M Gravelee

[D.R. Cattle]

Macon what can you tell me about grazing SE Alabama? I'm thinking real hard on pulling out of this area and moving it there.

 

[M Gravlee]

There is an area of black prarie land called the Black Belt that runs kinda' like the Nike swoosh from Tupelo MS down to around Dothan AL. Best grass growing land I've ever seen. Drougth resistant, gets really slick and muddy in the winter, but you don't bog down, just sit on top and spin. Fescue, dallis, bermuda, white and red clover grow like crazy. In a warm winter the endophyte-free fescue never quit growing. We ran a cow/calf unit on two acres including hay land, 1 to 1 for stockers. Little or no lime is necessary. The ranch is in north Mississippi and we fed hay an average of 6 weeks a year. In south Alabama you probably will get by with less than 4 weeks. Some of our users in south Georgia or Alabama could probably give you a better idea.

Property taxes are bad, about $1 acre/year. :lol:

There is also a lot of sandy peanut land in south Alabama. I don't know anything about it, but if it is like the land I used to have in north Alabama, it's pretty droughty.