Red clover should not be cut or grazed shorter than 3 or 4 inches. Continuous stocking of red clover can be profitable, but requires frequent adjustments in number of animals per acre. With rotational stocking, it is generally easier to maintain long stand life, high forage quality, and produce seed necessary for reseeding. Later in the season grazing can be extended to 2 weeks with enough animals to remove all but 3 to 4 inches of growth. When seed production is desired, animals should be removed for 5-6 weeks.
Few flowers develop for good seed production with heavy continuous grazing.
Pastures can be cut or grazed after seed set, shattering much of the seed onto the soil. Nitrogen fixation potential of well-managed clover minimizes the need for nitrogen fertilizer. Other than small direct transfer of nitrogen to other species, this nitrogen is first available for animal feed, much of which is recycled through urine and manure. As clover roots, stems, and leaves decay, some of the nitrogen becomes available to associated grasses. This underscores the importance of effective inoculation.