# Pasture seed recommendation



## Feed Hay (May 30, 2008)

Going to reseed one the pastures I have. Going to feed boar goats and some beef cattle. Seperate area for the horses. Looking for something for rotational grazing. A U of I workshop discusses mixing warm and cool weather grasses. I was thinking alfalfa and Orchard Grass. What do you guys recommend. Current pasture has been tapped out. All Kinds of stuff in it to include weeds, thistle, junk grass. Need to get it going with something better to bring the livestock into later this year. TIA.


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## Jake_NEIA (Dec 19, 2008)

First off, I would not graze a new seeding. The new plants will be to delicate in the new seed bed and will be stomped to death and ripped out by the livestock. I've always been told not to graze new seeding the first year so the grass can get established. I've always followed this rule and baled it the first year.

Second of all, why destroy what you already have? I know you said you have undesireable plants, but some rotational grazing and a little pasture clipping will knock the bad stuff out with in a year or two. To introduce new grasses I would no til/frost seed into the existing sod depending where you're located.

What you plant depends where you live. A ryegrass/timothy mix is what I planted last year. I plan to no til some clover in it sometime for nitrogen. I don't think I would graze alfalfa as it's a pretty delicate plant and not sure if it would stand up to a lot of grazing. Clover might be a better option.

I was doing this exact thing a year ago. Only I was seeding into bean ground, so my best option was to til up the ground and seed. I planted a rygrass/timothy/brome mix my Pioneer dealer set me up with.

Jake


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## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

Alfalfa or other legumes such as red and white clover are good mixs with a orchardgrass, endophyte free tall fescue, or a festolium, tetraploid annual ryegrass are all good choices. Orchardgrass mixed with alfalfa is a all around good choice for your area. Get a grazing variety afalfa, those varieties are resistant to crown damage from hoof traffic. Also buy a late maturing variety of orchardgrass this will allow for an extended spring flush of growth and a shorter cool season grass summer slump. If the stand is too high in alfalfa make sure to manage for bloat. Probably good going for a 50/50 mixture. In research trials at Kellogg biological station in Michigan warm and cool season grasses so an increased summer long production however livestock selectively grazed cool season over warm season grasses and daily gains were higher on the cool season stands so I think the mixture of legume with cool season grass is better for midwestern climates.


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## BCFENCE (Jul 26, 2008)

Remember too what its going to cost you to maintaine this pasture, Alfalfa is going to be the most expensive as far as ferdlizer requirments, Jake has some good points, You might look into what he said and give his a try.


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