AS-357
October, 1966
Managing Pastures for Beef Cattle
K. G. MacDonald, H. H. Mayo, L. L. Wilson, Animal Sciences Department
Value of pasture
Good pastures provide feed under natural conditions for beef cows raising calves. They also provide the cattle feeder with opportunities to: (1) reduce labor and expense, (2) maintain and improve the soil and reduce erosion, (3) provide flexibility to the farm program, and (4) obtain additional income from land not adapted to row crop farming because of topography. In other words, the use of pasture and forages gives the capable livestock farmer many added alternatives in reducing costs of labor, feed machinery and fuel.
Pasture and beef cattle management
Alfalfa	8-10	lb.
Timothy	2-4	lb.
Northern half of Indiana
Birdsfoot Trefoil	4-6	lb.
(alone or with)
Timothy	2-4	lb.
(inoculate trefoil with trefoil inoculant)
Southern Indiana only
Cattle feeders prefer pastures that are mixtures of grasses and legumes. This type of pasture provides fiber, starch, dry matter, vitamins, minerals, and protein. It also reduces the danger of bloat.
Suggested mixtures and seeding rates per acre are given in table 1.
Table 1. Mixtures and seeding rates for beef pastures
Seed	Rate
Alfalfa	8-10	lb.
Orchard grass	4-6	lb.
Alfalfa	8-10	lb.
Brome	6-8	ib.
Pastures may remain for two or more years instead of putting them into cultivated crops. The birdsfoot trefoil and bluegrass mixture makes an excellent permanent pas -ture in the northern half of Indiana. It has never been known to produce bloat, is very palatable during the summer, and produces in proportion to the fertility level of the soil.
Provide clean, fresh water in the pasture for the cattle. Flies and other external parasites should be controlled either by spraying or using automatic back rubbing equipment. See Purdue Entomology publication E-12 for further information.
Beef Section • Animal Sciences Department Cooperative Extension Service, PURDUE UNIVERSITY, Lafayette, Indiana
Beef   Management