Fertilizer question

[Karen in Alabam]

We are pretty new to cows though cows have been living in our pasture since we bought the place, only thing different now is they are ours.

We did a soil test and we have pretty acidic soil. 5.4 for ph. soil is loams and light clays

We put down 15 tons of dolamite down last week. (we have only about 10 acres to graze in).

My husband is talking to guy in Texas about an organic liquid fertilizer. They guy is trying to see if he can get it more concentrated for us to save on shipping costs. My husband wanted me to ask what you all use.

We don't really want chemical fertilizers because it harms the good bugs and worms that work the soil and also because we cannot take the cows off the pasture.

[agmantoo]

Do not purchase the product. I do not know about the one you are dealing with but mot are snake oil peddlers. I highly suggest that you spent the money on chicken litter, preferably from a layer house. First time application can be up to 5 tons per acre if you budget can handle the expense. You will be much more pleased with the results regardless of the amount but I would want not less than 2 tons per acre. Are you planning on doing any rotational grazing? If so, how many cattle and what size?

[trbizwiz]

I put litter down this Feb, the results have been great. $30 per ton deliverd/spread. But I live in the middle of Chicken/turkey country. Raising the ph should drastically help your stand this year. You will notice it the most when the environemnt would normaly stress the grass. Long hot dry periods. Your grass shold hold up better and recover faster. unless your soil is completely depleted of nutrients. But the litter would be a great investment, and you dont have to remove the cows at all. THough it will stink for 2 weeks, rain will help a little.

[Karen in Alabam]

Thanks

We have 10 cows, and don't really have enough room for rotational grazing, though for a month or so we did plan to keep them on half the property to give the rest a chance to grow. At least that is the plan.

[Cheryl aka JM]

A lot of people have told me chicken litter is a good idea too~ but when I ask them how I get it they start stammering about how they don't actually know, or a guy they know knows a guy who knows someone who had some but its all sold already.....

How does one get on the list or get to know the guy who knows how to get the chicken litter purchased, delivered and spread?

[springvalley]

You can get some liquid fertilizers, they are not all snake oil salesman. We are using a liquid fish product this year, anyone want info just p.m. me for details. We also don`t use just regular lime on our farm either, we use a high calcium lime as most farm ground is very low on calcium. We can also buy pelleted chicken litter also, but you have to take a whole semi load when you do. Hope this helps. > Marc

[trbizwiz]

On the litter, call your county University extension center. In missouri, MU has an extension center in just about every county. THey have a lot of info for farmers. THat is where i got the name of my litter guy. You could also check craigs list, and maybe even place a free ad on CL. Check you local paper too. Also if there are any turkey or chicken barns in your area, stop by one and find out who they sell it to. Usually the litter guys buy form the barns and then see to the public delivered and spread. At least that is how they do it around here.
Advanced marine in New Bedford MA sells a fish fertilizer emulsion. THey are the processing center. I dont know if they sell retail. I am sure they could sell you a tote though.
My day job is trucking and we moved a few tanker loads for them to Houston last month. I think it went to Westway feeds. THere is a fish fertilizer place in Wi that advertises in the stockman grass farmer as well. I dont recall the name of that one. Google would probably tell you.
Litter will prove to be the cheapest though. If you cant find a littler provider, consider buying some litter producers from Tractor supply or any of the hatcheries. THey will help with flies, and be quite tastey in the freezer.

[Cheryl aka JM]

I've got litter producers but they seem pretty intent on leaving most of the litter on my front porch! Seriously while I have somewhere are 60 to 80 hens I'm sure we are talking about a lot more litter than that!

There are a LOT of big chicken houses around the area. I'll try the extension office tomorrow~ thanks for the tip!

And Marc if I can't find the chicken litter I'd love to hear about the fish fertilizer and calcium lime mix your using.

[wildfrogs1]

I agree with agmantoo about the litter. We have found that litter from a layer house can also help maintain your ph level once you get it balanced. Litter availability has a lot to with supply and demand and season. If you have row crop in your area it is very hard to find now. We have people in our area that clean out houses and spread for other people try to talk to them about getting on their list. They like to have pasture and hay contacts so they can sell the product when row crop farmers do not need as much. Some large layer operations have litter every day they have to move.

You may want to check your State for how close you can spread to a house if you have neighbors that are close.

Good Luck

[trbizwiz]

I had to call the litter guys every week for about 5 weeks before on showed uP. They stay quite busy. I was thinking it might be a good business to get in to if it's that busy.

[KMA1]

Cheryl and Karen,

Quickest way to find some litter is to either stop and ask some chicken farmers in the area, or go by the closest coop and ask the guys there who has chicken houses or cleans out chicken houses. Though not as good as layer litter, your more likely to find broiler house litter close by. You may have to get in line though.

KMA1 in north Alabama too.

[Karen in Alabam]

Thanks

[Tad]

Ten acres is plenty to rotate. Ten cows on an acre for 3 or 4 days maybe. Hard to say not knowing how the grass grows where you live.

[trbizwiz]

Well in the spring and fall, but you wont recover grass in 28 days in the summer and winter. Over stocking is doable ,but it requires inputs and hay. I am still pretty inexperienced, so maybe i make to many mistakes to know for sure, but it seems like you need an acre of ground per hed of rotating ground and an acre of ground per head of stock piled forage. So basically 2 acres per head. This is what I did last year, and my cows have done real well. I guess the true test is if they breed back in time this summer.

[trbizwiz]

You could check with your neighbors for 10 acres of ground to rent of half a year. Let your herd graze stockpiled forage in summer and winter.