what do I do with 100 acres of pasture?

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

All,

My wife and I finally talked to someone knowledgeable about pastures yesterday, a farm bill biologist associated with NRCS and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. (When I first heard of a "farm bill biologist" I remember thinking "Is that a biologist who studies farm bills? What the heck is a 'farm bill'?" See, my Texas Aggie I/Q showing itself again.) The three of us went on a ride on the JD Gator and looked the place over. Since we are adjacent to a tract of land owned by the Arkansas Fish and Game Commission where they hold trials each fall for quail dogs, where they release bobwhite quail for the dogs to track and point (or set, depending on the dog), then it seemed to make sense to see if we could create a habitat for quail. We decided to convert 5 acres (the minimum size) of pasture to such a habitat and see how that goes.

But I still need to learn what to do with the remaining pasture. One thing in particular I definitely need to know is how long does it take for chicken manure to stop smelling, should it be applied to the pasture when fresh from the chicken houses around here? I want to know in case the guy who mowed and baled the hay decides to use that as fertilizer -- how long will the stink last?

Finally, I read a book titled Grass, the Forgiveness of Nature by Charles Walters. I found it mentioned at acresusa.com. A very interesting book. One thing he highly advised is to use the same kind of mower that @greybeard currently uses. Do any of you know much about the book or author in particular or acresusa.com in general?

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[Bruce]

After searching and searching for different tractors on tractorhouse.com and not understanding most of what was written there

You could read the tractorbynet forum. I learned a lot there. But of course it was all Martian to me for quite some time.

One thing in particular I definitely need to know is how long does it take for chicken manure to stop smelling, should it be applied to the pasture when fresh from the chicken houses around here?

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Chicken manure is "hot" it MUST be composted for quite some time (don't know exactly how long, probably depends on how well your compost pile is "cooking") before it is safe to put on plants.

 

[Baymule]

I subscribe to Acres USA and I have that very book along with many others that I ordered from their library of books.

It is the custom around areas where chickens are raised in those big barns to clean out the litter and spread it on fields. Yes, it smells, but I can't tell you for how long. It does make some great fertilizer for the grass.

 

[farmerjan]

Poultry litter here is often cleaned out of the confinement buildings and spread on the land within days or a week. Sometimes it is dumped into piles and allowed to compost but unless covered, will lose some of the N. We have done both. The litter when spread directly after being cleaned out of a house will "smell" for a day up to a week. It all depends. But usually 2-3 days on average. We try to spread it just before they are calling on rain as it will lose the smell as it gets soaked into the ground. It is some of the best fertilizer you can use as it provides more in organic matter for the tilth of the soil as it does in nutrients. Because it is often spread a couple ton per acre, it will not do any damage as far as burning the hay. Mostly it is spread early in the spring before much growth, then often we will spread it immediately after taking a cutting of hay off as there is not any real "green" that will get burnt and in a couple of days it will settle onto the ground and not hurt it. The "burning " of the crop is when it is put down in a larger amount percentage wise. 2 ton to the acre is 4,000 lbs to 43,560 sq feet. That's not like you are coating it. Although there is a good amount of poultry manure in the "litter", it also will depend on the "strength" of the litter by what type of poultry facility it comes out of. Layer houses are cleaned the least often - usually yearly - turkeys do partial cleanouts usually, broilers also do partial, but also they are only in there for 40-50 days, so it is the least "strong".

There are several publications that you can subscribe to. Acres USA is good. Stockman Grass Farmer is very good for "growing grass" and using it as the base for whatever other farming enterprise. You are a "grass farmer" first, then a beef or dairy or hog or sheep or goat farmer. Both can be found at Tractor Supply for you to try a sample copy. There are also many other publications that can be found there. Spend a little time in their "book and publication" section and find some that you might learn something from.

Charles Walters is THE FATHER of the "natural, organic, grass" farming movement you could say. One of the most knowledgeable and most widely read and respected men that got the whole "movement" to understand and use nature the way it was intended....not using conventional chemicals for every little thing. There are several of his books that go into some real depth about the value of grass, the soil that feeds the plants, and the benefits of living "with" nature...not trying to change it to fit what we want. You really ought to get at least one copy of the two magazines I mentioned. There are articles that are over my head but many are geared to the beginner too. Many other magazines will have ads for their publications in these two in the ads sections.

Glad you got someone knowledgeable out to go over the ground with you and at least get you started on something.