madbeancounter1
Well-known member
OK, now I am probably going to get blasted for asking this question but here goes anyway.
I've been getting a lot of advice from my employer on what my partner and I should be doing to improve our pasture.
I am not totally satisfied with his solutions partly because a) he doesn't necessarily do what he says to do; and b) his approach to cattle is a little different than the direction that we want to go.
Since we started this venture we have been leaning toward going totally grass-fed; reserving grain only for animals that we are fattening for slaughter or that the kids will be showing for 4-H.
Our pasture is really pretty good prairie grass but this year, being our first, we struggled with a lot of blackberry canes and briars and we are still undecided as to the best way to get rid of them.
If we are successful in purchasing one of the other pieces of ground that we are looking at we will have greater capacity to be able to rotate pastures.
I guess what I really want to know is what we need to do to make sure that we can sustain cattle on pasture without providing more than a salt/mineral block and hay when the snow flies.
We already to plan to fertilize or spread chicken litter. In addition to that we plan to take a soil sample to the extension office for analysis. Is there anything that we are overlooking?
Would you recommend overseeding the prairie grass with anything else?
Please feel free to blast away or provide comments... Just don't treat me like the redheaded step-child. I wouldn't ask the questions if I didn't believe that I would receive sincere help.
Thanks in advance.
I've been getting a lot of advice from my employer on what my partner and I should be doing to improve our pasture.
I am not totally satisfied with his solutions partly because a) he doesn't necessarily do what he says to do; and b) his approach to cattle is a little different than the direction that we want to go.
Since we started this venture we have been leaning toward going totally grass-fed; reserving grain only for animals that we are fattening for slaughter or that the kids will be showing for 4-H.
Our pasture is really pretty good prairie grass but this year, being our first, we struggled with a lot of blackberry canes and briars and we are still undecided as to the best way to get rid of them.
If we are successful in purchasing one of the other pieces of ground that we are looking at we will have greater capacity to be able to rotate pastures.
I guess what I really want to know is what we need to do to make sure that we can sustain cattle on pasture without providing more than a salt/mineral block and hay when the snow flies.
We already to plan to fertilize or spread chicken litter. In addition to that we plan to take a soil sample to the extension office for analysis. Is there anything that we are overlooking?
Would you recommend overseeding the prairie grass with anything else?
Please feel free to blast away or provide comments... Just don't treat me like the redheaded step-child. I wouldn't ask the questions if I didn't believe that I would receive sincere help.
Thanks in advance.