Grazing pasture repair ??

[oldnslow]

Hi !

Sorry if I'm :deadhorse: but....

I've access to 12 or so acres to run some cattle on.

I've gotten a soil test done and it seems better than I thought it would be. No liming required.

The recommendation from Texas A&M soil testing lab was 60/70 of nitrogen.

The ground has not been well cared for. Hard in some places and lots of weeds (nut grass/nut sedge) mostly.

Some St Augustine grass and some burmuda.

Should I disc up the ground and spray roundup to kill off the weeds?

Should I just mow the weeds down?

What about broadcasting ryegrass and red clover seed on top of the ground, to build some nitrogen.

The cattle can graze and then I could broadcast bermuda grass seed this winter to graze next summer???

As you can tell I'm really really green. lol

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[shaz]

I think I would spray it. Does the ground have a lot of bare spots?

The disc would be a last resort in my opinion.

 

[bird dog]

It is getting kind of late to do anything this year. The weeds will be very mature and won't react well to herbicide. I would graze it as is for now with just a couple of bred cows and try to get some rye grass going this fall. You will need to fertilize it. The rye grass won't supply nitrogen and it will take a few years for any clover to make a difference. Throwing out some Bermuda seed this fall will be a waste of money in my opinion. Spray it with a good herbicide next March and see what grass you have before pouring a bunch of money on the place. You might be surprised whats there once you knock back the weeds.

Are there any pens on the place to catch cows?

 

[oldnslow]

The bare spots are in one area. The ground is high in the section but not terrible.

So my clover idea was good but slow. lol

What about chicken litter? I may be able to get some for a reasonable cost.

How much do y'all think I would need? 1 ton or 2 tons or ??

Thanks

 

[B&M Farms]

I would use at least 2 tons of chicken manure maybe 3 starting out. You could then plant your clover and rye grass this fall. Next spring would be a good time to spray weeds and plant more summer grasses.

 

[oldnslow]

B&M

So that I understand, you do mean 2 or 3 tons per acre, correct?

 

[B&M Farms]

B&M

So that I understand, you do mean 2 or 3 tons per acre, correct?

Correct. I put 3 tons to the acre on hay only ground and 2 tons on grazing pasture. I don't do this every year on grazing pasture. Usually every other year works but I do have clover on my grazing pastures. I'm in the process of putting clover on all of my hay ground now but with the droughts we have dealt with lately its been a process. Even though you are going to graze it you might think about 3 tons the first year per your soil test asking for 60/70 pounds of nitrogen. If you just graze it you shouldn't have to do it every year.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Chicken litter is not always' cheapest here don't get sucked into the cost per ton.
It is about the pound's of N per acre commercial fertilizer can be cheaper per acre to accomplish your goal.
Run a disc over it one time just to aerate the soil and plant Pensacola bahia and you will be off and running a few year's if you dont overstock.
You are not going to build a pasture in a year, get that thought out of your head right now this is a journey.
What part of East Texas as that cover's lot's of ground, big difference on what side of US 59 you are on north or south of Hwy 190.

 

[oldnslow]

Sorry for not being more clear, my bad. The place is just north east of Dayton.
From most everything I've read it will take 3 or so years to build the pasture. I'm trying to learn the best way to start. I m trying to figure a good timeline and what I should do. I posted the question hoping to hear from someone in this area to point me in the general direction I need to go. lol
Is there a good place in this area to get nitrogen in bulk? Any fed store? ...and the grass seed, same place or online?
Sorry if these are dumb questions.

Thanks for everyone's help !!!

 

[Caustic Burno]

Sorry for not being more clear, my bad. The place is just north east of Dayton.
From most everything I've read it will take 3 or so years to build the pasture. I'm trying to learn the best way to start. I m trying to figure a good timeline and what I should do. I posted the question hoping to hear from someone in this area to point me in the general direction I need to go. lol
Is there a good place in this area to get nitrogen in bulk? Any fed store? ...and the grass seed, same place or online?
Sorry if these are dumb questions.

Thanks for everyone's help !!!

Tarkington Parrie?

No dumb ?'s HoustonCutter would be your best source of supplies in the area PM him he ran cow's in Liberty County.
Learn about Bahia, learn to love Bahia grass. Grey Beard would be another good resource as he is north of you.
Disc it it up and plant 25 lb's Pensacola bahia to the acre with 10 lb's common bermuda.
The bermuda will come up quick and cover and the bahia will slowly take over. Be sure to use non hulled bermuda if you plant in the fall. You can do this two three acres at a time. First plot get a good stand of grass move over to the next.
Stay away from clover for now as you will most likely be using a herbicde program for a few year's to get the weed's under control. There are different clover's for different soil's and moisture Arrowleaf and Crimson doesn't like wet feet.
S-1 White Dutch does.
Elbon Rye along with Rye grass is a good winter cover crop need to hit with some N as both are pretty hard on the soil.
If you get a good Bahia grass program going on 12 acres you could safely run 6 and up to 10.
You have got to learn to be a grass farmer.

 

[B&M Farms]

Caustic is right about the cost. Unless you are close to some broiler houses the freight on the chicken manure can make it not worth it. I'm farther north in the Rusk area and can't tell you about your area as well as others on what grasses work best.

 

[SRBeef]

For pasture, my general philosophy is that whatever is growing there now is better than nothing. I would not tear it up with a did but soil test, apply whatever is needed, mow it and then no till drill new forage into the existing stand. A coulter-type no till drill will also incorporate some of your spread fertilizer into the soil profile. Clover based mixtures are good things to gradually improve a pasture. Jmho.

Good luck.

Jim

 

[Caustic Burno]

For pasture, my general philosophy is that whatever is growing there now is better than nothing. I would not tear it up with a did but soil test, apply whatever is needed, mow it and then no till drill new forage into the existing stand. A coulter-type no till drill will also incorporate some of your spread fertilizer into the soil profile. Clover based mixtures are good things to gradually improve a pasture. Jmho.

Good luck.

Jim

Now I might have misunderstood but he doesn't have any cow's on it right now.
If that is the case he would year's ahead establishing improved pasture first.

 

[Jessica06]

If you have sedge, do not disc it. The best time to spray is anytime in the spring before it starts seeding out. We've gotten really good control with 2 pints Grazon P+D/acre. We have a ton, and it is worse than huisatche, impo.

Chicken litter is great for rebuilding topsoil, something a lot of people lost in the drought. Some friends put it on their hayfield last year and topdressed it with pure nitrogen as needed...best grass I've ever seen.

 

[Caustic Burno]

If you have sedge, do not disc it. The best time to spray is anytime in the spring before it starts seeding out. We've gotten really good control with 2 pints Grazon P+D/acre. We have a ton, and it is worse than huisatche, impo.

Chicken litter is great for rebuilding topsoil, something a lot of people lost in the drought. Some friends put it on their hayfield last year and topdressed it with pure nitrogen as needed...best grass I've ever seen.

Sedge is not going to be a problem where he is at.
The cost of chicken litter will eat him alive as they will have to truck it so far to get to him.

 

[Farmgirl]

Re: Grazing pasture repair ??

Postby Caustic Burno » Tue Jul 16, 2013 8:20 am

oldnslow wrote:Sorry for not being more clear, my bad. The place is just north east of Dayton.
From most everything I've read it will take 3 or so years to build the pasture. I'm trying to learn the best way to start. I m trying to figure a good timeline and what I should do. I posted the question hoping to hear from someone in this area to point me in the general direction I need to go. lol
Is there a good place in this area to get nitrogen in bulk? Any fed store? ...and the grass seed, same place or online?
Sorry if these are dumb questions.

Thanks for everyone's help !!!



Tarkington Parrie?

No dumb ?'s HoustonCutter would be your best source of supplies in the area PM him he ran cow's in Liberty County.
Learn about Bahia, learn to love Bahia grass. Grey Beard would be another good resource as he is north of you.
Disc it it up and plant 25 lb's Pensacola bahia to the acre with 10 lb's common bermuda.
The bermuda will come up quick and cover and the bahia will slowly take over. Be sure to use non hulled bermuda if you plant in the fall. You can do this two three acres at a time. First plot get a good stand of grass move over to the next.
Stay away from clover for now as you will most likely be using a herbicde program for a few year's to get the weed's under control. There are different clover's for different soil's and moisture Arrowleaf and Crimson doesn't like wet feet.
S-1 White Dutch does.
Elbon Rye along with Rye grass is a good winter cover crop need to hit with some N as both are pretty hard on the soil.
If you get a good Bahia grass program going on 12 acres you could safely run 6 and up to 10.
You have got to learn to be a grass farmer.

Caustic,

Are you saying plant both the Bahia/Bermuda and the Elbon Rye/Ryegrass this fall? We have a similar situation in one pasture.

Thanks,
Farmgirl

 

[Caustic Burno]

Re: Grazing pasture repair ??

Postby Caustic Burno » Tue Jul 16, 2013 8:20 am

oldnslow wrote:Sorry for not being more clear, my bad. The place is just north east of Dayton.
From most everything I've read it will take 3 or so years to build the pasture. I'm trying to learn the best way to start. I m trying to figure a good timeline and what I should do. I posted the question hoping to hear from someone in this area to point me in the general direction I need to go. lol
Is there a good place in this area to get nitrogen in bulk? Any fed store? ...and the grass seed, same place or online?
Sorry if these are dumb questions.

Thanks for everyone's help !!!



Tarkington Parrie?

No dumb ?'s HoustonCutter would be your best source of supplies in the area PM him he ran cow's in Liberty County.
Learn about Bahia, learn to love Bahia grass. Grey Beard would be another good resource as he is north of you.
Disc it it up and plant 25 lb's Pensacola bahia to the acre with 10 lb's common bermuda.
The bermuda will come up quick and cover and the bahia will slowly take over. Be sure to use non hulled bermuda if you plant in the fall. You can do this two three acres at a time. First plot get a good stand of grass move over to the next.
Stay away from clover for now as you will most likely be using a herbicde program for a few year's to get the weed's under control. There are different clover's for different soil's and moisture Arrowleaf and Crimson doesn't like wet feet.
S-1 White Dutch does.
Elbon Rye along with Rye grass is a good winter cover crop need to hit with some N as both are pretty hard on the soil.
If you get a good Bahia grass program going on 12 acres you could safely run 6 and up to 10.
You have got to learn to be a grass farmer.

Caustic,

Are you saying plant both the Bahia/Bermuda and the Elbon Rye/Ryegrass this fall? We have a similar situation in one pasture.

Thanks,
Farmgirl

Yep if you are the east side of Hwy 59.
Bahia takes a long time to germinate, bermuda you can plant that early spring after the danger of frost and use hulled seed then. The rye grass and elbon rye make good winter pasture.

 

[Farmgirl]

Caustic,

Thanks for the clarification.
We are not east of 59. We are northwest Houston. West of 59 a few miles.

Farmgirl

 

[oldnslow]

..more clarification...I don't currently have any cattle on the place but,
there is a fellow with about a half dozen cows on the property now. He puts out large rolls of hay for them.

He does nothing with the pasture. He is out at the end of the year.

I will be able to bring in some after he is gone. The thing is I want to try and build a pasture they can live on I.E. w/o a lot of hay.

Ill do some research on those grasses. I think that's what I m looking for. Year around feed for the cattle.

This may be a silly question too but is there a certain grass or cover crop that will make a cow taste better?