Why Bale Grazing Makes Sense in an Open Winter
- sushmita62
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
We weren’t planning to talk about bale grazing that day.
The conversation started the way many winter conversations do—by noticing the weather. Tanse Herrmann (State Grazing Lands Soil Health Specialist) and Emily Rohrer (State Rangeland Management Specialist) had joined us for a check-in, and before long, the conditions outside crept into the room. The ground was frozen. Snow was scarce. The forecast, for once, didn’t feel threatening.
After a pause, Tanse said something close to, “This might actually be a good time to try bale grazing.”
Not as a long-term overhaul. Not as a permanent system change. Just as a response to the winter in front of us.
Why an Open Winter Favors Bale Grazing
What makes an open winter different isn’t optimism—it’s practicality.
Frozen ground changes how you move across the land. Bale placement becomes deliberate instead of rushed. Compaction concerns ease. Mud no longer decides where you can and can’t go. Without snow to fight, winter bale grazing becomes easier to consider, even for producers who have never tried it before.
Tanse shared a familiar story: equipment that gelled unexpectedly, cold hydraulics, a day derailed before it started. Bale grazing doesn’t eliminate winter risk, but it does reduce daily dependence on equipment during the coldest months.
For now, the land isn’t pushing back as hard.
Starting Small with Bale Grazing
One of the assumptions that keeps bale grazing on the “someday” list is the idea that it has to be all or nothing.
In practice, many producers start with five to seven days of bale grazing at a time. Not the whole winter. Not every field. Just enough to see how cattle respond, how manure and residue distribute, and how it feels to wake up knowing tomorrow’s feeding is already planned.
If it works, you move the following week again—to a different corner of the field or a different problem area. If it doesn’t, you stop. Either way, winter bale grazing is quick to learn.
Fencing, Water, and Real-World Limits
Emily pointed out something that often surprises people: temporary fencing isn’t always the barrier it’s assumed to be.
Some producers use poly wire and step-in posts for tighter control, even in frozen ground. Others start bale grazing without fencing by placing only a limited number of bales at a time and moving locations weekly. The land impact is still there, just spread across the field.
Water is less flexible. Cattle drink less in winter, but they still need access—especially on hay-based diets. In most cases, that means leaving a lane to a permanent water source. Mobile winter water systems often create more problems than they solve when temperatures drop.
And the small things matter: knowing what’s in your hay, watching for weed seeds, removing net wrap and twine. Winter doesn’t excuse carelessness.
More Than a Winter Feeding Decision
As the conversation drifted, it moved beyond feeding. Winter bale grazing often opens other questions—about labor, calving timing, and how closely livestock operations align with seasonal forage growth.
For some producers, bale grazing becomes a gateway practice. For others, it remains a tool they return to when conditions allow. Either path is valid.
Not every practice needs to become a philosophy.
A Window Worth Paying Attention To
If bale grazing has been on your mind, this open winter may be one of those brief moments when the land lowers the barrier to trying it.
Start with a week. Pick a field. Pay attention.
For producer stories, videos, and deeper background on bale grazing, visit the Bale Grazing Ranching Topic on the Growing Resilience website: https://www.growingresiliencesd.com/bale-grazing
Sometimes resilience doesn’t start with a big decision—just a well-timed one.
Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages:
1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more.
2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture.
3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media:
4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com
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