WCS Grazing Mixes
WCS has developed Cover Crop Grazing Mixes for Beef and Dairy use in rotational or mob grazing practice.
Although rotational grazing is a common practice, WCS is looking to partner with grazers who are building wholistic management practices to reduce crop inputs, improve animal health and increase land utilization while developing soil health.
Game Plot mixes for integration into your cash crop rotation are also available. These mixes of annual legume, grasses and grains will build soil health while providing cover and forage for deer, turkey and game birds.
WCS SUMMER GRAZING MIX
This mix of legume, grasses and broadleaf includes Cow Pea, Sunn Hemp, Sorghum Sudangrass, Pearl Millet, Sunflower, Forage Radish and Hybrid Turnip. This mix will provide excellent nutrition as animals rotate off traditional sod pasture for accelerated weight gain and improved soil health. Direct seed this mix into dormant sod pastures to improve the soil health and improve the perennial pasture performance.
WCS WINTER GRAZING MIX
This mix of legume, small grain and brassica is designed to follow summer harvested cereal grains, silage removal, dormant sod pasture, or our WCS Summer Grazing Mix. This mix includes Forage Pea, Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Forage Oat, Winter Barley, Winter Triticale, Radish, Hybrid Brassica and Ethiopian Cabbage. Use this mix as a transition from cropland to permanent pasture. Allow sufficient spring growth and graze to remove growth then plant the perennial grass and legume mix.
WCS COOL SEASON GRAZING MIX
This mix of Forage Peas, Oats, Spring Triticale and hybrid brassica is designed for Spring or Fall planting. Graze in 40 to 60 days. Follow with the WCS Summer Grazing Mix to extend the season of high energy grazing.
WCS SUMMER GAME PLOT MIX
The Summer Game Plot Mix is an 8 way mix of Cow Pea, Sunn Hemp, Proso Millet, Sorghum, Oats, Sunflowers, Buckwheat, and Phacelia. This mix is designed to be planted in June or after soil temperatures reach 65F. This super charged mix is a delight for deer, turkey and other game birds. The diversity of plant height will provide security for grazing and cover. Drill into heavily grazed or tightly mowed sod pasture or residue remaining after cash crop.
WCS WINTER GAME PLOT MIX
The Winter Game Plot Mix is a 8 way mix of Legume, Small Grain and Brassica plants including Forage Pea, Balansa Clover, Hairy, Oats, Triticale, Radish, Turnip, and Phacelia. This mix is designed to be planted in August through September to provide winter and spring grazing. Drill into heavily grazed or tightly mowed sod pasture or residue remaining after cash crop. With favorable weather conditions this mix will be available for grazing in 60 to 90 days and will persist through the winter and following spring.
WCS CLOVER GAME PLOT MIX
The Clover Game Plot Mix is a mix of clovers that will provide excellent ground cover and grazing for deer and other wildlife. This mix includes Medium Red, White, Crimson, Balansa, and other clovers.
WCS BRASSICA GAME PLOT MIX
The Brassica Blend Game Plot Mix is a mix of varieties that will provide excellent late season forage for deer and other wildlife. This mix includes Daikon Radish, Purple Top Turnip, Rape, Ethiopian Cabbage, Winfred Brassica and Hunter Turnip.
WCS HAY AND PASTURE MIXES
WCS Hay and Pasture Mix
A mix of Alfalfa, Dutch White Clover, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Smooth Brome, Kentucky Bluegrass and Timothy. This mix contains 16% legume component and is meant for grass hay and horse pasture. This mix will form a strong sod that is resilient to traffic and highly productive with rotational grazing.
WCS Hay and Pasture Mix Plus
A mix of Orchardgrass, Tetraploid Perennial Ryegrass, Timothy, Alfalfa, Red and White Clover. This mix is 26% legume. The selected grass varieties have a range of maturity allowing for a broad window for high quality grazing or harvesting hay.
WCS Super Hay and Pasture Mix
A mix of Alfalfa, Red and White Clover, Orchardgrass, Tall Fescue, Festulolium, Timothy and Tetraploid Perennial Ryegrass. This mix has a high percentage of legume and will provide a long window for grazing high quality forage and improved milk production.
WCS FORAGE GRASS OPTIONS
Tetraploid Perennial Ryegrass, Lolium perenne
Forage perennial ryegrass is a perennial cool-season bunch grass that is used for hay and grazing
pastures. It is an ideal component in mixtures for ruminant animals due to its rapid establishment and quick regrowth. Forage perennial ryegrass is excellent for managed intensive grazing operations.
Orchardgrass, Dactylis glomerata
A perennial cool-season bunch grass that is used for hay and grazing pastures. It is more shade tolerant than most other forage grasses, but is less tolerant to continuous grazing than ryegrass or fescue. Excellent for use in mixtures with other grasses and legumes. Orchardgrass is an excellent choice for horse pasture mixes, as it typically is lower in water soluble carbohydrates.
Timothy, Phleum pretense Timothy, a cool-season perennial bunch grass is popular as a hay crop for horses. Timothy grows best in a mild climates with adequate rainfall or irrigation, as it is susceptible to drought.
Festulolium, Festulolium Asch. & Graebn
The name “Festulolium” is a combination of Lolium, the genus of ryegrass, and Festuca, the genus of
fescue. That makes sense, because this cool-season forage grass combines good qualities from each. Festulolium is persistent, easily established and managed, has good disease resistance, and regrows rapidly following mowing or grazing. Festulolium has higher forage quality and season-long productivity.
Tall Fescue, Festuca arundinacea
Forage Tall Fescue is a perennial cool-season bunch grass. Tall fescue is suitable for hay or pasture. Tall fescue is one of the better drought tolerant cool-season grasses, performing well in low maintenance situations and on heavy clay soils. Some varieties contain endophytes, so care should be taken as to their application and management.
Kentucky Bluegrass, Poa pratensis
Kentucky bluegrass is a high quality forage grass and is particularly well suited for use by grazing
animals. Because of its low growth habit and susceptibility to heat and drought, it does not yield as much as the other cool season grasses. Unlike other cool season grasses it spreads by rhizomes. Rhizomes are underground stems that grow from parent plants and form new plants. This characteristic of bluegrass helps it fill in open areas and produce a denser sod.
