What's best way to rejuvenate a pasture??

[Bill Elliott]

Recently purchased a small farm (15A) in Lower Alabama. About 10A is pasture land. I currently have 5 bred-back Angus heifers and 3 year old calves grazing. I have 3 pastures, one (3A) is in fairly good shape with good stand of bahia (Tif-9), one (4A) is a mix of bahia, coastal bermuda, smutgrass, centipede grass and other grasses (weeds) and one (3A) mostly centipede grass with some bahia. I'm most concerned with this last 3A pasture. County Agent has recommended I spray Round-up this spring to kill everything (centipede), disc under about two weeks later and then re-seed. I understand this approach given the amount of centipede in the pasture. Is there another way to approach this with my 4A pasture?

Any thoughts on type of grass to use? Been reading up on Cheyenne Bermuda and it sounds good. Most farmers around here use Bahia (Tif-9).

I will not be cutting hay from my pastures...grazing only. I'll purchase hay from my neighbor.

Any thoughts or recommendations appreciated...Happy New Year to all.

Thanks...Bill

 

[Beefy]

i have a lot of centipede and carpet grass in our pastures. i intend to harrow some areas up good this spring when the bermuda is growing good. this will spread the bermuda and at least set the weedy grasses back. i thought about doing it now and hoping the cold weather (?) will kill some of the weedy grasses. i know it wont hurt the bermuda. in areas with a good stand of bermuda i intend to spray the weedy grasses with roundup.


By the way, Bill, do you race cars?

 

[Bill Elliott]

Sorry...no I don't race cars...

Should have mentioned that I've done soil samples and fertilized and lime accordingly. Plan to take another sample this month.

Thanks...Bill

 

[J. T.]

If you're in LA (Lower Alabama) I would stick with Bahia grass. It is easily managed and withstands a variety of soil types. When fertilized properly it produces a thick turf that will provide grazing for many months each year. It's also propogated by seed which is easier than sprigging and it has the same protein content as bermudagrass. Take what nature gives you, and in South Alabama Bahiagrass grows like gangbusters.

 

[Bill Elliott]

Thanks J.T.....guess there's a reason all my neighbors have bahia pastures...!

any thoughts on rejuvenating my 4A pasture?

thanks....Bill

 

[Beefy]

just harrow the 4A in the spring when the bermuda is growing and fertlize it. the bermuda will come through, as will the bahia most likely. tift 9 supposedly is very persistant with deep roots. spot spray later in the year any weedy grass you see..

where you have bahia established you may harrow up areas of undesirable grass and reseed or limit grazing in the late summer so that the bahia can reseed itself.. just some ideas

 

[J. T.]

Another thing....cows will eat the seedheads and spread them in their droppings. Bahiagrass seed will stay viable in cattle for days, so the cows can actually help you seed your grass.

 

[Bill Elliott]

Poor english on my part. Should have said "three, year old calves." I did lime this past spring with one ton per acre. Don't think I have much fescue...mostly bahia and bermuda...and lots of centipede grass.
I've pretty much resigned myself to overspaying the one field with round-up to kill the centipede and starting over. I'll overseed the one "good" pasture with bahia this spring and tackle the 4A pasture next year.
I'm new at this and learning every day. I greatly appreciate everyones input. Have a great day....Bill

 

[la4angus]

Poor english on my part. Should have said "three, year old calves."

You gotta be careful here Bill. It seems that we have an English Teacher in our midst. So watch your grammer from now on. :lol: :lol:

 

[Bill Elliott]

I'm so new to this that I don't get offended by anything!! I just appreciate people taking the time to provide some "hard learned" advice. Grammer has never been my strong suit but somehow I manage to communicate. To show you how new to this I am....I guess you still call them "calves" at one year or so...or do you? They have not been bred. Always looking to get educated....Bill

 

[msscamp]

I'm so new to this that I don't get offended by anything!! I just appreciate people taking the time to provide some "hard learned" advice. Grammer has never been my strong suit but somehow I manage to communicate. To show you how new to this I am....I guess you still call them "calves" at one year or so...or do you? They have not been bred. Always looking to get educated....Bill

I can't speak for the rest of the members, but we call them calves til they hit roughly one year old at which point they become yearlings. When the bull goes out with them, they cross a threshold, undergo a rite of passage and magically become 'coming 2 year-olds'. Doesn't make a lot of sense, just the way we have always referred to them.

 

[memanpa]

Right at one year I call them yearlings but at 3 years old im not still calling them calves.

i do not think anyone includiing bill was calling them 3year old calves!
even as illiterate as i am i read it as 3 calves that were a year old!
Bill there are some great folks on the board with a lot of knowledge, a lot of WANNA be's you just have to weed out the
pretenders!
won't take you long to know who is who and who has the knowledge,

 

[la4angus]

Right at one year I call them yearlings but at 3 years old im not still calling them calves.

Yeah, but you aren't the brightest light bulb in the lamp.

 

[Beefy]

No need to apologize, Bill. if you had meant the calves were three years old you would have said they were 3-year-old calves. you said it right to begin with.

 

[Bama]

Bill, no problem being a novice, we all were at some time or the other. Ask all the questions you like. The problem comes from someone being a novice trying to pass themselves off as someone that has been around cattle 50 years. They stand out pretty quick, there are some fine cattlemen on these boards, men and women. There are some here that are older than dirt and a few young ones that can put this old dirtclod to shame. ( I ain't quite that old ) You'll soon learn who is who.

 

[Bill Elliott]

Bama, Beefy, all...thanks for the thoughts and advice. I took soil samples to the Coop this afternoon and will go from there. Will stay with Bahia Tif-9. I have an old boom sprayer and will use to spray round-up on my "bad" pasture. I don't have lots of equipment but neighbor has most of what I'll need to plow and plant/broadcast. Never a dull day...love it!!! Thanks again to all. Cheers, Bill

ps...posting a general "cow" question on the beginner board....

 

[Kramer]

Guru, believe you mentioned "harrowing" the pasture/s, above. I assumed when I first read your note that your were doing this to "aerate" the soil. Is my assumption correct?

Aerating pastures, especially pastures that you are producing grass for hay production is pretty common here in East Texas. Actually, planning on doing this ourselves in our pastures for hay production and for general grazing, early this spring after the grass first starts to grow.

 

[Beefy]

we usually go across it once with a crosscut harrow and then again with a leveling harrow. one of the biggest reasons is for aeration. another is that it knocks other grasses back and also spreads bermuda, allowing the bermuda to overtake the weedy grass. assuming you want the bermuda.

A few years ago we went in and harrowed up our roadways in the spring to get rid of the ruts. later that year it was solid bermuda where it previously was some weedy grasses.

 

[Bill Elliott]

I don't have a crosscut harrow...I do have a small disc harrow. will that work? I used it to scrap the ground when I put crimson clover last winter over a small bahia pasture...worked well...or at least I got a good stand of clover. Thanks...Bill

 

[Ranchcop]

I would never lime a pasture until the C.E.C. is up and balanced.... low hydrogen. That takes a few years when you put life back in the soil Organiclly. Most of my customers never have to lime again. The reason for lime is to offset the effects of the chemicals. Healthy soil and plants have much less problems with Ph., insects or weeds. it is worth a try.