Varmintmist
Platinum Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Right now, the weeds/grass is too high because the previous owner has neglected it.
We just want to keep the weeds/grass below 1.5 feet or so.
At what rate does grass/weeds grow? I'm thinking once we get the cows on the land, they'll help with keeping down the vegetation right?
I don't even know how often we'll be cutting. Again, we just want to keep it down to a reasonable height. )</font>
The cows will keep the weeds down for the most part. You will still have to cut it once a year to get the ones they miss. Some of the real cow guys could correct me but at a guess 5-6 cows on 40 ac in a eastern cow calf operation would be a pretty good place to start depending on how good the food is.
Pre cow, cut it about twice a year. Mid spring and fall. Summer if you want to.
You want a unit that you can move at least a small round bale on the 3pt, run a post hole digger and a brushhog.
Figure 30hp UNLESS you plan on making your own hay. Then you need to go to a heavier tractor with more PTO hp. Or a small square baler with a pony motor.
You wont need 1200+ lb roundbales for all the critters you can keep on 40 ac, unless you are going to turn it into a mudlot and feed hay 24/7/365. 600 lb bales will be plenty. Small square will do the job.
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A grass hayfield and a over grown pasture are two totaly seperate things. If you have overgrown pasture then you would have to start at the begining with a plow and work your way up to a hay field. If you have fallow hayfields, you might be able to cut and overseed to get something edible. If not then you will at a minimum disk and reseed.
We just want to keep the weeds/grass below 1.5 feet or so.
At what rate does grass/weeds grow? I'm thinking once we get the cows on the land, they'll help with keeping down the vegetation right?
I don't even know how often we'll be cutting. Again, we just want to keep it down to a reasonable height. )</font>
The cows will keep the weeds down for the most part. You will still have to cut it once a year to get the ones they miss. Some of the real cow guys could correct me but at a guess 5-6 cows on 40 ac in a eastern cow calf operation would be a pretty good place to start depending on how good the food is.
Pre cow, cut it about twice a year. Mid spring and fall. Summer if you want to.
You want a unit that you can move at least a small round bale on the 3pt, run a post hole digger and a brushhog.
Figure 30hp UNLESS you plan on making your own hay. Then you need to go to a heavier tractor with more PTO hp. Or a small square baler with a pony motor.
You wont need 1200+ lb roundbales for all the critters you can keep on 40 ac, unless you are going to turn it into a mudlot and feed hay 24/7/365. 600 lb bales will be plenty. Small square will do the job.
..................
A grass hayfield and a over grown pasture are two totaly seperate things. If you have overgrown pasture then you would have to start at the begining with a plow and work your way up to a hay field. If you have fallow hayfields, you might be able to cut and overseed to get something edible. If not then you will at a minimum disk and reseed.
