Festolium pasture blend ?

[Stocker Steve]

Have you had success with a high energy festolium pasture blend, and how long did the stand last?

 

[snake67]

Have you had success with a high energy festolium pasture blend, and how long did the stand last?

Never used it myself.

I think your info is far too sparse for anyone to answer at the moment though.

Got some questions for you - simply because I am interested.

What are the soil types?

How does it hold up to hard winters and dry summers?

Planning to hay first and then pasture - or straight pasture?

What does your local pasture / seed seller have to say?

Stocking rates?

Field preparation required?

Management plan - ie fertilizer, manure, etc?

Planning to clip it or let it go?

And anything esle you think you might want to add.

For sure I am interested in the cost as well.

I will be interested to see the responses from those who have used it

Merry Christmas from our house to yours

Bez

 

[Stocker Steve]

Goal is to get into a high energy / low input pasture rotation for stockers. This pasture would to way too good for cows.
Soil is moderate fertility upland clay loam. The interesting thing is how the soil improves after bale grazing it one winter.
After bale grazing you only need 75# of N as only input for 120 bu corn, and nothing for beans or oats, :nod: based on some initial soil tests.
Current thinking is bale grazing/low input corn/no till beans/under seeded oats/then 2 to 3 year of clover, festolium, meadow fescue, ?, pasture.
Over wintering is a concern with festolium. Not sure how long it will last.

 

[snake67]

Goal is to get into a high energy / low input pasture rotation for stockers. This pasture would to way too good for cows.
Soil is moderate fertility upland clay loam. The interesting thing is how the soil improves after bale grazing it one winter.
After bale grazing you only need 75# of N as only input for 120 bu corn, and nothing for beans or oats, :nod: based on some initial soil tests.
Current thinking is bale grazing/low input corn/no till beans/under seeded oats/then 2 to 3 year of clover, festolium, meadow fescue, ?, pasture.
Over wintering is a concern with festolium. Not sure how long it will last.

I sure agree with you on the bale grazing - we have been doing for about 12-15 years now - and would never go back.

Looking forward to hearing from others on this as I have some pasture work to do in the upcoming year

My best and thanks for the add-on info

Bez

 

[AllForage]

I think your rotation looks good, but 2-3 years in pasture is very expensive. With grass seed and establishment time you will plowing it under just as it gets good. Plowing after gettinbg to only 25% legumes for example hopefully around 5-7 years would be more econimical in my opinion. I think meadow fescue would serve you better for longevity and energy. Your legumes will do more for growing stockers.

 

[Banjo]

Goal is to get into a high energy / low input pasture rotation for stockers. This pasture would to way too good for cows.
Soil is moderate fertility upland clay loam. The interesting thing is how the soil improves after bale grazing it one winter.
After bale grazing you only need 75# of N as only input for 120 bu corn, and nothing for beans or oats, :nod: based on some initial soil tests.
Current thinking is bale grazing/low input corn/no till beans/under seeded oats/then 2 to 3 year of clover, festolium, meadow fescue, ?, pasture.
Over wintering is a concern with festolium. Not sure how long it will last.

I sure agree with you on the bale grazing - we have been doing for about 12-15 years now - and would never go back.

Looking forward to hearing from others on this as I have some pasture work to do in the upcoming year

My best and thanks for the add-on info

Bez

Don't mean to sound so terribly ignorant, but what is bale grazing? I unroll most of my hay, is that the same thing?

 

[bigbluegrass]

Banjo - this should answer your question. I have done it for 4 years now with good results.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=80731

 

[Banjo]

i've done things similiar to that in the past, a good way to build up a paddock if you are doing IRG.....when I did it I was just continuous grazing and I had real good grass in that area for a year or maybe two but it will revert back, to short grass if grazed continually. Thats where managing it comes in.

 

[Dave]

It seems to be real popular with the dairies up north of here. It lasted very long for the one dairy I know of here that planted it.