Graze/Cropping system

[hamonsdexter]

I have a 15 Acres Crop Field I would like to redo and make it dual purpose Hays and Grazing Field. I would also like it to be good for Wildlife as well. I know I ask a lot.
I live in northwest Kansas so I get hot dry summers and cold winters. I would like it to be good to graze in winter or fall and get maybe a cutting of hay of it. I raise grass feed beef and would like something high powered plant finish steers on.

[hamonsdexter]

I am not looking for Gov. programs as much as types of seed mixes that might work best. Out this way where we are big wheat county the USDA office focuses on them not us little guys.

[zephyrhillsusan]

Sheri, we need an "LOL" button! The hair dryer cracks me up!

[kansasdexters]

Great cartoon! Thanks for sharing it.

Chad,

You will very soon figure out that in Kansas, rainfall amount is usually the main controlling factor when it comes to pasture production; and the deciding factor when it comes to stocking rates. Grazing areas and hay fields both need periods of rest, time-out periods during the rotation. How long those time-outs need to be is influenced by the grasses ability to regrow. When there is little or no rainfall, there is virtually no regrowth until the rains come again and restore sufficient soil moisture.

Converting cropland to native grass pasture takes years. We are currently in Year 4 of this conversion on 60 acres of land, and we still can't graze any of those fields yet. The first year of the conversion, nothing gets planted, and the ground rests for a full year. Soil testing is done and lime is applied, if needed. The 2nd year, a native grass seed mixture is drilled into the soil. No grazing allowed, no burning, no mowing. The 3rd year, the native grasses begin to spread and develop, but you still can't graze or hay this ground. The 4th year, a spring burn is done to control the unwanted tree growth (cedars, cottonwoods, etc.), and still no grazing or haying. By the 5th year, limited grazing can be done, but only if there is sufficient moisture to provide for regrowth of what is grazed.

Establishing native grass pasture areas provide grasses that will grow during the warm season, the time when brome and fescue pastures become dormant and don't grow. Brome and fescue grasses only grow well during the cool seasons (spring and fall). Brome and mixed grass pastures make excellent finishing pastures for grass-finished beef, but there has to be an abundance of high quality grasses for the steers to properly fatten over a 5 to 6 month grazing period. That means that the stocking rates should be kept low, typically 2 to 4 acres per animal. Breeding stock should be kept separately from steers that are being finished for beef. These groups don't have the same nutritional requirements, and if they are kept together all the time, then the breeding stock are likely to be overfed and fertility problems can subsequently develop.

Patti

[DoubleD]

I have not converted a crop field to pasture but I have partially repaired a badly used/abused hay field (Pasture to me is haying or grazing). We live in Ontario, right next to Georgian Bay. We gets loads of rain. Lots. Like stupid amounts. We have a growing season that starts late April-Early May and last until late October-maybe early November (maybe).

I will put forward some ideas but different climate, so take it for what it is worth.

The first farm we had our cattle on, the pasture had mineral depleted soils and very slow growing plants. We didn't even try to rely on the plant life to feed the six heads of Dexters. We put them on pasture and fed them poor to moderate quality hay (from our region and with lots of seed heads in the grass and legumes). We kept the cattle tightly packed (too tight as time would tell) in portable paddocks. The cattle trample and work the ground with their hooves, breaking up any hard compacted surface. They ate the hey and dropped their manure within the paddocks. Some of the seed heads in the hay will plant themselves from manure. We had to move the cows once a day minimum sometimes twice a day. lots of hay fed on pasture.

Try not to come back to the same spot for as long as possible. Lets say you use 4-6 cows, you can probably run quarter acre paddocks without crowding them and have 60 day rotations. 1 day of activity, 59 days rest. NOW IMPORTANT PAY ATTENTION, there is no one "guaranteed success" formula. You have to base it on stock density, rate of rotation, rainfall, plant growth rate, etc. If you have 15 acres, you have to plan carefully and will probably run with a small herd.

You can also consider winter grazing. Put hay bales out there on the snow, different spots each day, let them eat, poop, pee. At some point you must rest it. Here, I do not have adequate winter fencing, so I keep the cows in a corral in the winter. I try to 3-4 days of the week, scoop up as much manure as possible, load up in a sled and drag it out onto the pasture (covered in a foot, foot and half snow right now) Once spring melts away snow, I will keep my cows in until the grass has reached the boot stage (about 4 leaves on the plant have popped up). By that time, most of the bugs, bacteria and birds will have taken down and broken down most of the winter manure drops. the stuff left over, will breakdown soon enough but the cows know not graze right there.

I also assisted the first the field we were at by tossing a local pasture mixture in with the cow manure droppings (fresh ones) and there was some minor success with that.

For fifteen acres and not involving the government $$$, I would go for a low cost, low input operation. I really do recommend that you get a decent supply of hay for the first year or two if you do this.

[hamonsdexter]

i have 120 mor acres this is just part that was crop field and not pasture. I have 21 Cows so my rotation will be a little different. what I am looking for is something that I can graze my steers on in Late Spring tp finish them before butchering.

[carragheendexters]

Hi Chad,
not sure how "hot and dry" your summers are or how "cold" your winters are, you know how "all relative" it is. I'm just wondering if it is a bit like our climate here in Oz.,so just some suggestions for you to think about that work for us over here.

I apologise for different terms and words we use, I think you call things differently to us, and if you don't understand my terms I can try and explain to your equivalent (hopefully, even though we all speak English I find it all so different, I'm left scratching my head sometimes trying to work out what you US guys mean) . Now this is also only what works for our climate.

Can you plant a forage oats or barley crop in early autumn, as long as you have sufficient subsoil moisture and follow up rain, it will grow well. If you are a bit late sowing, barley will still do well if planted early winter. If you have existing pasture, just direct drill or sod sow straight into the pasture, if not, just sow as normal. I'm not sure what sort of forage oat varieties you have over there, but Saiea (?spelling) over here is good but expensive. Many people just use feed oats, and they work well, just not quite as good as Saiea. You should be able to get a couple of grazings through winter, and early spring, at least 2. Then get the cattle off and let it grow for hay. A couple of things about oats for hay, if you let it go to head, and cut when the grain is getting a bit milky, it will make great hay. However , big mouse problems, they love the seed heads. So sometimes better to cut before it goes to head, still green and leafy hay, but not quite as good. Also, if you cut before seed formation, less nutrients will be taken out of your soil, it is the seed formation that uses up so much of the soil nutrients.

Now if you get a bit of rain in summer, (will need average of 24-30 inch annual average) don't need a whole lot in summer, as long as you have good subsoil moisture, and rain in spring, have you thought about a crop of Superdan or one of the forage sorghums, for grazing during early summer. These make great hay and even better silage or greenchop. you can also get probably at least 2 grazings. Also another crop to try is millet, maybe Shirohie (what we often use over here) but will probably only get one grazing, but does make great hay and silage.

If you are cold enough in winter for snow, I don't know if any of this would work. We don't get snow, only frosts and ice, our lowest night time temps about 20-25F, and daytime tops around 40. Summer, NO RAIN and highs of 100-110 F.
regards Louise