Multiple species rotational grazing question

[Curtis B]

I have been poking around here lately trying to learn more on rasing cattle and get info just by reading, but I haven't seen anything on what I had in mind. Soooo here goes.....I only have 20 acres (hoping and wishing for more) and I want to make as much use of it as possible. I had done some research in to running some cattle, sheep, and maybe some pigs on it being that they will consume different types of forage. I have been trying to read the rotational grazing stiky, but with all the different people, areas, and replies my head is spinning and starting to hurt. Round here they say 5-7 acres per cow(seems like alot to me) and do the traditional burns in the spring. Is it possible to do rotational grazing on that small of acreage, and can it be done with more than cattle. I was going to put this on the stiky, but I didn't want to interject when I might be barking up the wrong tree you could say. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.

[godsgapeach]

In my limited experience, I'd say yeah, you can do it on 20. I've read of plenty of folks who've done it on less. You've just got to figure out how many you can carry on what you've got growing.

Our long term plan is to add in pastured eggs and (if GA laws will ever allow) pastured poultry, and maybe eventually some pork here and there. But right now, we're focusing on the cattle because that's what we already have.

I know the other thread is incredibly long, but there has been some discussion of multi-species. If you ask your questions there, I'd be willing to bet others would chime in with the answers you're seeking.

[Curtis B]

Thanks, I will try to move it over there. I already have started with PP (turkeys and chickens), I will take any advice beings that I hope to eventually move up more land in the next 5-10 years at the most. I believe that I am at least a year away from adding the bigger animals due financial restraints, and it looks like I need it to research and prepare.

[Trisha in WA]

Curtis, 20 acres is a nice amount. I would think you could work out a plan to make that do what you needed. I have only 3 acres and am working a plan. I have already started my "lane" fencing and should have it fully operational in a few weeks. I want to beat the spring flush of grass. I run 2 horses, a mature dairy cow and her calf and will have my 2 young steer calves in there along with about 25 or so chickens. The way I plan to rotate is to have the calves first (so they aren't nursing my cow), followed by the cow, then the horses. I am building an "egg mobile" a la Joel Salatin to run behind the horses. My paddocks will only be used 12 hours by each species (except the chickens) during the other 12 hours they will be kept in sacrifice paddocks that have run in shelter. My rotational paddocks will be about 30'X70' +/- . This is the first year for us to really try this, so it is all a learning experience for us too. We hope to move to 20 acres in the next year or 2 and think that our little property here has already been a wonderful school ground for us.
So, work with what you have and learn what you can before going bigger. You might find what you have is all you need...or not, but you will learn a LOT along the way.
Good luck,
Trisha

[cur huntin' kid]

Only thing I could see wrong with this is pigs might destroy the pasture. Also the reason they say 5-7 acres per cow is because the you have poor forage quality. This means your grass isn't good enough to support a cow on a small piece of land so they need to eat more to reach there nutritional requirements.

[Curtis B]

I have heard back and forth on the pigs, so they may not be in the cards. As far as forage quality I have a fescue brome mix and I average about 2300 lbs of hay per acre unless my math is bad.

[Trisha in WA]

Originally Posted by Curtis B

I have heard back and forth on the pigs, so they may not be in the cards. As far as forage quality I have a fescue brome mix and I average about 2300 lbs of hay per acre unless my math is bad.

Pigs are fantastic rototillers. I raise a trio (or more) of pigs annually in my garden area. I have 2 garden plots, so the pigs are in one the first year then the other plot the next. Keeps me well supplied with pork for my family and a couple others as well.

[ErinP]

Originally Posted by Curtis B

Round here they say 5-7 acres per cow(seems like alot to me) and do the traditional burns in the spring.

You must be in eastern Kansas. Western is more like 10-15 per AU

[ArmyDoc]

Originally Posted by godsgapeach

In my limited experience, I'd say yeah, you can do it on 20. I've read of plenty of folks who've done it on less. You've just got to figure out how many you can carry on what you've got growing.

Our long term plan is to add in pastured eggs and (if GA laws will ever allow) pastured poultry, and maybe eventually some pork here and there. But right now, we're focusing on the cattle because that's what we already have.

I know the other thread is incredibly long, but there has been some discussion of multi-species. If you ask your questions there, I'd be willing to bet others would chime in with the answers you're seeking.

godsgapeach,

Can you tell you what you mean by "if GA laws will ever allow". I live in Georgia too. And, God willing, I may finally be getting my land this summer. Will be starting with cattle, but poultry probably will be next. Thanks!

[francismilker]

There's a fellow about 10 miles south of me that uses cows, goats, and yes; pigs to rotational graze.
Here's what he does: Puts cattle and goats on a paddock until grazed down. Moves them to new paddock and turns the pigs in on the old one until the new one that the cattle are on is 1/2 grazed down. The pigs rototil of the old one and spread the manure piles to almost none existance. He moves the pigs off the old one and puts them in confinement until it's time to move them back out to cattle and goat grazed pasture. Then, he harrow drags down the pasture that he just moved the pigs off of and prays for rain. It works well with hardy bermuda grass but the hog's rooting is pretty hard on annual grasses. He only uses the hogs seasonally though. He doesn't keep them through the fall and winter months. He just uses them for ground aeriation and nitrogen content out of their manure.
The cattle and sheep stay on the place year round. One thing to remember is that he has a lot of money tied up in electric fence. he has to have three wires around every paddock. One is 6", one is 12", and the other is about 3' high.

[furholler]

A good thing to remember is that the parasite cycle is broken by each new species. In other words, cattle parasites consumed by sheep will die in the sheep and so on. I don't have multiple species, myself, but there is a lot of info from the Stockman Grassfarmer on this.

[godsgapeach]

Sorry I didn't catch your question until just now, ArmyDoc.

One of the best places to see the deal about poultry processing is here http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/gr...n-georgia.html

There is a group pursuing the possibility of on-farm processing and for a processing plant in Georgia (nearest ones are in SC, MS, and KY). And if you're interested in getting their updates, you can request to become part of the group at yahoo--group name GaPasturedPoultry.

Hope that helps...

[RRT Harlies]

Originally Posted by Trisha in WA

Pigs are fantastic rototillers. I raise a trio (or more) of pigs annually in my garden area. I have 2 garden plots, so the pigs are in one the first year then the other plot the next. Keeps me well supplied with pork for my family and a couple others as well.

Hi Trisha (long time, no see!),

How big are your garden areas? My mom has a good sized garden area and she absolutely hates using a rototiller on it. If I was able to convince her (she's insistent that she doesn't need any more animals) to raise a hog or two, what all would she need to know?

[Curtis B]

Thanks for all your info!!! I gues the next step is to get over to the stiky to learn how to get started.

[crowinghen]

We have 4.25 acres in western Washington. We have goats, cows, chickens, and the neighbor's Guinea hens We run the goats first ( dairy goats) they eat the best tops of the plants, we move them, then the cows come after and we let them eat until the pasture is around 3 inches. Then I trim and drag the field-- I don't have a chicken tractor out there yet, so the chickens just randomly go wherever in the fields.
Most convenient is the way we can move our cows to/from any pasture that we want-- due to the way our fences and gates are. I was using electric fence, but we went to permanent fencing after we got the pasture sizes figured out-- they will usually go about 1 week in each pasture, we have 4 pastures, so it's about 3 weeks time before they're back on the pasture again. We have to watch and see that the pastures are recovering well-- if they aren't we feed hay until the pasture catches up- we don't let them back on the pasture until it's ready. Electric fence is pretty handy and not that expensive to use - I just wasn't really set up for the goats and their kids.
Also I have to cut my cow herd usually in July, as we get a dry spell each August and the grass quits growing until September-- so I usually butcher the steers in June/or early july. But we usually run 2 big cows and one or two last year's calves and 5 goats and their kids. We have pretty good pastures though, and we feed hay usually from mid september to March sometime-- this year we just got the cows on the pasture - we've had a cold spring.
Good luck!

susie