Fertilizing Deer Plots

[crbr]

Thanks for the pictures

 

[vabiker23518]

I should clarify that the chicken litter I used was composted and dry. I'm lucky to have a cousin that has a chicken farm about 20 miles away. Even then, the smell is something for a month or two.
I had it delivered and spread in February, and then disced in. I spread it with just the front end loader. And by the way, make sure you're in the upwind position when you're spreading it....don't ask!
Didn't plant until May so nothing was burned and the plants loved it!
Hope to repeat the process this year .

 

[Boeing]

Thanks for the update. Is Keysville anywhere near Lexington.....maybe your cousin would sell me some. BTW, how much did you get? a dumptruck load? I guess that stuff is not very heavy.

 

[foreman Etexas]

There are two types of rye. Rye grass that is used in lawns, and rye grain that is farmed and used in food that we eat. I've found that quite a few of the premixed game feed sacks load up on rye grass seed. Some as much as 80%.

I've been trying different things and haven't found what they go crazy for yet. Some have said it just takes years for them to get used to it and to develop a taste for it. Other say that they have too many other things to chose from and it doesn't matter what you plant. And then there is the groupt that I'm falling into, that I just need to find the right plant for my conditions that the deer will go crazy for. Purple top turnips seem to be the best so far, but only after a freeze. They love hard packed, high acid red clay!!!!! Crimson clover grows good too, but it's not pulling in anything. I'm gonna try some different types of peas and beans over the summer.

Fortunately, its not an expensive hobby and I do enjoy seeing what happens.

Eddie

Your pretty close to me always have really good luck with cowpeas kinda high but they will eat'em up.

 

[foreman Etexas]

These are some great ideas. About the dirt (too poor to call soil) The crest of this ridge is where I am trying to get something growing. About one acre was planted in RYE and it was/is growing fairly well. Deer don't seem to like it though. The other 2 acres WAS a pine stand and I had it bulldozed for view and future building. That land is mainly clay, pebbles and extremely dry dirt. I've removed TONS of softball size rocks from it. It won't HOLD water, gets continuous sun etc. It DIDstart growing some excellent weeds all by itself; vine runner things and tall thistle thorny things. I bush hogged, then disked, then limed, then disked again and spread seeds....and went home. About 80% is growing albeit very slowly, the other 20% is still smooth (not tilled) hard packed pebbly clay.
I spread the LIME while waiting for the results of the soil test...
All the products that I buy are from the local CO-OP, I'll see if I can find some chicken poop and disk it in next spring. BTW, do you sling chicken thru your spreader......or just dump and push it around with the front end loader?
AND....one more question that I may as well ask....since the deer don't seem to like the rye (in front of the tractor) should I spray killer on it and start the digging, disking, liming, fertilizing, seeding etc. on that parcel too? Maybe I should just leave this hilltop in anything that grows and put small plots in and around the woods???????
Thanks for all the help.

I would put on alittle weight and get that disc deeper,see if someone close has a horse(stallions really nice crap in one place) throw down and disc in deep.Ground looks hard,would use something like alicia grass that the runners,run on top of ground if you cannot get it disc.As for the rye grass,I usually use it as a filler(fills in the bare spots)in my food plots cowpeas main seed. This maybe just me but I always put food plots in just before good rain,and have best results when its rolled in.

 

[GregbkH]

I don't know how they'll work in Texas, but I planted Buck Forage Oats in my plots this year and had good luck with them. I'm near LaCrosse, Wisconsin. I believe that regular oats would work as well. I had 4 small plots, my first ones ever. I tilled and limed in the spring, according to my soil analysis, then tilled, fertilized and seeded in mid August. There was too much shade and the oats grew about 12" tall. Green and lush but never matured. They never headed out. However, they were the greenest vegetation around after all the crops were gone and lasted through several snows until after our gun season. By December 1st the deer had them mowed down to 2-3 inches then the cold got them. Got tons of pictures and got a doe for meat.

This year I'm trying other things but will still have some oats.

 

[vabiker23518]

Thanks for the update. Is Keysville anywhere near Lexington.....maybe your cousin would sell me some. BTW, how much did you get? a dumptruck load? I guess that stuff is not very heavy.

Keysville is about 20 miles South of Farmville...pretty far east from Lexinton. It was a dump truck load, unsure of weight. And yes, its not heavy...just stinky!