How Important is grass variety for cattle

[marke985]

As I slowly increase my Thai Brahman herd, I'm curious about the importance of grass variety in their diet. 

 

Currently we cut and carry from 5 rai Ruzi and Mombasa Guinea grass. We also let them graze the rice fields after harvest and use rice straw when desperate.

 

I recently bought 12 rai and I am in the process putting up a barbwire fence and removing and plant/tree regrowth as the area was previously untamed forest.  My plan is to let cattle graze this area unsupervised.  I was going to plant more Ruzi and Purple Mombasa Guinea in this area and maybe leave a small section for natural grass (till the ground and dump a bunch of manure in the area as natural grass seeds are always in the manure).

 

I feel like letting them free graze the same grass as we cut and carry might overwhelm their taste for the grasses and the cattle won't care for it anymore.  Is there any truth to this?

 

Is there another grass anyone recommends that they've had success with.  I will also be planting 1 rai of Mulatto 2 grass this year to give it a try.

 

Irrigation is possible for dry season, but prefer not to irrigate the area.

 

Farm is in Kalasin, near Roi Et/Maha Sarakham border.

 

Thanks for any help, suggestions, or education.

[kickstart]

You are not doing so bad, they is a but, like I have, if your fields are ex rice fields, they could be prone to water logging? Mulatto II is a very good grass, but does not like waterlogging, I have had Purple Guinea, a good grass again it does like a lot of water logging.

Forget Ruzi that grass has been about in Thailand for years, about the only grass Thais know, the other grasses you have are a lot better.

You would be better letting them graze that cut and cart, but that, as have found during the wet season the field can get poached, leading to a lost time before the grass recovers.

They are no truth in they taste being overwhelmed, what the big problem is Thias go for quantity, not quality, they will cut grass that is old and in flower? not palatable at all, grass here n Thailand if the conditions are right i.e. rain at the right time you can get a 45-day cycle of grass, grass then will still be palatable, and they should eat it all.

If you are grazing grass, grass needs to be no more that wellington boot height, sometimes if that, cattle will eat it down to the ground, then it will grow back again quickly, I have done a strip grazing system using eclectic fence, works well, but as said, be wear of poaching.

Something I have seen on here before ,I do not know how many cattle you have17-18 rie of land all  of that down to grass ,that is a lot of grass you will have that palatability problem, grass will grow old and cattle will not eat it ,and with old grass you will not get the cattle growth rates and, cows will not be fertile to get in calf.

Or, as we do grow a few rie of Nappier grass, make it in to bagged silage, and feed it during the dry season, but that can be labor intensive.

[MarkBR]

On 6/11/2025 at 10:25 AM, marke985 said:

As I slowly increase my Thai Brahman herd, I'm curious about the importance of grass variety in their diet. 

 

Currently we cut and carry from 5 rai Ruzi and Mombasa Guinea grass. We also let them graze the rice fields after harvest and use rice straw when desperate.

 

I recently bought 12 rai and I am in the process putting up a barbwire fence and removing and plant/tree regrowth as the area was previously untamed forest.  My plan is to let cattle graze this area unsupervised.  I was going to plant more Ruzi and Purple Mombasa Guinea in this area and maybe leave a small section for natural grass (till the ground and dump a bunch of manure in the area as natural grass seeds are always in the manure).

 

I feel like letting them free graze the same grass as we cut and carry might overwhelm their taste for the grasses and the cattle won't care for it anymore.  Is there any truth to this?

 

Is there another grass anyone recommends that they've had success with.  I will also be planting 1 rai of Mulatto 2 grass this year to give it a try.

 

Irrigation is possible for dry season, but prefer not to irrigate the area.

.

Farm is in Kalasin, near Roi Et/Maha Sarakham border.

 

Thanks for any help, suggestions, or education.

The most important thing for ruminants, such as cattle, is the protein content.  Most grasses will be okay, but maybe some forage legumes grown in the fields would improve their liveweight gain.

[kickstart]

9 hours ago, MarkBR said:

The most important thing for ruminants, such as cattle, is the protein content.  Most grasses will be okay, but maybe some forage legumes grown in the fields would improve their liveweight gain.

True, but finding some forage legumes, they are two in Thailand ,Centrosem, and Stylosanthes (Stylo), you could try the Thai DLD, Department of Livestock Development, they have a website

Can be grown with grasses, but competition from some grass verities will crowd out the legume.

We feed our cattle Leucaena, a tree legume, we cut it every day in our area, they are a lot of other farmers rearing Goats they cut and feed it to their Goats, at 22% protein for the leaves it is a good feed.

Protein is important for cattle, but energy is more important, most books on diet for cattle will say for, energy is the limiting factor for production, here in Thailand with there dairy cows it is very limiting/deficient.

[MarkBR]

That sounds correct, most tropical grasses are poorer quality than temperate grasses.  Leucaena is a very good idea, for both cattle & goats.   Seems as if you have got it worked out.  Hope the farm & cattle are doing well. 🙏

[kickstart]

23 hours ago, MarkBR said:

That sounds correct, most tropical grasses are poorer quality than temperate grasses.  Leucaena is a very good idea, for both cattle & goats.   Seems as if you have got it worked out.  Hope the farm & cattle are doing well. 🙏

I would say, and as you know, Thais think of quantities, not quality, they cut grass well past its best feed value the classic is Nappier,not my favorite grass we   grow it and make silage. Thais will cut it way past its best, feed value probable same as rice straw.

If grass is managed well, with fertilizer use, and cut at the right stage, at no more than 45 days ,you can get some good production from grass.