We have mostly bahai. It is a pretty good warm season grass but doesn't seem to stockpile worth a dang. First frost turns it brown and it wilts down. Cows will barely touch it.when we start managing the herd again, figuring out the stockpile puzzle is probably our biggest hurdle
You are right on target! It’s worthless in the winter…they won’t touch it at all. The Coastal, Jiggs, and Tifton Bermuda grasses don’t stockpile either. There’s a new fescue (Chisholm Fescue) that I’m being told will grow here. I’m gonna try it.
I'm in North Florida and gave up on trying to stock pile Bahia. I now let the cattle eat a couple of pastures real low in Oct.-Nov. and broadcast a mixture of grain rye and ryegrass.
I would if I was ok with that as an end goal. It’s very prolific and produces seeds like crazy. It can take over other grasses. I have pastures that have Coastal, Tifton 85, and Bahia grass and the Bahia will gradually crowd the others a bit. It’s a double edged sword. I have come full circle though and like it for grazing very well. It doesn’t produce the tonnage of fertilized Coastal or Tifton but it flourishes without fertilizer, just needs rain. Unrolling hay definitely helps the fertility issues.
Wouldn’t be wrong for sure but they will eat it, it has just lost a lot of its nutritional value. I’m torn between making them eat it versus spending the time and money shredding. Not sure the best answer. Gonna move them faster this year and see if I can keep it more vegetative.
The utah ag extension service says chopping off the thistles causes them to sink their roots deeper. The time to kill them is the rosette stage. Would it be possible to pull them out by the root in wet sandy soil?
In my experience, those things have such healthy root system I doubt you can get it all up. I experimented for 4 years cutting thistles in different stages of growth and root depth and every time it will shoot back up the following year. Now I clip off the seed head and bag it to put in the trash and spray the body with glyphosate and it has been 100% effective
I haven’t seen the ones we have here grow back. My thistle population is almost nonexistent compared to several years ago. I’ll mark a couple and see if I get regrowth.
The thistle are mostly annual plants and a few are biennial (Only live 2 summers max). They die at the end of the year even if left to themselves. Anytime you chop or mow if you the get the flower chopped off before it's seeds ripen you are rid of thistle. I don't believe any plant's roots grow deeper after losing its food manufacturing top. It's kind of like a sunflower, once you chop it off that's it unless you let it make seeds.
They will graze it down as far as you let them. I will say though, that once the seed head comes up, it gets pretty tough and the cattle leave it to go to other less tough grasses (Coastal and Tifton). It starts getting dry here in June and it starts to lignify then and gets less palatable. It may not if you graze it to keep it in vegetative state but my grasses usually explode in May and the cattle can’t keep up. I’m ok with that though cause they will have something to eat if we go into a drought.
Have you considered experimenting with a light seeding of multi-variety mix of forbs and legumes to make it more attractive feed? Why? Grass roots compete with other grasses, whereas a mixture of different plant species do not, or they compete less because they need different things from the soil. There were a few small bare patches on the video but that litter layer looks like it's going to very productive. Goal: When Earthworms are ubiquitous that's Regen Ag heaven, they seem to be the fulcrum animal.
I’m open to all suggestions. Any mixes you are aware of for the southern states? My other problem is that I don’t see any earthworms in this soil. I’m worried that the fire ants kill them.
@@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher Not a local so can't help there nor with the fire ant problem either. However, whatever's for sale at the local seed supplier is probably in stock for a good reason. One way to test them: their first question to you when you go in looking for seed should be: 'for what application'? According to Gabe Brown. They are there to offer a professional service.
So.......try and take a small amount of fertilizer 60-80-80 hand spread it in a line in the pasture. Dont mark it... see what happens. Ive tried this with a neighbor..he also rotational grazes cattle. I took a bucket of fertilizer and spread it drawing his name out in his pasture. Mid summer he started asking questions ""????" When he told me about it......I just smiled. But he didnt. He felt humiliated at the outstanding results.To this day he wont talk to me. From May 15th till late August that " name " ( area ) was twice the high of surrounding grass.
I have zero doubt about that. I know that to be true. Problem is, we have to adjust and try and continue improving our pastures without fertilizer. No reasonable way to afford fertilizer this year and I’m hoping to do away with inputs even if the grass isn’t as tall. Time will tell.
@@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher I totally understand ! Fertilizer cost are way higher !! I know.....I spent 40,000 dollars for fertilizer on my farming operation this year alone. Three thousand on pasture/ hay lands. My primary point is.... if a farmer has an " acre" of land... that farmer should try to make the best use of it possible ! One acre....double the output...... theres less taxes and up keep on one acre compared to more acres. That being said.... rent and land prices almost doubled too. Food...fuel have went up also. So....paying for fertilizer ( at the cheapest cost ) still pays !
We have bahia grass on our 25 acres in East Texas, really like it. Now we need some cattle.
Maybe a video idea Mr. Cliff, go over the information you include on your ear tags
Good idea!
We have mostly bahai. It is a pretty good warm season grass but doesn't seem to stockpile worth a dang. First frost turns it brown and it wilts down. Cows will barely touch it.when we start managing the herd again, figuring out the stockpile puzzle is probably our biggest hurdle
You are right on target! It’s worthless in the winter…they won’t touch it at all. The Coastal, Jiggs, and Tifton Bermuda grasses don’t stockpile either. There’s a new fescue (Chisholm Fescue) that I’m being told will grow here. I’m gonna try it.
@@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher please do some videos on it. That sounds very interesting. I hope it does well.
Will do!
I'm in North Florida and gave up on trying to stock pile Bahia. I now let the cattle eat a couple of pastures real low in Oct.-Nov. and broadcast a mixture of grain rye and ryegrass.
Would you seed it if you didn't have it? The only perennial summer grass I have right now is coastal bermuda.
I would if I was ok with that as an end goal. It’s very prolific and produces seeds like crazy. It can take over other grasses. I have pastures that have Coastal, Tifton 85, and Bahia grass and the Bahia will gradually crowd the others a bit. It’s a double edged sword. I have come full circle though and like it for grazing very well. It doesn’t produce the tonnage of fertilized Coastal or Tifton but it flourishes without fertilizer, just needs rain. Unrolling hay definitely helps the fertility issues.
Do you know if it’s Tifton 9 or Pensacola Bahia?
What I plan to plant is Tifton 9.
easttexasseedcompany.com/product/bahiagrass-tifton-9-certified/
@@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher thank you!
Cows don’t eat it when it gets tall seed heads. Would shredding really high to get that top 1/3 be beneficial?
Wouldn’t be wrong for sure but they will eat it, it has just lost a lot of its nutritional value. I’m torn between making them eat it versus spending the time and money shredding. Not sure the best answer. Gonna move them faster this year and see if I can keep it more vegetative.
Just curious what kind of water supply do you have in that 35 acre paddock?
I have a 25 gallon trough on well water and a small pond.
Doc, what is the white blooming vine in the hedge rows? honeysuckle?
It’s Muscadine grapes.
The utah ag extension service says chopping off the thistles causes them to sink their roots deeper. The time to kill them is the rosette stage. Would it be possible to pull them out by the root in wet sandy soil?
In my experience, those things have such healthy root system I doubt you can get it all up. I experimented for 4 years cutting thistles in different stages of growth and root depth and every time it will shoot back up the following year. Now I clip off the seed head and bag it to put in the trash and spray the body with glyphosate and it has been 100% effective
I haven’t seen the ones we have here grow back. My thistle population is almost nonexistent compared to several years ago. I’ll mark a couple and see if I get regrowth.
The thistle are mostly annual plants and a few are biennial (Only live 2 summers max). They die at the end of the year even if left to themselves. Anytime you chop or mow if you the get the flower chopped off before it's seeds ripen you are rid of thistle. I don't believe any plant's roots grow deeper after losing its food manufacturing top. It's kind of like a sunflower, once you chop it off that's it unless you let it make seeds.
Doc - I've been looking into Bahia myself. Do the cattle graze it way down to like 3" before they are moved?
They will graze it down as far as you let them. I will say though, that once the seed head comes up, it gets pretty tough and the cattle leave it to go to other less tough grasses (Coastal and Tifton). It starts getting dry here in June and it starts to lignify then and gets less palatable. It may not if you graze it to keep it in vegetative state but my grasses usually explode in May and the cattle can’t keep up. I’m ok with that though cause they will have something to eat if we go into a drought.
Have you considered experimenting with a light seeding of multi-variety mix of forbs and legumes to make it more attractive feed?
Why? Grass roots compete with other grasses, whereas a mixture of different plant species do not, or they compete less because they need different things from the soil.
There were a few small bare patches on the video but that litter layer looks like it's going to very productive.
Goal: When Earthworms are ubiquitous that's Regen Ag heaven, they seem to be the fulcrum animal.
I’m open to all suggestions. Any mixes you are aware of for the southern states? My other problem is that I don’t see any earthworms in this soil. I’m worried that the fire ants kill them.
@@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher Not a local so can't help there nor with the fire ant problem either.
However, whatever's for sale at the local seed supplier is probably in stock for a good reason. One way to test them: their first question to you when you go in looking for seed should be: 'for what application'? According to Gabe Brown. They are there to offer a professional service.
@@peterclark6290 we have an excellent farm and ranch store. Huge agronomy department. I’ll get to work looking. Thanks.
Great point
👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks Eric!
Lush grass.
I love this time of year. Have a great week!
So.......try and take a small amount of fertilizer 60-80-80 hand spread it in a line in the pasture. Dont mark it... see what happens.
Ive tried this with a neighbor..he also rotational grazes cattle. I took a bucket of fertilizer and spread it drawing his name out in his pasture. Mid summer he started asking questions ""????" When he told me about it......I just smiled. But he didnt. He felt humiliated at the outstanding results.To this day he wont talk to me. From May 15th till late August that " name " ( area ) was twice the high of surrounding grass.
I have zero doubt about that. I know that to be true. Problem is, we have to adjust and try and continue improving our pastures without fertilizer. No reasonable way to afford fertilizer this year and I’m hoping to do away with inputs even if the grass isn’t as tall. Time will tell.
@@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher I totally understand ! Fertilizer cost are way higher !! I know.....I spent 40,000 dollars for fertilizer on my farming operation this year alone. Three thousand on pasture/ hay lands.
My primary point is.... if a farmer has an " acre" of land... that farmer should try to make the best use of it possible ! One acre....double the output...... theres less taxes and up keep on one acre compared to more acres. That being said.... rent and land prices almost doubled too. Food...fuel have went up also. So....paying for fertilizer ( at the cheapest cost ) still pays !