My grazed corn has been continuous spring striptilled corn on corn for about 6 years now. Hoof compaction has not been a major issue except in the lanes they use to walk back and forth. I think this is due to the fact they are almost always walking on last years rootballs - or frozen ground. 

Compaction is much more of an issue where I worked the ground in the past. I do own a rollover moldboard plow.

However as wet as my heavy clay soils are right now I am just going to keep the cows off of it until things dry or I need to strip till and plant which will likely be the third week in May weather permitting.

One really nice thing about grazing corn rather than combining it is that I am under less pressure to get the corn planted early.  One reason I got into this in the first place is I was late planting a few years ago and what do you do with 200 bu but 32% moisture corn in November in Wisconsin???  Now I don't worry about it.

I am going to try a bit different wrinkle on some of this grazed corn ground this spring and spread some manure, run an Aerway in a not aggressive setting (I don't want a lot of loose rootballs on the surface), wait for a good rain to settle things down then strip till and plant corn. More for the manure incorporation than compaction but maybe I will learn something here.

Jim at Dawn