9 Cattle, 28 Sheep, 140 Chickens on 5 acres | Multi-Species Rotational Grazing and Rest
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- Опубліковано 21 лис 2024
- Join me today as we discuss rest and productivity on our grazing operation, which includes grass-fed Red Devon cattle, St. Croix sheep, and chickens all within a 5 acre rotational grazing system.
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More homesteader's / farmers need to take your example of giving praise to God in their videos. Well done Sir.
Thank you for watching, commenting, and encouraging!🤠
One of the main reasons I’m here. It’s just SO edifying ❤
I 100% agree!!!!
I love everything about your video’s brother!!!
I pray that God will continue to bless you and your family!
Love it
Our little homesteading family of 7 grow much of our food and we always pray that we’ll learn to rest from our work and learn to work from a place of REST. God is so good. The boundary lines have fallen for us in pleasant places. Prayers from Nova Scotia 🇨🇦
❤️❤️❤️
What an amazing idea!
As soon as I heard scripture, I knew I needed to be subscribed. I believe God is calling me to homestead, which is not something I ever thought I’d do, but our Lord has a way of literally and figuratively leading us to green pastures and still waters. I’m so glad I was guided to this channel. God bless you and yours.
Welcome here, friend…and God bless you as well.
I LOVE this. I have long been in awe of how much the Bible focuses on the importance of rest and how it is built into the very structure of creation and given to us as an example from the very moments of creation.
Our sermon at church this morning was from Psalm 112, and it speaks about how blessed the man is who finds delight in the commandments of God, some of the promises for him and his family that God will not forsake him and that he has security. Stewarding the land and animals in a way that honors Him, giving it rest, and finding delight in doing that seems like one example of that being put into very practical action.
Thanks so much for this encouragement! I do indeed find so much delight here, and as I look back I understand it was all the grace of Jesus that made it possible.
This video hit home for me. We try to incorporate Jesus in every aspect of our lives. His mercies are what keep us going. My family is trying to transition to this lifestyle. We are both excited, and anxious. But this gives us both hope and knowledge. Thank you for that. Please Keep up the videos with the basics for us beginners.
Thanks for being here and for encouraging. The Lord continue to bless you as you step out!
What a lovely update and message today, Jason. Dont let anything take your peace in the name of Christ. Amen brother! Blessings :)
Blessings to you as well. Thank you for your encouragement! You guys keep me excited to share!!😀
Love your speech on small farmers coming together. I live in one of the largest cities in America and me and my wife are actively trying to get out. God bless!
I remember when we moved and then one of the first times I returned to see friends. I couldn’t believe how much hotter it was in the city, and I had never known it when living there. I wish you the best in moving on.
I have to pray about this, thank you.
My father worked too much, and I learned that rest and leisure were part of God's plan, but it was six days hard work and then rest. And importantly, the sabbath was made for man.
So i learned to better work hard during the week so that I could really rest and pray and fellowship, etc. We had an evening prayer service on Saturday right before supper. I had to get all my work and study done, which meant better Thursday, Fridays, and Saturday.
Then really take time for the Lord, for prayer, even going to a symphony on Sunday fit into that.
If i honored God, in this way, i had a much better life, and my studies also improved.
I do hear too much work all the time vut farmers have to figure it out.
Some give a double pasture to try and minimize this. Don't be legalistic, but don't ignore it.
Too often for me it’s a matter of pride in thinking, “Imagine how much more I could get done if I didn’t break?” I think you’re right, each farm has a different context so rest may look different. The place I’m coming into is that God is good, and he blesses us with rest. We get to do that, and ultimately end up in a better place for it. Be blessed, Tired Dad🤠
This is exactly how I’d like my pastor to give the sermon. Jesus with real world application combined with information
Thanks for watching, Thomas
Hi Jason! I’m a new subscriber. Been binge watching all day. You are raising what I want on to have on my farm.
Thank you for sharing the scripture or your journey. 🙏🏾🙌🏾
Welcome here, TM! Thanks for watching and commenting!🤠🐄🐑🌱
I just stumbled upon your channel, specifically this video because of homesteading and regenerative farming. I went to church every week if not twice growing up. Now adays I only get to church maybe 3-4 times a year mostly because of my work schedule. But once you started reading the Bible verse I subscribed and followed. My mom would love it and I praise you. Can’t wait to get my beginner “farm” going.
Hey Rich, welcome here. Thanks for the encouragement, and keep after it in regards to the goal of a beginner farm!🤠
Very well done. Glad to know of your farm and ministry via UA-cam. Very challenging Thank you for making a meaningful connection between Scripture and real life, so few are thinking like this way.
Craig
Thank you, Craig. Blessings to you and yours.
I love your faith in God. Keep on sharing the scriptures. And your family is great in helping you with your great farming.😊
Thank you, Ida…I couldn’t/wouldn’t do it without them!🧑🏻🌾
This is the first time I’ve ever watched your channel, but I will be watching y’all from now on. I appreciated your message about the goodness of God! He is absolutely always good! God bless your family big, big!!
Thank you for this encouragement. God bless you as well, friend!🤠🌱
Can’t wait for the day I can quit my 9-5 and homestead 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Keep after it!!🤠🌱
What a great reflection on rest and productivity. Been trying to be more trusting in the Lord with that. It always amazes me how much reflective one can be when observing real life on the farm.
Great insight and wisdom as always.
Thanks, Stephen - Hope things are well up North!
@@birchfieldfarming Doing great! Foxes are really enjoying our chicken and ducks...🤦♂
Also, you mentions the cattle/sheep eating Honey Suckle. I was reading that it was reading the berries can be toxic. Do you only graze them prior to the berries coming?
@@LCFarm_OHOh man, foxes are crafty!! I don’t worry about the berries. I’ve noticed the animals tend to self-select. So many of the naturally occurring species in the silvopasture are toxic, but only in larger quantities. Never had an issue here.
I have watched your videos for a while and I appreciate your verses and love for Godly things. Your words on rest in this video really hit home with me. I was out cutting hay and found myself trying to hurry through and get done and feeling stressed. I thought about your words and started just looking at the scenery around me and decided to “rest” in the work God had for me and to enjoy it. I found myself singing while driving the tractor and truly enjoy cutting the hay again. Appreciate your words and commitment brother. Thanks.
Man, what a great story, thanks for sharing this experience, Jon!🤠🌱
I love the preaching brother, we have been keeping the sabbath for about four years now and it’s amazing how much it affects our lives.
Thanks for sharing this❤️
Great channel. Love the scripture references and what you're accomplishing on the farm.
Hey, thanks so much!🤠
In New Zealand they use wool to absorb oil and chemical spills in the ocean! Works excellent as a sponge.
Hi Jason, thanks for sharing the story about your 2 Rams running low on feed and causing fighting amongst them because of it. It reminds me of the saying "Desperate times call for Desperate Measures".
When you mentioned about the downfalls of Artificial Insemination it reminded me of another Homesteading channel I watch. There is a family that has one Jersey Milk Cow and they had to try 3 different times to successfully get her bred. It is expensive and sometimes the delay that is caused by it not working can cause a lot of difficulties in your operation.
Interesting observations there, Mr. Ben. Thank you for sharing, Sir.🤠🍻
Good word brother and may God continue to Bless you.
My wife and I moved from florida to Idaho to eventually purchase land and have a sustainable farm on it.
Thank you for the video and the information you have provided
You bet, thanks for being here! So many good folks recognizing the need to simplify right now. Peace to you and yours!
Rest needed for abundance. Good message for a Sunday.👍
You got it🤠
I understand completely. Today I am taking a day of rest from installing my electric fence on the 6 acres. Thank you for all your videos. They keep me encouraged to make the small farm a reality for my retirement in two years.
@@jackfaltz8020Keep after it, Jack! Thanks for stopping by!!🌱🐄🐑
How often you moving your animals from paddock to paddock? If I remember early on you were doing 2-3 days? Has that changed
@@aquaclearwatersolutions3210Yeah, daily moves seem to be working best now, especially with above average rainfall - been a great Spring to graze. We’ll see how we do come August/Sept when forage growth typically halves.
Not sure what's more inspiring... your farming strategy or your revelations from scriptures 💪
Thanks Patrick
Thanks for the great content! Keep holy the Saturday. 😁
I have a LOT of hope in the future, because of regenerative agriculture. l think this is a great time to be alive !
I focus on the things that l want to see happen in the future. l ignore the rest. Focus on what you want. That is all. 😀
Indeed, so much to be hopeful for!
Great reflections and so fascinating to track your progress. Let me say, you’ve got the BEST shepherdesses anywhere, and that young feller manning the drone is top-notch too. You reminded me at 31:12 of the Josh Garrels tune, The Resistance, when referring to our “weapon of rest.” When your sis introduced me to that song, it’s just grown on me through the years as an ongoing song speaking to our emerging times (for me at least).
Just hope you- and others like you who are co-laborers in this work across the region, nation and world- are encouraged that all you and your families sacrifice to work the land is life-giving. Who would have thought that living out a theology that balances the trichotomy of land/God/others would draw the ire of the establishment, but here we are. You all are an inspiration.
Thanks, Codge❤️
Brother I needed that Word you opened with. God is good!
God is good, be well today brother
Looks all very nice.
If you have nitrates in your water, I would also do a soil test as it might be an issue of too much manure during the slow growth season. Testing water in the swale might be an option. Is your land also sloping into that same swale? If not you might have another swale to check some of the effluents of your land.
In the USA the laws on stocking rates and nitrate testing are quite relaxed compared to some other regions in the world.
Good ideas…yes, part of our land slopes to swale but downstream from well.
Thank you for posting this video.
I needed this in my life. I have an 8acre acreage which I’ve owned now for 6 years.
Previous years we had goats, ducks, layers, meat birds, all with portable electric netting.
This is our first year we’ve fenced off the entire 8 acres with a 6 strand barbed wire.
I’m a carpenter and made a deal with the neighbouring cattle producer for a trade on labour for bales.
After sharing my plans with only two conventional producers word quickly spread around of how I’m getting 10-20 cows, and sheep and meat birds.
I’m starting with sheep, meat chickens, and two jerseys, but plan on adding more next year.
What I’ve noticed is that even if the system you have for your acreage works and the animals don’t lack in health if you do anything different from the conventional method ridicule sure comes from everywhere.
That’s exactly how I know I must be doing something right. 😅
Sounds a lot like our story just starting out. We don’t fit in with the conventional. Keep up the good work, Sir!
This is the 2nd video I've seen where someone says 5 acres, then Flys a drone over a 20 acre pasture. I've got 5 acres, it don't look anywhere near as big as the youtube 5 acres.
@@LowInformationAll different situations and contexts in agriculture, right? We started out renting all of our 60 acres. Since then, we’ve peeled off 5 of that to run our own animals, and my 5 is no bigger than your 5.
I’m so glad I ran into your channel! I used to live in Monroe Ohio. I’m now in wabash Indiana but I’ve been digging into homesteading. I’m a fellow Christ follower and you had me sold when you quoted scripture right out of the gate. It was very affirming to find this. God bless you sir!
God bless you! Reach out if you’re ever back this way, and we’ll do a farm tour!🤠🐑🌱
@@birchfieldfarming That would be awesome!I’m in town pretty often! I shoot you a comment when I plan on heading that way next.
@@YzarcMan2birchfieldfarming@gmail.com
We’re just west of Oxford before the state line. Look forward to connecting!
My new favorite channel. Thanks for the content!
Thanks for being here, Thomas.🤠
"I was really moved by your message about small farmers uniting. Living in one of the biggest cities in America, my wife and I are actively planning our escape to the countryside. God bless!"
I pray your exodus is swift, God bless!
We are about to move onto 10 acres, and want to prepare our pasture land by planting cover crops, oats, what else should we seed before we start with sheep?
The land hasn’t been used in 5 years. Currently it’s covered in native grasses and native wild flowers and it’s beautiful. But there are some bare patches.
We already have the perimeter fenced, we will be adding paddocks.
I really just want to be feeding the soil this year and need ideas for what to seed in pasture, thanks!
If you can get chickens on the ground, it will be the best thing you ever did from a pasture perspective. Eggs are just a bonus. There’s just no substitute for their scratching and manure. I’m also a big fan of Green Cover Seed’s warm season grazing cover crop mix. Also, take a hard look at dripping down some extracts (KNF, Johnson-Su, etc). Those can be really good at jumpstarting things, especially when dripped directly onto your cover crop seed. I’ve also done some sod transplanting for smaller pasture bare spots (mostly where the bulls kick up dirt🙄) with pretty good success - it’s quick and typically thrives when taken from out nearby lawn. Best thing you can do though, is get those sheep in there and get them grazing! Best wishes to ya!!🤠🐑
@@birchfieldfarming thank you so much! Your videos are helpful and inspiring!
@@Kelly_Mae Thanks for following along, Kelly!😀
Good work. Keep it up sharing with others.
Thanks!
WOW !!! Did I need to hear this. Rest Rest Rest
Your channel popped up in my feed. God has a plan. We just need to open our hearts and listen.
Are you a pastor?
Great words, Tracey! Not vocationally a pastor, I’m a shepherd.
Timely message on rest. I pray that I learn to do that myself. New viewer and subscriber. -Mike
Be well out there, Mike🤠🌱
Outstanding!
I enjoy watching your videos and it gives me hope for my small homestead. We are just getting started niw putting in my fence im on 3.5 acres but going to make it work. I have 2 acres in pasture.
The Lord bless the work of your hands and multiply it! Thanks for your encouragement.
Once again well said friend! Dead on accurate!
@@ripdinecola4755 Thanks Rip!
I often grab wads of nearby grass, ball it up, and scrub the chicken waterers when filling.
Awesome!…Amazing what we can do with stuff laying around the farm!🌱
@birchfieldfarming You've got the Cadillac of salvaged material. 😅
What do your lambs weigh at butcher time? And how old? Awesome setup, learned alot from watching!
Haven’t processed one yet in almost 7 years. They’ve all sold as breeding stock. Looking forward to the day we get to taste tho!
Secret sauce is the rest and rain. You obviously get good rain to allow the grass ti grow back thaf fast. Sure wish we could do that here in SW Oklahoma.
You’d be surprised what can bounce back when you leave a little behind
A man after Gods heart. I love you bro.
Thank you, God bless🤠
Thanks again for sharing the word.
You got it, Thomas, thanks for following along
Great content
Thanks for watching/commenting🤠
Great content.
Thanks, Kevin
@@birchfieldfarming I WOULD OF NEVER THOUGHT YOU COULD RUN THAT MANY ANIMAL UNITS ON 5 ACRES. HONESTLY THATS A GAME CHANGER.I HAVE TWO
FENCED 10 ACRE PLOTS NEAR ME THAT ARENT BEING USED. I PLAN ON TALKING TO THEM AND SEE IF I CAN LEASE.
THANKS KEVIN
@@Theoldman62Love your excitement and desire to hop in there. That’s what it takes!!🤠🐄🐑🥩🌱
I LOVE this.
amazing farm concept & enjoy ur blessing from God abudantly every day ....Praise the Lord Jesus Christ
Thanks for your encouragement, David!
Hi there, i just got on your video, and what brought my attention was when you read the word of God. I willy turn my attention when i see or hear someone talks about the Holy Bible, and speaks about the God's grace. This what i live for. I'm in Canada 🇨🇦 city of Ancaster, Ontario. But born in Brazil, I do have the desire of my heart to go back and purchase a small farm to live out of the land. I do believe that's is the way to live my life. Thanks to share your thoughts, most important is to share your beliefs, and your faith in Jesus Christ. God be with you, and your entire family. Take care. I will keep watching your videos. Rogerio Gomes 🇨🇦
Thank you, Rogerio, for your encouragement. God bless you in your dream to return to the land.
Praise God awesome video! Do you have a link for the deer feeder please?
Yes, here is our exact model: a.co/d/cOi1Gsw
Amazing abundance. You are blessed and are passing on the blessing. In my own life, experiencing the provision of יהוה God has come most vividly and even miraculously as I observe his “rest” commandments. I was in an industry that never stops. When I demanded that I must stop in obedience to the commandments, I became the boss instead of the employee. I have so many stories because once a week I challenged an entire industry, and won. I think farming too is an industry that never stops. Yet all those commandments were given to an agricultural society. It takes a lot of faith to do exactly nothing for 24 hours during seed time and harvest. Especially when a harvest can absolutely be lost in a 24 hour period depending on weather. Yet, this is the commandment.
Your words and life are such a powerful statement. Thank you for your courage.
Wow, thanks, David…your words are encouraging. Peace to you.
Id be extremely interested to hear why you run red devons over dexters on small acreage. I have dexters and recently discovered red devons, and they seem like the exact same breed, just a difference in size. Let me know your thoughts
When we first started, I desired the absolute heartiest, 100% grass-fed ruminants I could find. I originally wanted bison but couldn’t stomach the capital expense of extending existing 4 ft fencing up to 6 ft on a 60 acre perimeter. We were already set-up for cattle, so I rolled with it. And let me say, from my experience there’s just nothing heartier than these Red Devon on grass! We just sent one in for processing and hit almost 59% hanging weight to live weight, again that’s no grain. I’ve had our Devons thrive thru negative 33°F in winter with zero messing around or doctoring. Of the 8 we have now, no dewormer, no antibiotics, no foot issues, no growth hormones, etc. - even better than grass machines, as they put out fertilizer and require no petrol. Red Devon were the first cattle to North America with the pilgrims and many traversed the Oregon trail. Just a true triple purpose breed, small framed and lots of history as being tough as nails with very minimal inputs and a great maternal side. Thanks for the question!
@@birchfieldfarming thank you so much for such a thorough response. I appreciate it
Thank you brother in the Lord I enjoy your video
And thanks for watching🤠
God bless you and your family
God bless you and yours🌱
Awesome video, first time watching! I have wanted to start grazing cattle on my own small acreage. I’m curious if you have shelter for the cattle and sheep or if they are on pasture all the time? Also, do you have a well setup in the pasture or are you running water hose from a distance to each paddock and using stock tanks?
Thanks, I appreciate the videos and the insight!
Hi Christopher, and welcome here. No shelter for sheep or cattle. No well, stock tanks (2 IBC’s) are elevated in loft of barn to give about 5 psi. Water lines buried just under surface run to risers that we hook up to in paddocks. Tank with float in pasture with animals hooks into riser. Risers and fittings come from Powerflex.
@@birchfieldfarming thanks for the info. Do you have harsh winters where you are located or are they fairly mild? The last couple years here in PA we've been fortunate to have minimal snow events and a limited amount of extremely cold weather. Are you supplementing feeding throughout the winter?
@@christophersnookNegative 33°F with windchill winter before last, pretty harsh. No supplemental feeding but hay and whatever haylage we’ve fermented from grass clippings during summer.
I wonder if opening a second "herd" in a separate paddock would allow you to keep both.
Gotta have that full rest tho
European farmers know to take their dairy cattle to the mountains for the diverse plant forage because of allows them different flavors in the cheese. Aldersprings Ranch in Idaho follows a similar idea and apparently their beef is incredibly complex in flavor.
@@scottmcginley5071 That’s fascinating!🌱
New subscriber today… your family is truly doing regenerative grazing! Maybe missed it: Was wondering how many St. Croix sheep count as an animal unit?
Welcome and thanks for being here! Ewes are around 130 lbs, rams 170…I usually just say 100 lbs a sheep since majority of mine are younger, so 10 = 1 AU.
What kind of grasses makes up your pasture? Looking to start rotational grazing in the Spring and looking for recommendations! Thank you!
Mostly fescue, some orchard grass, white and red clover, lots of chicory, some dandelion and burdock where there’s compaction. My recommendation is to let whatever is in your seed bank come up naturally and mow or graze it…it’ll only get better!
I am running a flerd currently also and am struggling over the mineral program. If your cattle were not getting the copper they needed in the sheep mineral how did going to FCE mineral keep your sheep safe? We use FCE but the sheep manager asked me to remove all copper from the feeder and I feel it might affect the cattle negatively
@@LizzyWonderlust Why would your manager even have a free choice system with that approach? Have your sheep manager read the book “Nourishment” by Fred Provenza. There’s enough copper in my FCE feeder to kill all my sheep, but the animals self-select to get what they need, when they need it. Very high chance your cattle will not do as well with no copper access - diarrhea, weight loss, and poor hair coats.
Thanks for the video, how long do the cattles stay in each part before moving them to another one. And how long the grass needs to grow before next rotation. thanks
Great questions. Cattle stay for 1 day on each 1/4 acre paddock, but this can vary. Typically grass grows twice as fast in May/June as it does in Aug/Sept, so we have to adjust accordingly. I think one of the best approaches is to figure out how much dry matter forage you have (based on grass height), and figure you need about 3% dry matter forage per animal unit (1000 lbs). Now, don’t take it all or you’ll struggle with regrowth. In hot and dry times, I like to take half leave half. In wetter, better times I’ll be a bit more aggressive. Hope this gives you a starting point!
Thank you for your video and appreciate the verse too. I am wondering if you cut your fields at all for hay in the winter?
We rent some hay pasture to a local farm family who makes our hay for winter. It’s been a great fit.
Praise the Lord on this day of rest. Shabbat Shalom ☺️. Vane across your video as I was praying! Asking the Lord where he wants me to go! I'm in Florida right now and I love where I live but aI would like a place where I can grow my own food, raise my animals with fear of what if, since I'm renting right now in a nice neighborhood. Little by little I have created a little mini homestead here. Homeschool my granddaughter! And as I was praying today. I said I know Lord I know you will provide the way, you will provide the place where you want me to go. In Jesus name amen! Because he dwells.... Amen like Psalm 91 tells us is a promise and I believe... Amen 🙌. Thank you for sharing 🙏 it's amazing !God bless you and your family and your animals and your farm 💖 I said Abba! Father what about someone who is blessed with lots of land that can spare a few acres and would consider leasing us a few acres?! Only you know Lord. Where you lead I will follow ☺️
Continue to steward that very very small seed and the Lord will cause it to grow in time. Release all offense to be able to tend this dream the Lord has given you.
What do you put out for shelter in each paddock when they graze? Or do they not require any shelter from sun or rain etc?
No shelter, though we do have trees in most paddocks for shade. I have to be creative in paddocks with no shade when we’re at or above mid 80’s with cattle, my sheep are fine.
New subscriber, high desert northeastern NV. (2 hours west of SLC) 3 Angora goats, 11 ducks, 30+ chickens, Anatolian Shepherd LGD and about to get 2 merino~fresian sheep. We have 16 acres and trying to grow ground cover/pasture grass amongst the yarrow and sagebrush is rough!!! Great info and peaceful approach to sharing your knowledge. Blessings to your family and beautiful farm. ❤
Are those electric fences (easy to set up and move). What brand do you like best?
Thank you! The fences aren’t too bad. We have two strands of hot wire for normal operation, but when running lambs I do use the electronet from PremierOne. The netting for chickens is horribly heavy to move often, but their sheep netting isn’t too bad especially if you can get away with something shorter like the 32”
I agree with you about having a bull, I have taken cows to a bull when in heat and some worked and some did not a friend had five cows and had them AI one caught plus the problem of the tech showing up at the right time. When I had my bull I never had a miss, I only had three cows so you are on the bottom of the list when you need them breed.
I got laughed at buy other farmers for letting one of my fields stand empty and summer fall it for a year but that is what is talked about in the bible. Yes I believe in the day of rest as well and try to follow that as well.
John
Hey John,
You know, I think that’s my biggest beef (no pun intended) with conventional farming - It’s all about maximum extraction, but the paradox is by never stopping it actually becomes destructive. We may even be labeled as lazy or laughed at like you’re saying. Also, with all the big equipment now, if one isn’t wise, it’s now easy to go broke by working and running those machines all the time. We don’t rest to be more productive, we do it b/c God tells us to. Kuddos to you for doing what He says no matter what those around you are saying!
Wonderful video. I like your scriptural reference.... Glory be to God 😅
Thanks for watching! Indeed, Glory to God!
I like a guy getting a little preachy.
Great word brother and that us what the Sabbath is all about. Yahuah command one day for his people to rest and he called it the Sabbath. Rest is so important and that's why Yahusha (Jesus) said the Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath. It is still an active commandment and if your not already keeping it then you will be astonished when you start.
Good words, friend.😀
Here in the Pensacola area, bowfins are called "cottonfish".
Ok, good luck on the boat!!🤣💫
Enjoy your video
Thanks!
Great video 🎉level land is a blessing
Thanks for stopping by!!🤠
Just subscribed to your channel a few reasons but the main reason you are a men of god
Thanks for being here😀
Great message! Pay attention to the words you overgrazed because you left them too long not because they grazed the forage too low. I'm not sure if it's being southpoll and corrientes in central Texas but I can really neglect the minerals and they still slick off really well. My 13 month old south poll slicked off faster than my 18 month aberdeen x corriente cross heifers which I was surprised by
I’ve heard great things about the South Pole and heat tolerance. My issue is I need cattle that can stand negative weather thru winter and not need babied or sheltered. I think South Pole would be great in the southern states.
I’ve heard great things about the Southpole and heat tolerance. My issue is I need cattle that can stand negative weather thru winter and not need babied or sheltered. I think Southpole would be great in the southern states.
@@birchfieldfarming it's funny I'm worried about south poll not being hardy enough for the heat and dry of Texas lol I dont have a concept of winter we get a few single digit days every couple years but most years a couple weeks of freezing and snow at a time. I'm moving to more tropical breeds I only have 1 cow heifer pair of southpoll. My bull ill start on the cows is a Mashona cross and then looking at the Romosinuano cross bulls next
@@masonbaylorbearsI watched a guy with Mashona/Angus cross having great success with heat tolerance. Yeah, I can’t imagine some of the heat you guys get down your way. I hit 85/90 up here and my cattle start the head bobbing and slobbering.
@birchfieldfarming I cant imagine the cold yall get, we get a week or so a year and it wrecks all my plans because it's hard to plan for because it will be 65 one week then single digits the next and all my water infrastructure isn't set up for it. Yeah heat is a big deal last years drought really made it where most of my later calving cows didn't get back in condition to rebreed. They were all straight corrientes so I was kind of surprised it hit them that hard
Do you need water pressure to make those waterers work?! I bought one and I cannot get it to gravity feed.
I only have about 4 psi on mine and it works great. How many feet of drop do you have?
This may be a very dumb question, but do you have to water the pastures/grass? If you do, is it expensive to water so many acres of land?
We do not irrigate here on our farm - just not set up for it.
Looks like you have mastitis in one of you cows. First time veiwer. Really enjoyed this.
Thanks…She’s an older Devon with heavy AMD traits - udder is definitely not show quality, especially when weaning.
You could probably just use that well to help water the fields. If youre dead set on using it to water livestock, the root system for the plants are not going to reach the 100' below the ground to filter anything. You would need to build a surface pond, and pump into the surface pond from the well, then stock the pond with plenty of nitrogen eating plans to filter it out for you.
Just a shallow 12’ well under the windmill. Replacement rate is decent tho…Yes, we absolutely use it to water compost, garden, etc.
Do you use the silo? And if so, how do you use it? Should I have one?
We do not use the silo. It was here for an old dairy. Do you need one? Man, I guess that depends on your farm goals and what you want to do. Inputs would probably be best put towards something else when starting out, but again, depends on what you want to do farming-wise.
New subscriber ❤ May all of us youtubers channel grow😊
What the name of the cattle and sheep mineral and what is your pastures mix for cow sheep 🐑
Free Choice Enterprises mineral system, and my pasture mix is whatever comes up and grows🌱🐑🐄
Praise God!!! 👍🏼
You got it!
How big are each of your paddocks
1/4 acre paddocks, so running 40 to 50K lbs live weight animal per acre.
Do you consider a bonsmara as an exotic?
Man, I know absolutely nothing about that breed. Are you considering them and if so what makes them desirable to you?
i must visit you . im a farmer too in Kenya
Would love to have you here👍
I'll plan my brother and come
Are those Red Angus? Purebred? Seems like you could double your herd and still have plenty for the summer???
Red Devon cattle
As we’ve talked about, grass growth is twice as aggressive now as it is in Aug/Sept. If you’re keeping up now, you’ll be way short come late summer.
New Subscriber ❤❤❤
Thanks for being here!🤠
New subscriber
Welcome and thanks for being here!
Could you use use goats instead of sheep in this rotation?
I’m sure you certainly could. Goats are notorious escape artists, and I don’t have the desire for them.
How much can a cow eat of sage brush, before its too much?
Don’t really have it here, so I have no idea.
Hi Sir, so you have 5 acreas. You divide them into 4, and they spend 2 days on each quarter
And if you AI, what if there is everyone using that bull and you in the future have not got the diversity because all the areas have used the one bull leave nature to do what they do
Thank you
@@susand8214 It’s a bit more complex than that, and no AI here.
What mineral do you use for your sheep?
Free Choice Enterprises mineral system - expensive, but I’m convinced there’s nothing better when running sheep & cattle together
God economy is everlasting...wow. Imagine the exponential growth of a fruit and the number of seeds inside to plant multiply trees that will bear more multiple fruits. Never ending supply of food. All we need to do is love God and trust Him alone.
Amen❤️
You raise all these animals on 5 acres. It doesn't seem possible to me.
Are the animals on the 5 acres 365 days a year?
What do you do with the 60 acres you mentioned?
Hi Steve, We do feed hay over winter, and rent the rest of the ground to a local farmer. Has allowed us to grow our flock and herd and still generate income from the rental side.
what if i need to rest on Wednesday,
Any day that ends in Y, Mark. Thanks for watching!
How do you handle ticks on you and your family?
Honestly, haven’t had ticks here since we first purchased the place almost 8 years ago. Chickens not only rid this place of every single tick, they made delicious eggs from them that we ate!
@@birchfieldfarming Wow, I'm in central Missouri and have them, I can be outside, don't have grass as high as yours and only in it for a short time, with pants on and found 2 on my upper legs, 1/32" big. I have had them so small, smaller than a printed dot, that went right thru the fabric of my socks. Had to pick off more than a dozen and had mosquito like marks for a couple of weeks on each foot. We have a lot of deer here.
Where do you live?
@@safffff1000That’s rough! Can you run some chickens? I’m serious - they took care of every tick around this place!
@@birchfieldfarming Maybe I'll try but when I leave to travel there is no one to take care of any animals. What do you do if your whole family goes away for a week or so?
@@safffff1000Yep, that’s certainly a challenge to farming in this way. Need a reliable friend/neighbor.
Do you run that many animals on only 5 acres total?
Yes, we run them on 5 acres total. We do feed hay in winter though.
Cow patties, Ivermectin, and dung beetles?
Yes to cow pies and dung beetles, but you won’t find dewormer here
@@birchfieldfarming This may be the reason why the neighboring farms have cow patties that are still there 2 years later.
We don't use dewormers either and within 24 hours our cow patties are broken down by the dung beetles. Bryan's Healthy Harvest near Seguin, TX
@@williambryan2804That’s awesome!🤠
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What's wrong with the chickens? Missing a lot of feathers.
@@Keith-w6k meat birds take some time to get their feathers in
@birchfieldfarming fair enough thank you for your time and answer
@@Keith-w6kYou bet, best of luck👍