While almost any pasture can be stockpiled, tall fescue produces the most desirable fall and winter forage supply. Tall fescue continues to actively grow at lower temperatures than most other cool-season, perennial grasses and accumulates growth later into the fall. The nutritive quality of fall-grown tall fescue is quite high. The heavy, waxy layer or cuticle on the leaves makes the plant more resistant to frost damage than most other cool-season grasses, which helps to preserve the quality of the standing stockpile. Stockpiling tall fescue is also a particularly useful strategy in the management of endophyte-infected fescue.
Heat stress intensifies the adverse effects of ergot alkaloids in cattle.
Back To Top Management Practices for Stockpiling Fescue Timing Timing of the initiation of the stockpile period greatly influences the quality of forage available for late fall and winter grazing. The fall growth will then be composed primarily of new leaf tissue. A 75-day growing period before cold weather is needed to produce optimum yields of stockpiled fall fescue. To determine when to begin stockpiling fescue pasture, estimate the last day of active growth in your area and back up 75 days. For example, if November 25 is the end of the fall growing season for fescue, target September 10 to begin stockpiling.