Grazing Corn Stalks with Livestock

When we think grazing, we often think grass. But this isn't always the case. Livestock can be tillers for the land, helping to compact dead plant matter and seed cover crops for future paddock establishment. The term "corn stalk grazing" is somewhat misleading, because often, the cattle being grazed in a corn stalk paddock are doing so to eat leaves, and the stalks themselves do not provide the most valuable nutritional fodder. Therefore, cornstalk grazing is primarily about segmentation and timing. 

After the corn harvest, fields are often left with stalks, leaves, and some residual grain. Traditionally, these residues might be plowed under, baled, or left to decompose. However, introducing livestock to graze on these remains not only provides an economic benefit by reducing feed costs but also plays into the broader strategy of regenerative agriculture. Instead of just leaving decomposition to its own devices, you can now inject vital nitrogen into the same process and rapidly enhance the speed of the organic process. 

There are a lot of factors you can consider with corn stalk grazing, but you don't need to be intimidated by it. Here is a step by step guide to help you get started with your corn stalk grazing operation. Keep these things in mind when you design your intensive grazing operation...

Timing your corn stalk grazing will vary by location, but this often takes place anywhere from October-January depending on harvest. Typically it is timed directly after harvest.

To start, once your corn is shelled, set up your fence around the exterior boundaries, and major cross fences. You can use Powerflex polybraid for your boundaries, and the geared electric reel combined with O'Briens step in posts can help with cross-fence management. 

Try not to wait too long after harvesting your corn before you set it up for grazing. You don't want your stalks to decompose too much before providing valuable nutrition to your livestock. If you are cover cropping the area, get your seed in order so that you can get your animals grazing right away.

Plan your irrigation. Cattle tend to drink more water when grazing cornstalks. In non irrigated farm land usually one of the most limiting factors is water availability. Some farmers utilize water storage tanks. Or a better solution is piping water to your grazing area using Powerflex HDPE water piping. If water is not available at the grazing location, set up of large tanks and hauling is needed. In irrigated farm land many people simply turn on their well long enough to fill tanks (this is is why stalk grazing is more prevalent in irrigated area).

Mineral is required year around, or at lease highly suggested. Stalks can be low in phosphorus and corn stalks themselves can reduce certain mineral content in the field (like phosphorus), so this would be a good time to feed a higher phos. minreals. It is often suggested to free choice feed sodium bicarb for a rumen buffer. Sodium bicarbonate = baking soda = neutralizes high rumen acid from potential grain over load when grazing stalks.

Make a strip grazing plan. Another great way to help prevent grain over load is to strip graze the stalks a few rows at a time, allowing enough dry matter for your stalking rate but also avoiding selective ‘grazing’ and the cattle cherry picking the corn before focusing on the stalks. When gauging stock moves cattle will consume the available forage in the following order: 1. corn
2. husk
3. leaf
4. stalk. 

Although it is commonly referred to ‘grazing corn stalks’ usually moves should be made once the leaves are cleaned up and before actual stalks are consumed, as the stalk is going to have the lowest palatability and the hardest to convert fiber in the forage.