How’s your grass?

Help Support CattleToday:

Was just at the ranch last Sunday, and it is still pretty green out there. The hills to the south still had some snow in places. I have never seen Creston Junction look so good.

20230625_170103.jpg
 
tex452 said:
My chicken litter is still in a pile, it was supposed to be spread two weeks ago.
Click to expand...
My sat there for about month…had several good rains…would have been nice to have had it spread for those rains…now hoping the chances of rain this week and next week pan out…we sure could use it
 
We're back to being in a moderate drought! The last good rain was Mother's Day, 1.6 inches. Any rain since then has been 2/10" here or 3/10" there. Thankfully we sold almost half the cows from mid April to mid May. Everything left is 5 and under. I think we'll be able to squeak by without selling any more.... but I'm working on a cull list in case we need it while praying for rain.
 
Got our brome cut/raked/baled. Not good! Usually average 300-330 bales, last year was 230 and this year only 178. Still have 34 bales left over from last year. Our only hope is to continue to get enough rain to keep the pastures somewhat green and hopefully, won't have to start putting out bales until mid-November (had to start putting them out in September last year).
 
starting to cut the first round of grass hay. It looks a little light on growth, the orchard grass is not great and soon we will see how it compares to last year, which was still in the drought. Still in drought this year and have had some 1/2-inch rains a couple times over the last few weeks. our pastures are dry and not sure rain will help unless we get lots!
 
I baled 102 bales this morning, was trying my darndest to get ahead of the rain. Had to stop because the piston my the right side of my baler decided to give up. Looks like the rest of the hay is going to get wet. The part won't get here until Thursday.
 
It's dry here in VA. However the forecast has predicted chance of showers for the last two weeks so that shut down last of hay making. I'm going to cull a few head.

I've thought about moving west to KS or MO. Don't know how you all manage to keep a good herd through droughts.
 
I was up behind the house yesterday. I was surprised by how much green grass there was. This sage brush semi dessert ground was grazed off mid April to the last week of May. June was cooler than normal and we had a couple pretty strong thunder showers roll through last month. The Crested Wheat grass and a couple other species are looking great.
That real green patch center left in the picture is the neighbor's irrigated meadow in the valley floor.

P5132541.JPG
 
TCRanch said:
Got our brome cut/raked/baled. Not good! Usually average 300-330 bales, last year was 230 and this year only 178. Still have 34 bales left over from last year. Our only hope is to continue to get enough rain to keep the pastures somewhat green and hopefully, won't have to start putting out bales until mid-November (had to start putting them out in September last year).
Click to expand...
Drove through your area couple week's ago and was shocked at how short the wheat was! Friend from north of Wellington said only running around 40 BPA! Down from 60 last year. Is that all from drought I assume?
 
Reading some of these makes me realize how blessed we have been in north Texas so far. We had a great yield on winter hay crop from a lot of winter moisture, put down fertilizer on 20 acres of Sudan last Saturday and got 1-1/2" of rain on it last night. Never count your chickens but sure feel like the man upstairs is smiling on me this year. Even better, haven't lost a calf to the buzzards yet this year
 
crossbreed said:
Can I ask what that grass is? Looking to convert 20 acres to grass and looking at all options. I realize it varies by region
Click to expand...
Red and white clover, tick trefoil, vetch, chicory, plantain, fescue, OG, crabgrass, purple top, johnson grass, dallis grass, and whatever else is in the seed bank. I've tried seeding things a few times and gave up. Lol. I let grow what will grow.

There are a fee warm season annuals that grow wild in my area. In the picture I'm pretty sure what you're seeing is the purple top stuff. It may be a perennial. It's becoming more and more of the stand each year.

If I was starting with a clean field, I'd like to try ryegrass, crabgrass, red and white clover, plantain and chicory. Would require some grazing management, but if allowed to seed out might could be a killer combination and come back every year. Not sure how it'd work in TX.
 

Similar threads

ClinchValley86
Grass ID
2
Replies
25
Views
584
kenny thomas
K
B
Questions on Drilling Grass
Replies
6
Views
939
BC
B
Mountaintown Creek Ranch
What's this grass ?
2
Replies
22
Views
1K
snakegap1
S
T
Grass Advice
Replies
7
Views
722
tsellars
T
Mountaintown Creek Ranch
What type of grass weed
2
Replies
21
Views
1K
504RP
5

Latest posts

Top