Pasture into hayfield

[oldnslo]

My first thought concern is the thistles. I have been fighting them for years and know of no good way to eliminate them in a hay field. Cutting doesn’t seem to kill them and the seeds seem to last forever. I have never dealt with buck thorn but suspect will be a similar problem.

In Minnesota problem with burying rocks is frost pushes them back unless buried way below frost line.

 

[5030]

24D for thistle. Same with milkweed.

 

[repete]

Something to be said for that.
In my situation, complete rehab was not an option. It had to be done with mowing and rock picking only. No chemicals allowed.

You are correct that if money no limit and the land owner allowed, complete field rehab is the ultimate way to go.

25 years later I feel I would never even miss 3K to have had it done and driving would be a pleasure today... Oh well, lesson learned and the only thing left is to share learned knowledge the "rough" way so others do not take this route.
Hard to take 20 acres out of production for a year to rehab with 25 head of cattle to feed.

 

[5030]

I'm glad I don't have the rock issue here at all.

 

[MinnesotaMorg]

complete field rehab is the ultimate way to go.

25 years later I feel I would never even miss 3K to have had it done and driving would be a pleasure today... Oh well, lesson learned and the only thing left is to share learned knowledge the "rough" way so others do not take this route.
Hard to take 20 acres out of production for a year to rehab with 25 head of cattle to feed.

By complete field rehab what do you mean? I was considering hiring a local excavator to come in with a dozer to pick rocks and smooth the land if that's what that is.

If I go that route, I think he said it would be like $150 per acre to doze, then I would have to pick rocks for a while then re-seed? My neighbor just planted hayfield seed mix and I think it he used like 400 dollars of seed for 15 acres (drilled)

$3000 dozer work
$600 seed
not sure what my neighbor would charge to drill it

if I get it dozer'd do I still need to disc/harrow it before seeding? Also should I burn the field before having a dozer go through?

 

[MinnesotaMorg]

Also can anyone confirm that if I get to a point where I can rotate yearly what field is being hayed and what is the pasture for the year will this prevent having to plow it over and reseed it as often?

I got the idea watching just a few acres farm he said he just rotates the pasture and essentially the fields are mostly self sufficient (except lime I believe)

 

[Hay Dude]

By complete field rehab what do you mean? I was considering hiring a local excavator to come in with a dozer to pick rocks and smooth the land if that's what that is.

If I go that route, I think he said it would be like $150 per acre to doze, then I would have to pick rocks for a while then re-seed? My neighbor just planted hayfield seed mix and I think it he used like 400 dollars of seed for 15 acres (drilled)

$3000 dozer work
$600 seed
not sure what my neighbor would charge to drill it

if I get it dozer'd do I still need to disc/harrow it before seeding? Also should I burn the field before having a dozer go through?

By complete rehab, I mean burn all vegetation, run dozer over land, pick all rocks, finish grade with topsoil (if needed) add any minerals needed from soil analysis, add topsoil if needed, seed and wait. Like repete said, you can do a complete rehab and make your life easier in the future.

I’m cheap. I have to be, or I’m out of business.
Did everything with what I own. Got very satisfactory results, but not perfect and smooth.
I don’t know what you have or what to spend and thats none of my business.

Sounds like you are doing good job by gathering information and getting prices.

 

[MinnesotaMorg]

I'm not sure I would do the full enchilada but I think dozer work would be well worth it. It's really rough right now just driving around in the tractor.

Here is what it looks like, I would like to fence off the "water" section to be common land that the cows would always have access to regardless of what field they are on that year. I was thinking if I do a 3 year rotation, moving the cows from blue to orange to yellow and then haying the other 2 colors the years they don't have cows in them.

EDIT: the text in each section denotes what it's currently being used for, I would like to convert the 2 pasture sections to hayfield as well so effectively the entire farm could be hayed if desired.

 

[oldnslo]

24D for thistle. Same with milkweed.

According to my jug of 2-4D it kills alfalfa and clover which to me is a hayfield. If talking grasses then yes 2 - 4D is an option along with other pasture sprays.

If small area of thistles a long nosed shovel and pair of good leather gloves also work after nice soaking rain to dig the plants out. Slow process but effective for small areas.

 

[repete]

By complete field rehab what do you mean? I was considering hiring a local excavator to come in with a dozer to pick rocks and smooth the land if that's what that is.

If I go that route, I think he said it would be like $150 per acre to doze, then I would have to pick rocks for a while then re-seed? My neighbor just planted hayfield seed mix and I think it he used like 400 dollars of seed for 15 acres (drilled)

$3000 dozer work
$600 seed
not sure what my neighbor would charge to drill it

if I get it dozer'd do I still need to disc/harrow it before seeding? Also should I burn the field before having a dozer go through?

If you get it done, be sure to take the whole thing down to the same depth then roll. If you take lose dirt to fill holes the fill will compact and your field may still be rough after settling.
if your lowest hole is 6", take the whole thing down 6" and then level and roll.