When winter pasture begins to green up, it can be hard to wait before letting the cows in.After a good fall rain, rye, wheat, oats, or ryegrass can green up fast. The cows notice as well. They gather at the fence and bawl, making it feel like you are wasting good feed by keeping them out.
But just because the pasture is green does not mean it is ready.
A winter pasture might look great from the truck, but the plants could still be building the roots and leaf area they need to recover after grazing. If you let cattle in too early, you might get a few days of grazing now but lose much more forage later, when winter feed costs become important.
So the real question is not, “Is there enough green out there?”
Instead, ask, “Can this pasture handle grazing and recover well?“
That is the question to guide your first turnout.
