Originally Posted By: Firehunt
I have a few questions regarding a field that I planted throw N mow last November. It's 6 acres, it was grown up in pines that were almost too big to bush hog. I cut it, broadcast cereal rye and hairy vetch, then I cut it again to clean up the rest of the pines. It made a great looking stand this spring and the vetch is especially thick. I would like to utilize the large amount of seed that it is producing to reseed for this fall. I need to turn out my cattle on it for short duration grazing, so naturally I would like for them to do the seeding work. Question 1- will vetch and rye reseed in this way? Question 2- what would be the optimal timing to turn the cows out onto it? Question 3- Can I graze more than once this summer without damaging the reseeding operation? My rye looks very similar to the most recent picture that CNC posted, and the vetch has purple flowers all throughout. Thank you.


That’s awesome!....Cows are a great tool to have at your disposal. They can be used as a tool to set back succession and turn your biomass into manure.

I’d give it a little more time before turning the cattle loose on it and allow the hairy vetch seed to mature first. Then you should be good to go. Leave the cattle in there long enough to remove the old canopy and stimulate new growth but not so long that they take the field down to a nub. When “mob grazing” a green field… from my understanding you should allow the cows to eat 1/3….stomp down 1/3….and leave 1/3….something of that nature.

The hairy vetch will probably reseed itself well but I think you’ll likely have to add more rye this fall. It’ll come back some but there’s so much that eats that grain seed that much of it will be consumed. You may very well be able to turn the cows back loose on it later this summer enough for them to just set things back to a tender vegetative state before things begin to harden off. I’d play it by ear.

We dont rent pigs