Tag Archives: pasture

Pasture-Making

Well, I’ll be the first to admit that we don’t have the growing schedule exactly right yet for rotating our pastures. But just like everyone else, the Coronavirus has meant tightening our belts and finding new ways to cut feed costs.

Mrs. Roo

Free-ranging the chickens and water-fowl and pasturing the goats is very cost effective, along with fermenting and feeding kitchen and garden scrap…we know that. It’s just convincing yourself to step out into that 100 degree heat…yes, April and already 100 degrees… and seed, seed, seed takes real resolve!

This video shows one way to get off to a good start…

Pasture-making Bent Pine Farm – Spring (ha!) 2020

Those of us who are fortunate enough to have our own homestead, seem to be in better shape than some folks. We’re used to staying home, and we have most everything we need here. Like Wendell Berry says, “You truly have to love your farm to be a farmer.”

Uh-oh, gotta run…the TP delivery is here!

Happy Homesteading,

T.

Rotational Grazing for Goats Using Electric Fencing

goats in pasture

 

Over the past 4 years we have collected a great deal of portable electric fencing.   We use it to keep our animals in, keep predators out, and to section off pastures for our dwarf milk goats, Embden Geese, and American Guinea Hogs to graze.   This fencing is lightweight, but sturdy, and extremely easy for two people (old people, FYI) to move, allowing for multiple configurations and quick and easy changes.  This pos-neg type of fencing works great in our sandy, dry Florida soil.

The electric fencing that we use comes from Premier 1 Supplies.  We have three of Premier’s SpeedRite Energizers.  These energizers have an indicator for the battery charge,  they have multiple cycles such as day and night, fast and slow pulse, etc., to conserve energy when possible.   They also work on both 12v DC, as well as AC.  We are much happier with these than with any other energizer we have tried.  

Using the electric fence, we have successfully subdivided a 2.5 acre portion of  our farm into 7 pastures. While six of the pastures rest and regrow with both annual and perennial grasses, we turn the animals to pasture each day in the 7th.  When the grass has been “mowed” sufficiently we close off that pasture to regrow,   and open the next for grazing.    Some people say that goats uproot the grasses, but we have not had that experience.  Our milk goats are very polite landscapers!

We use brown top millet in the summer with annual clovers, and winter rye when the weather turns colder. The rotational grazing system works well and has gone a long way toward healing and rebuilding the very, very sandy soil here in West Central Florida.

Read more about our soil-building experiences here.

Download the Premier 1 article:
How To Use Electric Netting for Rotational Grazing

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Happy Homesteading,

T.

Feather Pen Post

 

 

 

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Fodder and Winter Rye

High Today 82 !!
Low tonight will be 62

Hancock Seed Company – Dade City. Bought 4 (50) lb bags barley seed for fodder and 2 (50) lb bags winter rye to seed the pastures.

Started soaking barley overnight for germinating in the next two days.  Remember the fodder from last years.   We used barley and oats.   Germination on the barley was much better than the oats.

 

Happy Homesteading,
T.Christmas Blog Post