Fertilizer Thoughts, and Questions

[thestartupman]

I have property that hasn't been limed, or fertilized in at least 3-4 years maybe more. I have been rotational grazing cattle on it for about a year and a half now. I am located in MO. I missed the window for Spring Fertilizer. Here are a few of my thoughts. I have thought about keeping a extra heifer that I was going to sell, and buying 3 more cows just before winter, and use the fertilizer money to buy plenty of hay for the winter to use the animals to add the fertilizer over the winter. This would put me at 19 cow/ heifers on the property. This would be about 5 more animals than I feel my land can handle year around. My thought is that this would put extra manure on the property over the winter. I would sell off the extra animals after the spring growth. The other thought would be to sell off at the start of winter down to about 12 pairs, lime this fall, and fertilize next spring. Then keep back some heifers to bring the herd back up. Any other thoughts and ideas?

[DaleK]

Sure. Get a soil test and see what it needs before you plan too far ahead. No use fertilizing if it only needs lime, or vise versa, or seed

[agmantoo]

Imo holding producing cows will continue to be profitable into 2015. Taking that into consideration would be my plan as to whether I reduced the headcount. By the time you rebuild the herd prices could have declined. I would buy hay while it may be abundant and use that hay as a reserve if the need arises later.
You definitely need to get a soil sample evaluated and correct the PH if needed. An early Fall application of fertilizer and timely rain could aid it getting additional forage going into Winter. I like overseeding with ryegrass in the Fall as I find that cost effective.

[o&itw]

.

http://soilplantlab.missouri.edu/soil/


It is $10/ sample for the basic analysis, which also includes lime/fertilizer recomendations. You can have extra tests run for specific things like Boron or Selenium, which are extra.

Samples for North of I-70 go to Columbia and samples from the South go to Portageville. Check with your local University of Missouri Extension Service.

[Seth]

If you are not going to buy fertilizer you might want to check into having a pasture renovator pulled through your ground in very early spring. We have very good results from ours. We drag the entire pasture to spread the manure, then run the renovator through it. Seth


I have a 6 shank and a 10 shank like these.

http://www.armstrongag.com/Prodimages/ARM.pdf?#view=Fit

[jwal10]

I like to put 1/2 of the phosphorus and potash on in the fall, see what the grass/clover ratio is in the spring and adjust the fertilizer to what it looks like. triple 16 or 10-20-20. It gives the root system a good boost. I would keep the cows to a number that can be fed in the summer on grass and cull before winter, keeping enough heifers to sustain the herd. Pasture does not need perfect PH, a little low works when you have clover, PH will get better over time, slowly....James