Planting grass seed in a pasture

[Jerry/MT]

Not for pastures, but for seasonal holding pens. The only thing that seems to come back in the holding pens is weeds.

Tell me more about how you use "seasonal holding pens".

Anything in your part of the world that's going to animals in close confinement during the rainy season (8-9 months of the year) needs gravel and a good drainage system! There is no grass that will hold up under those conditions. When I lived back there King County Conservation District had a program to help people who had horses on small acrages deal with mud problems by designing "sacrifice areas" where horses were confined to small areas and allowed to graze pasture for very short periods of time daily.

 

[goeduck]

Tell me more about how you use "seasonal holding pens".

Calves weaned from the cows. Then cull cows waiting to go to market mostly. The pens are largely on a gravel ridge with a lower swale that water drains to.

 

[Oldoak]

Calves weaned from the cows. Then cull cows waiting to go to market mostly. The pens are largely on a gravel ridge with a lower swale that water drains to.

Yep, not much different than a commercial stock yard. Only on a much smaller scale.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Calves weaned from the cows. Then cull cows waiting to go to market mostly. The pens are largely on a gravel ridge with a lower swale that water drains to.

If it's gravelly, it' probably well drained and if you tried to grow grass it would burn out in the summer and be trampled out when you loaded animals in it. You could throw some annual rye on it in the spring to hold down the weeds and maybe graze it but confinement lots are not places here you grow grass for grazing.
An alternative is to spray for the weeds.

 

[goeduck]

I was comming to the same conclusion (annual seed) and repeat every year. I appreciate the comments.

 

[Jerry/MT]

If you plant annual rye and let it go to seed without grazing it, it may re-seed itself. I did that once and I was surprised to see it come back strong the second year.

 

[D2Cat]

Hogs are what you put on the pond that leaks with some bentonite to let them tromp it in to seal it. They don't loosen up soil, they compact it.

 

[starbrightsteve]

Let’s get something strait, those four acres have NOT been decimated by the horses, they have been decimated by you, the owner of the horses and the land. I have serious doubts that if you follow any of the suggestions folks have made so far, that a year from now everything will be right back to the current situation. Those four acres can not be used as a holding pen for horses.

 

[MH8675309]

Let’s get something strait, those four acres have NOT been decimated by the horses, they have been decimated by you, the owner of the horses and the land. I have serious doubts that if you follow any of the suggestions folks have made so far, that a year from now everything will be right back to the current situation. Those four acres can not be used as a holding pen for horses.

Fella - you're assuming allot - guy came here for advice not to get bawled out.

 

[D2Cat]

starbrightsteve, you must have a government job, where you walk around with a clipboard, drive a vehicle with their emblem pasted on the side, enjoy giving orders, and full of yourself!

 

[starbrightsteve]

starbrightsteve, you must have a government job, where you walk around with a clipboard, drive a vehicle with their emblem pasted on the side, enjoy giving orders, and full of yourself!

D2Cat, nope , no gov job, no nrcs , no dept of ag surveys, no emblem, no one to order around. I graze cattle. Oh I guess I order the dogs to do some work now and then but that’s usually because they want to do too much and they get the “that will do”. But..I have no regrets calling it like it is. If you want to putz around like the OP’s sweetheart, be my guest.

 

[Trillium Farm]

The OP is fighting a loosing battle!

Pens by definition are much smaller than paddocks which in turn are smaller than pastures.

There is NO WAY one can keep a "Pen" from becoming muddy or bare if one puts animals in it, particularly hoofed animals, even astro turf would not last.

As other have said best thing is to ensure good drainage and then put in a gravelly base.

 

[GamblerAcres]

D2Cat, nope , no gov job, no nrcs , no dept of ag surveys, no emblem, no one to order around. I graze cattle. Oh I guess I order the dogs to do some work now and then but that痴 usually because they want to do too much and they get the 鍍hat will do? But..I have no regrets calling it like it is. If you want to putz around like the OP痴 sweetheart, be my guest.

You're not calling anything. You need to re-read my original post because it obviously went over your head.

 

[GamblerAcres]

The OP is fighting a loosing battle!

Pens by definition are much smaller than paddocks which in turn are smaller than pastures.

There is NO WAY one can keep a "Pen" from becoming muddy or bare if one puts animals in it, particularly hoofed animals, even astro turf would not last.

As other have said best thing is to ensure good drainage and then put in a gravelly base.

You need to review my original post as well. Thanks for telling me something I already know.

 

[goeduck]

Is there a chill emoticon?
Found it :chillpill: everyone take one.

:thumbsup: :drink:

 

[TheMadOne]

So my question isn't exactly about hay but I figure all you hay experts know a thing or two about planting grass in a pasture.

I have about 4 acres which have been completely decimated by horses. The pasture is flat, clay rich soil which holds water and takes a long time to dry out, even in the warm summer months of southwest ohio. Drainage is horrible and I'm sure it's pretty well compacted from the horses. Because of these conditions the horses have turned this grazing pasture into a giant mud lot.

It was used for hay by a local farmer before we moved in so I know it can grow grass. I have a Kubota MX5200 w/fel and a box blade but no planting related attachments.

My question is, assuming the horses are removed, what's the easiest/cheapest way to plant new grass? Is there a single, do-it-all implement I can rent?

The correct way to do it:
Rent a drill from your local exension/co-op. Drill whatever grass you want.

A no expense option:
Hook up the box blade, put the shanks down as far as they go, shorten the top link to the shortest you can. You now have a passable chisel plow. Just keep an eye on it to make sure that the box doesn't contact the ground by working the 3pt position. Start making passes. You should be able to break up the surface well enough to broadcast grass seed. Then flip the shanks up, lengthen the top link so the front blade doesn't dig in and go around again, using the box blade as a cultipacker, or just tractorpack, using your wheels to ensure ground/seed contact. If you're feeling fancy and your box blade is set up for it you could flip your shanks backwards and use the heel to add lines like an actual cultipacker.