Potential to improve winter grazing pastures: Sieben Land and Livestock study

Abstract

• Maintaining economic sustainability requires reduced inputs such as mechanically harvested forage. It is estimated that grazing versus feeding cattle during the winter can save 42% to 70% of the yearly input costs in the western United States and Saskatchewan, Canada. • Grass mixtures of intermediate wheatgrass and meadow bromegrass produced 2 and 3 times the stockpiled forage than orchardgrass and native range, respectively. • Economic pay-back period on the initial pasture establishment costs were < 1 year for intermediate wheatgrass, meadow bromegrass/intermediate wheatgrass, and meadow bromegrass/tall fescue mixtures.