Winter Grazing and Grass-Fed Beef in Indiana: Why Stockpiled Forage Matters

One of the most common questions we get in winter is whether our cattle are “still grazing” once the snow arrives. The short answer is yes — and that result comes from months of planning, not good luck.

In Indiana, winter grazing depends on stockpiled forage: grass that is grown during the growing season and intentionally left standing so it can be grazed later in the year. When pasture is managed with that goal in mind, cattle can continue to graze well into winter, even with snow on the ground.

This approach takes more thought upfront, but it changes how the land, the animals, and the food all perform.

What Is Stockpiled Forage?

Stockpiled forage is pasture that is rested during late summer and fall so grass can accumulate for winter use. Instead of cutting that grass for hay, it’s left standing and protected until cattle return later in the year.

When snow covers the ground, cattle use their noses to move it aside and graze the forage underneath. This is normal grazing behavior for animals that live their entire lives on pasture. Over time, they learn how to do this from their mothers and from the herd, and genetics play a role as well. Some cattle are simply better foragers than others.

Stockpiled forage allows cattle to keep doing what they are designed to do: move, select their own diet, and spread nutrients back onto the land.

Why We Work to Minimize Winter Hay Feeding

We do feed hay when conditions require it. Indiana winters can vary, and there are times when snow, ice, or forage availability make hay the right choice. But we work hard to minimize how much hay we rely on, and there are several reasons for that.

Hay is harvested forage. Once grass is cut, baled, moved, and stored, some nutritional value is inevitably lost. Hay also concentrates manure in feeding areas, which can lead to soil compaction and uneven nutrient distribution.

Grazing stockpiled forage, when possible, keeps cattle moving across the pasture. Manure and urine are spread naturally. Ground cover remains in place, helping protect soil from erosion and supporting long-term soil health.

Reducing hay use isn’t about eliminating it entirely. It’s about using it intentionally, as a supplement rather than the foundation of the winter feeding program.

Nutritional Differences: Grazing vs. Hay

From a nutrition standpoint, grazing standing forage has real advantages.

Stockpiled forage often retains more leaf material and soluble nutrients than hay that has been cut, dried, and stored. While the exact nutrient profile varies by grass species and timing, cattle grazing stockpiled forage are selecting their diet in real time, choosing the parts of the plant that best meet their needs.

Hay, by contrast, is a fixed ration. Once it’s baled, the animal has no choice but to eat what’s there.

For grass-fed cattle, maintaining a forage-based diet that encourages natural intake and digestion is important. Winter grazing supports rumen health, keeps animals active, and helps them maintain condition without confinement.

Those animal-level outcomes matter because they directly influence the quality and consistency of grass-fed beef.

Management and Intentionality

None of this happens by accident.

Winter grazing requires planning months in advance:

• Deciding which fields will be rested

• Managing grazing pressure during the growing season

• Timing animal movement carefully

• Monitoring forage availability as winter progresses

It also requires cattle that are suited to this system. Animals raised entirely on pasture behave differently than those transitioned later in life. Experience, herd learning, and genetics all play a role in whether winter grazing works well.

When land, animals, and management are aligned, stockpiled forage becomes a reliable part of the winter system rather than an experiment.

What This Means for Grass-Fed Beef in Indiana

For customers looking for grass-fed beef in Indiana, winter management often gets overlooked. But how cattle are fed during the hardest months of the year matters.

Grazing stockpiled forage:

• Supports animal health and mobility

• Reduces reliance on harvested feed

• Keeps nutrients cycling through the pasture

• Protects soil during winter months

These are not marketing claims. They are practical outcomes of a system designed to work with seasonal growth patterns rather than against them.

Grass-fed beef starts with grass — even in winter — when the land and the animals are managed with that goal in mind.

FAQs

1. Can cattle really graze through snow?
   Yes. When there is standing stockpiled forage under the snow, cattle can use their noses to move snow aside and graze what they find. How well this works depends on forage availability, snow/ice conditions, and the animals’ experience on pasture.

2. What is stockpiled forage?
   Stockpiled forage is pasture grass that is grown during the growing season and intentionally left standing (not cut for hay) so it can be grazed later in fall and winter.

3. Why do you try to minimize hay feeding in winter?
   Hay is an important tool, and we do use it when conditions require it. But we try to rely on grazed forage whenever possible because it keeps cattle moving, spreads nutrients across the pasture, and reduces the amount of harvested feed we need to bring in.

4. Is stockpiled forage more nutritious than hay?
   It can be. Standing forage hasn’t been cut, dried, handled, and stored, so it often retains more of what was in the plant at the time it was grown. The exact nutrition varies by forage type, maturity, and weather. Cattle also get to select what they eat when they graze.

5. Does winter grazing mean the cattle never get hay?
   No. Weather varies in Indiana. Ice events, deep snow, or limited forage can make hay the right choice. Our goal is to use hay intentionally and lean on grazing when the pasture can support it.

6. How do cattle learn to graze in winter conditions?
   Cattle that live their entire lives on pasture develop habits and skills over time. Calves learn from their mothers and the herd, and they build experience grazing in different seasons and conditions.

7. Do genetics matter for winter grazing?
   Yes. Some cattle are naturally better foragers and hold condition better on pasture-based diets. We pay attention to this when selecting and keeping breeding animals.

8. How do you plan for winter grazing?
   Planning starts months earlier. We manage rest periods, decide which areas to stockpile, and time animal movement so there is enough standing forage available later in the year.