Extend the grazing season with Gallagher products.

In this article, we look at extending the grazing season for cows, winter grazing for sheep and storing your fences when the grazing season ends.

Grazing in autumn

Autumn is coming! Grass growth declines and its composition changes. The grass contains more protein but less sugar, which reduces palatability. Wet conditions and trampling exacerbate this. However, with some small adjustments, you can make the most of autumn grass and keep it short going into winter.

In this article, we look at extending the grazing season for cows, winter grazing for sheep and storing your fences when the grazing season ends.

Limiting damage in the pasture during wet periods

In a wet period, you want to avoid trampled pastures and gates. By being smart about gates, you can limit the damage. Consider, for example, moving the gate (every day), or widening it. Another option could be 2 gates per pasture; one through which they enter the pasture, and the other through which they leave the pasture, towards the stables.

Less damage with strip grazing

To maximise pasture intake in the autumn, Gallagher recommends strip grazing. Giving cows a fresh piece of grass every time keeps them happy and prevents them from trudging. The animals also eat the new strip short in a shorter time and it is less likely to be soiled by manure and mud. This improves palatability.

Winter grazing by sheep

If it is not possible to use your own livestock to graze the pasture short into the winter, you can also opt for winter grazing by sheep. Sheep do less damage in wet periods than cows. Also, this damage recovers more easily.

To prevent sheep from rubbing against the existing fence, Gallagher recommends clamping or coiling the intermediate wires (which served to divide the piece of land) tightly. This way, the sheep cannot reach them and wool does not stick to the electric fence.

Preparing your fence for winter

To prevent damage to your fence, it is important to prepare it for the changing weather conditions in winter. Check that there are no branches or large amounts of leaves against your fence. These can reduce the effectiveness of the fence and cause problems. 

 If you don't use a mobile fence in winter, store it. Use a reel to easily rewind the electric fence.

Check batteries

Cold can shorten the life of batteries. Therefore, check regularly in winter that your devices have enough power to run the fence effectively.

Customised advice from a Gallagher specialist?

We will be happy to help! Click the button for more information. We aim to contact you within 2 working days.

Customised advice