Sprigging

[papavillars]

What is the going price to sprig a pasture in your area?

 

[Texasmark]

Before I could get a price I would need to get somebody to do it. Years ago sprigs and spriggers were about 50 miles from here and weren't interested.

For any do-it-yourselfers reading this: I bought the Coastal sprigs from them (wet and muddy in bales, like square baled hay) in February, dug a trench with a moldboard plow and spent a couple of days just making a big mess....out of my clothes. I had a wagon hooked to the tractor and would drive and get out and sprig, etc, etc. I'd take 2 or 3 flakes and separate out the plants, go back and move along and repeat the process. Once I finished a bale, I'd blade the furrow back over the sprigs and drive down it with a tractor tire.

I'm a STO (Small Time Operator) so I'd have to piggy back with a BTO that could attract a sprigger (from 75-100 miles away....nearest at the time....Sulphur Springs area) and leave me the middlins on their way back home which I thought about trying many years ago. Tifton 85 was the grass and I forget the cost. $40 an acre comes to mind but don't quote me and I decided it wasn't worth the cost for me in my operation.

Best I can do.

 

[papavillars]

Thanks for the info texasm

 

[bmcdonald]

Its was 225 per acre that include discing twice
The what a guy down here said he charged for coastal

 

[5S Cattle]

$120/acre in brenham i believe

 

[Texasmark]

$120/acre in brenham i believe

OT: How's Blue Bell? Back online and back to normal?

 

[5S Cattle]

$120/acre in brenham i believe

OT: How's Blue Bell? Back online and back to normal?

They're running and gunning again. Which is good, half the dang town works for that place. Hurt when it was closed for a while.

 

[jdg]

A ways from you here in south GA, but i supplied the sprigs and my neighbor charged me $125/acre. About $175/a if he supplies sprigs.

 

[Brute 23]

Dang that seems high. Last quote I got was $85 per acre with 1 disking. I would have thought it would be around $100 now.

I'll have to ask my dad what they paid on the last Tifton field.

 

[True Grit Farms]

$155.00 an acre here to have someone sprig a field in Russell bermuda.

 

[M-5]

$155.00 an acre here to have someone sprig a field in Russell bermuda.

Your not gonna be satisfied until you get it just right . Spend the money and fix it . I assume its the field across the road from your driveway.

 

[True Grit Farms]

$155.00 an acre here to have someone sprig a field in Russell bermuda.

Your not gonna be satisfied until you get it just right . Spend the money and fix it . I assume its the field across the road from your driveway.

Yes it is, but I'm not willing to spend that kind of money till I have a way to water. Last time the same guy charged me $90.00 an acre to sprig the same field and it didn't rain for over 10 weeks. Everything just cost so much in the cattle business for such meager returns. I feel like a fool working to just break even, it's a good lifestyle but at some point you need to draw a line.

 

[bird dog]

I'm done with bermuda. The costs are just to darn expensive to get it established and maintained. I am not plowing up what I got but on new pastures I am going back with native grasses and panicums.

Fence's idea of planting Johnson grass may be the most economical way to feed cows but once you start down that path, its hard to change back.

 

[slick4591]

I've used to consider sprigging, but the three times I've thrown out seed there was never enough rain behind it to make anything more than sprouts. I've been looking for a native grass blend to try this year as I really want improvement in my west pasture.

 

[Brute 23]

When there is no rain you will lose any thing you plant... the only difference is how much money you lost. As with any investment the greater the risk the greater the reward. I think that sums up sprigging to the T. Sprigging Tifton is one of the highest risk grasses you can plant... but it is also one of the most productive. There is nothing like it once you get it established.

I would not sprig Coastal or Jiggs any more.

... and yes you can disk up small areas and shake out runners by hand. We planted several... several... thousand acres like that. IMO, I have seen better results like that than with a machine if you can find the help.

My dad started some Tifton under the toilet sprinkler in the pasture and it has gone crazy. It has actually taken over a fairly large area now.

 

[slick4591]

I've heard that if you run a very light disc over the coastal it would cause it to shoot lots more runners. Any truth to that?

 

[bird dog]

Yes very true. Need to do it when its dormant, like right now. You can actually disc it fairly deep right before green up and it will do great with a bit of rain.

 

[BC]

Also check your potassium levels. All the improved bermuda's use potassium to develop strong root systems. It will help thicken up as stand.

 

[Old Hat]

I have done my own with good success but it's lots of work. Spray to kill the existing weeds etc., disk the heck out of it, drag it nice and smooth. I had a neighbor who gave me Jiggs and Tifton tops when he cut his field. I drove thru the field and spread those tops by hand really thick then adjusted my disk blades straight and ran thru it. Then packed it with a roller.It helps to keep the sprigs/tops wet as you're planting. So far I've done about 12 acres with good results. Oh and pray for rain just as you finish rolling it!!!

 

[JSCATTLE]

I have done my own with good success but it's lots of work. Spray to kill the existing weeds etc., disk the heck out of it, drag it nice and smooth. I had a neighbor who gave me Jiggs and Tifton tops when he cut his field. I drove thru the field and spread those tops by hand really thick then adjusted my disk blades straight and ran thru it. Then packed it with a roller.It helps to keep the sprigs/tops wet as you're planting. So far I've done about 12 acres with good results. Oh and pray for rain just as you finish rolling it!!!

This is how I planted 20 acres of coastal. I want to say I paid 1200 for a 20 yard dump trailer full of sprigs.