Bahia Grass

Many ranchers consider bahia grass inferior to bermudagrass. I find that both grasses offer benefits to graziers and cattle. Here are some of my likes and concerns.

Being heat and drought tolerant is bahia’s greatest asset. I think it’s more heat tolerant than bermudagrass. And bahia tends to green up faster with rainfall. This means it will break drought sooner than bermudagrass and generally with less rainfall.

Bahia grass grows eight to thirty inches tall. It can be grazed as low as two inches but performs better when it is only grazed down to four inches. This also makes it good for haying operations provided it is harvested before the seed head matures. Cattle seem to prefer hay with mixed species of bermudagrass, bahia grass and forbes. However, most haying operations prefer bermudagrass as it tends to produce more forage growth than bahia.

Bahia grass thrives in poor soil conditions and still produces a nourishing feed at times of the year when cattle will not eat the slower growing bermudagrass or the cattle prefer the nutrients in Bahia grass over bermudagrass. Why do cattle change their preference? The secret is only known to them, but a good grazier will quickly notice their shift.

Bahia grass greens up earlier and goes winter dormant later than bermudagrass. While cattle seem to prefer bermudagrass in the early spring, bahia grass can fill in places where the bermudagrass isn’t growing. This protects the soil against erosion. In drought, this soil protection is more valuable than chemical fertilizer applications.

Bahia does not need as much fertilization as bermudagrass to produce an eatable forage. This makes it great for weekend ranchers and continuous graziers who do not spend a lot of time managing or feeding their pastures.

Because bahia grass produces a seed, it is easy and affordable to establish. Seed can be hand spread or mixed with an organic fertilizer using a mechanical spreader. Some graziers add the seed to sweet feet mix and let the cattle do the spreading.

Bahia’s abundant seed makes it harder to kill in colder than normal winters. The seed often regenerates new plants when ice or extreme cold temperatures kill the old growth. Cattle sometimes eat the seed heads and spread the plant to other pastures. And because of the seed, extreme confinement of animals does not allow it to die permanently from an area. If fact, it often times improves the growth as old, trampled plants and heavy manure deposits provide a fertilized mulch for the new seed bed.

Bahia grass grows well in acid and sandy soils. There is no need to sweeten the soil or worry about whether a seed crop will grow in sandy soils. Bahia grass has performed in those soils for decades.

Bahia grass will take some shade and does better in shade than bermudagrass. This is important to ranchers with large areas of trees shading pastures in the early morning light.

Bahia grass is native to South America, so it does not fit into a native pasture mix. But when establishing native pastures, it is generally shaded out by taller native grasses.

Bahia grass is a good choice for horses when managed properly. Horses like to closely graze most grasses and do not like stemmy seed heads. The softer stem of bahia grass is perfect. However, it is important to match the area grazed with the number of animals for best results. In land with poor soil health, horses perform better on bahia grass than bermudagrass.

During the drought at the end of 2024, I dug holes in the pasture to measure water penetration after a one inch rain. Under thin bermudagrass the rain soaked 2”-3”. Under thick bermudagrass the moisture soaked 3”-5”. Under thin bahia grass, the rain soaked 3”-5” while under thick sod it was 6”-8” deep. More water went into the soil under bahia.

While many ranchers spend money on eliminating Bahia grass from their hay fields and pastures, it’s an unnecessary expense that cuts into ranch profits.

It is best not to limit yourself to having one species of grass, especially when drought conditions can arrive at any time of the year. Think about adding bahia grass to your pasture. In wet years, both grasses will do well with the nod going to the bermudagrass. In dry, hot years, it makes sense to have both grasses in the pasture. Well-managed, bermudagrass will almost always outperform bahia grass. The wild card in the deck is always drought and the rancher’s ability to manage grass efficiently and effectively.

David E. Will is local rancher and consultant. He can be reached at 830-629-9876 or by email at dwill207@satx.rr.com.