Haying occurs no earlier than mid August to avoid disturbing nesting or young birds and grazing occurs during the fall and winter, so that the breeding season is not interrupted. Methods are chosen dependent upon the circumstances involved. Managers must consider whether there is standing water, as well as, the previous uses of the meadow. Then the bales are removed from the refuge to feed livestock on private lands. With rake bunch grazing, hay is mowed and raked into bunches.
Livestock then graze either the rake bunched hay or the remaining unmowed hay.
Duration and intensity are carefully calculated and monitored to prevent overgrazing. This maintains the health and viability of the soil for continued use. Benefits to Wildlife Prescribed grazing and haying provide feeding benefits to a variety of bird species at Malheur Refuge. Sandhill cranes, Canada geese and a number of ducks utilize these meadows to fuel themselves for migration as well as local breeding. The removal of vegetation allows early solar warming of the soil increasing the activity of protein rich invertebrates, such as earthworms, and stimulating earlier growth of new vegetation.