pasture layout-working pens and water...

[pdubdo]

Looking for thoughts/suggestions/ideas as I'm figuring out the big picture for my recently bought, pretty raw land. Pictures would be much better, but I'll describe what I've got-imagine this as a straight line

County road w/ water/electric -> 10 acre rectangular homestead site -> limestone creek cuts across property -> 5 acre connecting square -> 60 acre pasture in back w/ currently dry pond (needs rennovating)

Creek is smooth-ish rock bottom with gradually sloping sides-it runs 6-9 months out of the year. 30 feet across and never more than 6 inches deep. Will prob freeze briefly this winter. There is 1 single dirt road that connects the entire property. Minimal elevation changes. Initial goal is 5-7 red angus.

Question #1: working pens close to the road or back in the pasture?
Question #2: Pipe county water from the road (across creek), or establish water (pond/drill well etc) in the back?

Thanks for your thoughts

 

[Kingfisher]

Establish 2 reliable water sources
I don't like pens by the road.....unless your selling off the farm and use them for show &tell and to keep strangers seperated from your stuff.

 

[dun]

I like the working pens being more centralized and away from the road. Do some reading on Managment Intensive Grazing, if your local NRCS has one, attend a grazing school.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have two year around live creeks and still have a stock tank in every pasture.

One stock tank is in the lot adjoining the working pens as well.
Easy to haul feed if something hits like a natural disaster or weather
related issues water is a whole nuther ball game to supply a bovine with 30 gallons of
water a day.

 

[Jogeephus]

I'm set up in a wagon wheel fashion with one of the water sources in the area where the working pen is. To pen them all I need do is close off access to the secondary water source then shut the gate to the primary water source for a couple of hours and they will all go in the pen when I open the gate. From there its just a matter of opening gates to do whatever I want.

 

[Gators Rule]

I'm set up in a wagon wheel fashion with one of the water sources in the area where the working pen is. To pen them all I need do is close off access to the secondary water source then shut the gate to the primary water source for a couple of hours and they will all go in the pen when I open the gate. From there its just a matter of opening gates to do whatever I want.

good idea...

 

[pdubdo]

thanks for the advice. Like the idea of central water access to multiple pastures. and sounds like keeping your stuff back, away from prying eyes is a good safety precaution