How to Restore Pasture Land for Cattle

Pasture used for grazing cattle will need to be restored every three to six years, depending how heavily it was grazed. Not only will the grass get "tired," slowly giving way to weeds and non-planted species, but cattle hooves slowly damage seeding, especially during wet weather. In order for a pasture to supply its full-forage potential it must be reseeded, since simply resting it will not increase the percentage of planted grass species in comparison to weeds.

Things You'll Need

  • Plow
  • Disk
  • Seed Drill
  • Lime
  • Lime spreader
  • Seeding
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Instructions

    • 1

      Plow the pasture. The time of year can vary, depending on when you want to graze cattle on it. If the pasture is reseeded in the spring it will not be ready for grazing until fall. Some farmers choose to reseed the field in the fall so it will be available for grazing in the spring. A moldboard plow works the best at turning over the heavy sod of a pasture.

    • 2

      Break up the sod clumps with a disk. This prepares the ground for planting by leveling it out and making the dirt loose. It is best to disk the entire field twice before applying lime.

    • 3

      Apply lime to the dirt. This can be done yourself with a lime spreader or hired out to someone with a large lime truck specially designed for the purpose. The rate at which to apply the lime is dependent on the species of grass to be planted. Generally, at least a half a ton of lime needs to be applied per acre. Make sure the field is evenly coated.

    • 4

      Turn the dirt over again with the disk to mix in the lime. This must be done before it rains again, or else a significant portion of the lime will be washed away.

    • 5

      Reseed the field with the seed drill. The number of pounds per acre of seed that gets planted depends on the grass species and what the farmer is able to afford. Alfalfa leads to the highest milk production in cattle, but is also the most expensive type of seeding.

    • 6

      Release the cows on the pasture after the seeding has had a chance to sufficiently establish itself, which will generally take at least six months. Do not let the cows out when the ground is wet, as their hooves will tear up the new seeding.