I had a few lose the ends of their tales but most show no effects. I have quite a bit fescue just not solid stands, a lot of warm season grasses mixed in, I've had some other cattlemen tell me I should try to get rid of it. No thanks, I'll just keep cattle that can tolerate it. Trying to get rid of fescue would probably be the equivalent of trying to get rid of kudzu, it would always be an uphill battle, better to work with than against.
I remember that conversation with you. The endophyte, at least the endophyte in KY31, won't have a noticeable effect 95% of the time. 95% of the remainder 5% the effect is very mild and can get dismissed for something else. It's that remaining percentage that is devistating. The concentration has to be high enough, the cow has to eat enough, there can't be mush else in the diet aside from the fescue, and the cow has to be susceptable. The result isn't good when the stars align.
Fescue is fine for stallions, geldings, and non-breeding mares. In brood mares, it will make the placenta so thick you will have to cut the foal out...if you happen to be there. And, it causes the mares to not produce any milk or colostrum. We are located in an area that bermuda will do well, and so will fescue. I'd say most pastures here are a mix of fescue, bermuda, and white and red clover.
You usually plant creeping red fescue where it is shady.
Kenny, about the placement of the water and the mineral feeder.......I suggest a different arrangement. Your aim is to get uniform utilization across the whole pasture. There are 3 components to a grazing system that can and will result in cattle loafing around them. They are shade, water and mineral. Concentrating any 2 of these or all 3 in one spot results in animals spending a disproportinate amount of time in that area. That results in uneven utilization (spot overgrazing) nutrient sinks (more urine and manure deposited near/on the site than elsewhere) and underutilization of the remainder of the pasture. It may only be a slight effect each year, but will add up over the course of time.
There are many ways to 'cope' with fescue. Eliminating it often isn't in the cards. Remember too, it can't be beat in terms of stockpile. You gotta know how to use it to your benefit. There are lots of things like fescue. They are darn near a necessity/fact of life, but if you aren't careful, it can hurt you. Doesn't mean it will though.
Me too... In Arkansas, if you didn't have fescue ya didn't have pasture.
Yep, this is true. I never came across a farm in Ohio that didn't have it. I had one instance, after 17 years there, where a producer had it in only a 3 acre pasture of around 12 pastures totaling over 80 acres. Very strange having it absent from all of that area. For Ohio anyway.
I dont have the mineral there except when im grazing stockpile. Just too much trouble moving it each time. But you give me a thought. I have more mineral feeders i can bring to the paddocks from other areas. I Will do that. Thanks.
Mark i will add something to your thought about utilization. As i said i strip graze the stockpile. As im getting farther away from the water all areas they are crossing have already been grazed.
Exactly as it should be. The extended period of time spent on this 'already grazed' strip does not harm the forage base at all during this time while the forage is dormant. If the area was repeatedly crossed over during the growing season and the animals allowed to repeatedly graze the forage when it should be resting and growing, that is a different matter. Sorry, that is also sort of a different topic.
Got the laptop. Will get it set up and tge programs installed soon.
What programs are you using?
Im going to use NRCS soil mapping for part of it. But definitely open to any mapping program. I haven't done any mapping since i retired 2 years ago and it was on their programs. New laptop so will have to install anything i use.
It keeps it from freezing plus no chance of cows messing it up.
I don't know your area, but would guess protein deficient. They can digest a fence post with enough 28% protein cake.
