March 13, 2022 Sales WVF

Perfect Pasture

Getting your pasture management right can be a difficult task, but one well worth undertaking. Well maintained permanent pasture can help you achieve high yields, reduce worm burdens and improve overall livestock health. As with most things you have to start at the foundations, so getting to know your soil is the first step in creating your perfect pasture.

Knowing what type of soil you have will mean you can get the maximum out of your land, for example you could be on clay, sand, silt, loam or a mixture! You can also get your soil analysed to find out whether it is deficient or is too high in certain nutrients. Knowing this will mean you won’t be wasting money on the wrong kind of fertiliser.

It is also important to check whether the pH is within an ideal range. Most grasses and legumes require a soil pH of between 6.0 and 7.0 for maximum performance.

The next stage is to choose the correct grass seed mixture for both your land and what you would like to use it for.

Certain mixtures are better for things like hay productionso it’s worth taking into consideration before making your choice. The next step is maintaining these perfect pastures, and this is done through proper maintenance including weed control. An important aspect is ensuring you are not overgrazing your land. Overgrazing can lead to damaged plant and reduced root mass; this will mean re-growth takes longer and the ground will become poached more easily in the winter months.

To reduce this risk rotational grazing is recommended, allowing for a rest time of at least one month between rotations.

The aim is to achieve even grazing, most livestock won’t do this naturally, so regularly mowing your fields will stop the untouched taller forage from going to seed and also stimulate new growth.

At Welland Valley Feeds we stock a good range of agri-chemicals to support weed control and also make sure your land is not overstocked!

Overstocking will cause damage to the pasture resulting in lower yields and having to supplement your livestock with feed and hay.