SRBeef
Well-known member
With fertilizer prices as they are I no-till drilled some red clover into a mostly grass pasture early this spring hoping to let it fix some nitrogen rather than having to supply it from the coop. This is a very nice grass paddock but it has been giving out in the middle of summer and looking like it needed more fertilizer.
I always thought of clover as an early spring, cool weather plant. But after being away for a few days and coming back to move the girls etc I was amazed at how well the spring planted clover is coming through now that the other grasses are sort of going into the summer doldrums. One of the other posts here somewhere had a link to YouTube videos of a fellow in Texas who was advocating planting clover there.
Here are a couple photos from this afternoon. You can see where I drilled it and how the grass is sort of lagging in between while the clover is thriving even in the heat of August (in WI). It hasn't been near as hot as elsewhere but still grass is slowing.
If this is what red clover can typically do over the summer I am excited. Lots of good forage when I need it. I restricted them to a small section of the paddock and will see how much we can get out of it. Is there any danger of bloat from too much clover as there is from alfalfa?
Also here are a couple pictures of the scurred bull I posted questions about earlier. I am becoming more satisfied with him. He is fitting in to the herd, seems to have a good attitude (for a bull) comes with the others, not bellowing, etc but also seems to be getting his job done with the girls. Question is when does a yearling bull like this fill out in the butt? I would just like to see a little more rear quarter on him. Is that likely to come later? He is still only about 15 months old.
When do bulls reach their full profile? Is he likely to fill out in the rear?
Here are the photos:
View attachment 2
View attachment 1
I always thought of clover as an early spring, cool weather plant. But after being away for a few days and coming back to move the girls etc I was amazed at how well the spring planted clover is coming through now that the other grasses are sort of going into the summer doldrums. One of the other posts here somewhere had a link to YouTube videos of a fellow in Texas who was advocating planting clover there.
Here are a couple photos from this afternoon. You can see where I drilled it and how the grass is sort of lagging in between while the clover is thriving even in the heat of August (in WI). It hasn't been near as hot as elsewhere but still grass is slowing.
If this is what red clover can typically do over the summer I am excited. Lots of good forage when I need it. I restricted them to a small section of the paddock and will see how much we can get out of it. Is there any danger of bloat from too much clover as there is from alfalfa?
Also here are a couple pictures of the scurred bull I posted questions about earlier. I am becoming more satisfied with him. He is fitting in to the herd, seems to have a good attitude (for a bull) comes with the others, not bellowing, etc but also seems to be getting his job done with the girls. Question is when does a yearling bull like this fill out in the butt? I would just like to see a little more rear quarter on him. Is that likely to come later? He is still only about 15 months old.
When do bulls reach their full profile? Is he likely to fill out in the rear?
Here are the photos:
View attachment 2
View attachment 1