Making A Pasture

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Miss @Baymule,

I had buffalo grass as a lawn grass at our first house in McKinney. It was in full sun grown in the Dallas black clay, and it did just fine. At our second house, we had Bermuda in the back yard that eventually died off due to so much shade as the shade trees grew. I then sodded it with Zoysia, which did fine in the shade as well as sun. I don't know how Zoysia would do as a pasture grass. You could always plant Bahia, as that grass takes the Texas heat quite well.

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[Baymule]

Thank you @Senile_Texas_Aggie I bought giant Bermuda grass seed from Hancock, their price was the best. I look for my best deal, LOL The seed company in Tyler has 50# of Crimson Clover for $55, haven't found it anywhere that cheap. My husband loves Crimson Clover and planted it on the sides of the driveway and along the road. It reseeded well so we'll be planting it on our "new" ground. I'll check out that rye grass. White ball clover also reseeded well, White arrowleaf clover did not reseed and performed poorly.

Hearne Seed has a perennial rye pasture grass that I am going to investigate further, it's a bit pricey though. I think it will take me several years of intensive management to get the pastures I want. My plan is to plant the giant Bermuda for summer grass, slowly add other species. The giant Bermuda grows fast and recovers well, it will establish quickly. There is already Bahia on select places on our place, it is a good hot weather grass.

We have to build a new fence to contain the horses so they don't stomp and eat down the new grass that will be getting established.

 

[Bruce]

@farmerjan will you talk to me about orchard grass?

I think orchard grass is what is used up here for hay. It definitely dies back in the winter and regrows in the spring. Not sure what it would do with your heat though I suppose there could be many varieties for different locales.

 

[Baymule]

I sowed rye grass and crimson clover in Pastures 1, 2, and 3. We put up a cow panel fence to keep the sheep off pasture 3, it runs behind the barn and gives them a little room to stretch their legs. Sheep are on dry lot, they don’t like me much. LOL Here is Pasture 3, I’ll get pictures of 1and 2.

We machete chopped out the stump regrowth and the green briars that sprouted out. It’s looking good now. The crimson clover is coming up too. I have seeded all 3 pastures heavy.

 

[Bruce]

I guess those green briars give you something to get out frustration when needed

 

[Baymule]

These are pictures of pasture #2. The winter grasses are coming up. I have to keep the sheep off while they grow.

This green patch might be Dutch white clover. It doesn’t get tall, but it grows well into June.

This patch has clovers, fescue, rye grass, poor joe and lambs quarters

Here is vetch, chicory, clovers, rye and fescue

 

[Baymule]

Pasture #1 is showing green! The sheep are on dry lot to give the grass a chance to grow. This is my strip of giant Bermuda that I watered and nursed all summer. It is established now and will come back next spring. There is still some green Bermuda showing.

The next two pictures show rye grass coming up. We cut some more trees to open it up a little.

We scattered hay from around the Sheep round bale.

I finally had to stop watering the giant Bermuda I babied all summer, the drought and heat promptly fried it to a dry crunchy brown. It fell over and laid down a good layer of humus. We finally got rain and the Bermuda came back out, that is some tough grass! This picture shows the mat of fried Bermuda with clover, rye and fescue coming through. There is poor joe coming up too, the sheep love it.

 

[Sheepshape]

The winter grasses are coming up. I have to keep the sheep off while they grow.

So satisfying when all the hard work pays off. Well done.

 

[farmerjan]

@Baymule you asked awhile back about orchard grass. I don't think it will grow well, if at all, down in the heat of Texas. It is a perennial here, and it is our main "grass" for hay crops. Timothy makes a super hay and feed but it doesn't like all the heat here and requires more moisture than we "USUALLY" get in the summer. Not withstanding the wet weather in 20a8 and then the wet beginning and dry ending to the 2019 year. So timothy is not often grown here. Orchard grass is the choice here for most all wanting hay to feed and it grows good in a variety of weather . There is alot of alfalfa grown here, and often farmers will get 4 cuttings if the weather co-operates. There is also alot of fescue, and if I never saw any again it would be fine with me. Even the fungus free types developed will peter out in a few years, and the endophyte infected fungus types will come in and take over. The cattle do not like the taste until it is frosted, and it is the biggest cause for abortion and feet problems in cattle. Causes the overheating and they will spend hours in a pond if possible. Causes alot of founder in animals. Never had to deal with it in Ct., so it has been a learning curve here.

I thought of you yesterday. Going down the road, there was a roll of hay that had been lost off a trailer (I guess) and it unrolled in a few big batches in the center median of our local "main road" . All I could think of was you would be all over that to take home for mulch.... and most would have been good eating hay too. After a couple days, I know the person that lost it isn't going to come back to get it. If I wasn't hurting, I would go get it and put it out in the pasture just because I hate to see it get wasted. Be great garden mulch too. Good exercise to fork it into the back of the truck too.

 

[Baymule]

Timothy won’t make it here, too hot. I think the Rye grass and clovers will do best for winter and spring. Poor joe is a weed that the sheep like and it does well in spring. Bahia and Bermuda is going to be my go to for summer, it will stay until a freeze. The fescue I planted has pretty much fizzled out. There may be some out there, it looks like the rye grass.

Free hay! LOL too bad for whoever lost it. Like throwing money out the window. We are spreading the “used” Sheep hay in the newly cleared horse pasture. We put the horses hay ring on the pipeline so the wasted hay and their manure will help the soil.