A Management Intensive Grazing (MIG) program is required if one is going strive for year-round grazing (Bartholomew and Vollborn, 1997). A MIG program can extend the grazing season in Ohio by six to eight weeks.
Spring Animals grazing cool-season perennial pastures should be maintained within paddocks that can be rotationally grazed. The paddocks can be large with rapid rotations. After the spring flush period and seedheads are controlled, pastures can be rotated with ever-increasing residual of forage, letting the paddocks build a cushion of feed for the possible summer slump periods. Another alternative would be to make hay on ungrazed paddocks of cool-season grasses. The hay can be used as an emergency winter feed or when the spring pastures are not ready for grazing. Paddocks harvested for hay in the spring could be stockpiled for use as part of the mid-summer grazing program. Winter grain crops can be used for early spring and fall-winter grazing.
Summer Late July or early August is when producers in Ohio must prepare for winter grazing. This is when turnips can be planted, nitrogen can be applied to cool-season pastures, and tall fescue stockpiling is begun for winter (Penrose et al., 1994). The stockpiling for fall-winter grazing does not need to start the same day in each field. If possible, calves should be allowed to creep graze ahead of their dams. Early weaning is also an option. Warm-season grasses can be used in summer.
Fall-Winter Fields to be grazed in mid-winter should have a southeast exposure. Controlled grazing is still as important during the fall and winter as during the spring and summer but for different reasons. In the spring, grazing is controlled to maintain forage quality and plant vigor. Winter grazing should be controlled to improve forage utilization and to reduce hay feeding. Strip grazing instead of paddocks can be used during winter grazing. A three-day or two times weekly shift for beef cows is near optimal. Annual crops, like brassicas, and crop aftermath can be utilized.