How To Choose The Right Seed For Your Pasture

What you get out of your livestock pasture is directly related to what you put into it, or rather what seed you choose to grow in it.

The choice as to which seed to choose for your pasture depends on the type of livestock that will graze on it and the climate you live in.

 

Determine Your Livestock’s Needs

Cattle, horses and sheep all have different nutritional needs. Grazers, like cattle and horses, primarily eat grasses like Bermuda, Bahia, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, clover and alfalfa. Browsers, like deer or elk, focus on the leaves, flowers and twigs of plants. Sheep, classified as intermediate feeders, use their small mouths to select plant parts, while still readily consuming grasses. An ideal pasture for them includes orchard grass, white clover and some additional legumes. Be sure to speak to your vet if you have any questions or concerns about the nutrition your livestock needs.

 

Look At The Weather

Where you are located in the country plays a big part in which seed you should plant. Southern climates will have different challenges from northern ones. Ragan & Massey’s Red Ace Clover forage seed was developed specifically for the southern United States as it gives pastures a jump start for the southern growing season. Bahiagrass is a good, low-maintenance grass that helps with erosion control and grows in low moisture soils. UF-Riata, a purebred diploid bahiagrass, can tolerate the colder temps of the spring and fall. Ram Forage Oats is very cold tolerant. It can be planted as early as September or October for good early fall forage. Add some Prine Tetraploid Annual Ryegrass and your winter pasture will last until May.

 

Do Your Research

Choose a seed that will provide your livestock with the best nutrients possible and one that’s proven successful. We’ve partnered with some of the top universities to develop our seed mixes. Our Prine ryegrass varieties come from the outstanding University of Florida breeding program, along with our UF-Riata bahiagrass seed. Auburn University developed our Red Ace Clover. Ragan & Massey is a member of the Louisiana Seed Association and the Southern Seed Association. We source, pack and produce all our own seed. Not only do we have the research to back it up, but we guarantee everything we sell.

See if our seed blends are sold near your or order them online.