Spreader Pasture maint., manure management?

[deerefan]

My wife and I own and operate a large horse ranch in Louisiana. We have 3 simple implements and our pastures are always in good shape. We pick stalls and load the manure and urine soaked shavings into the spreader. We spread it in the pasture and follow up dragging the pastures using an old chain link gate. I then go in w/ my landscape rake. It is strong enough to break the top layer soil to allow the nutrients into the root system. The ONLY time the pastures are disced is for rye planting just before the first cool front. I guess you could say our strategy is all natural. We DO NOT use any chemicals due to our horses health and sensitivities. Horses have poor digestive systems and are very succeptible to colic. Also, since the best way to spread these chemicals is drop or broadcast, maybe spray, the wind picks it up and spreads it. I don't care to ingest it. We have farmers around us stop in and ask how, w/ a horse per acre, do we keep our grass steady. We do not give them all the secrets, but will definitely give advice. We also apread the manure between the rows of our pine. These trees were waist high when we moved in, they are now roughly 30 - 45 feet tall. So, if you think I'm full of s**t, well, you're right! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif My wife and I take a lot of pride in our pastures b/c we know the animals are getting the best grass possible. So, simply put, use the manure as fertilizer...you will be pleased with the results. Get a good manure spreader and a good rake. You should be pleased with the results.

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I feel pretty daft now!
)</font>

Don't. Every time we do something new in life.. it's our first time...

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( somehow the thought just had not occured to me that horses were not house trained!
)</font>

Yep.. I think mine actually wait sometimes till they get in the stall! Seriously though. If you are curious.. head out to the maneuer pile and take a shovel... dig a bit.. horse maneuer is in the form of balls.. fecal balls to be exact by the book... cowpies are .. uh.. plops... I'll bet your pile is mostly bedding and balls /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.. Be aware that the plops and balls break down to a nce 'soil' on the lower levels o fthe pile. Also.. don't be alarmed to see a few 'plops' on the pile. Lots of oats and corn sometimes grow up on my maneuer pile.. and a caw will walk and stand on/in the pile and eat the green tops to within about a foot of the pile.. then unload and leave.. thus leaving cow maneuer in the horse maneuer pile.. etc..

Soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

I'll add one thing to deerfans good advice.. cow poop isn't real harsh on the pasture.. horse poop is.. lots more nitrogen.. thus more active.. and can burn grass.. that's why horse people drag thair pastures real often.. as opposed to cattle people who are way more lax about it..

Soundguy

 

[deerefan]

Exactly....the ammonia in the urine and nitrogen in the manure can help and hurt a pasture. Definitely spread it well and wear a mask when cleaning stalls...the urine odor can be real strong.

 

[canoetrpr]

deerefan:

Thats great info! I might have to borrow a manure spreader from my neighbour for now.

I'm real glad the folks on this group talked me into getting a FEL with my rig. My neighbour does not have one and is most pleased to trade tractor time for his expertise and many implements he's got.

The landscape rake is something that I will consider getting along with the chain link. Does not sound like thse would be too expensive. Pretty sure my land could use some opening up.

BTW Are you planting the rye for harvesting?

I too am planning to go completely chemical free. We hope to have some highland cattle on this pasture and grow steers for beef. Would be nice to eat meat that hasn't been grown on a pasture with chemicals.

Do you ever seed your pastures?

 

[deerefan]

I plant the rye as a good winter grass for horses to graze on. My bajia grass dies off after the first lite frost so I need a good, durable grass to carry me thru the winter. I have one pasture that the previous owner destroyed that I plan to reseed this spring with bajia. The landscape rake is inexpensive and it does a great job of "dethatching" the grass and letting it breathe. All the implements I use cost me under 1500 total. I use my JD 5103 and my 52 8N for the work. I would like to get a bigger manure spreader to pull behind my 5103. The one I have now I pull w/ the 8N but it can be pulled w/ a large ATV. I use an 8 ft set of discs for chopping in the fall when I plant rye. It is good to chop your pastures from time to time to till in the good nutrients and turn over fresh soil. The rye planting allows me to do this. But, keep in mind, no matter how much grass you have, if you put more than 1 horse per acre, it will all be for nothing. Don't let them over graze.