sizing tractors/implements

[cowboydoc]

Here in the summer you can leave 30 cattle on 10 acres and barely keep ahead of the grass. My neighbour had 2 draft horses and 2 riding horses on 5 acres and had to bushhog several times. This is all on land that has been unmanaged for at least 10 years.


Wow what kind of grass is that? How nice that would be to have that much grass. At my place in Idaho we have 1 cow/calf pair for 20-30 acres!!!

 

[nobull1]

Well said Ken I would say that applies to Nova Scotia as well.We have a small natural beef and organic chicken farm and find it near impossible to make a living by farming alone.The cost of business is crazy but cheap beef,chicken and pork helps.My saying is "I have no competition as no one is as stupid as me" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gifToo much work 365 days a year and very little money return for large investment.But all that being said it is a very rewarding job in other ways and would want no other.I guess it's like what would you do if you had a million dollars I'd buy a another tractor some more cows build a bigger barn clear some more land and generally work a lot harder, get the picture /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[slowzuki]

I'm ashamed to say I have to look at a map to see where Idaho is... just a sec... WHOA! Way west!

If it is similar to the areas north of the border no wonder you get such little grass. Do you have to irrigate?

In the east here, the grass remains green all summer, even up till it is covered with snow. We get alot of rain, which is the worst enemy in trying to harvest the stuff. It is typically 90% humidity or higher all summer.

In our area there is zero irrigation, only drainage projects.

To give an example, with no care, a lawn in June can grow about 6 inches a week, and is very thick.

Ken

 

[nobull1]

Richard
In our area you can run 1 cow/calf per acre if it is good pasture Timothy/perennial rye/clover and still have to bush hog in the spring.With that amount you will supplement with round bales in a normal year by Sept thru Dec.And we barn for the winter by the way.

 

[slowzuki]

I should have noted, that is 15 cattle w 15 calf.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Here in the summer you can leave 30 cattle on 10 acres and barely keep ahead of the grass. )</font>

 

[cowboydoc]

Yes everything is irrigated Ken. The irrigated ground does pretty good but not near what your ground does. The 20-40 acre/cow/calf isn't irrigated. No wonder there are so many ranches up there in Canada. I had no idea the productivity of grass was so high there. Do you raise any alfalfa at all or just grass?

 

[cowboydoc]

How are the winters? What are the temps?

 

[slowzuki]

Western Canada is just like how you describe your growing conditions. From about Ontario east is similar to our climate. Most don't bother with alfalfa but the hay producers will grow on rotation sometimes. I've heard it's not as good of N2 fixer as they used to think.

Most everyone who harvests it, sells to horse folk who think they need it for their "active" horse. Usually their horses will get sick over the winter and they can't figure it out.

The winter is cold here, Jan and Feb have weeks that stay below -25 C all week (-13F) and some days the highs will only be -30 C (-22F).

March it gets up to freezing most days and cools off at night. Freezing temps start in October.

Now it is quite a bit warmer in NS and they have about 2-3 weeks extra growing season on us in NB, but we get a little bit longer days in the summer.
Ken

 

[Knight9]

Richard,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Yes everything is irrigated Ken. The irrigated ground does pretty good but not near what your ground does. The 20-40 acre/cow/calf isn't irrigated. No wonder there are so many ranches up there in Canada. I had no idea the productivity of grass was so high there. Do you raise any alfalfa at all or just grass? )</font>

Lets be clear that Ken is talking about his area specifically. Being in Idaho, our grasses on the prairies are very much like yours. Ken is in "green grass heaven" because of moisture etc. We've been in a drought here in Alberta for years. Two years ago we had to have our friends in the East convoy out hay so that we wouldn't have to slaughter cows & horses. Last year was better for moisture and we have hope for this year! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Kevin

 

[Knight9]

Ken,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Western Canada is just like how you describe your growing conditions. )</font>

You beat me to it!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Kevin

 

[slowzuki]

Here is some wild grass on an island almost 10 yrs ago, the seed part is higher than the roof of my samurai, the leaves are level with the top of the doors. This was taken in late July maybe?

So I guess that is about 4 ft high for the leaves? It was thick stuff, hard to push through.

 

[nobull1]

I rotate my cattle on a daily to weekly basis depending on the pasture they are on.In the early spring I try to plow up a few acres and plant annual rye, takes about 6 weeks to get going to be able to turn the cattle onto and by then the timothy is slowing a bit.The recovery is about 2 to 3 weeks if we get rain as opposed to timothy 4 to 5 average.In a ideal year I will make one or 2 passes with my disc harrow early in the spring and over seed with annual rye all pastures which helps the recovery.In my area I have to maximize my pasture as I don't have a lot.In the old days they thought they had a lot of cattle at a third of my rate.When doing this as I do 1 day too long can destroy a pasture for the year, but this is part of the fun

 

[HayDR]

Richard,
The Tennessee Valley averages 45" of rain a year and last year it was 65". Water is always the key. Come on down June 18 & 19 and see how we small guys round bale with 40 HP tractors. Southeastern Hay Demo Expo

 

[jimg]

After some research I found the following
http://www.agcom.purdue.edu/AgCom/Pubs/ID/ID-155.html
I substituted weather data for my state and used that. While it wasnt in such a neat form as the work days data its doable w/ some work.