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MB, Canada | So I'm thinking it's time I finally take out some of the hay on my home quarter for something with more growth potential. The corn crops around here look amazing this year but I'm not about to go get a second tractor and a feed wagon to "save money" by growing silage corn. That said, I've been tempted by the idea of corn grazing since the cattle are wintered on the home quarter (I could use up to 100 acres of it but 60 of it is a lot more convenient for this sort of thing than the other 40).
I've also wondered about the idea of growing pearl millet or sorghum-sudan, but I think I'd want to wrap the first cut of that rather than trying to graze it when it's super stalky. One of the issues is that since my main source of fertilizer is manure, I do have to watch I don't get too much weed pressure if I take it out of perennials. Swath grazing is another thought if it isn't too big a mess in the spring.
For context, my current system is all hay fed into feeders moved across the hayfield throughout the winter, so there's lots of fertility out there but it does get beat on a bit through the winter.
Curious to hear some other ideas from folks who might have a similar predicament. To simplify, the goal is to grow the most quality feed on 60-100 acres for 150 dry bred cows without buying more equipment or other major inputs. | |
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Looking for ideas
