72 MISC. PUBLICATION 194, V. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



tender, and abundant, dairy cows of good production ate enough to 

 make the dry-matter intake from 25 to 30 pounds a day and the intake 

 of digestible nutrients from 17 to 21 pounds. "^Mien the pasture plants 

 became more woody and less abundant though still what would ordi- 

 narily be considered good pasturage, the consumption of dry matter 

 dropped to 17 pounds, or little more than enough for maintenance 

 and the production of one half pound of butterfat a day. It was also 

 shown that cows would eat as much grass in July as in Maj^ provided 

 the herbage in Julj^^ was as tender and abundant as that in May. 

 Apparently, the heat and flies had no material influence on the quan- 

 tity of grass the cows would graze. These facts make possible an 

 estimation of the supplementary feed required by dairy cows on 

 pasture. 



SUPPLEMENTING PERMANENT PASTURES 



There are few places in the United States where permanent pastures 

 remain tender and abundant throughout the grazing season. As a 

 rule in the Northern States the vigorous growth in the spring is fol- 

 lowed by a slow growth m the summer, which may become more rapid 

 in the fall. Apparently some of this variation in seasonal growth is 

 due to the tendency of the plailts to rest after seed is formed, but some 

 of it is also due to inadec^uate soil moisture in midsummer. The result 

 is that if the pasture provides the proper quantity of grass for the 

 dairy herd early in the season it will fail to do so later in the season 

 and must be supplemented with other feed. Or if the pasture pro- 

 vides the required amount of grazing in midsummer and fall it wdll 

 produce more than the cows can use early in the season. In this case 

 some of the pasturage may be made into hay or silage. Tliis will 

 avoid waste of feed and will get the surplus grass off the land so that 

 the young grass can grow and be grazed. ^Miere hay of desirable 

 qualities cannot be made from pasture land, it appears better practice 

 to adjust the size of the permanent pasture or of the herd to the grazing 

 conditions during the first part of the season and to depend on tem- 

 porary pasturage or other feed to supplement the permanent pastures 

 in the summer and faU. In the South the principal pasture grasses 

 are late starting in the spring and make their greatest growth in the 

 summer. For this reason supplementary pastures in the South are 

 likely to be more urgently needed in the spring than later in the season. 

 Furthermore, on account of the weather conditions supplementary 

 pastures late in the fall or very early in the spring are more practicable 

 in the South than in the North. 



Although supplementary pastures are fully discussed elsewhere 

 in tliis publication, there are a few wliich merit particular considera- 

 tion for dairy purposes. One of these is oats. In the North it is 

 ready for grazing at about the time the bluegrass begins to lose its 

 value and will fill the gap between the bluegrass and Sudan grass. 

 In some parts of the South, oats makes an excellent pasture for use in 

 the late fall and early spring. If desired, oats may serve both as a 

 nurse crop for young grass and clover and for grazing. Sudan grass 

 takes first place as a supplementary pasture plant for simimer and 

 fall. The first year's growth of sweetclover, wliich is ordinarily ready 

 to graze in July, is sometimes used to supplement permanent pastures. 

 And on the poorer acid soils the lespedezas are proving popular for 

 summer and fall grazing in the regions adapted to their growth. 



