DNelson
Well-known member
I thought it was on there, I'll add it. anyway location is north central Minnesota.
How’s your grass?
- Thread starter Hogfarmer10
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Ridgefarmer63
Well-known member
4-6 inches. Been raining for about two weeks now. Sun this weekend they say..
OP
OP
Hogfarmer10
Well-known member
This is a patch of ryegrass that was planted late - it was primarily planted as a cover crop in my pumpkin field. I decided to let my wife's sheep graze it. I've got about 45 acres of it that I planted about 5 weeks before this. It's about 8" higher (34" average). As soon as the weather breaks, it's getting mowed. I just wish my perennial grass hayfields would thicken up. They look very sparse this year.
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That's a beautiful sight. Wow.
DNelson
Well-known member
three days of sunshine! green is poking up through the dead grass. grow dang it, grow.
Big Creek
Well-known member
ive never seen grass this slow starting. Put out hay may 1st. Started feeding hay august 2022 because of drought. Been a long run.
East Central MO. I would agree that I can't remember a year with grass being this bad first of May. It's been dry and colder so far. Looks like next week the pattern is changing a little bit warmer and have some rain chances again. I usually keep my fall calves until August. Selling them this Monday due to grass being about a month behind. Started creating a cull list of my good producing cows in case we don't get much rain in the month of May.
Cows been grazing since Feb 20th...when grass started...been growing grass like gangbusters here with all the rain....cattle can't keep up...I would need 50 more head...I'm sure that by September (after the normal July-August with no rain) they'll have it under control.
Put some replacement heifers down on a river bottom field we haven't grazed in a while since we replanted half of it this past September. They look happy if you can find them!!!
Logan52
Well-known member
Strange year for sure. We are getting a little grass growth but well behind normal. Usually by now pastures have lost that emerald green look and begin to look a little woolly from heading out and various weeds.
Cattle have been grazing so hard that the fields still have that early spring look.
Growth on the calves has been really good and the cows are holding or improving condition.
Could this be keeping the grass in a vegetative stage and actually improving performance?
I just hope it does not turn to a hot dry summer because roots are not going deep under these conditions,
Cattle have been grazing so hard that the fields still have that early spring look.
Growth on the calves has been really good and the cows are holding or improving condition.
Could this be keeping the grass in a vegetative stage and actually improving performance?
I just hope it does not turn to a hot dry summer because roots are not going deep under these conditions,
DNelson
Well-known member
when our pasture grass gets tall the cattle stop eating it, its stems then. picky cows I guess.Put some replacement heifers down on a river bottom field we haven't grazed in a while since we replanted half of it this past September. They look happy if you can find them!!!
DNelson
Well-known member
my cattle grazed the pasture and the hay field real low last fall to December when it snowed. starting to show green now, but we need rain. two weeks ago, we still had a couple inches of snow on the ground, but its gone now except for the piles.
Walker's Ridge
Well-known member
We've had a week of rain and cold temps. Thankful for the rain, but too cold for the grass to use it.
The grass does look better, but not where it shoudl be. 12" orchard grass and smooth brome is heading out, but not thick at all. Cows are eating between the seed heads.
The grass does look better, but not where it shoudl be. 12" orchard grass and smooth brome is heading out, but not thick at all. Cows are eating between the seed heads.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Grass is terribly slow growing here. More buttercup than i have ever seen before. Even in well fertilized hay fields.
Travlr
Well-known member
I'm just gonna throw this out there. Not really related to grass, but it's a little weird for us. We have a big crab apple tree that has hoards of bees in it when it blooms every year... except this year. The tree is in full bloom and the noise from bees is usually loud standing under it. There are no bees this year at all. I went out and stood under the tree for several minutes and saw none.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Lots of wild hives here didnt make it through the winter. Not a bad winter so not sure if its mites or what else it could be.
I noticed the same thing. Hay fields covered with buttercup that I have never noticed before.
DNelson
Well-known member
I read that the drought had an effect on bee population in areas. not sure if it was from the lack of blooming flowers or water or both. even the monarch butterflies were fewer last year.
Travlr
Well-known member
I'm betting that my kids will see the end of Monarch butterflies. Who knows, maybe I will outlive them. All the apple tress are in full bloom and no bees. Gonna have very few apples this year.
