Manure spreading questions

[DaveM]

Is there a "best practice" for spreading manure on grazing pasture? I've read that manure from too many cows per acre can cause health issues, mainly parasite problems from what I've gathered. So should I be concerned with spreading manure on grazing pasture a few weeks before the cows start using the pasture. I'm guessing about 400 bushels over 8 acres. I only have a few cows and have been stockpiling the manure since Thanksgiving 2014. I'm in Northern Pennsylvania and we won't have good green pasture until the end of April in to May. I'd like to start putting the manure to it as soon as I can pull the spreader through it. Still too much snow right now.

I have other fields I can spread the manure on if what I described above is a bad idea, but I thought a good dose of natural fertilizer would jump start the field I want to start grazing the cows on. I just don't want to do something that might cause the cows more harm than good.

 

[Supa Dexta]

That soon to turn out I don't think the cows will eat the grass. Atleast mine wouldn't, could be good grass but they'd smell it and turn their noses up at it.

Put it on adjacent hayland if you can, and then pasture it later in the summer if you need the extra grass after you take a cut or 2 off it.

 

[DaveM]

Thanks for the advice. Makes sense.

 

[pricefarm]

I always try and spread mine on hayfields or my corn field. The pasture gets manure when the cows are on it, most of my hay fields never have any cows on them so spreading the manure there helps put some organic material back in the ground and makes the grass green up sooner

 

[Jalopy]

You could stockpile the manure and let it compost over the summer and spread it in the fall after cows are taken off the pasture. If you turn it a couple times it will compost caters and usually flies are not a big problem.

 

[msplmtneer]

I would spread it on hayfields and other crrop fields also because where I was raised in WV if you could tractors and equipment over it then it was cropland if you couldn't it was pasture.

 

[DaveM]

Thanks for advice. Was really looking at when to spread or when not to spread manure on grazing pasture. I have small herd and can buy hay for next 10 years for less cash outlay than I can purchase hay equipment. I don't have any hayfields, only have pasture. I can rotate. How long after spreading manure can I put cows on pasture? Thanks

 

[Supa Dexta]

I'd have to say months from what I've seen in the past myself. So I would put it on in the fall if you can, or sell it.

It wouldn't hurt to drag it like mentioned in the pasture drag post, if you put it on half thick and there are clumps . Not sure where you are located, but here it breaks down part way, then freezes until spring and starts breaking down further.. So its even possible it wont be worked in well enough over the winter if thats the case, before spring grass is ready. And then you're really in a pickle if the cattle won't eat your grass because of it.

Into summer and you run the risk of it just sitting there drying up and baking on, not working in either.


Do you have any land that needs to be ploughed? That would be the ticket, plough, disk, spread manure, disk and then plant.. Manure gets worked in, plus you get a fresh field out of it.

 

[ANAZAZI]

Do you have any land that needs to be ploughed? That would be the ticket, plough, disk, spread manure, disk and then plant.. Manure gets worked in, plus you get a fresh field out of it.

Agree to that. If you need to put it on pasture, graze it down first, then spread the manure, then graze everything else before you come back and graze that pasture. Make sure you fertilize the part of your farm that needs it the most, whether you plow or not.