Sounds like the universities are trying to adjust studies to suit their agenda. To discredit small farmers and rotational grazing farms. Them Nebraska boys cater to the big corporate operations..... Keep up the good work
Another great, informative video, Jason. Really good to see it so lush and green at this time of year. I know everyone’s benefitting from that. Like you all, we’ve been slammed with rain here in East TN and SE Kentucky has been especially hit hard. Have you been able to continue to collect clippings for silage?
Codge, izzat you??!! We collect silage clippings and pack a barrel every time we mow now. I trim and Sam runs the business end of things. Adjusted that magnetic clutch and pto switch has been great. Had another inch yesterday - We just mowed and it needs it again. Driveway’s a jungle 🌿🌱🌾
@@birchfieldfarming Tis the one and only. Good to hear- that young feller I'm sure is a pro already with things. Glad to hear the adjustments on the Scag made a difference. At this rate, you'll be mowing into January 😉.
Great thoughts Jason, it would be interesting to hear what you have witnessed on your land relative to the impact of rotational grazing on plant diversity. Greg Judy is always chirping about how the unwanted grasses are replaced by more beneficial grasses but the timelines he presents seem very short. Have you had similar impact? Is the density of grasses greater than previously applied techniques? I know you have said you experienced the patty spotting across your pastures, but how has that impacted the type of grasses which eventually grow? Cheers brother, always great to see you back on the net. Dan and Elle
These are great questions. Weeds, weeds, and more weeds are much greater in our continuously grazed pastures vs. rotational. You pretty much have to bush hog if you just turn cattle out. New species assessment is tough for us b/c we run cattle on the entire property (58 acres). That being said, we’ve got a unique situation with our carved out 5 acres being rotationally grazed vs. the rented pastures being continuously grazed. When I look at the two systems, it becomes readily apparent where the magic happens - the rest. The rest period seems almost magical b/c pats are breaking down, grasses/legumes are coming back, and insect/animal species that rarely visit the continuously grazed portion are setting up shop in our rested paddocks. Plus, we’re almost constantly moving animals into a fresh plot. It makes a human feel good if nothing else, and regularly reminds me of the human need of rest. Plant life does seem denser for sure, but it could all be b/c of the rest period. Now, all that being said, add 100 meat birds (chickens) on a 1/4 acre paddock for 9 weeks, and the grass is on steroids for several years following (greener, fuller, faster growing, etc). Turkey manure is even better! Good hearing from you, Big Dan! Hopefully the sickness is gone now, and you’ve got great immunity!
@@birchfieldfarming Lots of great topics. Ok, so you are only rotational grazing on 5 acres, what are your paddock sizes for how many animals and how much time….I don’t want to get into head per acre, just wondering what you have found works well for you. Two, totally agree that bang for the buck, the poultry tractors seem to have the greatest impact on the soil, it seems almost a must for troubled areas…although I wasn’t onto the turkey vs. chicken in this regard. And, at the end of the day I do get the sense that soil biology vice grass transition seems to be the greatest benefit, but if you don’t rotate pasture to garden, how much does that matter since the tractors impact such a relatively small area? We still have the cough but otherwise just part of the herd, as in immunity :)
@@appalachianheartsong5487 Right now I’m running 10 quarter acre paddocks with 2 to 3 days on each paddock and goal to rest for 30 days. Then we have about an acre and a half of woods we run thru at the end of the rotation, usually spend a few days to a week there. Currently running 7 head of Red Devon cattle, 15 head St. Croix sheep, and about 40 layers. (We were up to a couple dozen sheep but sold a few this summer). One of my favorite aspects of this set-up is the woods at the end b/c I can use it as a brake pedal of sorts at the end of the rotation if need be, plus animals get goodies in the woods they don’t normally get on pasture. Areas where we’ve run birds are noticeably improved in terms of forage quality for years afterwards. This translates directly to more time on a paddock, so yes, I think it’s worth it even if you’re not planning on gardening in those areas. For our meat bird tractors (100 birds), I’m estimating well over 2500 lbs of manure put down on 1/4 acre in 9 weeks. Folks usually focus solely on meat production with these birds (and it’s really good meat!), but the manure in our set-up is also very valuable to me. And the best part, NO SHOVELING!🤠
Hi Jason. When I lived in VA I raised 6 steers for next year's farmers market.i bought the steers, no cow calf to be fair. I divided 24 acres into 6 paddocks. They spent 1 month in each paddock. Stockpiled the last 2 . I mowed everything down after they left the previous paddock. And it worked very well. Not saying that will work for everyone. But a yearly rotation did work for me.
I have no doubts you successfully raised your steers. Yes, it can certainly be done like you’re saying. What I’m interested in here is actively managing for the maximum utilization of the land without its degradation. Many factors to consider when figuring stocking rate, but around here it’s about one animal unit per acre. What I’ve seen is that without rotating in my area (set-stock grazing) we could run about 24 steers on 24 acres of average pasture. Rotating, at least every three days, on the same ground we can come close to 48 head on the same acreage, while simultaneously building soil and healthy ecosystems, and rarely if ever mechanically mowing. More labor of course, but doubling productivity on the same amount of acreage without its degradation, but rather building soil, has tremendous implications for the future of agriculture, in my opinion. We are of course still learning. And I’m not poo-pooing any of the set stock grazers here, as it takes a tremendous amount of time, effort, and knowledge to successfully raise meat. Thanks for sharing your experience.
@@birchfieldfarming honestly my inexperience , and the fact that I was still working off the farm led me to that method. We all agree that rotational grazing works. It's just how intensively you want to do it. Your videos are great to share ideas. Tom
Jason, I’ve got Devons as well and mine don’t touch our red clover. Any ideas on why that may be? We’ve got a great stand of red clover but they won’t touch it!
@@birchfieldfarming I know, crazy right?they seem to go straight for the Kentucky Bluegrass, they will eat the white clover too, but only after they find all the bluegrass they can (our pasture is mostly fescue, orchard grass, and red clover with a bit of bluegrass and white clover around the edges.
You are correct: study is basically bogus. Take 20 farms that use holistic grazing (mob/managed/strip/etc) and have done so for years, read the biochemistry on the soil and soil health in general for over a 2 year period. Better studies should be done!
It says in the title of their research "sandhills"! No. 1 thats where there is nothing but ranches there. No. 2 there is not much of anything growing from September thru may
Some of the neighbor farms have sprayed corn in the past using an airplane - This year, for whatever reason, they chose the choppa! Never a dull moment out here.
We do not, just gravity fed from a couple elevated IBC tanks in the loft of the barn - only gives about 4 psi, but it’s enough. I’ll see if I can link the detailed video below on our water set-up… ua-cam.com/video/PQKMj4UDHsI/v-deo.html
Well...ok. But you should have the land for 45-60 day rest for each paddock, in terms of average NE USA regrowth? And if you are using 1/4 acre paddocks, then 3 days is way too long. My dime-store advice :)
@@birchfieldfarming Because you get 30 inches and can feed grass from April to November you think everyone can. They say the stock rate in northeast Wyoming is about 30 acers per head for cows. I think the average rainfall for Gillette is 10 inches.
@@garyoakman6187 No, I have never said that everyone else can or should or could farm like us, Gary. It’s one of my BIGGEST pet peeves on here is folks thinking that just because I’m doing a thing that it’s applicable across the board - I say and show what works for us in OHIO to spur ideas and build a community where we can learn from each other. Folks in Wyoming have to do what works for folks in Wyoming.
All the universities and biased “experts” out there. I don’t care what other people do. Rotational grazing has been out in the wild for a long time, but the cheap solar fencing was the real game changer. Less than 1/2 of farmers and ranchers do very well. Unless you inherit a bunch of paid off land, your very close to the edge financially if you aren’t adopting better practices. This pertains to many different aspects of ag.
I agree. Ag is definitely shifting, as I suppose really all areas are right now. Even with low inputs, it’s challenging to make it work. I do feel that there is a generation now that will have the wisdom to figure it out though.
You lost me at Ecclesiastes. I came to learn, not be preached at. If I wanted to be told how to live and/or everything wrong with me id go to a church or a religious friend's house. Just some friendly advice; never talk about religion or politics. Its divisive and you immediately separate yourself from the majority. People get enough of that during regular life. My opinion is that people go to youtube to escape it all. Best of luck to you and your channel. I hope you reach 100K by the end of the year!!!! Then onwards to a million.
Thanks for stopping by. All life starts and ends with Jesus. Don’t confuse Him with religion. I can only hope for the courage to never pull back from that. Faith comes from hearing. I pray you’d experience the fullness of the love of Christ, and be at peace.
@@heatherangelo5796 Amen, Heather! The Bible has nothing good to say about the final destination of the 'crowd' or those who prosper in it! Hasn't been going anywhere good all throughout history either... Humanity is fallen. Follow the crowd and you're doomed. It's as simple as that and also why being "worldly" is a liability, not a virtue!!! May the grace of God and Jesus save us both!
Hello neighbor from Coshocton county Ohio.
First year grazing for me. Enjoying your channel!
Awesome! Thanks for stopping by.
Sounds like the universities are trying to adjust studies to suit their agenda. To discredit small farmers and rotational grazing farms. Them Nebraska boys cater to the big corporate operations..... Keep up the good work
So much to sort thru anymore. It shouldn’t be this hard to keep farming small and simple.
Another great, informative video, Jason. Really good to see it so lush and green at this time of year. I know everyone’s benefitting from that. Like you all, we’ve been slammed with rain here in East TN and SE Kentucky has been especially hit hard. Have you been able to continue to collect clippings for silage?
Codge, izzat you??!! We collect silage clippings and pack a barrel every time we mow now. I trim and Sam runs the business end of things. Adjusted that magnetic clutch and pto switch has been great. Had another inch yesterday - We just mowed and it needs it again. Driveway’s a jungle 🌿🌱🌾
@@birchfieldfarming Tis the one and only. Good to hear- that young feller I'm sure is a pro already with things. Glad to hear the adjustments on the Scag made a difference. At this rate, you'll be mowing into January 😉.
@@birchfieldfarming hello I just acquired 5 acres and really would like info on fencing and cost saving
Great thoughts Jason, it would be interesting to hear what you have witnessed on your land relative to the impact of rotational grazing on plant diversity. Greg Judy is always chirping about how the unwanted grasses are replaced by more beneficial grasses but the timelines he presents seem very short. Have you had similar impact? Is the density of grasses greater than previously applied techniques? I know you have said you experienced the patty spotting across your pastures, but how has that impacted the type of grasses which eventually grow? Cheers brother, always great to see you back on the net. Dan and Elle
These are great questions. Weeds, weeds, and more weeds are much greater in our continuously grazed pastures vs. rotational. You pretty much have to bush hog if you just turn cattle out.
New species assessment is tough for us b/c we run cattle on the entire property (58 acres). That being said, we’ve got a unique situation with our carved out 5 acres being rotationally grazed vs. the rented pastures being continuously grazed. When I look at the two systems, it becomes readily apparent where the magic happens - the rest. The rest period seems almost magical b/c pats are breaking down, grasses/legumes are coming back, and insect/animal species that rarely visit the continuously grazed portion are setting up shop in our rested paddocks. Plus, we’re almost constantly moving animals into a fresh plot. It makes a human feel good if nothing else, and regularly reminds me of the human need of rest. Plant life does seem denser for sure, but it could all be b/c of the rest period. Now, all that being said, add 100 meat birds (chickens) on a 1/4 acre paddock for 9 weeks, and the grass is on steroids for several years following (greener, fuller, faster growing, etc). Turkey manure is even better! Good hearing from you, Big Dan! Hopefully the sickness is gone now, and you’ve got great immunity!
@@birchfieldfarming Lots of great topics. Ok, so you are only rotational grazing on 5 acres, what are your paddock sizes for how many animals and how much time….I don’t want to get into head per acre, just wondering what you have found works well for you. Two, totally agree that bang for the buck, the poultry tractors seem to have the greatest impact on the soil, it seems almost a must for troubled areas…although I wasn’t onto the turkey vs. chicken in this regard. And, at the end of the day I do get the sense that soil biology vice grass transition seems to be the greatest benefit, but if you don’t rotate pasture to garden, how much does that matter since the tractors impact such a relatively small area?
We still have the cough but otherwise just part of the herd, as in immunity :)
@@appalachianheartsong5487 Right now I’m running 10 quarter acre paddocks with 2 to 3 days on each paddock and goal to rest for 30 days. Then we have about an acre and a half of woods we run thru at the end of the rotation, usually spend a few days to a week there. Currently running 7 head of Red Devon cattle, 15 head St. Croix sheep, and about 40 layers. (We were up to a couple dozen sheep but sold a few this summer). One of my favorite aspects of this set-up is the woods at the end b/c I can use it as a brake pedal of sorts at the end of the rotation if need be, plus animals get goodies in the woods they don’t normally get on pasture. Areas where we’ve run birds are noticeably improved in terms of forage quality for years afterwards. This translates directly to more time on a paddock, so yes, I think it’s worth it even if you’re not planning on gardening in those areas. For our meat bird tractors (100 birds), I’m estimating well over 2500 lbs of manure put down on 1/4 acre in 9 weeks. Folks usually focus solely on meat production with these birds (and it’s really good meat!), but the manure in our set-up is also very valuable to me. And the best part, NO SHOVELING!🤠
Hi Jason. When I lived in VA I raised 6 steers for next year's farmers market.i bought the steers, no cow calf to be fair. I divided 24 acres into 6 paddocks. They spent 1 month in each paddock. Stockpiled the last 2 . I mowed everything down after they left the previous paddock. And it worked very well. Not saying that will work for everyone. But a yearly rotation did work for me.
I have no doubts you successfully raised your steers. Yes, it can certainly be done like you’re saying. What I’m interested in here is actively managing for the maximum utilization of the land without its degradation. Many factors to consider when figuring stocking rate, but around here it’s about one animal unit per acre. What I’ve seen is that without rotating in my area (set-stock grazing) we could run about 24 steers on 24 acres of average pasture. Rotating, at least every three days, on the same ground we can come close to 48 head on the same acreage, while simultaneously building soil and healthy ecosystems, and rarely if ever mechanically mowing. More labor of course, but doubling productivity on the same amount of acreage without its degradation, but rather building soil, has tremendous implications for the future of agriculture, in my opinion. We are of course still learning. And I’m not poo-pooing any of the set stock grazers here, as it takes a tremendous amount of time, effort, and knowledge to successfully raise meat. Thanks for sharing your experience.
@@birchfieldfarming honestly my inexperience , and the fact that I was still working off the farm led me to that method. We all agree that rotational grazing works. It's just how intensively you want to do it. Your videos are great to share ideas. Tom
@@tommartin8155 Thanks, Tom! Appreciate you being here.
Strangers are the government
I just wish someone in authority would step up and help East Palestine. Horrible situation devoid of honest leadership.
Jason, I’ve got Devons as well and mine don’t touch our red clover. Any ideas on why that may be? We’ve got a great stand of red clover but they won’t touch it!
Wow, I’ve never heard of that! When you turn them out on a new area, what are they going for first? Do they eat the white clover?
@@birchfieldfarming I know, crazy right?they seem to go straight for the Kentucky Bluegrass, they will eat the white clover too, but only after they find all the bluegrass they can (our pasture is mostly fescue, orchard grass, and red clover with a bit of bluegrass and white clover around the edges.
You are correct: study is basically bogus. Take 20 farms that use holistic grazing (mob/managed/strip/etc) and have done so for years, read the biochemistry on the soil and soil health in general for over a 2 year period. Better studies should be done!
Agreed
It says in the title of their research "sandhills"! No. 1 thats where there is nothing but ranches there. No. 2 there is not much of anything growing from September thru may
Yeah, it would’ve been nice to have seen the results of a study done in an area that more closely resembles the Midwest.
What's the deal with the chopper?
Some of the neighbor farms have sprayed corn in the past using an airplane - This year, for whatever reason, they chose the choppa! Never a dull moment out here.
Do you use a pump from your water system to your outlet
We do not, just gravity fed from a couple elevated IBC tanks in the loft of the barn - only gives about 4 psi, but it’s enough. I’ll see if I can link the detailed video below on our water set-up…
ua-cam.com/video/PQKMj4UDHsI/v-deo.html
Well...ok. But you should have the land for 45-60 day rest for each paddock, in terms of average NE USA regrowth? And if you are using 1/4 acre paddocks, then 3 days is way too long. My dime-store advice :)
You’re right…3 days at our stocking rate turned out to be too long, moving every day now.
I watch Our Wyoming Life in Gillette Wyoming.. last year they got 2.5 inches of rain. How much rain do you get?
We’ve been north of 30 inches the past several years. This year looks to be very good as well. I can’t imagine life on 2.5
@@birchfieldfarming Because you get 30 inches and can feed grass from April to November you think everyone can. They say the stock rate in northeast Wyoming is about 30 acers per head for cows. I think the average rainfall for Gillette is 10 inches.
@@birchfieldfarming This year they baled over 600 acers of hay to feed less than 100 cows. This was the first hay they have baled sence 2019.
@@garyoakman6187 No, I have never said that everyone else can or should or could farm like us, Gary. It’s one of my BIGGEST pet peeves on here is folks thinking that just because I’m doing a thing that it’s applicable across the board - I say and show what works for us in OHIO to spur ideas and build a community where we can learn from each other. Folks in Wyoming have to do what works for folks in Wyoming.
@@birchfieldfarming If Nebraska is like Wyoming and only gets 1 growth of grass a year the study is real life
Gillette Wyoming average rainfall is about 10 inches.
All the universities and biased “experts” out there. I don’t care what other people do. Rotational grazing has been out in the wild for a long time, but the cheap solar fencing was the real game changer. Less than 1/2 of farmers and ranchers do very well. Unless you inherit a bunch of paid off land, your very close to the edge financially if you aren’t adopting better practices. This pertains to many different aspects of ag.
I agree. Ag is definitely shifting, as I suppose really all areas are right now. Even with low inputs, it’s challenging to make it work. I do feel that there is a generation now that will have the wisdom to figure it out though.
Your cattle look small how do they go at the sale yards compared to hereford and Angus in Aus the markets just push Angus
Never been to sale yard, never will. Direct to consumer beef and breeding stock sales. Yes, smaller framed cattle are more profitable.
You look like you could help the Jews out with that red heifer without blemish!!!
🤣🤣…whatever pays the bills!
You lost me at Ecclesiastes. I came to learn, not be preached at. If I wanted to be told how to live and/or everything wrong with me id go to a church or a religious friend's house. Just some friendly advice; never talk about religion or politics. Its divisive and you immediately separate yourself from the majority. People get enough of that during regular life. My opinion is that people go to youtube to escape it all. Best of luck to you and your channel. I hope you reach 100K by the end of the year!!!! Then onwards to a million.
Thanks for stopping by. All life starts and ends with Jesus. Don’t confuse Him with religion. I can only hope for the courage to never pull back from that. Faith comes from hearing. I pray you’d experience the fullness of the love of Christ, and be at peace.
I'd rather be separated from the crowd than separated from God
@@heatherangelo5796 Amen, Heather! The Bible has nothing good to say about the final destination of the 'crowd' or those who prosper in it! Hasn't been going anywhere good all throughout history either... Humanity is fallen. Follow the crowd and you're doomed. It's as simple as that and also why being "worldly" is a liability, not a virtue!!! May the grace of God and Jesus save us both!
C Myers, The "majority" are on a freight train to Hell. It's a huge blessing to be separated from them.
Sounds like you got quite the hardened heart. We need MORE of God not less, your attitude here is why America is falling apart...