Pasture remedy

snewman

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I have a four acre pasture that I had seeded last spring (one year ago) with a horse-specific pasture mix. The mix contained some alfalfa, which seems to be the only thing growing. Looking across the field alfalfa is all I can see. My goal was that I could fence this pasture and put the horses on it when the other pasture is eaten down. Given the high percentage of alfalfa though, I worry that it will be too rich for them. Short of killing off and reseeding the whole area, is there a way to increase the grass and reduce the alfalfa? Anybody a pasture expert?
 

currycomb

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most people would kill for that!!!maybe cut it for hay, then turn horses on it. not alot there for them, and maybe they will kill some of it out.
 

Countrymom

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If you are concerned and need exact advice for your specific area, contact your local extention agent. They may even have you do a soil sample to see if you are low in anything that might kill off the alfalfa. If not, grow it thick and bale it. I just bought 120 pound bales at $18 this past weekend. Kind of like gold in may opinion, but surely not something I would pasture on either.
 

Thewife

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currycomb said:
most people would kill for that!!!maybe cut it for hay, then turn horses on it. not alot there for them, and maybe they will kill some of it out.
I would not kill for it, but if maiming a few select people would make alfalfa grow here, I might consider it!


Countrymom, we just bought a baler that had almost a whole bale of old alfalfa in it, I am using it as mulch in the garden!
It just seems so wrong!
 

Countrymom

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LOL The Golden Garden! More like the rotten Golden Garden. I can only imagine how nasty an old Alfalfa bale would be. We don't keep them long enough around here to even see anything but bright green. LOL
 

snewman

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I just had it baled once and already the alfalfa is springing back in full force. If the guy who baled it the first time is interested in doing it again I can sell it. I have also reconsidered fencing it for horses (electric) and fencing instead for some other form of pastured, edible livestock. Is there a type of fencing that is sort of all purpose, that will hold horses and other critters, such as steers, sheep, pigs, etc?
 

lupinfarm

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HAHAHA... Alfalfa will take over your field! ... The previous owner of our farm planted 2 acres in alfalfa (the top fields) and it spread EVERYWHERE, we are only just starting to get rid of it holy moley.

If it helps... Mowing/bush hogging it down on a regular basis will help the grasses to thrive. Our riding ring is in the former alfalfa land and we just keep mowing it down and the grass just keeps coming.
 

patandchickens

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Alfalfa will not take over your field if you are cutting or grazing it. It will gradually die out over the next few years.

In the meantime, IME it is fine to graze horses on a pasture with alfalfa in it as long as they are not especially 'sensitive characters'. If you're concerned, take several cuttings off it during the summer, grazing the pasture in between each until the alfalfa gets high enough again to worry you. That'll accelerate its disappearance.

An "all stock" fence is kind of expensive to build, because it has to be kid-and-piglet tight, and horse-strong-and-safe. Plus keep out predators of the smaller livestock (i.e. good predator-type perimeter fencing for the whole livestock area of the farm). A bunch of electricity is going to have to be involved, but it can't be *just* electric, and has to be horse-safe at the same time. It might be worthwhile if you really have your heart set on mixing or rotating everything together, and/or if you have very 'relaxed' ideas about fence safety, but otherwise it is a whole lot cheaper and easier to split livestock into different areas depending on their fencing needs.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat
 
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