Livestock grazing during the growing season can affect regrowth of grasses. When moisture no longer is available and temperatures are too high or too low for rapid growth, regrowth is reduced considerably by grazing. Therefore, grazing in this pasture should be discontinued or reduced. If defoliations continue, little leaf area may remain throughout the growing season, and plants could enter dormancy with less vigor and lower reserves. This could significantly reduce growth the following year.
Plants produce more leaves than stemmy tissue in the spring.
These leaves contain abundant supplies of energy, protein and other nutrients necessary to meet most grazing-animal requirements. Grasses can be used heavily during this period, but discontinue or reduce grazing in time to allow for regrowth of leaves for photosynthesis and carbohydrate production. If grasses are grazed in the reproductive phase, use them less intensely than during spring growth. Little opportunity for regrowth exists during midsummer, so sufficient leafy material should remain after grazing to maintain carbohydrate levels within the plant. Grazing during the fall and winter periods, after plant growth is complete and plants are dormant, can be much heavier than at other periods of the year.