Making A Pasture

[thistlebloom]

Whew! Just read through this thread from the start. Bay, you and BJ have made such an incredible difference in your land, I'm thoroughly impressed with all your hard work. Good read!

 

[Baymule]

Whew! Just read through this thread from the start. Bay, you and BJ have made such an incredible difference in your land, I'm thoroughly impressed with all your hard work. Good read!

Thank you! That’s a lovely compliment!

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Mr./Miss @thistlebloom,

Welcome to BYH! If you have time and don't mind, tell the community about yourself. You can so here, or with a new thread in the forum "New Member Introductions" or perhaps consider starting your own journal in the forum "Members' 'BackyardHerds' Journal". Again, welcome aboard!

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[thistlebloom]

Mr./Miss @thistlebloom,

Welcome to BYH! If you have time and don't mind, tell the community about yourself. You can so here, or with a new thread in the forum "New Member Introductions" or perhaps consider starting your own journal in the forum "Members' 'BackyardHerds' Journal". Again, welcome aboard!

Senile Texas Aggie

Well, thank you Senile Texas Aggie! Miss, or more exactly Mrs for 41 years now.
I may introduce myself somewhere. A journal...probably not so much. I'm afraid it would be deadly dull, but maybe useful for insomnia attacks, haha.

 

[Beekissed]

Well, thank you Senile Texas Aggie! Miss, or more exactly Mrs for 41 years now.
I may introduce myself somewhere. A journal...probably not so much. I'm afraid it would be deadly dull, but maybe useful for insomnia attacks, haha.

No way your journal would be dull!!! I can't WAIT to hear and see what you are doing at your place all on one thread, Thistle! I'm so glad to see you here!

 

[thistlebloom]

No way your journal would be dull!!! I can't WAIT to hear and see what you are doing at your place all on one thread, Thistle! I'm so glad to see you here!

Awww Bee!
I'm blushing! You all are very kind.

 

[Baymule]

Yesterday we started raking up the wood mulch to make swales in the horse pasture. About 5 pages back shows how it was forestry mulched. BJ shoved wood chips around with the tractor, I used a garden rake and we got several swales made.

It is hard to tell in the picture, but there is a low place so we made a small swale across it.

Then we went to the Sheep barn. I toss their reject hay on the barn dirt floor. It was about a foot deep, so we raked it up and pitch forked it onto the mule.

We spread it between two swales on the bare dirt. We had lots of help.

Then we went back for more dead sheep hay and spread that too.

We have a long way to go!

 

[Baymule]

We had half a round bale that was spoiled. Our hay guy loaded it on the mule for us when he brought a new bale. We put the horse hay ring on the pipeline so their dropped hay and manure can help the sandy soil. So we spread it on the pipeline, it covered about 40’ of the pipeline.

@Beekissed here is a picture of where the pipeline where we have moved the horse hay ring. We’ve covered 70’ so far. Get a new bale, move hay ring over, get a new bale, move it up. There is even a little rye grass growing.

 

[Beekissed]

That looks like it has a lot of potential for showing good growth come spring! I can't wait to see what pops up there. You'll have to post a pic of the same place when you get your spring sprouting and I'm betting you'll see the start of something grand there. Imagine that whole strip as a solid emerald green!

Most folks doing the roll out and trample method are saying they are seeing a steady stand of mixed grasses that return consistently year after year by year 2-3, depending upon what you start with, but show definite growth even after the first year. No seeding, no fertilizing or lime applied....just letting the animals do what they do.

Folks not doing the roll out are also doing what they call bale feeding, which is dropping their bales at intervals on the pasture and moving a temp fence along as each set of bales are consumed and also spreading the concentration of manure across more land.

 

[Baymule]

As the horses gather around the hay bale to eat, they poop. They step on it and stomp it in. It may take awhile, but eventually the pipeline, which is the very worst soil on this place, will be good ground. I have planted rye grass each fall and it would only get 3-4 inches tall. I added clover and slowly the soil started showing improvement. Since the horses are running up and down the pipeline, not much is going to grow at this time. We will continue to do haybale therapy LOL to amend the soil. At some point, we'll close them off and sow seed for bahia.