Green Pastures and Cattle Turn Out

The spring months are transition periods going from winter weather to warmer

temperatures and hopefully some much needed moisture. We can see snow, sleet, and rain all in a short period of time in the spring. Given the dramatic need for recharging the moisture levels in our pasture soil, we will take any moisture we can get. For much of the Midwest, the NOAA drought monitor map shows conditions worsened from abnormally dry in 2024 to moderate or severe drought in 2025.

Adjusting Grazing Plans Due to Pasture Conditions

Will delaying turnout to allow grass recovery from drought be needed? Pasture that is

not adequately rested will have reduced grass yield, resulting in lower carrying capacity.

Will you need to stretch the remaining hay supply to allow for a delayed turnout? An

extra 1 or 2 weeks can make a significant improvement in stand health and pasture

forage yield. For many operations, the hay supply may be getting low and using lower

quality forage such as corn stalks is necessary. Feeding a protein tub will improve the

digestibility of these high fiber forages while maintaining the cow’s body condition and

providing necessary trace minerals and vitamins.

Modifying Grazing Patterns with Tub Placement

Better utilization of the pasture can result in improved carrying capacity of the pasture.

Cattle will graze harder near water sources and in low ground if allowed. We can use

tubs to attract cattle to underutilized areas of the pasture. Due to the palatability of the

molasses in cooked tubs, cattle will seek them and graze near the tubs.

In essence, you can do strategic rotational grazing with a tub. This can often be

accomplished without adding additional fencing or using cowboys to push cattle. The

cost savings of NOT building fence and FEWER man hours in grazing management

needs to be considered when evaluating the investment in feeding tubs. Strategic tub

placement will pull cattle to under grazed areas, which will allow over grazed lowlands

the needed rest and recovery time. The photo below shows higher elevation areas of

the pasture that are not near any water sources. The available grass in these areas

may support the herd to graze for an additional 2-3 weeks if utilized properly. Cattle will

prefer to graze near the water and in the lower portions of the pasture where the grass

is more abundant. Strategic tub placement will attract cows to higher elevations of the

pasture.

Using mineral type cook tubs is a cost efficient method to deliver mineral during summer

grazing. Nelson Tubs offers several mineral formulations in the Cow Country Nutrition

and Nelson Tub brands such as All Season Premium Mineral, Cow Country Mineral

Tub and Cow Country Mag Mineral Tub.