Starting a pasture need suggestions

[Mitigator33]

It will be small...15 acres for about 2-3 beef cows for personal use.

I have spoken to coop and Ag extension they say different things so I figured I would ask your opinion.

This land was logged 10-15 years ago and not touched after. Last year I brought in a fecon mulcher a cleared a lot of it then burned it. I let it go then a month ago bush hogged and burned again. I am clearing all small reaming trees now.

Question is what to plant? I'm in east central AL. I was thinking rye and clover for fall then come back in spring with fescue. How's that sound?

 

[RxRatedZ71]

I've got tall-grass fescue Kentucky 31 in my shaded area and I had thought about getting a few head to graze on it. I was told fescue is not the most ideal grass to forage on. Something about it hurting the GI tract....I know in Oklahoma they try to get improved Bermuda pastures for head to graze on.

Are you going to cross fence the area? Typically 1 head per acre or so. Cross fencing may allow you to experiment and see what works best for your situation.

 

[NHmitch]

I would skip the Fescue, it causes the following issues in cattle:

Most tall fescue is infected with a fungal endophyte, Neotyphodium coenophialum (formerly called Acremonium coenophialum) that is toxic to animals.

The toxins that result from the endophyte create a number of problems for the grazing animal. Animals do not gain and can actually lose body weight despite constant grazing. They also experience reproductive problems such as low conception rates and poor offspring survival. In addition, cattle grazing infected tall fescue have elevated body temperatures and loss of blood flow to the extremities, causing "fescue foot" and other symptoms. In all, it is estimated that the losses to the beef cattle industry alone are well over $609 million a year (1990 data).

How the endophyte affects different animal species

Cattle
Studies show that consumption of endophyte-infected tall fescue decreases the feed intake of cattle and therefore lowers their weight gains. They also produce less milk, have higher internal body temperatures and respiration rates, retain a rough hair coat, demonstrate unthrifty appearance, salivate excessively, have poor reproductive performance and maintain reduced serum prolactin levels.

Research from across the southern United States shows that the endophyte can reduce weight gain by more than 50 percent in steers fed on pasture (Table 1). It also shows that the seed head is the most toxic portion of the plant.

Agalactia a diminished ability to produce milk is especially severe when cows graze tall fescue during the last trimester of gestation. Agalactia leads to thickened placentas, aborted fetuses and, if the offspring should survive, a lack of colostrum and milk for the calf.

Tall fescue fertilized with high levels of nitrogen can also lead to bovine fat necrosis. As hard masses appear in the fatty tissues surrounding the intestines, this condition causes digestive problems and can also interfere with calving. High nitrogen rates also increase concentrations of toxic alkaloids such as ergovaline.

reference:G4669 Tall Fescue Toxicosis | University of Missouri Extension

 

[whistlepig]

I don't know anything about cows and I am not sure what grows best in Alabama but after trying a bunch of different pasture grasses in Ohio fescue seems to be our best choice for horses. Fescue isn't the best grass for horses. We have tried Bluegrass and Timothy. The horses seem to like these much better. Bluegrass and Timothy was too fragile, too expensive, and too high maintenance for a just pasture grass for us.

 

[Mud Mechanik]

In south Mississippi the most popular pasture grass is Pensacola Bahia, I have about 10 acres of that. I also have 10 acres of Argentina Bahia that I planted 3 years ago and I can tell you that the cows like the Argentina better and seem to gain more weight off of it. The Argentina costs a little more initially but withstands drough much better and has a wider blade than Pensacola does.

 

[NHmitch]

I don't know anything about cows and I am not sure what grows best in Alabama but after trying a bunch of different pasture grasses in Ohio fescue seems to be our best choice for horses. Fescue isn't the best grass for horses. We have tried Bluegrass and Timothy. The horses seem to like these much better. Bluegrass and Timothy was too fragile, too expensive, and too high maintenance for a just pasture grass for us.

I can relate to you, seeds without fescue can be very expensive, however is our set up, we cannot use fescue. Fescue is very bad for mares, and foals. I know that it is much cheaper, but if you are breading, I would plant another mix. We have an equine reproduction operation, and cannot afford the potential consequences of having our mares on fescue, however for non-bred mares, I am not completely sure how safe it is.


Horses
Horses, particularly mares, grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue are prone to reproductive problems such as late-term abortions and stillborn foals, prolonged gestation periods and dystocia, thickened or retained placentas, laminitis (founder), poor conception rates, decreased prolactin and progesterone levels and agalactia.

Foals that survive in utero will generally be larger than normal, have overgrown hooves, poor suckling reflexes, incoordination and lowered body temperatures. Foals may also have poor immunity due to the lack of colostrum produced by the mare. Because horses are sensitive to the toxins in endophyte-infected tall fescue, even the lowest levels of endophyte can produce equine fescue toxicosis.

 

[whistlepig]

I can relate to you, seeds without fescue can be very expensive, however is our set up, we cannot use fescue. Fescue is very bad for mares, and foals. I know that it is much cheaper, but if you are breading, I would plant another mix. We have an equine reproduction operation, and cannot afford the potential consequences of having our mares on fescue, however for non-bred mares, I am not completely sure how safe it is.


Horses
Horses, particularly mares, grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue are prone to reproductive problems such as late-term abortions and stillborn foals, prolonged gestation periods and dystocia, thickened or retained placentas, laminitis (founder), poor conception rates, decreased prolactin and progesterone levels and agalactia.

Foals that survive in utero will generally be larger than normal, have overgrown hooves, poor suckling reflexes, incoordination and lowered body temperatures. Foals may also have poor immunity due to the lack of colostrum produced by the mare. Because horses are sensitive to the toxins in endophyte-infected tall fescue, even the lowest levels of endophyte can produce equine fescue toxicosis.

This is excellent and accurate information. We have been taking care of horses for over 40 years now. We wouldn't raise mares or foals on fescue and wouldn't even think about doing so. The OP is talking about cow pasture.

 

[JimRB]

Fescue does not do great sometimes in full sun. Summer output may be quite low. I know last year the fescue hay farmer got a good spring cutting and that was it. I live east of Atlanta which should be about the same as central Alabama. Our horse pasture is varieties of bermuda, varieties of crabgrass, some clumps of fescue and zoysia or other creeping stuff the neighbors have for lawns.

 

[sweettractors]

For long term pastures, we use endophyte free fescue (20 lbs per acre), with red clover(8 lbs) and white dutch clover(2 lbs). The clover legumes feed nitrogen to the fescue and also is also high in nutrients for the cattle. Ken Sweet

 

[Mitigator33]

Thanks everyone. Ken...what you said you use is what I was advised to use by the ag extension agent so I will go with that I was just getting conflicting info from the coop.

From the few cattle farmers that I have talked to here and the ag extension for long term pastures for beef cattle most use an endophyte free fescue with Ladino white clover mixed. Some add red or crimson clover as well. It is over seeded in the fall with Rye.

I am talking a very small operation for me. The big guys here also have bahia grass, johnson grass, bermuda (different types), etc. There is not much alfalfa here. Bermuda creeps and creates a mat that has to be dealt with so I really don't care to mess with that.

Thanks for the reply's