ArtisticFarmer
Chillin' with the herd
Is it absolutely necessary to have several pastures to rotate the goats on? What are the pros/cons? TIA 
Rotating Pastures?
- Thread starter ArtisticFarmer
- Start date
Rotating pasture pros:
* You break the parasite life cycle by keeping them off a "used" pasture for >30 days (some folks recommend 6 months, but I think that's a bit much. I go for 6 weeks, but 30 days is a minimum)
* The grass does not become overgrazed, and the plants have time to "heal"
* There is adequate time for the manure to soak in and fertilize, and it prevents burn from ammonia buildup due to excessive localized urine
* You can do it VERY effectively in a 3-week, 3-pasture system -provided there is adequate grow-back in those 6 weeks of rest
Cons:
* You need more land and fencing
* It's more work
I see several fields around here where there a a few horses, sometimes cows or goats, on a small field year round. There's a big bale of hay in the middle constantly. The horses are always walking through these weird 8" yellow flowers that nothing will eat. The grass is less than a half inch long, and they smush their faces right up to the ground to get the newest tiny little growth. The field looks sick and the animals look sick. There are others that rotate, and in the two years I've been in this area, the pastures continue to look healthier.
Rotate if it is at all possible. If you can't, then be very mindful and don't overstock.
* You break the parasite life cycle by keeping them off a "used" pasture for >30 days (some folks recommend 6 months, but I think that's a bit much. I go for 6 weeks, but 30 days is a minimum)
* The grass does not become overgrazed, and the plants have time to "heal"
* There is adequate time for the manure to soak in and fertilize, and it prevents burn from ammonia buildup due to excessive localized urine
* You can do it VERY effectively in a 3-week, 3-pasture system -provided there is adequate grow-back in those 6 weeks of rest
Cons:
* You need more land and fencing
* It's more work
I see several fields around here where there a a few horses, sometimes cows or goats, on a small field year round. There's a big bale of hay in the middle constantly. The horses are always walking through these weird 8" yellow flowers that nothing will eat. The grass is less than a half inch long, and they smush their faces right up to the ground to get the newest tiny little growth. The field looks sick and the animals look sick. There are others that rotate, and in the two years I've been in this area, the pastures continue to look healthier.
Rotate if it is at all possible. If you can't, then be very mindful and don't overstock.
- Thread starter
- #3
ArtisticFarmer
Chillin' with the herd
At first at least, I won't be able to. I have approx. 5200 feet of pasture, and plan on getting 2 ND. I am thinking/planning to take them out for "walks" in the woods so they can play and eat things there.
Mike CHS
Herd Master
What are those 8" flowers anyway. Me neighbor has a 5 acre pasture that fits your description to a T and it was covered with those things. He moved 3 months ago and the weeds have outgrown everything and it's a jungle.bubba1358 said:
- Thread starter
- #7
ArtisticFarmer
Chillin' with the herd
*makes mental note*Bossroo said:When you take these goats for their " walk" ... you might just want to wear your track shoes. You will need them !ArtisticFarmer said:
I have no idea. I took a picture of a field I pass by on my commute:Mike CHS said:
http://homesteadcatholic.blogspot.com/2013/05/rotate-them-pastures.html
This was in the first week of May. The flowers are still there. This particular field is probably close to 5 acres, and has (I think) 6 horses on it constantly. There's another closer to my house that I pass several times a week. It has 3 horses, is about 1.5-2 acres, and is even worse. Both have a giant hay feeder ring that has hay in it year-round. There is also a flock of geese on the one closer to me, and there used to be 3 goats. The goats were always on the other side of the fence, almost in the road, happily eating the grass (no wonder). Not sure why they got rid of them. Maybe because they were starving while fresh food was inches away, and naturally "escaped"? One of the horses' ribs is always visible. Their eyes are glassy. I can see them with their snouts scrunched into the ground, between the yellow flowers, getting 1/2-inch-long blades of grass. IDK. /rant
But no, I don't know what they are. Not every field around here has them - only the ones that are never rotated.
If those yellow 8" flowers grow to about 3'... they are mustard (as known here in the west). Usually brought into the pastures from weedy hay ( woody white stems with hundreds of their seeds in the hay) or poor quality whole grains eaten by the livestock and the seeds are passed through their manure onto the pastures. Very hard to get rid of. I suggest chemical warfare as other methods are next to impossible to eliminate it. One of my neighbors has 20 acres of oats that he cuts for hay at the dough stage of the oats.
there is about an even amount of planted oats to the mustard. He plows the field 2-3 times a year but will not spray the field. He has been farming this field for well over 20 years, so his methods do not work. He doesn't have many repeat customers due to his hay spreading the mustard. I do NOT buy any of his hay.
there is about an even amount of planted oats to the mustard. He plows the field 2-3 times a year but will not spray the field. He has been farming this field for well over 20 years, so his methods do not work. He doesn't have many repeat customers due to his hay spreading the mustard. I do NOT buy any of his hay.
