Winter feed, forage and grazing: Practical steps for a successful spring

The effects of a difficult growing season don’t end when grass growth returns. Find out how to address the challenges of reduced forage stocks, variable forage quality and lower autumn covers throughout the winter.

The second webinar in our grazing management series, Managing autumn and winter post drought for a successful spring (YouTube), brought together livestock farmers from across the country to hear practical advice on forage management, winter feeding and grazing decisions from James Daniel, Precision Grazing, and Dr Sarah Morgan, Harper Adams University.

The webinar focused on helping farmers assess where they are now, make informed decisions over winter and avoid compromising grass availability and livestock performance next spring.

The next webinar in this series takes place on 12 November 2026.

While many farms have benefited from strong grass growth following late summer rainfall, the picture remains highly variable.

Some businesses have seen exceptional autumn growth and opportunities to extend grazing, while others continue to face pressure from limited grass growth and reduced forage stocks. This means there is no one-size-fits-all approach, making it even more important for farmers to understand their own feed and forage position.

One of the strongest messages from the webinar was that although farmers cannot change what happened during the drought, they can take action now to influence the outcome next spring.

Polls conducted during the webinar revealed that farmers’ biggest concerns heading into winter were around weather uncertainty, forage stocks, livestock performance and feed costs.

The results highlight the balancing act many businesses are facing as they try to manage forage supplies, animal performance and rising input costs while preparing for potentially unpredictable weather.

A key takeaway from the session was the importance of completing a winter feed budget.

Understanding feed supply and livestock demand is essential for identifying potential deficits before they become critical. Farmers were encouraged to assess:

• Current forage stocks
• Expected livestock demand
• Winter feeding periods
• Contingency options if conditions deteriorate

The webinar included a demonstration of the Precision Grazing feed budgeting tool, designed to help simplify the process and support decision-making.

Encouragingly, more than half of attendees had already completed forage analysis this season.

However, Dr Sarah Morgan stressed that quantity alone is not enough. Understanding forage quality allows farmers to make better use of existing forage resources by matching feed quality to livestock requirements and identifying any nutritional shortfalls before winter.

Key considerations include:

• Dry matter content
• Energy levels
• Protein levels
• Feed utilisation
• Matching forage quality to stock class

Higher-quality forage should be prioritised for growing, finishing, pregnant and lactating animals, helping to maximise performance while avoiding unnecessary feed costs.

A recurring theme throughout the webinar was the importance of protecting grass availability for spring. While continued grazing may appear attractive in the short term, overgrazing into late autumn and winter can reduce grass supplies when they are needed most.

Spring grass remains one of the cheapest and highest-quality feeds available to livestock farmers.

Leaving adequate grass cover and allowing paddocks sufficient recovery over winter can help support a strong start to the grazing season and reduce reliance on purchased feeds.

James Daniel, of Precision Grazing, encouraged farmers to focus on several key priorities over the coming weeks:

• Assess grass covers and forage stocks
• Complete a winter feed budget
• Analyse forage quality
• Monitor livestock condition and performance
• Allocate forage according to livestock requirements
• Develop contingency plans for adverse weather
• Protect grass covers for spring turnout

Both webinars are now available to watch on YouTube:

• Webinar 1: Recovering grassland and setting autumn priorities (YouTube)
• Webinar 2: Managing autumn and winter post drought for a successful spring (YouTube)

The sessions provide practical guidance, tools and advice to help livestock farmers make informed decisions throughout the winter months.

The series continues on 12 November with our third and final webinar, Lessons from the drought – how to build a more resilient grazing system, once again featuring James Daniel of Precision Grazing.

We’ll explore the longer-term lessons from recent droughts and help farmers identify practical strategies to improve grazing system resilience.

Register now and find out how to build a grazing system that’s better prepared for future weather extremes.