Great video. Really cool to see how your operation and ground has changed over the years. We’re moving onto more ground this summer, going to continue with pastured poultry and move into sheep. Long term goal is to get into cattle. Anything you wish you knew back when you first started?
Where would I begin... never plant fruit trees right into crappy ground during a drought when you have no water infrastructure, no mulch and no protection. During your buildout phase, focus on making chores easy. You don't have to move animals 3 and 4 times a day to regenerate soil. Yes, that is faster but it is also faster to burnout. Water infrastructure pays dividends in time and money. Buy animals from farms using your same production methods. Do whatever you can to not borrow money to pay for any depreciating asset like a tractor. Get away from the farm every once in a while. Have a core group of people you cab call during livestock breakouts or medical emergencies.
Devons cross very well on almost anything. If you are a grazier, you are more looking for the correct grass phenotype in your breeders. If you are unsure of what I am referring to, look up Jan Bonsma.
We have 4 cattle 3-4months old on pasture now. But I have sectioned off the 3.5acres into 8 sections. I believe they won’t be able to keep up to the grass growth especially right now in the spring. Should I cut the section once there done on it? Maybe when it starts seeding?
Two options. Option one is to squeeze rhem on tighter paddocs ny dividing your current 1 thru 4 into 8 or ten and then bushhog current 5 thru 8 compeltely. When they get thru the first half, you flip it. Option two, bushhog nehind them and dont force them to eat it down. They are very young, so they need a lot of ice cream. You may want to have them in paddock 1 and bushhog 8 now. Let them take two weeks to get to 8 and it should be wonderful quality by the time they get to it.
Okay so they are on paddock 2 now so I’m going to go cut down paddock 1, I had them on there for 5 days and thought about continuing that schedule. What’s your thoughts on that? Should I go cut ahead? Also in a couple weeks I will have turkeys on the same pasture running 1 paddock behind the cattle.
Great video. Really cool to see how your operation and ground has changed over the years. We’re moving onto more ground this summer, going to continue with pastured poultry and move into sheep. Long term goal is to get into cattle. Anything you wish you knew back when you first started?
Where would I begin... never plant fruit trees right into crappy ground during a drought when you have no water infrastructure, no mulch and no protection. During your buildout phase, focus on making chores easy.
You don't have to move animals 3 and 4 times a day to regenerate soil. Yes, that is faster but it is also faster to burnout.
Water infrastructure pays dividends in time and money.
Buy animals from farms using your same production methods.
Do whatever you can to not borrow money to pay for any depreciating asset like a tractor.
Get away from the farm every once in a while.
Have a core group of people you cab call during livestock breakouts or medical emergencies.
Thank you for all the information. I appreciate it.
How would Red Devon's cross on Shorthorns?
Devons cross very well on almost anything. If you are a grazier, you are more looking for the correct grass phenotype in your breeders. If you are unsure of what I am referring to, look up Jan Bonsma.
We have 4 cattle 3-4months old on pasture now. But I have sectioned off the 3.5acres into 8 sections. I believe they won’t be able to keep up to the grass growth especially right now in the spring. Should I cut the section once there done on it? Maybe when it starts seeding?
Two options. Option one is to squeeze rhem on tighter paddocs ny dividing your current 1 thru 4 into 8 or ten and then bushhog current 5 thru 8 compeltely. When they get thru the first half, you flip it.
Option two, bushhog nehind them and dont force them to eat it down. They are very young, so they need a lot of ice cream. You may want to have them in paddock 1 and bushhog 8 now. Let them take two weeks to get to 8 and it should be wonderful quality by the time they get to it.
Okay so they are on paddock 2 now so I’m going to go cut down paddock 1, I had them on there for 5 days and thought about continuing that schedule. What’s your thoughts on that? Should I go cut ahead? Also in a couple weeks I will have turkeys on the same pasture running 1 paddock behind the cattle.