Dumb question on cattle feeding/land

Sigarms · May 13, 2006

Lease land to a local farmer for 30 head of cattle (lease consisting of that he bush hogs the land at least once a year, which saves me at this point on buying a tractor /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif).

Wife and moved in last year, house and land unoccupied for the last 4-6 years, which the farmer in question leased the land from the previous owner until we bought the land and house, same "set up", bush hog the land.

Last March when we moved in, the farmer fed the cattle just by dropping some bails of hay in different locations on the property.

End of last year, he (the farmer) brought in a "wagon" filled with hay and left it in one place, and its been there for the last 7 months.

From the pics, you can see how the area around the wagon has become "eroded" (sp?) fromt the cattle always being in the same place to feed.

My wife does not like this /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif (as far as whats happening to the area aroung the wagon) and would like me to say somthing to the farmer.

I'm curious, is this normal as far as feeding?

Live in a farming area and some of the other farms that have cattle neither of us has seen this type of feeding.

My thought is that once the wagon is removed (when, I'm not sure) the land will get vegitation (sp?) back growing on it and it will look "normal" again.

I don't want to come across as a "hard butt" to the farmer, but my wife is insistant that I ask the farmer to move the wagon "around" so the land directly around the wagon does not get in the same condition as it is now.

Any comments or thoughts?

I've found that experience is the best teacher, but I have no experience in this and again, don't want to come across as a "dumb butt" when and if I approach the famer.

Thanks.

Sigarms · May 13, 2006

One last pic. Keep in mind, the ground around the wagon "used" to look like the "green" land around it, which is one reason my wife wants it moved.

swiftboot · May 13, 2006

I would have him move the wagon and/or not bring it back except to drop off hay in varying areas. Placing hay in the same spot has the obvious affects to the grass. I guess you are getting greenbelt on the land as a result of him using the pasture. Down here we get upwards $20/a plus we keep up fences and mowing, common sense for keeping pastures in shape. How many acres of improved pasture does he graze?

Sigarms · May 13, 2006

By "greenbelt" if you mean less on taxes for "ag use", no we aren't getting anything (long story, but this per our CPA).

Only thing done on the land is that he (farmer) bush hogs it once (at least what he did last year) a year.

Again, don't want to come across as a "hard but", but we are paying the monthly payment on the land that he (farmer) uses (about 30 acres for his cattle).

Farmwithjunk · May 13, 2006

Have him move it around? And then you'll have 2 or more spots like what you already have. One rainy week and the cattle will tear up another spot. That's just the way it is when you run cows on pasture. You MIGHT get the farmer to move his hay around, but more'n likely, you'll be seeing him roll his eyes and start laughing.

Sigarms · May 13, 2006

As mentioned per the thread, "a dumb question".

My wifes point was that the previous year he (the famer) just laid some bails of hay "around" the pasture, no "effects" on the land that either of us could see.

My wife (and I agree with her) is that to "use the land", you should have a "low impact" effect on the land for your use.

Although we know nothing about farming, there are differences in what we see around us as to "farming" with cattle. Some places (not around us from what we have seen), some farms look like "junk" as far as how to pople utilize thier land with thier cattle. Places look like the "moon". Seems like such a waste. As to the local farms around us, my neighbor has over 200 acres with at least 70 head of cattle, and anywhere we look on his property, the pastures always seem green and he moves them (cattle) around.

Again, no nothing about using the land in regards to feeding cattle, but if my wife wants me to talk to him (the farmer) I will.

I consider myself a reasonable man, and considering this farmer is using the land at "no cost" other than bush hogging it once a year, I'm not sure if my "request" would be unreasonable.

Thus the reason for this post, to gather information.

Since I own the land in question, would not make sense for the farmer to "laugh and roll his eyes".

Worse case scenerio, it will give me reason to get a tractor, and all things considered, it will be more of a pain for the farmer than myself.

EddieWalker · May 13, 2006

I think you know what you want to do, you're just trying to justify it beforhand. It's your land and it's more important to keep you wife happy than worry about offending the farmer.

If he doesn't like it, all your out is a guy who will mow you land once a year. But I get the feeling your not even convinced he will do that.

I've always heard you need to cut a pasture a few times a year to keep the unwanted weeds and plants under control.

If it was me, I'd think about a new agreement that includes putting the hay out like you'd prefer it. Mowing a little more often and reseeding the area he's destroyed.

If he rolls his eyes or doesn't want to do what you want, I bet it won't be hard to find a replacement. Some places you can get people to come in and bail your hay for you with them keeping half the hay. I've also heard of people coming to your land to cut and bail all your hay and pay you for it.

30 acres is allot of hay and might be worth a few bucks to somebody who wants what's already growing there versus a guy who doesn't care if he makes a mess and isn't paying you anything to be there. One mowing a year is a pretty good deal for him!!!!

Eddie

Bird · May 13, 2006

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( As mentioned per the thread, "a dumb question" )</font>

In my opinion, not dumb at all. I've seen it done both ways; always put the hay in one spot so the cattle only tear up the ground in that one place, and I've seen it frequently moved so the ground doesn't get torn up so bad, and so the "fertilizer" gets spread to different areas. Personally, I think if he's only "leasing" it for pasture, he should have asked about putting out hay because he undoubtedly knows what happens around the hay bales. So I'd just have a friendly talk with him if it were my land, and I'm bettin' he'll be glad to do whatever you want.

JerryG · May 13, 2006

Sigarms,
Anywhere you put it; it’s going to make a mess the first time that you have very much rain. The cattle will always trample the grass under and then there will be a brown spot. When it is moved, there will be a very lush spot where it was a walked in and fertilized. It will need to be bladed or dragged to level it again, but the grass will come back very thick. As long as it isn’t causing bad erosion and isn’t causing a real swamp where it is, it would be better to just leave it where it is.

Farmwithjunk · May 13, 2006

There are dozens of factors that come in to play when feeding hay on pasture during the winter. That might have effected things. For that, you need to ask the farmer. If it's a wet year, and it doesn't freeze much, it's difficult to move wagons without doing more damage with the tractor/truck. Also, cattle will wreak havoc on pastures in that sort of weather.

In a perfect world, the farmer would just as soon not have a muddy mess either.

When I was still fooling with cows, I had a couple "pads" in the pasture, made from crushed rock and lime dust. I'd set round bales on them to keep the mud to a minimum. They were about 35' in dia.