When you make the big decision of getting livestock you get so wound up in the excitement and joy of owning your own animal, that you often overlook something that is very important, something I like to call the “Pasture
Plan”. While most people make do with what they have for awhile, it is not the greatest for longevity reasons. While some people may take a gamble and throw some fertilizer at it, when they “think” it might be something the plants needs, then they get frustrated when the plants are not growing like they should. Using fertilizer on plants when it is not needed is a waste of time and money for you. Before you start buying any type of livestock I suggest sitting down and coming up with a pasture plan. This plan should include items such as building pastures, whether you want to put temporary or permanent fencing into place, how your animals are going to have shade/shelter and water, and what types of crops the animals you are going to purchase prefer. After you establish that plan then you need to figure how much feed your animals will need, and what types of medicine and dewormers you are going to use on your operation.
Once you have a general idea for your pasture plan, the next step is then to ask yourself do you want to do rotational grazing? Rotational grazing can be as labor intensive as you want to make it. Depending on how well your pasture is performing depends on how long you should leave your animals in that spot. You want to allow enough rest time in-between areas so your grass can catch back up and flourish. If you are overgrazing your grass then you will have longer rest periods which could cause the whole system a set-back. You can use polywire or netting to implement rotational grazing along with temporary step-in fence posts. With that, I would recommend using a solar charger or another type of fencer to put power on the temporary fence. Putting power
on that section of fence will help to keep your animals in one section. Some of you may be wondering what/why would you do rotational grazing? Rotational grazing helps your plants and pasture to go further through the year. With that being said, how far your plants can last depends on how many animals you have in a specific area and how well your grass is flourishing. I know everything you just read was a lot to take in, so let me break it down for you.
Step 1: Establish a “Pasture Plan” you can contact your local extension agent to help you with this or you can contact soil and water they can help you with this as well.
Step 2: Think about what grass mixtures you are going to grow and look at soil and fertilizer requirements.
Step 3: Take soil samples of your pasture and read the results before seeding or fertilizing! If you are having problems reading the report feel free to reach out to your local extension agent they will be happy to help.
Step 4: Seed & fertilize your pasture according to recommendations. Fertilizing is usually done in the fall and the spring.
Step 5: Let it grow! If you have questions about grazing heighth or how it is doing, call your local extension agent.
|
