# Grazing Jiggs



## cryers

I have been baling hay for the past 3 years for a little additional income while I am in school, I plan to plant jiggs the the pasture that is currently bahia/coastal mix right now. My question is would Jiggs be good to graze cattle on, as I would like to run cows on the pasture in a few years after i get out of grad school. I don't see why it wouldn't, just don't know of anybody that has cattle on Jiggs


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## Mike120

Personally, I wouldn't go to the expense of sprigging or planting tops of Jiggs just for grazing. When you look at the establishment costs you'd save, you could throw a lot of fertilizer on your existing bahia/bermuda in the spring every year and probably get more forage. Jiggs really likes fertilizer.


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## jdhayboy

I agree with Mike, there's nothing wrong with what u have already espiecially for grazing. I personally wouldn't plant any hybrid bermudas specifically for grazing. They require to much maintenance and really need fertilizer to keep ur stand of grass. Thats just me for my program. Now for making horse square bales I Wud probably do it. But to answer your question, I dont think there is anything wrong with planting jiggs for grazi if thats what u want to do. Word on the street is tifton 85 is best for grazing over other bermudas.


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## Mike120

jdhayboy said:


> Word on the street is tifton 85 is best for grazing over other bermudas.


Yep.....and it likes fertilizer even more than Jiggs, but it WILL really produce.


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## cryers

Thanks guys....really helpful!!! I think I am just gonna try to spend more on getting my soil right to increase my yields for hay until i get cattle


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## Mike120

Good luck. Bahia responds very well to a little care and feeding. With rain at the right times, you'll get very good yields. BTW, please update your profile with your location.


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## hay wilson in TX

Jiggs does well in your country. Better than Coastal.

Tifton 85 is a little more difficult to get started but when it starts it is even faster than Jiggs for covering the ground.

Yes Common and Bahia is a low management grass. Thing is your ground has a given value and to pay land cost you may want a higher yield potential.

As a rule of thumb T-85 will yield 15% more forage than Coastal, plus the ton T-85 forage will produce 15% more meat hair and hide then the same ton of Coastal.

Then again managed grazing will yield more meat, hair, and hide from the same acre as you will feeding the hay off that ground. I must add for less cost, to boot.

The nice thing about T-85 is it's thick stem. There is more in a T-85 stem than structural carbohydrates.

T-85 with all the leave knocked off has more feed value than Coastal or Jiggs, &c with all the leaves lost.

The trick with T-85 is to have good grazing stockpiled going into the Fall Frost. Use stockpiled feed not harvested feed.

For low maintance grazing there is native range grasses. The false rumor has it native grasses need no fertility. Not so. HERE managed bermudagrass should need three acres to the animal unit. Range grass on the other hand will need 18 maybe 20 acres to the animal unit. If your land goes for $1,000 an acre there might be a temptation to push the stocking rate, 
I suggest the Bahia common pasture only pencils if the land is worth less than $100/A and most of that is in fence and water.

For a more accurate response go to the Overton Station hear what those people have to say. Maybe vhaby will chime in for you. He is my bermudagrass guiding light. He is pretty sharp on alfalfa too boot. He is full retired now. He is a full time farmer.

Here we have one farmer who has alfalfa for grazing. He uses the noon hour grazing system. When you go to the house for dinner, turn them in to graze some alfalfa. When you come back from dinner and a short nap turn them back on the grass or a shade line to take their afternoon ease.

I would avoid ryegrass. Ryegrass has ruined many good bermudagrass pastures.


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## hay wilson in TX

Here in Texas watch out for the feed store, seed dealer trying to sell you a public domain alfalfa for the lower cost of the seed. CUF 101 is a favorite or Oklahoma Common what ever that is are a couple. There is a reason for the seed breeder alfalfa seed success.


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