Rotate hay bale feeding areas?

[longhorntractor]

I have a quick question for all: should I rotate hay feeding areas around the pasture or just sacrafice one area?

My plan is to move them around and spread the hay(and manure) that they leave around the pasture. My thought is that it will be good for the soil. We are in the process of renovating an old rock quarry so the pasture needs all the help it can get.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[bhooper]

In your situation I would rotate because like you said it will spread the manure and wasted hay around. If I had a real good stand of grass I would sacrifice one area.

 

[B&M Farms]

If your land has some poorer areas I would feed hay there to help build the soil in those areas. I would spread it out some just so calves are not laying in manure all the time.

 

[cfry]

I've always rotated bales around one pasture. I feed cubes in another area. I rotate mostly because the winters here are very very wet. The cows and tractor begin to cut deep ruts. I'd hate to have a cow get foot rot. When it dries out periodically, I drag a box blade over the area to re-level the ground then start all over.

 

[Dakotaslim]

They did a study up in Canada and found that feeding in the pasture and moving it every year really improved the quality of the pasture. They only fed in the pasture when the ground was frozen so the cows didn't chew it up too badly.

 

[bigbull338]

we have 2 small pastures that we feed in every winter.that way we dont mess our grazing pastures up with ruts an hay piles.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

They did a study up in Canada and found that feeding in the pasture and moving it every year really improved the quality of the pasture. They only fed in the pasture when the ground was frozen so the cows didn't chew it up too badly.

that would work,,but here you'd rut and groove so much, you'd defeat your purpose... the ground is rotton during those month water stands in the hoof prints for days then drys out and it will jar your teeth loose driving across it. and hard on the cattle legs to travel

 

[gonzo]

I have 2 sacrifice areas one for feeders and one for bred cows and smaller stock wish I could keep it in one. :?

 

[greybeard]

Next winter, I think I may open my big garden gate and feed hay in there for a couple of weeks.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Next winter, I think I may open my big garden gate and feed hay in there for a couple of weeks.

If you like weeds in your garden that will work very well.

 

[Greenwood Forest]

Next winter, I think I may open my big garden gate and feed hay in there for a couple of weeks.

As an experiment I just pushed up all the hay/manure mix that had built up over the winter, and put it behind an electric fence. I made a nice sized mulchy pile. Since I've never tried to plant corn, I made a few furrows and planted some corn, then also planted some watermelons, another thing I've never tried to hard to grow.

This is all in addition to our established garden, just for fun. I don't plan to really work it, just watch what happens.

 

[Wisteria Farms]

we have 2 small pastures that we feed in every winter.that way we dont mess our grazing pastures up with ruts an hay piles.

Ditto. Same here. Through winter the "lot" resembles a feedlot but fortunately have a long lean-to on high ground that we keep bedded dry. The good thing about moving your bale rings is you get to see CLEARLY the crap in the hay you bought...had one instance this past winter when we moved the ring, it looked like a giant birds nest underneath for all the sticks left behind. Wasn't too happy and looking for a new hay supplier. We keep the cows (and the tractor) off the pasture as long as possible.