When to bushhog the pasture.

[Anonymous]

I have about 15 acres of land with 8 cows and 1 bull on it. I would like to bushhog it because it is so high, but do not want the grass to be replaced with alot of weeds.

I live in NE Alabama. Is there a "rule of thumb" to go by with pastures??

Thanks

 

[ollie]

Mow it and fertilize it if you need more pasture. You mow it to keep it vegitative or to keep weeds from blooming. As often as it needs.

 

[Campground Cattle]

I have about 15 acres of land with 8 cows and 1 bull on it. I would like to bushhog it because it is so high, but do not want the grass to be replaced with alot of weeds.

I live in NE Alabama. Is there a "rule of thumb" to go by with pastures??

Thanks

Spray with Remedy or Grazon why do you want to cut your feed. Remedy not restricted kills the weeds and broadleaf, doesn't hurt your grass.

 

[ollie]

You cant keep it vegitative with chemicals.

 

[Anonymous]

I have another pasture that I will cut for hay. I guess my question should have been : Is it better to just leave the pasture alone or do I need to bushhog it at least once per year to keep weeds down. I would rather not use any chemicals on it.

 

[la4angus]

I have another pasture that I will cut for hay. I guess my question should have been : Is it better to just leave the pasture alone or do I need to bushhog it at least once per year to keep weeds down. I would rather not use any chemicals on it.

In weed growing season you could probaly bushhog it about once every 5 to 6 weeks. The grass sill grow better, the weeds will get smothered out by the thicker stand of grass, and the weeds won't be competing with the grass for the nutrients in the soil.

 

[Campground Cattle]

You cant keep it vegitative with chemicals.

BS I haven't mowed a pasture in years the only grass I cut is for hay. I guess you don't use chemical fertilizer either.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry for the DUMB question.....but.... what is "bushhog"?

 

[jcarkie]

keeping the pastured mowed keeps the grass shorter and more palatable for the cows, it also is better on thier eyes. when the grass gets mature it loses it's feed value. there are no dumb questions :?: , my mom always said you won't learn if you don't ask. a bushog is a piece of equipment pulled behind a tractor, it has blades similar to a lawn mower and it cuts down the small trees and tall grass, so the grass can smother out weeds. most people bushog once a year around here it is in august, some do it twice now and in the fall.

 

[Campground Cattle]

Don't have eye problems with bermuda pastures, mow mine with cows.

 

[Anonymous]

it's a management problem that everybody hits diferently. I don't mow but have several pastures that I can graze real short, fertilize, rest and regraze, I feed waste hay during summer slump & winter on cool season regrowth and corn stalks. back in Mo, we mowed fescue to get it to regro in the fall but never stocked enough cows on it to really graze it down close, only had a few pastures, small hay flds I don't do second cut- graze them down to shorten up the summer slump. I kind of subscribe to the theory that if you have grass to mow you need more cows.

 

[la4angus]

it's a management problem that everybody hits diferently. I don't mow but have several pastures that I can graze real short, fertilize, rest and regraze, I feed waste hay during summer slump & winter on cool season regrowth and corn stalks. back in Mo, we mowed fescue to get it to regro in the fall but never stocked enough cows on it to really graze it down close, only had a few pastures, small hay flds I don't do second cut- graze them down to shorten up the summer slump. I kind of subscribe to the theory that if you have grass to mow you need more cows.

I think we are discussing bushhogging to keep down the weeds.
If you just tip the grass that will help it grow and spread also.
If you are bushhogging to mow the grass down, yes you do need more cattle.

 

[Craig-TX]

I only wish that 8 cows and a bull would have trouble keeping the grass down on 15 acres around here. In my part of the world that much land would support a pair. If you have a good enough stand of grass that they can't keep up with it, it is established enough that weeds should not be a significant problem. Weeds primarily result from stressed grass which usually results from overgrazing. Without chemicals you'll always have some weeds but they will not be enough to worry about in a good stand.

Craig-TX

 

[dun]

A couple of years ago a herbicide was approved in MO that prevents fescue from going reproductive. I haven't had the urge to use it but know several that have and are well pleased

dun

You cant keep it vegitative with chemicals.

 

[D.R. Cattle]

I've had good luck with mowing. I've taken pastures that were worthless nothing but dog fennel, ragweed and pepperweed. With persistant mowing they are now pretty productive. Like Craig said, don't overgraze.

 

[Campground Cattle]

Everybody to his own thing, I just don't understand why you would want to spend hours on a tractor mowing. I agree you can make pasture mowing. Why wouldn't you spray once with Grazon in the spring and be through. When you fertilize everything goes to grass.

 

[dun]

When the grass gets too far ahead of you and you don't want to run a couple of hundred head in the spring and cut back in the summer, you either mow or hay. When the grass reaches 5 feet, the cows aren't overly interested in it anymore. Even after selling a 100+ bales of hay last winter I still have 150+ bales. I'm haying now, but only to clear the pasture so the clipped downed grass doesn't slow down the regrowth.

dun

Everybody to his own thing, I just don't understand why you would want to spend hours on a tractor mowing. I agree you can make pasture mowing. Why wouldn't you spray once with Grazon in the spring and be through. When you fertilize everything goes to grass.

 

[Craig-TX]

Having too much grass is like paying too much income tax. It's a problem alright, but as far as problems go it's a nice one to have.

Craig-TX

 

[skip]

I like to mow our pastures so I can't hear my wife telling me all of the other things she wants me to do.

 

[ollie]

You cant keep it vegitative with chemicals.

BS I haven't mowed a pasture in years the only grass I cut is for hay. I guess you don't use chemical fertilizer either.

I just used Grazon on 140 acres and roundup on 25 . I have just been in the business long enough to know that a little extra hard work pays dividends. The more often you clip the top off the grass the thicker it gets.You should try it. How well do the cows like the mature bermuda? What is the protein content on the mature bermuda versus the vegitative?