pasture: to mow or not to mow

From some farmers in S. Carolina:

Hi, Shawn and Beth!

I had a question I was hoping to get your graziers' eyes/opinion on... To bush-hog or not to bush-hog? 

Our pastures haven't been machine-cut (i.e. mowed/hayed/bush-hogged) since at least March 2022. Everything that grew in this season (mixed native grasses/forbs) went to seed and was VERY tall by the time we got our little cow herd started rotating through it in mid-September. 

They've been doing great work on it (before and after it all went dormant) and seem to be in good health, but there are some spaces they've ignored that are very thick with mounded up and/or laid over thatch (that's a 2' level in the pictures).

We're concerned that new spring growth might not be able to make it through those thick spaces and are considering doing a pass behind the herd in February with a bush-hog to lift everything up, cut what's left to ~6in, and mulch it all in place... But we're not sure if this is necessary or if it'll do more harm than good re: destroying habitat/food for all the other things living out in the fields (mice, voles, insects, spiders, birds). Trying to find the balance.

Second question: how do you feel about running a mixed herd? We put our steers on the back pasture, but some of them have come up to include themselves in the heifer group. We were planning to keep them (and the bull) away from the female herd, but they all seem to be getting along. What do you think?

We would be very grateful for any perspective you're willing to share on whether you would bush-hog or not (or something else altogether) if this was your place. Thank y'all for everything you do!

Hi, Sarah,

So good to hear from you.  Thanks for the kind words!

Your animals look great and all your work seems to be going well.  We keep steers and heifers together, too; bull as well, if we're not worried about breeding times.  It would worry me more to keep a bull isolated; makes them crabby.  So far this has worked for us; we haven't had a problem with premature breeding.

We would certainly brushhog under the circumstances you're describing, and get that dead growth shredded and spread out before new growth started in the spring, wildlife notwithstanding.  All management decisions will favor some species, some of the time; it's nature's way.  

Keep us updated, we love to hear about your farm!

Blessings,

Beth