The grazing period is usually three days or less. Farmers can do a great deal through management and fertilization to improve naturally seeded permanent pastures. Many farmers must start with newly seeded fields or pastures, however. This bulletin will discuss principles of pasture management for controlled grazing and recommend forage species and mixtures for use in controlled grazing. Selecting the site, grazing to eliminate brush, planting new mixtures and using intensive grazing schedules are management options for productive pastures.
Intensive grazing enhances the composition of pastures through frequent but controlled defoliation.
Most pastures are on sites that are often too wet, too steep, too small, too rocky or for some other reason not suited for row crops. Most fields that are not already in good pasture will need seedings of grass and legumes to become productive. If new fences are needed or the land needs to be drained or shaped, make plans to complete the work well in advance of seedbed preparation and seeding. Quackgrass is an aggressive invader, and we suggest using herbicides or tillage to destroy it before attempting to seed legumes. In some cases, mob grazing with young livestock, sheep or goats can be used to weaken brush, weeds and undesirable grasses.