#79 Discover the Power of Grass Stockpile: What it is and Why it Matters

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Greetings, fellow ranchers and land stewards! Today, we embark on a journey into a topic that holds the potential to redefine your approach to grazing management – the important concept of grass stockpile. If you're curious about what exactly grass stockpile is and how it can reshape your ranching practices, you are in for a treat. Come on over and let's take a deep dive into the world of grass stockpile! We will break down all the important details and check out the many things it can do for your land.

Before we start, I want to let you know that I have created a new guide for you showing you how to improve your pastures long term in 2 easy steps that you can implement right away and that will produce results almost immediately!

This free guide is in PDF format and I made it very actionable and added several things to consider when you start implementing it. I really want you to check it out and let me know what you think! Download it now at www.rwranching.com/pastures. If you are ready we are going to start!

Let's start at the very beginning. What exactly is grass stockpile? We'll break down this term into its core components and unveil how it's more than just storing forage – it's a strategic approach that aligns with the natural growth patterns of your pastures.

Stockpile is also called standing hay and it should not have been grazed after shutting the gate to that paddock, remember that if you allow your livestock access to that paddock they will select the best and reject the rest creating manure and urine contamination which would lower its quality. Just as you wouldn’t offer rejected hay to your livestock, we should not offer leftovers to our livestock.

This means that leftovers are NOT suitable as stockpiled grass for best performance.

At its heart, grass stockpile is a harmonious blend of nature and strategic ranch management. We'll delve into how this practice leverages the innate ability of grasses to accumulate energy reserves during specific periods, and how it can enhance the productivity of your grazing lands.

These energy reserves in roots feed soil microorganisms close to the roots by root exudates. These microorganisms need to get fat to be converted into HUMUS which is the stable fraction of organic matter that cannot be further degraded, humus is what gives your soil the deep brown color and the earthy smell, it is your soil's REAL FERTILITY. Most new humus is created in your stockpile area!

The Rich Rewards of Grass Stockpile: Among its many advantages, grass stockpile shines as a reliable source of winter or dry season forage. We'll explore how having a bank of stockpiled grass ensures that your livestock have access to nutritious sustenance during the colder or drier months when other grazing options may be scarce.

Having standing hay in large areas of your property gives you a sense of security knowing that you will not have to buy hay when everybody is frantically trying to find some hay in a drought. This is a huge advantage of a high harvest-efficiency grazing program.

Grass stockpile isn't merely a feeding strategy; it's an economically savvy decision. We'll uncover how harnessing the power of stockpiled grass can lead to reduced reliance on supplemental feed, potentially resulting in significant cost savings for your ranching enterprise.

Savings are usually in the 2 to 3 hundred dollars savings per cow per year when compared to full-feeding hay! 

Plus, your soil will improve much faster thanks to the fat roots developed in the stockpiling period.

Successful grass stockpiling hinges on precise timing. We'll discuss the optimal windows for allowing grasses to stockpile, accumulate energy reserves, and become leafy stockpile before your livestock sets their hooves on them.

Grasses sense the need to reproduce when roots are short or energy reserves are low, they do this to ensure the survival of their species. When grasses have deep and strong roots and with ample soil humus, they become what I call happy plants and their leaves continue growing without seeding out, leading to more humus formation in your soil!

The high fiber of stockpiled grass needs to be considered to get your livestock in good health and good body condition. We'll delve into how the higher fiber, lower protein stockpiled mature grass needs to be used by your dry cows. In some environments, no protein supplementation will be needed and in some others, a minimal amount of a high-protein supplement will be needed. The savings I mentioned earlier were calculated AFTER deducting the cost of the protein supplement.

Strategic grazing practices are essential for effective grass stockpile management. We'll explore how a well-designed high-harvest efficiency grazing system can help you optimize the utilization of stockpiled grass while maintaining the health of your pastures.

In the green season, our focus is on quality for our livestock while in the dry season or winter, our focus needs to be volume to harvest the maximum quantity of forage per acre to maintain as many animals in good body condition through the winter or dry season.

As you may remember from past podcasts,  a high stocking rate determines profits and productivity IF you avoid overgrazing which is grazing a plant before it is fully recovered.

Monitoring and Fine-Tuning Performance. 

Observing your livestock is essential for a successfulul grass stockpile grazing management. We'll emphasize the importance of ongoing monitoring of gut fill, body condition, livestock behavior, and nutritional needs, and how making timely adjustments can maximize the benefits of your stockpiled forage. All the while achieving a high harvest efficiency grazing.

We need to be constantly observing manure, gut fill, body condition, and behavior of our livestock. This will ensure the very best results.

Conclusion: As we wrap up our exploration of grass stockpile, remember that this practice is more than a pasture management technique – it's a gateway to enhanced livestock well-being, stronger grass plants,  regenerating your soils by increasing their humus content, and a more efficient and productive ranching operation. By embracing the power of grass stockpile, you're embracing a resilient approach to ranching that sets the stage for a bountiful future.

Before I leave, I would like you to get your hands on this new and very useful PDF on improving your pastures now and for the future.  In it, I explain, step by step, how to use the mower to transform your landscape and how to avoid overgrazing your best forage species. We want to make the weeds and brush weaker and our best forage species stronger so that they, in turn, transform your soils. You can download it at www.rwranching.com/pastures.

Until next time: Thank you for engaging in this in-depth exploration. Here's to unlocking the potential of grass stockpile, creating a legacy of thriving livestock, and nurturing the vitality of your cherished land for generations to come!