Extra-Yummy Emu Pasture

[Tame Emu Guy]

Would anyone with an emu pasture like to try an experiment?

Guys, one thing is clear: the wild emus I watch much much prefer a couple of small patches of ‘pick’ in the huge area they have to choose from.

Now, a couple of these need further investigation. However, sheep pooh seems to be a key; and I think clover is a favourite.

My notion is: if you have spare blood and bone or a dead critter (or spare fish from fishing!) or sheep pooh or other nutrients, try to raise a patch of super pasture. It will take a couple of seasons; but I haven’t touched the pastures here during the five years of my tenancy, and you can sit in the clearing today, and watch the emus go from patch to patch to patch for hours.

One patch is the old sheep-loading ramp – sheep pooh: always luscious.

Another is a patch – only about fifteen feet by fifteen – that always has a longer growth of mixed species of grass. (Clover is one.)

A third is the old sheep yards – in it, on the drainage of it, and along its fence. Again, sheep pooh.

[There is another patch up by dam, readers, that receives particular attention from Felicity and Noddy and the wild birds. There must be something that attracts them to it. They graze for hours on an area the size of a tennis court, and ignore an area the size of a village.]

Finally: some months ago, I was able to observe a ‘tame00’ male and seven chicks grazing at length. Again, although they had a strip of good-ish grazing a hundred yards wide and a quarter of a mile long, they grazed the entire period of the observation on two patches, neither of which was much bigger than a half a tennis court.

Just an idea, folks! If you have energy and water – it might even pay to rope the spot off for a season – you might discover how to make a patch of pasture that is ten times Yummier than all the rest.

Supreme Emu

 

[Ellamumu]

Would anyone with an emu pasture like to try an experiment?

Guys, one thing is clear: the wild emus I watch much much prefer a couple of small patches of ‘pick’ in the huge area they have to choose from.

Now, a couple of these need further investigation. However, sheep pooh seems to be a key; and I think clover is a favourite.

My notion is: if you have spare blood and bone or a dead critter (or spare fish from fishing!) or sheep pooh or other nutrients, try to raise a patch of super pasture. It will take a couple of seasons; but I haven’t touched the pastures here during the five years of my tenancy, and you can sit in the clearing today, and watch the emus go from patch to patch to patch for hours.

One patch is the old sheep-loading ramp – sheep pooh: always luscious.

Another is a patch – only about fifteen feet by fifteen – that always has a longer growth of mixed species of grass. (Clover is one.)

A third is the old sheep yards – in it, on the drainage of it, and along its fence. Again, sheep pooh.

[There is another patch up by dam, readers, that receives particular attention from Felicity and Noddy and the wild birds. There must be something that attracts them to it. They graze for hours on an area the size of a tennis court, and ignore an area the size of a village.]

Finally: some months ago, I was able to observe a ‘tame00’ male and seven chicks grazing at length. Again, although they had a strip of good-ish grazing a hundred yards wide and a quarter of a mile long, they grazed the entire period of the observation on two patches, neither of which was much bigger than a half a tennis court.

Just an idea, folks! If you have energy and water – it might even pay to rope the spot off for a season – you might discover how to make a patch of pasture that is ten times Yummier than all the rest.

Supreme Emu

This spring I planted my emus paddock with a seed mixture called forage that I found at tractor supply. It has several types of grass in it and lots of clover and plantains. It grew fast and lush because I have sheep and sheep poop is the best lol. But anyway I do notice that she likes to sit at the end nearest the chicken pen and graze that end short,while the other end not near other animals hardly gets grazed. Also she likes plantains the best, then clover, then thin grass and leaves the wider taller grass alone. She also would prefer that I pick her little bunches of clover and plantain and hand feed her, why spend time picking clover one by one when mom will hand you tiny convenient bunches.

 

[ES Emus]

This spring I planted my emus paddock with a seed mixture called forage that I found at tractor supply. It has several types of grass in it and lots of clover and plantains. It grew fast and lush because I have sheep and sheep poop is the best lol. But anyway I do notice that she likes to sit at the end nearest the chicken pen and graze that end short,while the other end not near other animals hardly gets grazed. Also she likes plantains the best, then clover, then thin grass and leaves the wider taller grass alone. She also would prefer that I pick her little bunches of clover and plantain and hand feed her, why spend time picking clover one by one when mom will hand you tiny convenient bunches.

That's good to know, I always reseed with rye grass. Next year, I will give the forage blend a try!

 

[Grassman 52]

I have done rye grass in the early fall and pasture mix early spring - The rye ensures you have nice green grass right until the snow.

After all the rain and warmer weather in the northeast, the rye grass has died off and the clover is coming in really nice.

 

[ES Emus]

is there anything that will can be planted in the heat of the summer?

 

[Grassman 52]

Not that I know of - if you plant in the heat, you have to water everyday - for me it's not worth it.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

How pleasing to have started a new thread of thought!!

‘leaves the wider taller grass alone’ – yup. That makes sense. It’s harder to crop.

About the heat of summer: too hot equals too much care and water – however . . .

my neighbours and I were discussing the diversion of waste water into holding tanks and dams, etc.
Any source of what we call ‘grey water’ could be run into a spot, even a shadier spot in hot areas, and then, if the area were seeded and fertilised, you’d get islands of ‘fresh pick’ for weeks and weeks after the rest of pasture expired in the heat.

Also, where the soil is rich rich rich, the grass springs that much faster when autumn rains come.

For my part, I’ll try to identify some grasses.

Lastly: guys, there is nothing so fine as to watch happy emus trashing fruit trees and grape vines. If you had spare seedlings and cuttings, you could make a grove!! And perhaps put a bench and seat in the shade. I have found that guests really enjoy being seated in the garden when wild birds come close to graze.

S.E

 

[Grassman 52]

I like the idea of wild grape vines - we have them around in the woods - I am going to find some this fall and transplant - free feed source and some diversification for the birds

 

[Ellamumu]

is there anything that will can be planted in the heat of the summer?

Look around your house for some broad leaf plantain (it's that annoying weed with the flat leaves and little spikes in the middle at the end of summer) anyway everyone is always trying to get rid of it off their lawns, but it is very nutritious for all kinds of animals and people. Every critter here from horses to chickens eat it, and you can dig up a dozen somewhere put them in your paddock and they multiply like crazy, they don't care if its hot or dry or anything. My emu loves the leaves and my turkey loves when the little seed stalk comes up she runs her beak from the bottom up to get all the seeds. Good weed if it grows in your area!

 

[Ellamumu]

How pleasing to have started a new thread of thought!!

‘leaves the wider taller grass alone’ – yup. That makes sense. It’s harder to crop.

About the heat of summer: too hot equals too much care and water – however . . .

my neighbours and I were discussing the diversion of waste water into holding tanks and dams, etc.
Any source of what we call ‘grey water’ could be run into a spot, even a shadier spot in hot areas, and then, if the area were seeded and fertilised, you’d get islands of ‘fresh pick’ for weeks and weeks after the rest of pasture expired in the heat.

Also, where the soil is rich rich rich, the grass springs that much faster when autumn rains come.

For my part, I’ll try to identify some grasses.

Lastly: guys, there is nothing so fine as to watch happy emus trashing fruit trees and grape vines. If you had spare seedlings and cuttings, you could make a grove!! And perhaps put a bench and seat in the shade. I have found that guests really enjoy being seated in the garden when wild birds come close to graze.

S.E

Awesome idea I didn't even think of wild grapes, Ella loves red grapes, there is wild grapes across the street I think I'll start transplanting!