Holistic pasture management/farming.....

[secuono]

I hate watching videos. I want the information now, not 20min later peppered through a rambling video.
Anyone have text to read on what this is all about?

 

[Beekissed]

I hate watching videos. I want the information now, not 20min later peppered through a rambling video.
Anyone have text to read on what this is all about?

Yeah, you can buy his books on Amazon. The vids are well worth the wait and listening to for the information if you truly want to change your pasture, your soil, the way you raise your animals, for the health and profit of your herds, etc.

 

[farmerjan]

Greg Judy has some good books. Also, get involved with a grass assoc in your state. In Va it is Va Forage and Grasslands. They have 4 conferences around the state in January, prices are about $30 per person or so. They usually have some good speakers, Greg Judy has spoken at ours one year, Temple Grandin another year, as well as other farmers that are doing rotational grazing, stockpile grass for winter grazing, different practices. I have learned something from every conference. The local extension service also puts on some good "pasture walks" and such.

Greg Judy is right about the leasing to a point. In his area there might be more "below average" land/farms available but here in our area, there aren't alot that aren't already rented. Plus we deal with owners wanting way too much money for the pasture land and they get the tax advantage on top of it. We have had places for over 20 years, and some as little as 2 years. We also have to be careful because many of these places are along fairly well traveled roads. Without real good fences, there are too many liability issues.
Many older farms the fences are so run down as to be non-existent. Okay, so you run electric.... OH wait, the deer make runs through the electric.....literally THROUGH IT. So you are constantly fixing electric. It is not a good deal when you are putting in that much time to put up electric daily because the deer have torn it down. We used to rent almost anything that was offered to us. Made several places alot nicer than they were, just from bush hogging and running cattle. But when you go to the owner and tell them that fence needs to be replaced, not just patched again, many will balk at it. We do many as you buy the materials, we do the labor.... and some we still have. We have always done it on a 5 yr lease minimum. But now, so many don't want to put in the money, or they go up on their rent and we have gotten out of some. We pay on the average of $50 per acre per year. With the cattle prices so low, it doesn't pay unless the places are fenced and there is water. I don't want to just break even, my time is worth something to me if it isn't worth anything to anyone else.
So we are slowly cutting back on the leased/rented places unless the fences are good and there is water. And we don't rent any without a 5 year lease now because as soon as it is improved a little bit, someone will come along and offer more for lease money, and you will lose it. Happened twice in the last 3 years, and we are a little burnt out over that.
Yes, borrowed money to buy, with a mortgage, is not a perfect set up. But no one will come along and tell you that your lease is up, or tell you that they want this and that done now.... and you can do it the way you want. Our cows are paying the mortgage on the one farm, and that is what we wanted. Any improvements are adding value to the place.

 

[Beekissed]

Are you using regenerative grazing on your place and the places you are leasing?

 

[AmberLops]

These are very helpful videos!!

 

[Beekissed]

These are very helpful videos!!

I thought so! I'm learning so many little tidbits from this man's YT channel and other folks who post his talks. I have just small acreage and very few animals, but he has shown me the possibilities and how to realize them, even if in a small way.

If I can pull it off here, it will realize all the dreams I've had about this place....that we actually make money~even if it's a small amount~instead of spending money mowing it each year.

I'm still unsure about what size to implement on my strips/paddocks for the number of sheep I'll have, but I guess that's something I'll find out through trial and error.

 

[AmberLops]

I thought so! I'm learning so many little tidbits from this man's YT channel and other folks who post his talks. I have just small acreage and very few animals, but he has shown me the possibilities and how to realize them, even if in a small way.

If I can pull it off here, it will realize all the dreams I've had about this place....that we actually make money~even if it's a small amount~instead of spending money mowing it each year.

I'm still unsure about what size to implement on my strips/paddocks for the number of sheep I'll have, but I guess that's something I'll find out through trial and error.

What kind of sheep do you raise?
It's always helpful when people share their experiences and their trials and errors..you can learn a lot from other people's mistakes too!
I plan on getting sheep soon and I think these videos will help a lot with that.

 

[Beekissed]

What kind of sheep do you raise?
It's always helpful when people share their experiences and their trials and errors..you can learn a lot from other people's mistakes too!
I plan on getting sheep soon and I think these videos will help a lot with that.

I'm raising Katahdins right now but in the past I've had both Katahdins and St.Croix/Katahdin cross sheep.

I too think it's valuable to talk about one's mistakes...if I am learning from them, could be someone else could too.

 

[AmberLops]

I'm raising Katahdins right now but in the past I've had both Katahdins and St.Croix/Katahdin cross sheep.

I too think it's valuable to talk about one's mistakes...if I am learning from them, could be someone else could too.

I used to have St. Croix
When I had them I did everything natural/holistic for them...feed, supplements, de-wormer....everything! They did really well. I had 2 acres for 6 sheep...they never had hay because I was in Hawaii at the time. They always had healthy lambs, no hoof issues or parasite overloads.
I think living in TN, things will be a little different but I still plan on doing everything as holistically as possible and these videos give great tips on pasture management etc

 

[Beekissed]

I used to have St. Croix
When I had them I did everything natural/holistic for them...feed, supplements, de-wormer....everything! They did really well. I had 2 acres for 6 sheep...they never had hay because I was in Hawaii at the time. They always had healthy lambs, no hoof issues or parasite overloads.
I think living in TN, things will be a little different but I still plan on doing everything as holistically as possible and these videos give great tips on pasture management etc

They do! I've always felt it was possible to never deworm nor flush with or feed grain and Mr. Judy has proved that over and over. I want to do that here also and I have no problem culling hard for the ability to do it.

Right now the sheep are scoring 3-3.5 as they go into breeding season and that's with no grain supplement nor chemical deworming for them. They get 2 days on, 2 days off pasture so the ram can get graze too(I don't have established paddocks yet, just open range) and I can't wait until they can all graze together. This season it can be like that, but by spring I hope to have paddocks established so I can rotate them through those with the use of polywire.

By next year I want to expand my total pasture area and start clearing wood lots to get into some silvopasture. I have acorns in these woods that can be utilized by the sheep if I can just get their pasture to those areas.