Getting Annual Summer Pastures Planted

[dave_shelby]

I planted twelve acres of Rays Crazy summer annual and did 20 in 2019. (Used an Esch too rented tho) It does well even in drought where pearl millet did not. Cattle love it and even the neighbors like the sunflowers.

I'm about 45 days in, two weeks to grazing it. I got rate down too thin so some places have too little. Did you fertilize?

BTW are you in Locust Dale VA?

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

I planted twelve acres of Rays Crazy summer annual and did 20 in 2019. (Used an Esch too rented tho) It does well even in drought where pearl millet did not. Cattle love it and even the neighbors like the sunflowers.

I'm about 45 days in, two weeks to grazing it. I got rate down too thin so some places have too little. Did you fertilize?

BTW are you in Locust Dale VA?

I put down a little chicken litter but didn't fertilize as much as I have in the past.

Yes sir I'm in Locust Dale!

 

[dave_shelby]

I didnt fertilize. There was a lot of red clover and thistle and I grazed that in mid-March through mid-April and rolled 26 bales on it for feed.

You aren't far, I am in Shenandoah county.

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

The personal mix I did has more grass in it so it's looking further along. Will wait till around 3 foot tall then let'em loose.

 

[SmokinM]

The personal mix I did has more grass in it so it's looking further along. Will wait till around 3 foot tall then let'em loose.

Man that looks good! Gonna be some happy cows!

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

Started hot wire training the weaned calves a few days ago. Didn't take long for a few dozen to touch their nose on the wire and figure out what 9000 volts feels like. Haven't had any fence jumpers after 3 days so that's promising.

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

Shooting for the first round of grazing next week as long as the late planted stuff catches up. I think we planted about 5 days to late but shouldn't be too big a deal.

 

[dave_shelby]

Turned them in a week ago. Its a bit more mature than desirable to start but our rotation schedule got in the way with timing. I also think we held them in too long - you can see the trampling and pugging below - but we had heavy rains and I wanted to wait until it dried up on account of electric fence.

I noticed with this last planting selective germination or seed sorting in the box. There are areas with mostly SS.

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

I put them in this evening but my phone died and I couldn't snap a few photos. They seemed really happy to say the least.

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

First Pasture grazed, they hammered it pretty good. They have not figured out what sunflowers are yet which is interesting.

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

Double post….

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

Triple post..:

 

[callmefence]

First Pasture grazed, they hammered it pretty good. They have not figured out what sunflowers are yet which is interesting.

I been wondering about the sunflowers.
Cows will certainly eat them when they are young, but I think I would want to occupy the space with something else.
I sprayed my haygrazer this year with 24d to kill the volunteer sunflowers.

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

I been wondering about the sunflowers.
Cows will certainly eat them when they are young, but I think I would want to occupy the space with something else.
I sprayed my haygrazer this year with 24d to kill the volunteer sunflowers.

Well if they don't figure it out soon I'll never plant it again in my annual mix. Now the deer will gladly thank them for leaving them behind!

 

[dave_shelby]

Looks good. I noticed this year I must have got the depth off, because in the level and loamier spots I didnt have much SS.

I think the theory of sunflower is their deep roots benefitting soil health. There isnt that much in the mix.

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

Put 60 steers on the Ray's Crazy mix today. They are somewhere in there.

 

[50/50Farms]

If y'all were in my shoes and not taking on anything to keep until next spring (I'll only be taking on personal feeders and animals that can be flipped until then) what would y'all be looking to plant in the fall or early spring to get out ahead? Going to be a new property so will have to rework forage anyway.

 

[jdg]

Been planting annual mixes for the past 9 years down here in GA, experimenting with different blends. Most of my annual acreage is clean till that I oscillate between summer and winter annuals, so take my recommendations with that consideration. I've tried overseeding bahia/bermuda pastures and haven't had much success. My organic matter levels are between 1-2.5% mostly. I forage develop heifers and bulls for sale, and will give young pairs access sometimes as well.

The past couple years my Pearl Millet has been more susceptible to some form of rust, so I'm thinking of increasing Sorghum Sudan, which previously had been susceptible to the Sugar Cane Aphid, and decreasing Pearl Millet. This will be my mix next year.

BMR Sorghum Sudan 10lbs
Tif Leaf 3 Pearl Millet. 8lbs
Sunn Hemp 8lbs
Red Ripper Pea. 4lbs
Okra 1lb
Sunflower 1lb
Crabgrass 1lb

The Okra and Sunflower are there more for soil health as diversity than making a heavy grazing contribution. When you get your diversity up above 6-7 species, according to Dr. Christine Jones, Nature's entourage effect is more effective. The only issue with the crabgrass is it is easy to bury. I set my drill at 1/2" and don't worry if I bury some. My crabgrass comes on at the second or third grazing. (I'm in south Ga)
The SS, PM, and SH do the heavy lifting. They are aggressive out of the gate. You can substitute Iron and Clay for Red Ripper pea, but my sources tell me the Red Ripper is a little bushier and stands up to grazing pressure better. If you are further south or have been experiencing the sugar cane aphid (haven't seen the bugger in 6 years myself), then do 12lbs PM, and 6 lbs SS instead....or no SS if the outbreaks have been bad enough. That aphid can wipe you out.

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

Been planting annual mixes for the past 9 years down here in GA, experimenting with different blends. Most of my annual acreage is clean till that I oscillate between summer and winter annuals, so take my recommendations with that consideration. I've tried overseeding bahia/bermuda pastures and haven't had much success. My organic matter levels are between 1-2.5% mostly. I forage develop heifers and bulls for sale, and will give young pairs access sometimes as well.

The past couple years my Pearl Millet has been more susceptible to some form of rust, so I'm thinking of increasing Sorghum Sudan, which previously had been susceptible to the Sugar Cane Aphid, and decreasing Pearl Millet. This will be my mix next year.

BMR Sorghum Sudan 10lbs
Tif Leaf 3 Pearl Millet. 8lbs
Sunn Hemp 8lbs
Red Ripper Pea. 4lbs
Okra 1lb
Sunflower 1lb
Crabgrass 1lb

The Okra and Sunflower are there more for soil health as diversity than making a heavy grazing contribution. When you get your diversity up above 6-7 species, according to Dr. Christine Jones, Nature's entourage effect is more effective. The only issue with the crabgrass is it is easy to bury. I set my drill at 1/2" and don't worry if I bury some. My crabgrass comes on at the second or third grazing. (I'm in south Ga)
The SS, PM, and SH do the heavy lifting. They are aggressive out of the gate. You can substitute Iron and Clay for Red Ripper pea, but my sources tell me the Red Ripper is a little bushier and stands up to grazing pressure better. If you are further south or have been experiencing the sugar cane aphid (haven't seen the bugger in 6 years myself), then do 12lbs PM, and 6 lbs SS instead....or no SS if the outbreaks have been bad enough. That aphid can wipe you out.

Good information in this post, I like the way you are thinking!!!

 

[BC]

Information is intriguing. How do okra and sunflower improve the soil?