Sometimes you hear that livestock owners don’t grow livestock, they grow hay. Well, this is more true than most people believe. Pastures are the lifeblood of any farm or ranch because so much of the benefit to raising your own livestock comes from what you feed. So let’s look at how you can make the most of your pastures.
While starting a new pasture or reclaiming an old one, the first thing to start with is a soil test . Without testing, you may spend money on nutrients your soil doesn’t need. Or worse, you may overcompensate and ruin the soil’s natural balance.
Wilco, Premium Soil Test Kit
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Ideally, you would care for your pasture soil just like you would in a garden, building the soil through compost and care. Certain plants deplete the soil of nutrients and you can combat this with overseeding of another plant. Legumes are especially useful for a natural approach to rejuvenate your soil. But pastures are large and fertilizers are easier to manage. And if you aren’t going to test your soil, there are a couple fertilizers that meet most of your pasture’s fall needs better than others. 20-10-15 Fertilizer and 16-16-16 Fertilize r are both good options for blanket fall pasture fertilizers.
Valley Agronomics, 20-10-15 Pasture Fertilizer
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Weaver, Bungee Trailer Tie, 1/2" x 23"
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You may be asking yourself, “What about weeds?” Well, most of the time, if you promote growth of the desired pasture plants, you can crowd out undesirables. If your pasture is overrun with noxious weeds, it may be appropriate to spray an herbicide. If you do decide to use an herbicide, make sure to use it before you fertilize. There’s no point feeding weeds if you’re trying to kill them.
Make sure to read the labels and follow directions on your herbicides. Many have withdrawal times for livestock. A safe choice for livestock is Vastlan . There are no grazing restrictions so you can safely allow livestock on sprayed pasture as soon as it’s dry. For smaller pastures, you might spot spray using a backpack sprayer but for larger areas, you may want to consider a sprayer mounted to the back of an ATV ( Wilco Boomless ATV Sprayer 25 gal ).
Vastlan Herbicide Quart
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Wilco Boomless ATV Sprayer, 25 gal.
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Seed your pasture in the fall, when the soil is still warm and the rain is coming. This will help with germination and give your crop time to establish itself a little before going dormant for the winter. In the spring, make sure to allow your pasture to grow enough before allowing livestock on it. The greatest mistake you can make is letting them on it too early and killing all of your hard work with overgrazing.
A note before looking at individual livestock needs, much of what Wilco carries is meant for temperate climates. If you live in a dryer climate like central Oregon, make sure to choose pasture mix that will grow well there, including Central Oregon Pasture.
Top Choice, Bravo Pasture Seed Mix, 25 lb
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Horses, Llamas, and Alpacas
Horses, llamas, and alpacas have similar needs. They are all happy with grasses – orchard grass, timothy, or alfalfa are fine. Horses have more sensitive digestive systems than llamas and alpacas, so making sure you don’t add too much clover or alfalfa is important.
Two great choices for your pasture pets are found in premixed seed. Economy Pasture is a mix of several grasses and is a little lighter with ryegrass as its top component. It’s great for horses who tend toward laminitis. Horse Pasture mix is well balanced allowing for grazing by including lighter timothy grass. Llamas and alpacas may benefit from pellet food as well, like Mazuri Llama Plus or Mazuri Alpaca Care .
Top Choice, Economy Pasture Seed Mix, 25 lb.
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Top Choice, Horse Pasture Seed Mix, 25 lb.
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Mazuri, Llama Plus, 50 lb
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Mazuri, Alpaca Care, 40 lb
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Sheep
Because they are grazers, sheep do well on grass pasture. Choose a seed mixture similar to horses and alpacas. Northwest Pasture is a great all around mix for heavy grazers. It is robust and full of thick orchard grass and fescue. Make sure to supplement with grain to support health. A great choice is Purina Honor Show, Showlamb Grower .
Top Choice, Northwest All Purpose Pasture Seed Mix, 25 lb.
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Purina, Honor Show Showlamb Stretch 17 TXT DX, 50 lb
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Goats
Goats are foragers. This means they are happier eating your rose bushes than mowing your lawn. When choosing a pasture mix, make sure to include broadleaf plants. Seven Star Hay & Pasture has a nice mix of grasses and clovers that are perfect for your foraging friends. Add Top Choice Medium Red Clover or alfalfa seed to boost protein content. Always supplement with grain or pellet feed like Purina Goat Chow.
Top Choice, Seven Star Hay & Pasture Seed Mix, 25 lb.
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Top Choice, Medium Red Clover Seed, 5 lb.
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Purina, Goat Chow, 50 lb
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Beef and Dairy Cattle
Beef and dairy cattle need different things for optimal health and growth. While both eat grass, dairy cattle need higher nutrient content for milk production. Planting clover in wetter climates or alfalfa in dryer ones will meet this need. Remember to supplement pasture with pellet feed when needed. Purina Dairy 16 or Showmaker Beef Grower Finisher are two good options.
Purina Dairy 16, 50 lb.
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Showmaker Beef Grower Finisher 50 lb.
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People aren’t just raising beef on pastures nowadays. Pastured pork and poultry are growing in popularity. And while they may not get all their nutritional needs met by the pasture, they can certainly benefit from some time out there.
Poultry
Grasses aren’t the right choice when it comes to poultry pastures. Not only do they have less nutritional value than broadleaf plants, they give predators a great place to hide. Poultry prefer low-growing broadleaf and flowering plants that encourage insect activity and provide more protein. Starting with a general Pasture Mix will help, but make sure to add things like clover, flax, and alfalfa. Again, it’s still important to supplement with pellets. P urina Layena Pellets Premium Poultry Feed is a good choice.
Purina, Layena Pellets Premium Poultry Feed, 50 lb
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Pigs
Pigs are foragers as well. They need sturdy pasture to put up with their rooting and heavy tromping. Building a pasture with alfalfa, clover and oats is a great start. Again, you could use Pasture Mix as a base. Supplement with Purina Nature’s Match Sow & Pig Growe r. Remember, pigs are hard on pastures, so in order to keep your pastures healthy, you need to provide lots of space and rotate pigs off pasture to allow it to recover.
Purina, Nature's Match Sow & Pig Grower Complete, 50 lb
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Whatever you decide to put out to pasture, make sure you start this fall. Get a soil test. Apply herbicide if needed. Seed with an animal appropriate mixture. Fertilize. And let your pasture work its magic. In the spring, you will be greeted with carpets of green just waiting to be eaten.
