and the GRASS
Where were we?
I covered the the basic principles for our operation. I went over setting up the rotational system. Which then brings us to groceries… for the livestock.
My friend Chris told me that my number 1 priority is to grow grass. From a lot of perspectives it is the hardest thing to do, actually. The logic goes something this:
the land will produce grass, or more correctly, forage.
the cattle harvest the grass/forage.
the human sells the cattle to make money.
the system, when managed holistically, turns grass into money while improving the health of the land and air.
There are lots of grasses available to choose from ranging from 100% native species to exotic “improved” forages. Your choice will depend on what your specific priorities may be. I am an engineer/geek so I will illustrate with a couple of equations:
1x + 1y + 1z = 27
2x + 8y + 4z = 14
Think of the numbers (coefficients) as our priority weighting and x, y, and z as the priorities. Let’s say the first equation is mine and the second equation is yours. It would be a true statement that we have the same priorities - x, y, and z. Their values to you and me are quite different, though. So, you have to decide for yourself what your priorities are AND how important each one is to you.
My assessment of the grass available to me in East Texas led me to prefer an Improved warm season perennial over native grasses. My priorities included these:
grows well in sandy soils
tolerates acidic soils
palatable
high protein
high total digestible nutrients (TDN)
drought tolerant
quick recovery from grazing
reasonably simple management requirements
It took me a few months to decide all of these things as I was doing research on what grass(es) I wanted to use. Full disclaimer: I am as likely to have biases and preferences as anyone else!
My background as a ranch kid from west of San Antonio, Texas (D’Hanis), left me with a preference for improved grasses over native grasses. The result was that I chose to sprig Tifton-85, a stargrass-bermudagrass hybrid developed by the University of Georgia. You can easily find the research I uncovered - I will provide some links, too.
The grass has done well for us. Our paddocks are now dominated by Tifton-85, but are not monocultures. The paddocks contain numerous native species along with Coastal bermudagrass patches and bahiagrass. My greatest challenge with grass at this time is not having enough animals to eat it all at times!
A warm season perennial/annual mix is great, you say. What about winter? I am still learning how to grow cool season annuals. 2018-2019 was an improvement over previous years. I grazed over 330 days and fed 3 bales of hay. Our mix of cereal rye, ryegrass, and crimson clover has been great for the second half of winter. January is my particular struggle. The 3-forage blend was not big enough and my standing hay was not enough to get through January unaided so that I bought hay and used my safety reserve.
Jim Elizondo is a passionate proclaimer and teacher of the ideas and principles of regenerative ranching. He is also pragmatic. When faced with the choice of choosing livestock or grass, always favor the livestock. Don’t abandon the regeneration efforts, but recognize that livestock needs are immediate and grass needs maybe not quite so urgent.
Think on these things and
Cheers!
Robin Hood