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thoughts on type of grass in pasture

lkvaughan
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Nov 30, 2005, 6:38 PM

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thoughts on type of grass in pasture	Can't Post

i wanted to get some of ya'lls thoughts on choice of grass for pasture

We plowed up our pasture inthe fall to incorperate lyme, reduce packing and then re-seed
only problem is that it didnt rain in North-Central Alabama for 2 months! :(

Since now i have to wait untill spring i have been mulling over my choices... i grew up in NE Tennessee- the standard pasture there is a mix of fescue, orchard grass, timothy and clover....

i have had 2 different recomendations from the guys at southern states- one recomended fescue with clover (apparently it is too warm here for timothy) and another recomended bermuda... apparently we are right on the border where both preform about the same

i have never had bermuda- its a weed where i come from! so i dont have any experience with its grazing characteristics/ quality...

i am leaning toward the fescue/ clover pasture... the county extension agent suggested the Max-Q fescue- the new variety that has a 'friendly' endophyte that doesnt have the health problems assocated with it and prevents infection of the bad stuff...

anyone have any suggestions with bermuda vs fescue, and the max-q vs traditional? i am not planning to breed (both my current horses are geldings), and if i do i will have a padock with bermuda (where my grass arena is) to use....

much appreciated!
kelly

Mark4510
Silver Member

Dec 2, 2005, 3:38 PM

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Re: [lkvaughan] thoughts on type of grass in pasture [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Kelly,
We feed mostly cubed/bale feeds and our pastures are mostly just natural. However, we started seeding one of the pastures more aggressively and did it in 3 different combos. The one that worked out best for us was a combination of oat/clover/grass. It seemed to tolerate the grazing and weather better than anything else. My very UN scientific feedback on fescue is that it did not work for us. None of the horses took to it as compared to the other mixes.

I would sure go with what your local ag extension recommends along with what a good equine vet would add.

My 2 cents….
Mark

WTA
Member

Sep 23, 2007, 9:42 AM

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Re: [Mark4510] thoughts on type of grass in pasture [In reply to]	Can't Post

We are in the same boat. I'm from Tennessee too and now retired from the military on a ranch in Texas.

It's much dryer here than where I grew up. We still went with Bermuda because that's what the nicer horse pastures I remembered from shelby county were planted with. I planted a mix of giant and common bermuda in my biggest pasture. It's the most heavily grazed when I'm not holding it aside for baling. Durring the simmer I keep the horses off of it to bale and we usually get 4 cuttings.

The only difference is I have to irrigate here. Lot's of it too. Normally about 6 hours a day unless we get more than an inch of rain. It takes about 8 inches total to grow it to the proper height for baling in a 28 day cycle. We rarely get that.

I'd recommend some sort of irrigation system for bad years. Everyone has those and the cost will be well worth it compared to losing a crop of hay or having to buy hay. I hate doing that.

Red-Roof-Ranch

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