Stocking Ratio for Dexters

[IndyGardenGal]

How many cow calf pairs can you you have per acre (central Indiana, rotating pasture areas, and managing the pasture for good grass)?

To try and sustain off grass feed alone, supplementing with hay in the winter?

[copperhead46]

I'm gonna jump in here, but, I'm sure no expert. I would think that if you rotate the pasture and it's in pretty good shape, you could run two cow/calf pairs, but, as the calves grow, that might not be enough grass, you would have to supplement with some good hay in the winter, for sure. Hopefully Agman or someone else who rotates pasture will get in here and get you a better answer.
P.J.

[genebo]

My pasture isn't the best. It's pretty good, though. I find my ideal stocking rate to be 1 adult per acre. The calves come and the calves go. Sometimes I have 11 animals on my 6 acres of grass in 4 paddocks.

Even then, I have to feed hay in the winter. The grass stops growing once it gets cold. Soon after, most of it is gone, unless I start feeding hay immediately. If I do it just right, the hay will extend the available grass right up to when it begins growing next spring.

I have another 4 acres in woods, but once they initially denuded it, their isn't much in there to eat. It's mostly shade and shelter and a place to get out of the flies.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[copperhead46]

I think you're way more on the money than I was, Genebo. I didn't think that sounded right even while I was typing it. For one acre, one cow and like you said, calves come and go. I stand corrected .
P.J.

[genebo]

Hey, Copperhead.

I wasn't referring to your pasture. I didn't mean to correct you about anything. I was just sharing what works on my pastures.

I thought your reply was right on for your pastures, and mine weren't quite as good.

I read someone's tale on another forum, where they said that their place in the Southwest needed 16 acres per cow, because their grass was so poor.

I drove through the lava fields of New Mexico and saw cattle wandering over the lava eating ocotillo cactus. I'll bet it takes many an acre per cow there.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[65284]

Really no way to correctly answer that question. An answer that's right this year may well be out of line next year. A late spring or early hard killing frost can change things, around here the biggest variable being the amount and timing of rain. Way too many many possibles to make a hard and fast rule about stocking rates.

[francismilker]

I'm pretty sure the last time I visited with my extension agent he told me the cow/calf per capita was figured based upon normal rainfall with soil being sampled and treated yearly with fertilizer and sprayed for weeds. (in my area) And as you've mentioned, it's going to be different in different parts of the country. Sometimes even a neighbor 100' away can have completely different grazing conditions based upon the improvements made to native pastures.
With my mini-jerseys, I'm able to run cow/calf pair on about 2 acres during normal rainfall. I seldom fertilize due to costs. I drag pastures with a harrow to spread manure and spray for weeds annually.

[Drew Cutter]

Francismilker ,

Their a better way of spreading the manure and weeds. I love the way joel salatin , in his book " Salad Bar Beef " talks about ways to cut fuel cost , etc . Save you a bunch on spraying for weeds . It require using chickens and other animals.

[francismilker]

Drew,
I do have chickens running around. However, I'd not think they could spread the manure on eighty acres before the bobcats and coyotes come out of a deep gulch for a 3-piece chicken dinner! lol. I also use goats and katadin hair sheep double grazing with the cows which take care of a lot of weeds. Frankly though, I don't have the years it would take to get bitter sneeze weeds eradicated without the use of either bush-hogging or spraying. These are a type that even the goats won't eat. Ragweed is another one that I've had a difficult time getting the goats to eat!

[copperhead46]

Genebo, you're right about the southwest pasture. My nephew is married to a girl from northern NM and they need 60 acres for a cow/calf pair. No wonder people out there have a thousand acres to graze a 100 head of cows.
I have got about 15 good acres of bermuda pasture and I run from 12 to 15 head on it, but this year, we havent got the rain and it's really short. I couldn't do it if they weren't Dexters. Oh yeah, I also have 3 horses and 15 goats on there too. But, I have lots of woods and browse for the goats and I rotate the cows and horses around in three seperate paddocks.
P.J.

[IndyGardenGal]

Thanks for all the responses, I think we had a pretty good estimate ourselves as well. I think we'll stick towards the lower end of the spectrum just to be safe, and to be able to raise a few dexter steers for beef!

[genebo]

I have 10 acres in fence. Six acres of grass and 4 acres of trees. The goats are really killing the trees, though. They love to eat the bark of certain types of trees. Pines, cedars and sweet gums are at the top of their list. Once they eat enough of the bark to girdle the tree, it dies. It's just a matter of a few more years and I'll have more pasture, less trees.

The Dexters are pretty good at eating all the low-growing things in the woods, too. They eat honeysuckle, poison ivy and any shrub. They won't eat wild roses, though.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[Menglish]

Genebo, I noticed my Dexters don't like the wild raspberries that grow like crazy around here. My goats used to eat them right back but the Dexters will graze around them and not even go into the patches. They must not like getting their noses poked! Good thing we have a brush hog.

Mike

[francismilker]

PJ,
I'm "blessed" with a couple of horses as well. I've decided that a horse can ruin more pasture in one day than 3 cows can eat in a month. They pull it up by the roots and it don't come back til next year. I've got them given away after dealing with the kids pretty sternly on the issue. Now, just waiting for the person to get the fence built and come pick them up.

[DamnearaFarm]

Yup, 64 acres a pair here. Southern NM is even worse- I think it goes to 140 a pair there. I just about fell out of my chair when I called in about a ranch mortgage yesterday and was told that unless a property had irrigation rights, it had to be 320 acres (supporting 5 pair) to be considered a ranch. :0) Soooo... that eighty acres with home, guesthouse and bunk house and 24 tree orchard (producing NOW, folks- PRODUCING!) doesn't qualify. lol