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Willamette Valley Oregon head per acre?
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<blockquote data-quote="Katpau" data-source="post: 1200348" data-attributes="member: 9933"><p>Your question should perhaps be posed as acres per head, rather than head per acres. The answer depends on your soil and forage, and will vary from year to year depending on the weather. The Willamette Valley has some good soils and growing conditions, but do not expect to feed even one cow or steer on 2.5 acres year around without supplemental feed.</p><p></p><p>I live South of you. Roseburg is at a slightly lower elevation and we have just a bit milder climate, but pretty similar to the Willamette Valley. We run 40 pairs plus bulls and replacements on 500 acres of a 1000 acre parcel from about mid March through early November. (The other 500 acres is in forest) The rest of the year we feed hay. In dry years or when it does not warm up enough for grass growth in spring, we may feed hay much longer. Calves are born in February and weaned and sold about October 1st. We also have a 100 acre flat parcel where we are able to run 40 to 60 stockers for 5 to 6 months each year, depending on rain and temperature. As you probably know, summers here can be very dry, and without irrigation the grass is pretty much done growing by the first of June. We can get some nice fall growth if we get rains in September or October, but often the rains don't begin until it is too late in the season and cool temperatures prevent much growth. This fall rains came early and warm weather hung on so forage growth was exceptional, but there is no guarantee that will be repeated. Sometimes we get temperatures that allow grass to grow well in early March and other years we may not have much growth until almost the first of May. I moved here from Central Minnesota over 20 years ago, and I thought with this mild weather it would be paradise for livestock, but I was surprised to learn that Minnesota grew more forage in those short summer months than I can grow here year around. I would think you might run one or two calves on that 2.5 acres for a few months, but don't leave them too long. Cattle are herd animals, so I don't recommend one alone. Be prepared to buy hay and feed them much of the year. I would not leave them on it in the winter or you will end up with a muddy mess. On such a small parcel you likely would be better off with a few sheep or goats.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Katpau, post: 1200348, member: 9933"] Your question should perhaps be posed as acres per head, rather than head per acres. The answer depends on your soil and forage, and will vary from year to year depending on the weather. The Willamette Valley has some good soils and growing conditions, but do not expect to feed even one cow or steer on 2.5 acres year around without supplemental feed. I live South of you. Roseburg is at a slightly lower elevation and we have just a bit milder climate, but pretty similar to the Willamette Valley. We run 40 pairs plus bulls and replacements on 500 acres of a 1000 acre parcel from about mid March through early November. (The other 500 acres is in forest) The rest of the year we feed hay. In dry years or when it does not warm up enough for grass growth in spring, we may feed hay much longer. Calves are born in February and weaned and sold about October 1st. We also have a 100 acre flat parcel where we are able to run 40 to 60 stockers for 5 to 6 months each year, depending on rain and temperature. As you probably know, summers here can be very dry, and without irrigation the grass is pretty much done growing by the first of June. We can get some nice fall growth if we get rains in September or October, but often the rains don't begin until it is too late in the season and cool temperatures prevent much growth. This fall rains came early and warm weather hung on so forage growth was exceptional, but there is no guarantee that will be repeated. Sometimes we get temperatures that allow grass to grow well in early March and other years we may not have much growth until almost the first of May. I moved here from Central Minnesota over 20 years ago, and I thought with this mild weather it would be paradise for livestock, but I was surprised to learn that Minnesota grew more forage in those short summer months than I can grow here year around. I would think you might run one or two calves on that 2.5 acres for a few months, but don't leave them too long. Cattle are herd animals, so I don't recommend one alone. Be prepared to buy hay and feed them much of the year. I would not leave them on it in the winter or you will end up with a muddy mess. On such a small parcel you likely would be better off with a few sheep or goats. [/QUOTE]
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