Grazing & Pasture ·Growing Guide
Grazing Lawn Mix
Multi-species blend (×Festulolium dominant)
Lawn MixGrazing & PastureSeed MixModerate Maintenance
A dual-purpose blend that functions as an attractive lawn while providing nutritious forage for small livestock, poultry, and rabbits under rotational grazing. The key innovation is Duo Festulolium—a hybrid grass combining Italian Ryegrass palatability with Meadow Fescue persistence, creating a species that animals love to eat and that...
Shop Wicked Tuff Turf →Overview
About Grazing Lawn Mix
The Grazing Lawn Mix bridges the gap between ornamental lawn and productive pasture. Duo Festulolium (a Ryegrass × Meadow Fescue hybrid) provides fast establishment, high sugar content animals prefer, rapid regrowth after grazing, and better persistence than pure ryegrass. The Feast II Annual Tetraploid Ryegrass has double the normal chromosome count, producing larger cells, larger leaves, higher sugar content, and more digestible fiber than standard varieties.
Kentucky Bluegrass rhizomes repair bare spots from grazing pressure, Highland Bentgrass fills thin areas with stoloniferous growth, and Creeping Red Fescue provides shade tolerance. Rotational grazing management is essential: allow grass to reach 4-6 inches, graze to 2-3 inches, rest 14-21 days.
Kentucky Bluegrass rhizomes repair bare spots from grazing pressure, Highland Bentgrass fills thin areas with stoloniferous growth, and Creeping Red Fescue provides shade tolerance. Rotational grazing management is essential: allow grass to reach 4-6 inches, graze to 2-3 inches, rest 14-21 days.
Fit
Where It Shines
Best for
- Homesteads integrating poultry into yard management
- Hobby farms with small livestock
- Rabbit keepers wanting natural forage
- Permaculture properties using animals for lawn maintenance
- Properties where children and animals share outdoor space
Not ideal for
- Purely aesthetic lawn applications (use Elite Fescue Blend)
- Properties without animals (grazing components are wasted value)
- Continuous heavy grazing without rotation
- Deep shade
From Seed to Stand
Establishment & Growth
Germination
Days 5-7: Feast II Ryegrass and Festulolium emerge. Days 10-14: Highland Bentgrass visible. Days 14-21: Creeping Red Fescue emerges. Days 21-28: Kentucky Bluegrass appears.
Growth Habit
Mixed: Bunch-type (Festulolium, Ryegrass) and rhizomatous (Kentucky Bluegrass) with stoloniferous Bentgrass
Establishment Timeline
Initial coverage: 2-3 weeks. First grazing: 8-10 weeks after seeding. Mature stand: 12-18 months.
What’s in the mix: 40% Duo Festulolium|25% Creeping Red Fescue|20% Kentucky Bluegrass|10% Feast II Annual Tetraploid Ryegrass|5% Highland Bentgrass
Rates & Care
Seeding & Maintenance
| Seeding rate (new) | 6-8 lbs per 1,000 sq ft (pasture: 25-35 lbs per acre) |
|---|---|
| Overseeding rate | 3-4 lbs per 1,000 sq ft |
| Soil temp to germinate | 50°F |
| Mowing height | 3.0-3.5 inches (lawn use); 4-6 inches pre-grazing height |
| Minimum mow height | 2-3 inches post-grazing residual |
| First mow | When grass reaches 4-5 inches |
| Soil pH | 5.8-7.0 |
| Soil preference | Adaptable; Festulolium tolerates varied conditions |
| Nitrogen needs | 2-4 lbs N per 1,000 sq ft (reduced by animal manure return in grazing scenarios) |
Conditions
Tolerances
SunPartial to full sun (3-6+ hours)
ShadeModerate
DroughtModerate
TrafficModerate to High
ColdGood to Excellent
HeatModerate
Hardiness Zones4-7
Step by Step
How to Sow
1
Step 1: Prep
Test pH (5.8-7.0) and loosen top 1-2" soil
2
Step 2: Fertilize
Apply starter fertilizer
3
Step 3: Sow
Spread seed at 6-8 lbs (25-35 lbs per acre)
4
Step 4: Contact
Rake lightly and roll for contact
5
Step 5: Water
Water 2-3 times daily
6
Step 6: Mow/Establish
No animals for 8-10 weeks; graze when mature
Feeding & Timing
Fertilizing & Season
Fertilizer Recommendation
Apply 2-4 lbs N per 1,000 sq ft annually. Grazing animals return nutrients via manure, reducing fertilizer needs over time. Festulolium and Ryegrass respond well to nitrogen (increases forage yield). Recommended: Wicked Growth Lawn Formula in spring and fall, reduced rates if animals are returning manure.
Find the right Wicked fertilizer →Seasonal Planting
Best planted late August through September (zones 4-6). Spring planting (April-May) also effective. Allow full establishment before introducing animals—minimum 8-10 weeks with no grazing.
In Context
How It Compares
The Grazing Lawn Mix is the only Tuff Turf blend designed for dual lawn/forage use. No other mix contains Festulolium or Tetraploid Ryegrass. Compared to standard pasture mixes, it maintains lawn appearance between grazing rotations. Compared to the All Purpose Mix, it adds animal-preferred species but drops Tall Fescue. Only choose this mix if you plan to graze animals—otherwise the specialty species are wasted value.
Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Grazing Lawn Mix and what makes it unique?
The Grazing Lawn Mix (Horse Lawn) contains 40% Duo Festulolium, 25% creeping red fescue, 20% Kentucky bluegrass, 10% Feast II Annual Tetraploid Ryegrass, and 5% Highland bentgrass. It is the only mix in the lineup designed to serve dual purpose as both an attractive lawn and nutritious forage for small livestock and poultry. The key innovation is Duo Festulolium—a hybrid grass combining Italian ryegrass palatability with meadow fescue persistence.
What animals can graze on the Grazing Lawn Mix?
The Grazing Lawn Mix is designed for chickens and poultry (excellent), rabbits (excellent), ducks and geese (good), small goats (moderate with rotation), and sheep (moderate with rotation). It is not designed for continuous grazing by horses or cattle—those animals require larger pasture acreage and produce too much compaction for a lawn setting. The mix's high sugar content (from Festulolium and tetraploid ryegrass) makes it highly preferred by animals over standard lawn grasses.
What is Feast II Annual Tetraploid Ryegrass?
Feast II is an annual ryegrass variety with double the normal chromosome count (tetraploid vs. standard diploid). This doubled chromosome count produces larger cells, larger leaves, higher sugar content, more digestible fiber, and faster growth—all of which make it preferred by livestock over standard ryegrass. Feast II provides fast initial coverage while permanent species establish. As an annual, it dies after one growing season and is replaced by the permanent species.
How should I manage rotational grazing on the Grazing Lawn?
Allow grass to reach 4-6 inches before introducing animals. Remove animals when grazed to 2-3 inches to prevent overgrazing. Rest each grazed area for 14-21 days before the next grazing cycle. Divide the lawn into multiple zones with temporary fencing and rotate animals through them. Approximate stocking rates: chickens at 25-50 birds per 1,000 sq ft in rotation, rabbits at 2-4 per 100 sq ft for temporary grazing, small ruminants at 1-2 per 1,000 sq ft with careful rotation.
What is the seeding rate for the Grazing Lawn Mix?
Seed at 6-8 lbs per 1,000 sq ft for new lawns, or 3-4 lbs per 1,000 sq ft for overseeding. For pasture-style broadcast seeding on larger areas, use 25-35 lbs per acre. Allow 8-10 weeks of establishment growth before introducing any animals—premature grazing during establishment permanently damages the stand. The first grazing should be light (short duration, fewer animals) to allow the stand to adapt to grazing pressure.
What USDA zones does the Grazing Lawn Mix work in?
The Grazing Lawn Mix is designed for USDA zones 4-7—slightly narrower than most mixes because Festulolium and tetraploid ryegrass are less cold-tolerant than standard turfgrass species. In zone 3, Festulolium may thin during severe winters. In zones 4-5, the creeping red fescue and Kentucky bluegrass components provide winter insurance. For zones 3-4 where extreme cold hardiness is essential, a timothy-based pasture mix may be more reliable for grazing applications.
Does the Grazing Lawn Mix need more fertilizer because animals graze it?
Grazing animals return nutrients via manure, which partially offsets fertilizer needs. However, the Grazing Lawn's high-palatability species (Festulolium, tetraploid ryegrass) are moderate to heavy feeders requiring 2-4 lbs nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft annually for maximum forage production. In practice, chicken and rabbit manure from grazing reduces this to 1-3 lbs N of supplemental fertilizer. Monitor grass color and growth rate—pale or slow-growing areas indicate nitrogen deficiency requiring supplemental application.
