180 acres of good pasture ?

[cypressfarms]

Use it every year. 250-300 pounds per acre. Makes for good stands of grass.

What in the world are you growing that requires 250 to 300 pounds per acre of fertilizer? At that rate, we'd almost risk burning the plant off down here.....

Sudex, millet, fescue, dallas grass, rye grass, etc. Talk about really making the rye grass, clover, and fescue come on in the spring it takes off like a jack rabbit and by summer the cows are belly deep in grass.

Cattlepower seems like a new member; as such I feel obliged to give him the best answer I know, and not answer if I don't since he/she is a newbie and may consider people's advice as the gospel. With that in mind, I would not recommend fertilizing the pastures mentioned at 250 to 300 pounds per acre, and for several reasons:

1. We don't know what the soil content is, and without having a soil test you have no idea what it may need.

2. Fertilizer is not cheap, your maximum rate would require this person to put out 27 tons of fertilizer. (Based on 180 acres, 300 pounds/acre) Down here that would cost you just over $12,000!

3. You didn't say what type of fertilizer. If he/she puts out your recommendation now, (assuming the fertilizer has nitrogen in it) it will be several months before spring sprouting plants can use it. By that time, if there has not been much rain especially, the amount of nitrogen loss to the atmosphere would be significant - ultimately resulting in not only putting out too much fertilizer (in my opinion), but also running the risk of losing the N (especially) value put down.

End result is that someone just gave this member some advice to put out $12,000 dollars of fertilizer, that in my opinion, is a bad idea. If this person heeds the fertilizer advice, and goes to a feed store hopefully the people there will steer him straight; but they might just let him buy that $12,000 of fertilizer. To me, this is irresponsible advice to be posting.

I have no malice torward cowman30, I just strongly feel that we shouldn't steer people off in tangents when they may not be able to filter some of this info yet. It would take this person years to overcome a $12000 bill for fertilizer, if ever.

Of course this is my opinion, I'm just a dumb cajun guy, take it for what you want. :tiphat:

 

[Angus Cowman]

What in the world are you growing that requires 250 to 300 pounds per acre of fertilizer? At that rate, we'd almost risk burning the plant off down here.....

Cattlepower seems like a new member; as such I feel obliged to give him the best answer I know, and not answer if I don't since he/she is a newbie and may consider people's advice as the gospel. With that in mind, I would not recommend fertilizing the pastures mentioned at 250 to 300 pounds per acre, and for several reasons:

1. We don't know what the soil content is, and without having a soil test you have no idea what it may need.

2. Fertilizer is not cheap, your maximum rate would require this person to put out 27 tons of fertilizer. (Based on 180 acres, 300 pounds/acre) Down here that would cost you just over $12,000!

3. You didn't say what type of fertilizer. If he/she puts out your recommendation now, (assuming the fertilizer has nitrogen in it) it will be several months before spring sprouting plants can use it. By that time, if there has not been much rain especially, the amount of nitrogen loss to the atmosphere would be significant - ultimately resulting in not only putting out too much fertilizer (in my opinion), but also running the risk of losing the N (especially) value put down.

End result is that someone just gave this member some advice to put out $12,000 dollars of fertilizer, that in my opinion, is a bad idea. If this person heeds the fertilizer advice, and goes to a feed store hopefully the people there will steer him straight; but they might just let him buy that $12,000 of fertilizer. To me, this is irresponsible advice to be posting.

I have no malice torward cowman30, I just strongly feel that we shouldn't steer people off in tangents when they may not be able to filter some of this info yet. It would take this person years to overcome a $12000 bill for fertilizer, if ever.

Of course this is my opinion, I'm just a dumb cajun guy, take it for what you want. :tiphat:

I agree with cypress even when fertilizing my hay fields with commercial fert I don't put 300lbs pr acre on , I will usually put on 150lbs of 2-1-2 in the spring then top dress with 50lbs of N in late summer to boost the fescue for fall

 

[novatech]

There are some good charts and info. in this article that some may find useful. Their fert. price would have to be adjusted.
http://lubbock.tamu.edu/othercrops/pdf/ ... dafert.pdf

 

[backhoeboogie]

That will be 27 to 30 tons of fertilizer, depending on how the soil analysis goes, for that 180 acres. Think about that in your cost.

I forgot to add he has had about 20 cows on there for two years. Fertilizer? Ha Ha I didn't think anyone used that anymore.

You said he was a "friend". Pasture is easier to maintain than it is to plant. If you don't fertilize, your cows will not get the nutrition they would otherwise receive. You won't be able to stock it as much. You'll wear it down in about 5 years. What kind of "friend" are you?

I lease pasture. It is in better shape each year and the horse people go nuts over my hay. They tell me my cow hay is better than horse hay they buy from other places. That is probably why I am sold out. Probably why my cows breed back so darn fast too.

Take care of the pasture and it will take care of you. I've seen what happens to pasture that is let go and not maintained over and over for years.

If a friend of mine wanted to help me out, I would not take advantage of him. For that matter, I don't take advantage of strangers.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Use it every year. 250-300 pounds per acre. Makes for good stands of grass.

What in the world are you growing that requires 250 to 300 pounds per acre of fertilizer? At that rate, we'd almost risk burning the plant off down here.....

Coastal hay that gets 16% protein at times. 14% protein pretty regular. It has to be cut and baled at the optimum times tho. One week can make a big difference.

 

[Frankie]

I would say probably 50 cow/calf prs yr round being conservative or 250 stockers for 6-7 months on a rotation of 80hd at 30 -45day intervals on arrival

The stocker thing sounds like a thing he wants to try, just not sure where to buy the stockers.

Running stockers can be very profitable, or you can lose your behind. If the market drops while you own them, you're in trouble. Take some time to learn about that business before you go out and invest big bucks. Good luck...

 

[DOC HARRIS]

In talking about the fertilizer being discussed on this thread, I assumed (you know what that may make me!) that cattlepower being from Tennessee, Lime might have been considered in the "Fertilizer" needs, but I don't know that for a fact. IF Lime is a consideration for that country, it is absolutely necessary for a PROFITABLE operation!

DOC HARRIS

 

[Cowdirt]

In talking about the fertilizer being discussed on this thread, I assumed (you know what that may make me!) that cattlepower being from Tennessee, Lime might have been considered in the "Fertilizer" needs, but I don't know that for a fact. IF Lime is a consideration for that country, it is absolutely necessary for a PROFITABLE operation!

DOC HARRIS

Right on Doc. The majority of soil tests in south Mid TN call for 2 tons/ac.

 

[cypressfarms]

Needing lime is totally different than saying you need 300 pounds of fertilizer per acre. This is part of the point I was trying to make earlier. As responsible "advice givers" we need to make certain that the advice we give doesn't do more harm than good.

How about some real good advice for cattlepower - get several soil samples from different places on the pasture and send the soil samples in for testing (you should have a Ag. University that can do this for you for a minimal fee). Await the results, then decide what needs to be done.

 

[backhoeboogie]

How about some real good advice for cattlepower - get several soil samples from different places on the pasture and send the soil samples in for testing (you should have a Ag. University that can do this for you for a minimal fee). Await the results, then decide what needs to be done.

Soil samples is exactly what I do cypress. Things can differ from one pasture to the next too. In the 3rd of 4th post of this thread, my words were something like "pending soil analysis".

5 weeks ago they drilled a new water well for me. The submitted well report to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for that location shows limestone was drilled through from 15 to 218 feet. This well is above the upper and lower river flood plains. Hence, I have no experience with lime deficiency. There is plenty leaching right out of the hills.

It is amazing what clover can do for my pastures growing over the winters. Hubam and Madrid clover have yielded excellent results to what my pastures need. They cut costs on fertilizer significantly and yield great forage for the cows.

 

[dun]

There is one catch to fertilizing. Too often I hear popel say they've been applying X amount of fertilizer and it doesn;t make any difference. When I ask about lime and ph they say that lime costs too much compared to fertilizer. If your ph isn;t right, fertilizer may very well be a total waste of money.

 

[Angus Cowman]

There is one catch to fertilizing. Too often I hear popel say they've been applying X amount of fertilizer and it doesn;t make any difference. When I ask about lime and ph they say that lime costs too much compared to fertilizer. If your ph isn;t right, fertilizer may very well be a total waste of money.

Lime is the cheapest part of fertilizing learned that yrs ago