Let them eat grass

The benefits of grazing extend beyond cattle and sheep to goats, llamas, ostrich, pigs, turkeys, ducks, chickens, rabbits, sheep, and just about any other domestic critter. Here are some fundamentals to get you started.

Fence

A big key to grazing success is the fence. For cattle, it needs to be substantial. Traditional fences use four or five strands of barbed wire or 48-inch woven wire with a single strand of barbed wire above it. Horses need a higher fence wire with more visibility; pigs and sheep need a wire closer to the ground.

Newer perimeter fences are easier to install and maintain, and are less expensive. These fences have three or four strands of 14-gauge hi-tensile or galvanized wire. The wires can be retightened as they stretch and require fewer permanent posts than traditional fences. Internal paddocks consist of a single strand of poly wire, fence reels, and temporary step-in posts. Pigtail step-in posts and poly wire made of braided polyethylene and stainless steel filaments work well.

Energizer

You'll also need a properly installed and grounded fencer (energizer). Models range from 1J (joule) to 15J depending on the length of the fence and density of vegetation growing into the fence. Keep the fencer away from buildings, and ground it with multiple galvanized ground rods to reduce stray voltage.

Pasture

If the number of animals you want to graze is small compared to the acreage (more than 3 acres per cow/calf pair in humid regions of the country), an existing pasture of bluegrass, white clover, and dandelion may work. However, for a higher stocking of animals, the pasture will need to be renovated. Many graziers frost-seed legumes, and sometimes grasses, into their pastures. Frost-seeding occurs soon after the snow is melted but before the ground thaws. Red clover is the most robust species for frost-seeding; the seed is spread by hand or by mechanical means. The action of the soil surface freezing on cold nights and thawing on warm days incorporates the seed into the soil. (The process does not work as well on sandy soil.)

Interseeding, a second method of pasture renovation, is done with a drill in soft soil later in spring. The existing plants should have been stressed as much as possible by heavy grazing the previous fall. Several legumes, especially clovers and a limited number of grasses can be interseeded.

The final option is to kill existing pasture and weed species using herbicide or tillage. The broadest range of legumes and grasses can be seeded after such a renovation. Orchard grass is popular because it is the fastest to re-grow after grazing. Alice white clover is a good legume companion because it survives best in competition with orchard grass. A reasonable seeding rate is 8 to 14 pounds per acre of orchard grass and 2 to 5 pounds of Alice white clover, with 2 pounds of ryegrass as a cover crop to reduce weed sprouting.