Another way is to use welded wire panels to create an exclosure before grazing is initiated. Back To Top Calender date is a very poor way to determine when to remove the cattle from wheat pasture unless you plan to be extra conservative, and be sure cattle are removed before the earliest date first hollow stem has ever occurred in your area. For example at Marshall, OK at the Wheat Pasture Research Unit Table 1 shows dates 2180, Karl 92, and Scout 66 reached first hollow stem. From these data, if we wanted to be conservative and remove cattle Feb. 15 to Feb 20, grazing would not likely cause grain yield to be decreased. However, in some years as much as three weeks of grazing would be lost with this conservative approach.
Several factors influence the date when first hollow stem occurs.
Probably the largest factor is the temperature during January and February. Wheat planted in late August will reach first hollow stem stage earlier than wheat planted in early October. How much earlier depends upon the weather that year. Reports from Bushland, Texas indicate that with 100 bushel yield potential irrigated wheat, grain yield reductions occurred with grazing in late February and early March, even though wheat not grazed after February 1 did not begin jointing until late March. They had no comparison with ungrazed wheat and did not monitor first hollow stem stage.