by Bruce Clement

Q: What forage species are best suited to New Hampshire pastures?

A: There are quite a few forage species suitable for NH sheep pastures. For most situations I recommend a pasture mix containing white clover (use a variety such as "Ladino") and orchard grass (use a variety such as "Pennlate"). Under reasonable levels of fertility (pH above 6.0, phosphorus and potassium levels medium or better), both these species are productive, fairly long lasting, reasonably palatable, and drought resistant. The major disadvantage to orchard grass is that it matures by mid to late May and once mature is not very palatable. So if you can't graze, clip, or hay it by mid to late May then you shouldn't use it. Note: in most situations, there usually is no need to reseed an existing pasture. Pastures can be made highly productive quite quickly (within 1-2 yrs) by improving fertility and applying management intensive grazing principles (see answer to last question below).

Q: What is the best time to seed pasture in New Hampshire?

A: Either in early spring (April/May) as soon as the ground is dry enough to work or in early August.

Q: I bought some grass seed that is labeled "may contain endophytes, do not use as livestock forage." What are endophytes and should I be concerned?

A: Endophytes are a type of fungus that grow in symbiotic relationship with certain plants. The primary forage plant where endophytes are a concern is Tall Fescue. Endophytes help the plant resist certain diseases and climatic stresses such as drought. Unfortunately, endophytes are usually toxic to livestock and can cause poor weight gain, lameness, and respiratory problems. Some varieties of Tall Fescue have low endophyte levels but seed labeled as you indicated above should not be used for livestock pastures.

Q: Should I get my soil tested and if so, where can I have it done?

A: Yes, it's important to get your soil tested to determine pH and levels of magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Contact your county UNH Cooperative Extension Agricultural Educator for help with soil testing . Click on www.ceinfo.unh.edu for contact information for each county office as well as other helpful information related to pastures.

Q: How can I tell if I have the right sized paddocks for my flock/pasture? How can I tell when it is time to rotate my stock to a new paddock?

A: To get the most from your pastures I recommend you learn and practice the principles of "managed intensive grazing" (MIG). In a nutshell, what MIG is all about is managing both the length of the grazing period and the rest period between grazing. MIG basically mimics how Mother Nature manages pastures. Think of how bison used to graze in the western plains of the USA or how antelope and other wild grazing animals still graze on the plains of the Serengeti. Large herds of grazing animals graze down the existing vegetation very quickly while at the same time depositing large quantities of manure and urine. The herds then move on, often in less than a day, and don't return for weeks, months, or sometimes not until the next year to graze that area again. Typically, in a farm situation, to adopt MIG what you do is size your paddocks (grazing areas) so that the grass (and other vegetation) is grazed by your livestock to an average height of not less than 3" in a period of not more than 7 days. You then allow that paddock to rest from grazing until the average grass height regrows to at least 8", at which time you again put your animals in to graze for a period of not more than 7 days. Actually, I strongly recommend that you limit the grazing period to 3 days or less. In fact, for lactating animals I recommend you move them to a fresh paddock every 12 hours and for growing lambs I recommend moving them to a fresh paddock at least every day.

Keep in mind...the more you concentrate your animals, the shorter you keep the grazing period. Combined with an adequate rest period between grazings, the faster you will see improvement in the productivity of your pastures. Of course there's more detail to MIG than what I have space to provide here, so for more information on MIG click on:  www.umaine.edu/grazingguide/  www.uvm.edu/~pasture  www.sheepandgoat.com  www.attra.org or contact UNH Cooperative Extension  www.ceinfo.unh.edu or NH-NRCS www.nh.nrcs.usda.gov

And as always, you can contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , (603) 399-4923 with any sheep or grazing questions.