Rotational Grazing stockpiled fescue

[agmantoo]

Took these today to share with those interested in how to minimize the expense of winter feeding. My stockpiled fescue is less than in previous years due to drought this fall. To offset this shortage, I have already started to limit the cattle to the amount of stockpiled fescue that I want them to have access to each day. The orange reel in the pics stores an electric type twine that I use to reduce the paddock size. Look in th ebackground of 022.jpg and you will see my paddock "gate'. In 010.jpg you will see the area in the background where the cattle were previously given access. I am managing to feed 70 cows, 16each 1 yr+ old heifers, 31 calves of misc. ages on only 17,424 square feet (.4 of an acre) of paddock daily and as you can see they are not cleaning the area completely. The cattle are maintaining decent body condition under these conditions.
http://s73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...nal%20grazing/

[Karin L]

Good for you, agmantoo, you've sure got a great management system going for you there, and it looks like your cattle are doing great off that too.

With that, I'd like to say those are some nice cows, and they're all black angus right?

So, just out of pure curiousity, what are you gonna do in the long run, like when you can't feed the stockpiled fescue anymore?

[Up North]

Cattle Certainly show good condition. Agman would you be so kind as to share with us how many Dollars per Acre in fertilizer you applied in the last 12 months to that land? Also, when was fescue stand established? TIA.

[topside1]

Handsome herd my friend, you sure should be proud....Tennessee John

[Bret]

Very nice cattle and pasture. Good work.

Bret

[agmantoo]

Karin L, to address your question as to what I am going to do when the stockpiled grass is exhausted? First and foremost I am plannng now before the fescue is gone! Currently I am working hard to make the grass I have go as far as possible. In the meanwhile, I have notilled 40 acres of the pasture with triticale to supplement the grass that I do have. Additionally, I have culled the herd and I have lined up some hay if these mentioned steps are inadequate. I will not let the cattle go hungry as I will sell off more stock before I am out of feed. Barring a harsh extended winter I know about how many days I have to feed prior to some spring growth starting. I have been through a similar situation that occurred with a spring/summer drought and I got by but I did not have as long a period to feed from reserves.

[agmantoo]

Up North
I do not mind answering any questions regarding the cattle operation. I fertilize twice per year. We are in an acid soil envirnoment and I have to apply lime. This was a year to appy and I applied 2 tons per acre this year of a sewage plant byproduct called N-Viro. This is a pathogen free product that behaves a lot like lime and is half the price of lime($15/ton/applied). There are some trace elements and some nutrients in the product. It is not a "rich" fertilizer. Since I had this expense in the fall I did not apply additional fertilizer at that time. Now to get to your question. Approximately $100 per acre for fertilizer on the acres where I feel that I need to maximize production. I average approximately $60 per acre over the total area in pasture. I do not apply the same amount of fertilizer on all the acreage. (I am producing around 600 lbs. of meat per acre plus maintaining the cow). Some acres only get fertilizer once per year. Usually I apply nitrogen at the rate of 60 units (units=lbs. of actual product regardless of source) of nitrogen. IF the previous growing period was very productive I may apply diamonia phosphate but it is expensive. I shop around and ascertain which source offers the best value for the money spent and buy accordingly. The nitrogen/DAP (approximately $48 per acre) is applied in Aug. when it is still hot and typically dry here. I get some benefit from the cooler nights of late August and the dew that is associated. This early application will give me a jump start on the growing season of the fescue. The growth period at this time is typically about 3 months. The nitrogen will be gone by the end of the growth period. The other application is applied in late Feb. provided the ground is not too wet. This is usually a balanced fertilizer at the rate of approximately 350 lbs./acre(approximately $50/acre) of triple 19 or high nitrogen/phosphate fertilizer at this time to support root growth and top growth. I shop this purchase also to get the most bang for the buck. This growth period is longer, about 4 months plus. I feel that this application of fertilizer is the more beneficial application to the fescue. The stand of grass you see in the picture was established from planting my own harvested seed in 1997. I have never replanted the initial stand but I have on occasion broadcast clover seed over the top of the grazed fescue. I am fanatical about not abusing my soil. I do not drive on the pasture when the soil is wet. Our frost line is 6 inches. Get a hardpan and it is there to stay. Fescue is a great plant for improving hard ground as the roots eventually go very deep.

[Up North]

Mind You, Agman, I ask not to challenge the stockpiling technique, but rather to learn more about it. It is clear that some advance planning thruout the year and investment is in order to reap the benefits of the system.
Clearly healthier for the cattle than feeding dry hay during the winter months - assuming the climate allows it. You would be amused to know that following your earlier made recommendations I did a small scale experiment whereby I applied Nitrogen fertilizer in first week of August to two distinct side by side areas. One was a strip of newly planted ground, the second being a strip of existing grass sod.
My totally undocumented and unquantifiable conclusion was that my money would have been better spent applying the fertilizer to the existing grass/sod than the new planting area. We too had an abnormally dry August & September.