Best Pasture Sprayer

Look at the well-being of the crop as it grows. A basic test should cover all of these elements. Control perennial broadleaf weeds. “Do a good job of scouting. Reduce competition to young seedlings by grazing growth of established forages or by hay...

This is where our grains come into play. “The feeding of organic grain can actually make a price point that the consumer wouldn't be able to afford. A farmer might feed a ration to his pastured poultry that does not contain animal proteins or byproducts,...

Grassfed, grass-finished, cage-free, free-range: Does any of this even mean anything? Furthermore, pastured pigs raised without unnecessary antibiotics carry a much higher value for customers who want, and are willing to pay for, meat farmed this way.

In general, spring pasture quality will be different from the late growing season or winter pasture. Early spring grass is higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates (energy). Generally, more mature grass has more stem and less nutritional value.

Stock Up on Forage Stockpiling fescue can extend the grazing season up to 60 days, according to Gary Bates, PhD, forage specialist with the University of Tennessee. “It will lose some quality over the winter, but research has shown that the protein...

Knowing what the chickens are really after in their forages helps you to plant forage types that are most beneficial to them. (A quick chicken anatomy lesson: These birds are mono-gastric, meaning they have one stomach that is not designed to ferment...

Control grass and weed competition. As the soil freezes and thaws, the seeds become covered, though this method does not work well with alfalfa. Whether you raise dairy or beef cattle, the food you provide for them—i.e., the nutritional quality of your...

Most goats are less susceptible to copper toxicity than sheep. Tree prunings are great, as are kitchen scraps and produce leftovers. If you've got a hillside full of poison ivy, wild honeysuckle, briars and whatnot, your goats will be in heaven.

Clover , like alfalfa, is a common pasture legume, though it's considered superior in nutrition—there's a reason for the old adage, “Happy as pigs in clover.” Of all the clover varieties available, lardino—a white clover up to four times larger...

It was more than their conversational brilliance that made me long for a bovine presence in my life—I wanted buckets of fresh milk and grass-finished steak on the dining table whenever possible, and the distinct challenge of effectively pasturing large-scale...

To help pasture-based dairies in the Southeast succeed, the University of Georgia is compiling technical knowledge and has set up a peer-farmer network. For years, the rising cost of energy and feed, along with tightening credit, have forced droves of...

Essentially a portable chicken run, a chicken tractor is a simple structure that is wired off to protect the chickens but still offers some form of shade. Step 2 Daniel Johnson Assemble two ends by using a chop saw or circular saw to modify the remaining...

By providing an area outside the coop that is fenced or netted in, you mitigate the risk of mortality from predators , which is the most common cause of mortality for poultry raised outdoors, based on our lab research.

Furthermore, grasses over 8 inches tall are not ideal because grass that is too mature and tough lacks nutritional benefits and becomes more difficult for chickens to digest. While it's important to experiment and develop a rotational system that works...

Common offenders are sorghum-Sudan grass (the No. 1 nitrate poisoner of cattle and sheep in Minnesota), followed by corn and weeds, such as redroot pigweed and lamb's-quarters, according to University of Minnesota Extension.

The green ash's 2- to 4-inch leaves are a showy gold in the fall, and it has large surface roots. Zone: 5-9A Height: 80-100 feet Width: 30-50 feet, maintaining a fairly narrow, oval-shaped crown even at extreme heights Growth per year: 3 feet Culture:...

Peter DeHaan, applications engineer for TeeJet Technologies, warns that acid content in spray products can also speed spray-tip deterioration. Options include solid stream, flat fan, dual outlet, air induction and other variations.

Soil Erosion Soil erosion can be thwarted with some preventative measures, such as planting grasses along with other varieties of forage, as mentioned above. The Key To Pastured Poultry Management Part of pasture management is allowing a space to rest.

Spotted hogs are large, fast-maturing, easygoing pigs that produce lean, tasty pork on less feed than most other breeds. Mulefoot hogs are lard pigs, so they fatten easily and produce such succulent, well-marbled, red pork that they're listed on the Ark...

I'm not sure whether it mounts to the energizer support box or not, because I like to hang my energizers from a t-post so I can easily glance at the strength indicator lights to determine whether the fence is working or I need to go find a mound of soil...

Instead, I use hoses (and a lot of them!) strung together to deliver water to my pastures. Hose nozzles: Where each hose comes to an end near a bucket or trough, you'll likely want a nozzle to control the flow of water.

Causes Lice, mites and ticks are more serious problems in the winter when the host animal has a thick undercoat and longer hair, or on fiber-producing breeds, such as Angora goats .

Further setting apart heritage-breed birds from commercial-breed birds, the heritage meat is a darker color, and the birds tend to be smaller, which, March points out, can lead to less waste.

In the past, it was typically found along roadways, abandoned lots, fencerows and other non-cropland sites. Poisoning symptoms include nervousness, trembling, muscle weakness, loss of coordination, pupil dilation, coma and eventually death from respiratory...

Using their “Lookup” function, you can learn what dosage to use for a drug, as well as what the milk and meat withdrawal time is, which can vary based upon the dosage and whether you give a drug orally, topically or as an injection.

By managing your animals' grazing, you ensure a grass-covered pasture, lower feed costs and improved health for the herd. Just because your animals live outdoors doesn't mean you're off the hook for manure removal.

Eight-foot-tall stands of switchgrass, Indiangrass and big bluestem grow here. The causes of the 1930s Dust Bowl can be traced back to the Great Plow-Up in the decades preceding this miserable time in America.