Developing the grass in your yard for increasing free ranging nutrition

[LeslieDJoyce]

That's too bad.    I wished I lived next door to you, LJ, so I could help you with your priorities and let TPTB tend to their own priorities. 

I really do wish I could fold the continent like origami so I could be neighbors with all the best people. Our dogs could be friends, too.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I wish I could fold the continent so people with floods could donate water to the drought stricken areas.

On the topic of forage, everything is so late this year. I planted some alfalfa, turnips, ladino, radish, beets, peas and a little oats and wheat. If you look closely, you can see it coming up.
Worse yet, we're supposed to get a freeze Monday night and the peaches, and nectarines are starting to bloom and the apricots are finished blooming.

 

[Beekissed]

I really do wish I could fold the continent like origami so I could be neighbors with all the best people. Our dogs could be friends, too.

This new dog, Ben, is working out great!!! He's doing a perfect job and hasn't caused an ounce of trouble. Even learning what I'm teaching him very quickly, so not bad for an older dog being taught new tricks.

I have a feeling our dogs would get along like a house afire.

 

[Beekissed]

Spread 40 lbs of lime on a portion of the yard this evening, mixed with some tall fescue seed. Still have many more steps to take but this yard is very acidic and is growing moss in many places so the only thing to do for that is to add lime, kill the moss and reseed to something that grows well as a native, and tall fescue is one of those grasses. Will be seeding more places with clover as well.

We intend to put both crushed and pelleted lime a little heavy this year as it's been 2 yrs since we applied any and it wasn't enough. Moss has encroached in all the areas in which we didn't spread lime before and even into some that we did.

Everyone get their lawns and pastures seeded over like they had wanted to?

 

[Arielle]

Still raking a hill to remove the leaves that multched over the winter. Raking out the packed leaves, and spreading lawn grasses for now. More raking to do . . . . more seeding to do . . . . more trees to cut down . . . . .

 

[Arielle]

http://familycow.proboards.com/thread/32411/applying-raw-milk-soil

I read thru this link and it made me think of this thread. ( Link provide by another BYCer on another thread).

Other than spraying diluted raw milk on several acres of grassland for improved grass and forage production, it also lists many many other options like worm castings, and compost. THe bootm line is that much of our earth has been depleted of the natural microorganism that make the forages flourish, according to this post. It has made me think that integrating chickens that eat FF could very well benefit the soils they travel on while foraging between FF meals.

I have no proof but can only wonder at the win-win possibilites.

 

[Leahs Mom]

We are spraying raw milk next week on our newly overseeded pasture. Seeded with a "horsemaster mix" of non-treated various grass seed mix with a small percentage of clover in it.

Here are 2 links on the ratios on the raw milk/water:

Original article:
http://www.greenpasture.org/ferment...-to-the-soil/?back=javascript:history.back();

Update article:
http://www.greenpasture.org/ferment...d-vitamin-a/update-on-raw-milk-as-fertilizer/

 

[southernmomma]

Has anyone used the "Good Bug Blend" from groworganic.com?

Thanks!
M

 

[Fentress]

In late fall I planted a plot of annual rye over last years compost pile, about 800 square feet, because it was so late in the year I did not think anything else would gereminate. The rye did great, even in a brutal winter. I let the flock into a small portion of it in late winter and they ate it down. Later in the spring I let them into the whole plot and they completely ignored it. At that time other things were starting to be available, so I guess rye is not one of their favorites. Now that it has started to seed they seem a little more interested. I had planned to plant a summer cover crop in this plot, but maybe I will just let it stay put. It has put down a thick mass of roots that would add organic matter to the soil and I can start bringing in leaves in the fall for the 2015 compost pile. For the 2014 compost pile, I think will try to accelerate it's decomposition a little, so I can sow something a little earlier, like maybe clover in late October and let that over winter.

 

[Beekissed]

The clover is up and doing well. Will spread lots of lime and fertilizer on the lawn soon as it stops raining long enough to do so. Egg shells are starting to firm up with the increase in forage. When the meadow is up and in full bloom I'll try to get some pics of the growth.

Can't wait to see what everyone else has planted and how it's working out for your flocks!