparing for next season
If one summer of drought can reduce productivity of a pasture for years, how much damage is two years in a row going to cause? It is good to have measured evaluations of pastures to help identify improvements or decline in desirable plants.
Taking measurements of the percentage of desirable plants in 10 to 15 1-square-foot areas throughout the pasture is a good starting point for measuring improvement or decline of conditions.
Ohio State also has a recently published fact sheet, “Giving New Life to Tired Pastures,” which can provide good guidance on evaluation and steps for improving pastures. Find it at https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-0159.
