It’s the fifth or sixth time these lucerne paddocks have been grazed or mowed this year. As we are well into fall and have had little rain the last couple of months, the plants aren’t reaching the heights of earlier in the year.
Still, they are tasty for the cows and packed full of nutrition, as this yearling steer can attest.
This is Old Cow 78s butt (er, I mean rump). She’s still lactating and is my favourite cow. She always looks well fed.
I’m thinking about ending the lucerne grazing with the end of this pass in a week. There’s a small risk we’ll get a good frost in November and I want to preserve the lucerne a few years longer. If it gets frosted before replenishing its root energy reserves we’d lose some of the plants.
The weather – it has been another lovely October. I wouldn’t mind some rain but I can’t complain about how nice it is to walk around in this sunshine.
To finish, we have have Eugene McGuinness singing about Lucerne.
grasspunk.com 
Fantastic grazing for this late in the year. I hear you on the rain! I remember years ago hearing that if alfalfa (lucerne) froze that it became toxic to horses. Is that only for horses or cattle, too? Or is it an old wives’ tale?
It is supposed to be toxic for a few days after a big freeze, but we often don’t get a big freeze all winter and usually the alfalfa is long dormant before then.
That Lucerne looks like fantastic grazing for November. And the cattle look in great condition. Similarly, our Longhorns look good going into winter, having benefited from extended autumn grass growth and a very warm autumn. When and how often do you cut the Lucerne for hay?