MINERAL MYSTERY'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[alliebaba]

Hi again old ram,
I am south east of SA. I have Damara sheep......thinking of getting a Dorper ram but un-decided.
I really like the look of the Barbados Blackbelly sheep that a few of the members have on here but I'm pretty sure there are none here in Australia. But then again Damaras only came into the country 10 or so years ago...so maybe one day.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G,day alliebaba,I only realized you are from AUS when I saw you in the New Members list.I don't think there are many of us on this forum though....But they seem like a really nice group and fun to be around.....................T.O.R.

 

[Beekissed]

My livestock seemed to thrive on salt and kelp meal as their only added mineral source. I'd recommend it for any livestock.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day BK,I would be interested to hear a little about your soils.EG

PH : acid or alkaline?
Calcium /magnesium ratio?

It could be your copper is being supplied by your "kelp meal".
If your soils are on the alkaline side you may benefit from some extra 'Sulphur'?

Thank you for replying as I am interested in all views on the topic ,also your reasons for following the course you have taken.

........................................................T.O.R................................

 

[Beekissed]

I have no idea about my soils! I just provide the mix and see how they do....and they do well, so I didn't see a reason to change it.

Not really big time farmin' here, so I'm sure others in my area may have different results. My dairy cow and sheep benefited from this regimen but not sure if that would apply to other livestock as well.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

Hi BK,Thanks for that ,is does not matter what scale your farm is really,but the way you go about it of interest ...............Feeding Sea-weed meal will over time solve a whole 'heap of problems".....I have seen on TV doc's cattle enter the ocean to be able to get to sea-weed growing on the sea shore and in Europe the goats will go right down to the ocean edge to get sea-weed growing on the rock ledges...

I'm still working my way through the journal and about two more goes and I should have caught up,It has been such an interesting "read"............................................................T.O.R.................

 

[Horsefly]

With your clover is it Sub -Clover or White/Red Clover?

As for native grasses you may find them "lurking "in the "woods",in the back half where you graze the goats, is it split into a couple of paddocks?..Do you have a local office of your Dept of Agriculture?

With your "clay soils"it may-be worthwhile at a latter date to get a "wheeled tractor" to deep rip with a single "tyne" along the contour and give it a good dose of Gypsum to help open up the soil and to gain better "water" penetration in the soil.

Your country must be a little like ours "temperature wise" as we get a couple of "light snow falls" each year.

We look forward to the pic's when you get a chance to post them.( I had better stop now as its becoming another "novel")

Thanks again for the post ,Best Wishes T.O.R.............................

I believe the clover we have is red/white clover. I've never heard of sub clover before so I'll have to go look that up.
Those pictures have lent to be harder to find than I expected. I'm trying to look through some old CDs of pictures we have see if I can find one from each season.
My older sister actually did a 4-H plant science contest several years ago and won first in state, so she should know what we have out there. I know its alot of bahia grasses but am not sure what else. I'll have to have her go out with me and see what we can find. What would you say is the best method of controling the nonnative plants? i.e. hand pulling, chemicals, mowing, etc.
What does Gypsum do for the soil? I like the idea of putting rifts in the dirt to help with the water.
Currently the whole area is one big pasture but we are working on refencing some of it and I want to fence the back wooded half from the front half eventually. Thanks for all your tips, I find them most interesting.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G,day HF,Boy are you lucky ,who'd thought a "sister" would come in so handy LOL...........If she comes in the Spring ,try to get her back in the Autumn also ,that way you will have a list of warm season and cool season species.....................We don't get rid of anything the sheep will eat,and lots of things they dont, as it protects the ground from "extremes" Native or Exotic,the aim is to have the max. amount of diversity in the pasture........................Gyspum is also known as Claybreaker,it stops the clay particles sticking together and allows the water to penetrate the soil.....................

Thanks again for 'posting',as I enjoy the chats ,Best Wishes .T.O.R.

 

[Horsefly]

My sister is home every weekend so it shouldn't be hard for me to get her out . And great news, I have the pictures! I couldn't find a spring photo so you will have to wait till it starts budding out here but it should only be 3 or 4 weeks.
This is the back half in the summer

Fall

and winter/very early spring just starting to green up. You can see in this picture the overspill to the pond. It floods over and down a series of ditches out to the neighbors pond which floods over to the next neighbors pond so on and so forth.

Ignore the goat here, but you can see in the background some of the ditches I was talking about and you can also see what the majority of the front half of the pasture looks like.

 

[freemotion]

That goat is not to be ignored!!!!