Tag: Grazing

Articles focusing around grazing practices for you cattle or livestock

Extend Grazing Days with Fall Cover Crops

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Extend Grazing Days with Fall Cover Crops

Ranching advisor Jim Johnson breaks down a common question he hears from ranchers – how to incorporate fall cover crops into a grazing plan.

One of the most common questions ranchers ask Jim Johnson is how to supplement grazing needs while transitioning to regenerative practices. Instead of baling or buying hay, Johnson, senior regenerative ranching advisor at Noble Research Institute, suggests adding fall cover crops to their grazing plan.

Grazing and economic benefits of fall cover crops

From a grazing perspective, there are abundant reasons to add fall cover crops to your pastures, especially if you want to reduce your reliance on hay. But these cool-season cover crops add more to your ranch than grazing days. They can boost soil health, increase plant diversity and attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.

“In the first year, you may see an increase in insects and beneficial animals. But it may take a few years for a noticeable increase in earthworms and water retention or infiltration rates,” explains Johnson.

Noble’s Red River Ranch began incorporating fall cover crops a couple of years ago. Ranch manager Kevin Pierce plants cool-season crops in December and grazes them in February and March, when his warm-season pastures are dormant. Pierce adopted this practice for soil health benefits, but Johnson believes there’s an economic benefit to increasing grazing days, too. It’s a conversation that perks up ears in the Noble Land Essentials courses he teaches.  

“The economics would be a lot better, for one, because you’re not paying to cut, rake, bale, and haul hay off, then haul it back and feed it to (the cattle),” he says. “You don’t have the shrink from it decomposing in a field, or the capital expenditure if it’s in a barn for storage.” 

Determine if fall cover crops are right for your pastures

But before ranchers haul out their planting equipment, Johnson says it’s important to know why you’re planting the cover crop, and how you plan to use it.

“How does that grazing field fit into the rest of your grazing plan? Does it match a time when you have a forage need, and allow you to reduce hay feeding?” he asks. “Maybe instead of a cover crop, think of it as a second forage crop. I think it can still provide a lot of the same benefits to the ecosystem if we manage it properly when you graze a cover crop.”

If you know why you’re planting the cover crop, then you can begin to determine the right crop – or mix of crops – to plant. For example, a cover crop to increase plant diversity and add forages to your grazing plan might be a specific mix of grasses and legumes, while a cover crop to break up compacted soil or attract pollinators will focus on plants with deep root systems or flowering plants, respectively.

Johnson recommends connecting with a neighbor who uses cover crops or contacting your regional Cover Crops Council for more information about what works well in your area. If local producers aren’t an option, he suggests starting with a seed company website or catalogue. There are many good ones available, but his preference is Green Cover, based in south-central Nebraska.

“Many seed company websites have some kind of interactive tool to help producers determine the right mix for their operation,” Johnson says. “You might have to tweak their recommendation, but it gets folks started on a good path.”

Adopt best practices for planting fall cover crops

The easiest way to integrate a fall cover crop is to let the first frost stop the growth of your warm-season grasses, then plant your cool-season cover crop.  Johnson acknowledges that access to a no-till drill – the tool he believes is the best way to plant a crop into pastureland – can be limited for many ranchers.

“You can broadcast or tread in with cattle, but it’s not as dependable and predictable as a no-till drill. Though, if you can get some good rain right after planting, you might get closer,” Johnson says. He also points out that broadcast seeding rates may need to be higher than those recommended when using a no-till drill. Also, he knows ranchers may not like hearing this, but Johnson often responds to their requests for specific cover-crop advice or recommendations with, “it depends.” He knows every ranch is unique and every rancher employs a different philosophy about achieving their ranch goals. Generally, he encourages producers to experiment on a small section of their pasture to determine what works best for them.

August 2025
By Laura Brenner, Sr. Content Writer

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Do You Have Enough Resources for Your Cow Herd?

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Do you have enough resources? Why cow size matters now more than ever

As genetics continue to evolve, the modern beef cow is bigger, more productive and more demanding. But is every operation equipped to feed her?

It’s a question Dr. Elizabeth Belew, beef nutritionist with Purina® Animal Nutrition, gets asked frequently. From walking pastures with producers to consulting on feed programs across the country, Dr. Belew has seen firsthand that one size does not fit all. With finishing weights increasing over the past two decades, it’s clear that cow size on cow-calf operations has followed suit. 

“Industry trends are shaping the story,” says Dr. Belew. “We’ve seen steady increases in finishing weights, and that has a direct correlation to mature cow body size. Bigger cows are here, and producers need to make sure their management practices match.”

Bigger cow, bigger needs

While genetic advancements have helped producers achieve more, from increased beef production to increased pregnancy rates, they’ve outpaced management practices in some herds. This has directly impacted grazing pressure, nutritional requirements and producers’ bottom lines. As body size increases, so does the cow’s requirements. This means producers need more forage and more feed to support their cows.

“If you go from managing a 1,000-pound cow to a 1,500-pound cow, that’s a 50% increase in body weight,” Belew explains. “But her energy requirement doesn’t increase linearly, it goes up about 36%. That’s still a significant bump.”

Let’s break it down. Using 2.5% of body weight as an intake estimator:

  • A 1,000-lb. cow will consume about 25 lbs. of dry matter daily.
  • A 1,500-lb. cow will need roughly 37-38 lbs. of dry matter daily.

That difference adds up to approximately 4,500 additional lbs. of forage per cow, per year. Multiply that by herd size, and the forage demands become clear. 

“If you don’t have the resources, whether that’s pasture, feed or labor, then that cow’s size could start working against you,” Dr. Belew says.

In addition to dry matter intake, it is important to ensure each cow is receiving the right minerals to support their needs and size. Purina® Wind and Rain® Minerals are available as a comprehensive line of beef cattle minerals designed to address the mineral deficiencies of the available forage, in a palatable, weather-resistant and granular formula.

So, what’s the “ideal” cow size? 

So, what’s the “ideal” cow size? It depends entirely on the operation.

“I get this question a lot,” says Dr. Belew. “There’s no universal answer. A 1,500-pound cow might be perfect for one producer and totally unsustainable for another.”

What matters the most is matching cow size to the feed, land, management and labor available. It’s not about shrinking your herd, it’s about feeding what you’ve got, appropriately and efficiently.

“If you’re better suited for a 1,300-lb. cow based on your land and resources, then do what’s right for your operation,” she says. “I’m not here to tell producers to raise smaller or bigger cows. I’m here to help them feed the cow they’ve chosen.”

Are bigger cows weaning bigger calves?

With greater inputs come greater expectations. One question that often arises is whether a larger cow justifies her cost by weaning a proportionally larger calf.

Dr. Belew suggests using a common benchmark: weaning 50% of the cow’s body weight.

  • A 1,000-lb. cow should wean a 500 lb. calf.
  • A 1,500-lb. cow should wean a 750 lb. calf.

“Can that 1,500-pound cow get it done? I think she can, but only if she’s fed to meet her needs,” says Belew. “You can’t expect that kind of output if you’re not meeting her nutritional demands.”

That’s where management tools like creep feeding come in. For some producers, creep feeding can help calves reach their genetic potential without placing the entire nutritional burden on the cow, especially during times of forage shortfall.

“There’s definitely a play for creep feeding in today’s herds,” Dr. Belew says. “Creep feeding Purina® Accuration® Creep programs can help close the gap between what the cow and forage can deliver and what the calf needs to thrive. 

Grazing pressure and stocking rates

Another often-overlooked aspect of increasing cow size is its impact on stocking rates. With each cow requiring more forage, it may not be realistic to run the same number of animals on the same piece of land.

“If we’re still trying to run the same number of cows that our grandparents did on the same unit of land, we might be overstocked without realizing it,” Dr. Belew notes. “We’re not feeding the same animal anymore.”

For many producers, this realization comes with hard choices: reducing herd size, investing in more feed or adjusting genetics over time. Regardless of the route, understanding cow size and how it impacts daily and yearly forage needs is essential to long-term sustainability of your herd.

Practical takeaways for producers

If you’re managing a herd today, Dr. Belew encourages you to ask a few key questions:

  • What is the average weight of my mature cows?
    • Eyeballing isn’t enough. Take the time to weigh them on a scale or compare your sale barn ticket to find the average of your herd. 
  • Am I matching my nutrition program to actual cow size and performance goals?
    • Bigger cows need more energy. During breeding, analyze your cow’s body condition score and make improvements if needed to meet your herd’s needs prior to weaning. 
  • How do my weaning weights compare to cow size?
    • Compare your weaning weights to your average cow size to better understand if your cows are properly supporting their calves. 
  • Can my land support the grazing needs of a heavier herd?
    • Especially in drought-prone areas, reevaluate your land to ensure you are meeting the needs of your herd. 
  • Where does creep feeding make sense in my system?
    • If resources are available, consider feeding Purina® Accuration® Creep feed to complement mother’s milk and available forage, while boosting calf gain prior to weaning. 

Bottom line: Feed the cows you have

Today’s cattle genetics offer incredible potential, but they require thoughtful, informed management to deliver results. Cow size can be a powerful advantage or a costly liability depending on how it’s supported.

“Bigger cows can absolutely work in a herd,” Belew says. “Whether you’re managing 50 cows or 500, the message is the same: feed strategically, stock appropriately and never assume one size fits all.”

Want to evaluate your herd’s nutritional plan or forage efficiency? Connect with your local Purina® Cattle representative or visit PurinaMills.com/cattlecare to learn more.

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August 2025

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Simple Stocking Rate Assessment

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Simple Stocking Rate Assessment as You Begin Regenerative Ranching

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How do you know how many heads of grazing livestock your ranch can support while still taking good care of your land? Hugh Aljoe of Noble Research Institute discusses overstocking, overgrazing, and a quick way to determine carrying capacity.

During Noble’s courses on regenerative ranching and regenerative grazing, our facilitators often get questions about knowing the proper stocking rate. What’s the correct number of livestock on your property for a given time? How do you know if you’re overstocked?

Let’s start by understanding the concepts involved. Then, we have a suggested method that can supply a ballpark answer on stocking rate to help ranchers get a good start with regenerative ranching and grazing.

Being “overstocked” is not the same as “overgrazing.” Neither is desirable.

When it comes to grazing-land stewardship on a ranch, two concepts need to be fully understood and managed: “overstocking” and “overgrazing.” These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they refer to two very different conditions.

Overstock is the condition of carrying more livestock than the land resource can sustain, either short-term or long-term. The term applies to the property or land resource under grazing management.

Overgrazing pertains to the plants being grazed. It is the repeated grazing of a plant before fully recovering from a previous grazing event. Overgrazing occurs one plant at a time, and overstocking occurs one management unit (pasture or ranch) at a time.

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There are situations where pastures are both overstocked and overgrazed – no surprise. However, contrary to conventional thought, pastures can be understocked and overgrazed simultaneously. This is often the case when a rancher sets a conservative stocking rate for a ranch. Yet, the grazing approach is either continuous or rotational, with only a few pastures. Pastures will have under-grazed and overgrazed plants present in these cases. The more-preferred plants are repeatedly grazed, while the less-preferred plants are left ungrazed until the livestock are out of the more-preferred plants. Over time, the preferred, heavily grazed plants have reduced energy resources and vigor and eventually die because they never had the opportunity to recover.

Stock appropriately for your land resource

When we approach regenerative grazing, our objective is to be stocked appropriately for the weather events and conditions of the land resource. We also need to graze the pastures appropriately, allowing them periods to rest. Proper stocking and grazing management allow for more uniform utilization of all the plants, minimizes repeated grazing of plants during a grazing event, and allows complete recovery of more-preferred plants (which usually require more extended recovery periods than the less-preferred plants).

The first step in regenerative grazing is to ensure that we are not overstocked—that our initial stocking rate is not greater than the current carrying capacity. In this context, carrying capacity is the total forage produced over time that can be comfortably allocated to grazing livestock in a specific area.

Determining an accurate carrying capacity can appear complicated due to the number of variables involved. These variables include assessing total forage production based on:
  • total number of grazeable acres
  • estimates of actual forage production by pasture and soil type
  • forage type
  • forage management
  • precipitation and weather conditions
  • distance from water, etc.,

and then allocating a percentage of the total production for grazing (for example, 25% grazing utilization for native range, 50% grazing utilization for introduced pasture). While doing this thorough assessment at some point is important, we don’t want it to impede our efforts to succeed at regenerative ranching.

Feeding Hay

To assess overstocking, look at how much hay you feed

The good news is there is a simple assessment you can use to determine if you are stocked at a level greater than your carrying capacity based on current management and current weather conditions. The amount of substitute hay you feed per year can indicate your grazing management and stocking situation.

Hay feeding to increase carrying capacity means a producer is supplying forage, usually purchased, to substitute for the lack of enough natural forage production on the ranch. We need to examine this closely.

For every month of hay that is fed above what is planned (assuming the economic feasibility of the hay), the ranch is overstocked by at least 8.3%. By the same token, for every one-month livestock are made to “hustle” for forage on range or pasture (hustle being defined as livestock grazing behavior to find the next bite of forage after most of the leaf material has been removed from a pasture), you’re also overstocked by at least 8.3%. The 8.3% is simply one month divided by 12 months times 100%.

 

Build resiliency and profitability for your ranching operation in your land.

If a ranch is stocked correctly, there would be enough grazeable forage at the end of the growing season to last until spring green-up. Grazeable forage ideally should last 30 days into spring. That way, livestock can graze last year’s forage (with some new growth within the stand), while the already grazed pastures recover or regrow at the beginning of the growing season.

For most producers, there will likely be a need to feed some hay for extreme conditions or occasional situations where hay is required or desired. In some climates, hay is needed during the winter due to the depth of snow cover; elsewhere, bale grazing is used for desired hoof impact. However, for many producers, especially in the South, hay is expensive to increase the carrying capacity. That is why producers should carefully evaluate the cost of hay and minimize the need for substitute hay feeding.

Overstocking can take a toll on ROI and your land resource

Substitute hay feeding does not apply only to the additional livestock numbers stocked above carrying capacity. It applies to ALL the livestock on the ranch.

Consider a ranch with a carrying capacity of 100 cows, but the current herd consists of 120 cows fed hay for 1.5 months. No substitute hay feeding is required at a stocking rate – the number of livestock present on a property for a given amount of time — of 100 cows. However, at the actual herd size of 120 cows, it is not just the extra 20 cows that require hay; all 120 cows will need to be fed hay.

Let’s generalize and assume one round bale of hay per month of hay feeding. Then, realize that the extra 20 cows cost the ranch 20 cows x 1.5 months of hay and 120 cows x 1.5 months of hay, which equals an extra 180 bales. At $100/bale delivered and fed, that is an additional $18,000 direct cost to the cow enterprise, or $900 for each of those 20 cows over carrying capacity.

Assessing the Costs

Will the calf production of the additional 20 cows cover all their other direct costs plus the additional $900? Not likely, even in a good cattle market. There is an argument that one can prorate the cost of the hay across all the cows as one examines the enterprise. But take a critical look at the incremental increase in costs relative to the increase in revenue as well as the implications for the land resource of overgrazing—the whole picture.

In regenerative ranching, we assess both the direct cost and the cost to the land and ecosystem. There is a point of diminishing returns for both economic and ecological outcomes where the additional production units cannibalize the returns to the resource. Unfortunately, it is usually after we ascertain that we have passed that point of diminishing returns.

Start regenerative ranching with a stocking rate below carrying capacity

When you begin regenerative ranching and practicing regenerative grazing, you should give yourself the best opportunity to succeed. A great place to start is to ensure that the stocking rate on the ranch is below the carrying capacity of your pastures and other growing forage.

Use this simple assessment of fed hay and “hustle” to quickly determine your carrying capacity and adjust your ranch’s stocking rate as needed. It can also help you determine a safe place to begin regenerative management on your grazing lands.

Hugh Aljoe

Hugh Aljoe serves as the director of ranches, outreach, and partnerships. He has been associated with Noble Research Institute since 1995. Before coming to Noble, he managed a 3,000-acre, 1,500-head cattle operation in Texas. Hugh received his master’s degree in range science from Texas A&M University with an emphasis in grazing management.

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