|
 |
1. Dave shows us what his farm
looked like 20 years ago. He went through two brush hogs the first year!
|
 |
2. This is Dave's farm today. You
can see the tire tracks, but you can also see green pastures. |
|
 |
3. These cows are on
rye. Magnesium supplement is essential for these cows grazing this
grass.
|
 |
4. The rye will phase out by May. At that time, Dave will plant
sorghum-sudangrass.
|
|
 |
5. Old tires off of large trucks make great
watering tanks. |
 |
6. The front part of this
picture is wheat and alfalfa, while closer to the tree line is rye
and alfalfa. The cows graze the grasses, which grow early and then
graze the alfalfa later.
|
|
 |
7. Open cows grazed standing corn
this winter. The roughage and grain provided the cows with an adequate
diet.
|
 |
8. Wheat in alfalfa . . . almost
ready to graze. |
 |
9. One of the challenges with any
pasture is musk thistle. If the pasture is solely grass, then 2,4-D in the
spring is effective. If the pasture has alfalfa or clover, then the 2,4-D
will kill the those pasture crops. There is no good herbicide option for
thistles in grass/legume mixes. There is no herbicide option for
control of thistles in pure alfalfa or clover stands.
|
 |
10. Gama grass in alfalfa. The
gama grass will grow very aggressively later in this season. |
 |
11. You have heard of people
gossiping around the water cooler. Well, these folks are gossiping
around the watering tank. Besides gossiping, they are comparing
the concrete watering tank in the foreground to the tire watering
tank in the background.
|
 |
12. Well, the cows have enough fun
for one day. We'll have to stop by later this year to see how they are
doing. |
|
Click on each small picture to see a
larger picture. |
Click on each small picture to see a
larger picture. |
|
About the Pasture Walk
This Pasture Walk was
organized by Keenan Turner, Pulaski County Agriculture and Natural
Resources Extension Agent. The Pasture Walk involves visiting a farm and
meeting with a farmer who is trying to maximize grazing and reduce the
need for baling hay. Some of these practices are unconventional and some
have not worked. This page is not a comprehensive overview of the trials
and errors. It is merely an introduction into the topic. If you have
questions regarding the Pasture Walk, please call or write Keenan Turner. |
Contact Keenan Turner
Keenan Turner
County Extension Agent for Agriculture and
Natural Resources
Pulaski County Office
(28 Parkway Dr.)
P.O. Box 720
Somerset, KY 42502-0720
Phone: (606) 679-6361
Fax: (606) 679-6271
kturner@uky.edu |
