Before adverse weather conditions

  • Train all livestock to respect an electric fence.
  • Soil test at least once every five years and apply nutrients to maintain results above 12 ppm P and 120 ppm K.
  • Establish species that tolerate wet conditions, using disease-resistant varieties where available, such as:
    • birdsfoot trefoil
    • clovers
    • reed canarygrass
    • perennial ryegrass
    • tall fescue
    • meadow foxtail
    • Kentucky bluegrass
  • Implement a rotational grazing system on your farm.

During adverse weather conditions

  • Move livestock off the pasture in a sacrifice paddock, barn, or dry lot to prevent pasture damage.
  • When soils are wet and grazing is required, use on/off grazing to minimize pasture damage.
  • Grass tetany/staggers (hypomagnesemia) is a risk to some classes of livestock when grasses are growing rapidly under cool, wet conditions. It can be prevented through magnesium supplementation. Talk to your veterinarian about preventative measures and treatment.

After adverse weather conditions

  • Assess pasture damage. Consider both the percent area of the field that is damaged, as well as the depth of pugging.
    • Longer rest periods between grazing events are often enough for very lightly or lightly pugged pastures to recover.
    • Light or moderately pugged pastures may benefit from overseeding. frost seeding can be a good option for broadcasting legumes.
    • A complete renovation may be required for severely and very severely pugged pastures.