Fall grazing of alfalfa may cause winter stand injury Grazing alfalfa in the fall may be a way for farmers to utilize a high-quality forage at a time of year when making hay can be risky at best. But, some of the precautions that apply to late season cuttings still apply to fall grazing. Producers must weight the opportunity for grain with fall-grazed alfalfa against the risk for subsequent stand injury.
Anytime alfalfa is defoliated in the fall, there is a risk of winter injury.
Some general principles should be used to guide a producer in managing fall grazing. Generally, alfalfa needs a 45-day rest period after the last cutting before utilizing the crop for either grazing or a late season cutting. The best time to fall-graze alfalfa is after a killing frost, if it occurs after a rest period to maximize energy reserves. A killing frost usually requires two consecutive nights when temperatures drop to at least 25 degrees Fahrenheit for several hours. Regardless of timing, late fall grazing poses risks to the stand.