Menu
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New profile posts
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Forums
Cattle Boards
Grasses, Pastures & Hay
When do you start mowing pasture
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Help Support CattleToday:
Message
<blockquote data-quote="SRBeef" data-source="post: 922584" data-attributes="member: 7509"><p>I mow or drag my pastures almost every time my cattle rotate on to the next. Not paddock but pasture changes. The dragging speads the cow pies and, after a couple rains and 30 days rest, almost eliminates the avoidance zones mentioned above plus spreads the fertilizer value in the manure.</p><p></p><p>the choice between dragging or mowing depends on whats left in the pasture after the cows get done. Thistles are a problem here. i do not spray. If I see thistles left after grazing I mow to keep them from going to seed. Occasional clipping of pastures after grazing also evens up the stand of grass over time. </p><p></p><p>My mower is a flail type and has a full width roller on the rear so it also spreads the manure a bit but not so well as the drag.</p><p></p><p>I seldom mow an ungrazed pasture except in the spring if the grass gets ahead of the cows. This is better than leaving a waist - high mass of grass gone to seed and of limited nutritional value.</p><p></p><p>Grass feeds and grows back best here if let recover to about 10" tall then let the cows graze it down to about 4" tall. If grazed less than 4" it doesn't have enough leaf area to regrow quickly. If let grow to more than 10" tall it losses its nutrient value and goes to seed.</p><p></p><p>Here's a photo of where I had just taken up the wire after opening up a small patch of grass and before starting regular pasture rotation. This shows the 4" after/10" before grazing fairly well. Clipping and dragging helps in several ways.</p><p></p><p><img src="http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h414/SRBeef1/IMG_0449_openedsmallpatchofgrass-grazedvsfresh042412.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Jim</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SRBeef, post: 922584, member: 7509"] I mow or drag my pastures almost every time my cattle rotate on to the next. Not paddock but pasture changes. The dragging speads the cow pies and, after a couple rains and 30 days rest, almost eliminates the avoidance zones mentioned above plus spreads the fertilizer value in the manure. the choice between dragging or mowing depends on whats left in the pasture after the cows get done. Thistles are a problem here. i do not spray. If I see thistles left after grazing I mow to keep them from going to seed. Occasional clipping of pastures after grazing also evens up the stand of grass over time. My mower is a flail type and has a full width roller on the rear so it also spreads the manure a bit but not so well as the drag. I seldom mow an ungrazed pasture except in the spring if the grass gets ahead of the cows. This is better than leaving a waist - high mass of grass gone to seed and of limited nutritional value. Grass feeds and grows back best here if let recover to about 10" tall then let the cows graze it down to about 4" tall. If grazed less than 4" it doesn't have enough leaf area to regrow quickly. If let grow to more than 10" tall it losses its nutrient value and goes to seed. Here's a photo of where I had just taken up the wire after opening up a small patch of grass and before starting regular pasture rotation. This shows the 4" after/10" before grazing fairly well. Clipping and dragging helps in several ways. [img]http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h414/SRBeef1/IMG_0449_openedsmallpatchofgrass-grazedvsfresh042412.jpg[/img] Jim [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Cattle Boards
Grasses, Pastures & Hay
When do you start mowing pasture
Top