Planting pasture mix and clearing brush.

[MelissaW]

Hi friends! We need to plant pasture mix in our field. My question is, for dairy goats, what blend do you suggest? Is 50% legume, 50% pasture grass too rich, or would that be suitable? The field is an old corn field that has been fallow for 15 years, so at the moment it is mostly white clover, crabgrass, and chickweed.

Also, there is about 1/2 acre of light woods and brushland that I would like to fence as well. Would it be better to clear the brush first to prevent udder injuries, or would it be safe for weanling does to browse there since their udders are not fully develped. Thanks for your ideas!

[crowinghen]

Hi there!
I'd let the goats clear the woods and brushland, that's what the LOVE to do! I think their udders will be fine- my milking does go out and browse in the brush, they prefer browse to alfalfa! I've not had an udder injury ever.
I'd also go with the 50/50 pasture- my goats like the clover, that's what I would be using. Are you over-seeding?
Should be some happy goats there--

Susie

[Bearfootfarm]

Clover and crabgrass are 2 things many people would plant in a pasture. I wouldnt be in a rush to plant anything unless its a winter annual. Goats prefer browse to grass anyway. Cereal rye does well here but we're a lot warmer than you are. Try your County Extension agent for suggestions. Also, what cattle and horse people would consider "weeds" are great forage for sheep and goats. My sheep will eat the ragweed before they will eat the crabgrass and pearl millet and it doesnt cost me a penny to grow ragweed LOL

[MelissaW]

Thanks so much! It sounds like we may have to do much less work then we had anticipated. We wanted to seed on top of what is there because the land is played out from the corn (the property was part of a beef cattle operation before we had it), and the grass is sparse. I have always read that a bit of alfalfa, but not so much as to be overly rich, is good for goats. If they like brush and ragweed, our future herd should be in seventh heaven, lol! My highly allergic husband would probably smooch any creature who eradicated the dreaded ragweed. I'm glad to hear that udder damage is not a terrible concern either. After reading a warning about it, I was having terrible visions of gaping wounds that would be all my fault! Thanks.

[Al. Countryboy]

As others posted, I would not clear the land either. Low growing bushes vines, honneysuckle are just what goats love and need in their diet. Rag weeds will be gone before long anyway. Goats will do ok with pasture grasses, but like a deer they do much better when they have other things in their diet. Goats do not have major worm over loads when allowed to eat bushes and other things that are not close to the grown. I have 6 acreas in pasture and woods and my goats perfer the wooded areas to the pasture grasses. They have cleaned up all the low growning vegatation and up as high as they can reach. I do plant winter rye in mid- Sept. where they have pleanty to eat during the winter months.

[Bearfootfarm]

Cereal rye can be overseeded and as long as there is enough moisture it will grow. No tillage is needed.. I plant 150 lbs to the acre and try to do it the day before a rain. I palnted some on the 19th and parts are almost 6 inches tall already, although I did till it. Last year my spreader was leaking and it left a trail of rye across the lawn LOL. You may also want to do a soil test. It could be waht you have now just needs lime or fertilizer instead of actual replanting

[justgojumpit]

I would recommend making one big pasture. First, trash the old corn field, I mean really tear it up, wether by plowing, spraying, riding your horse, or whatever. Then seed a 50/50 mixture of orchardgrass and birdsfoot trefoil. No animal has ever bloated on birdsfoot trefoil. Can you say that for clover or alfalfa? Also, it is a legume, so the land benefits from fixed N and it is second only to alfalfa in protein content. Fence in the light brush/woods, and let the goats eat this down while your pasture is establishing. Then allow the goats to run the pasture while you seed what was once woods and brush.

justgojumpit

[KSALguy]

the only thing you need to watch out for is old fencing left out in the pasture this can rip open the udders but you dont really need to worry about brush, they will eat most of that,

if you can get more brush to grow on the property before you get the goats they will have more to eat

TreFoil is good, Ivy, honey Suckle, Wild Rose, tree sapplings, Ceders, lots of invasives, the woodyer the better, Broad leaf weeds, etc. are all great to have for goats,

they will eat grass when thats all thats available but its not the best,

[MelissaW]

If brush is best, we certainly have plenty of that to offer! There is at least 3 acres of it back there. There was only one strand of fencing across it 15 years ago when we bought the place (our property is only a small chunk of the original farm), so I don't think old fencing will be a problem.

The soil test is a great idea. I will call the SWCD and ask about it.

Justgojumpit, would one big pasture be better than 2 or 3 to use in rotation? We had planned to do two grass pastures and one in the brushy area, about 1/2 acre each for 2 goats to start, eventually maybe as many as 4 or 5, but no more. Thanks for your input everyone! It's very helpful!

[Bearfootfarm]

I like to divide the pasture so they can be rotated. If you do one big one they will eat the things they like until they kill them and allow the more undesireable plants to take over. By rotating you can control how far down they eat it, and be able to leave enough for regrowth. And if youre more interested in clearing an area you can make them stay on it and eat it down to nothing. Before I plant Ill put them on a section and make them eat it ALL before moving them. Then there's little wasted and not as much to plow under. And there may come a time when youd want seperate groups also. If you get a Billy youll want him and a wether by themselves to control breeding times. If you leave lanes to connect to shelter and a water source you dont have to transport water to each pasture, or have several shelters. To rotate mine all I have to do is open and close different gates and they always have access to the barn and feeders. Just be sure to put gates in the corners instead of the middle of the fence. If youll sit down and draw out your pastures you can try different divisions on paper before picking the one that will work best.

[KSALguy]

i would make a rotaion, that way nothing is over grazed and everything gets eaten evenly for the most part,