Multi-Species Rotational Grazing | Why Keeping Up Now Means Being Short Later

Join me for several of the Red Devon cattle and St. Croix sheep moves we’ve made over the past few days, as I talk pasture grass growth and managing the seasonality of the sigmoid curve.

[@TheMamahansen]

Thank you for the reminder on grass being so long right now. It’s difficult sometimes to be apart of this world and farm the way God intends. Naturally. Also thank you for always sharing the Word.

[@birchfieldfarming]

You got it, thanks for watching!🤠

[@inmybible6975]

One of my favorite passages!

[@lauraandrade7909]

I am so so glad you talked about the minerals again! I have had so many people try to talk me out of it saying it wasnt worthwhile...but we are having so much trouble with our sheep!! I am convinced we need to get this mineral program!!! So the sheep can get into the same mineral cart! That is good to know. Would you buy the feeder again or just make it yourself? Also love the verse. I am going to write it down and hang it up!!!

[@birchfieldfarming]

It’s been a super wet year for sheep. Yes, both cattle AND sheep access this mineral feeder simultaneously. They simply select what they need. If I was running JUST sheep I would make a smaller, lighter version of this myself. It’s just about right tho for our 9 cattle and 28 sheep. I am going to build a separate dedicated free-choice sheep mineral feeder at some point so when we have sheep peeled off they can still have access. I will say this the free choice mineral and feeder is ultra expensive and was tough to justify small scale, but I do feel like it’s top notch with grass based animals on rotation. It’s also more labor with storing and messing with multiple minerals. I was thinking the other day tho, imagine what consuming animals that are properly mineralized could do to OUR health…I mean, that’s ultimately what it comes back to for me.

[@rsteiny24]

Excellent use of feed sacks on the chicken tractor!

[@birchfieldfarming]

Hey thanks! Birds have loved it🤠

[@rsteiny24]

@@birchfieldfarming I put tarps over mine that cover the sides, but the front and back are open. I have 2 of those red waterers but have not dialed them in yet. Keep overflowing.

[@birchfieldfarming]

@@rsteiny24Man, those waterers can be super tricky. If there’s anything (grass underneath, tight rubber hose) impeding that red bell from dropping, it’ll never shut off. Sometimes I even have to take all apart and clean. When they’re working, they’re great!

[@Plan_it-Farm]

I love that verse thank you. I have got to set up my chicken tractors like that with the water holy smokes that's sweet. The same boat in upstate New York this week has been super hot high 80s all week. You're doing a great job man really are I love your content your putting out a great message. God bless you and your family.

[@birchfieldfarming]

Thanks again! The water has worked out well. Only thing is on a really hot day I might go out once and bleed the hot water out of the hose feeding the tractor. The buried line is gold tho.👍

[@dawnnaeve1528]

Would love to see a detailed video on how you make your haylige.

[@birchfieldfarming]

Here’s a link to how we made: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5PGqIODgbOEiKcsi=ASZ8cGUkE8qrhykB

[@binyominribiat8394]

Your a great educator

[@birchfieldfarming]

Thank you, I hope others can benefit from info they find here.

[@tesha199]

In some places they rest the land for a year or 2, before getting the animals back to the same paddock. On another note, it would be amazing if you had chickens in the paddock 3-4 days after the big animals are done with grazing. Chickens eat fly larvae and they spread the poop to a wider surface.

[@birchfieldfarming]

There’s a context to every farm situation and circumstance. We ran layer chickens 3 days behind cattle in rotation. It takes about an hour a day to move them and they were undoubtedly consuming our dung beetle population. All things considered, I think at this point I’m still sold on chicken impact in the rotation, but it needs to be timed up later in the season after the cow pats firm up and the farm labor demands slow a bit.

[@benburns5995]

Hi Jason, good to see the cows and the sheep back together grazing in the same area. At least with the fresh grass the Sheep have a fighting chance to get enough to eat as opposed to when you are feeding Hay Bales.

[@birchfieldfarming]

Yeah, grass is def better than hay all the way around. Hope ur well, Ben.

[@dnawormcastings]

Your cattle are loving the fresh crass 🇳🇿🙏🏼

[@birchfieldfarming]

It’s a sea of it this time of year👍

[@wingking077]

Good job man The way it’s suppose to be Bless you

[@birchfieldfarming]

Thanks for watching🤠

[@user-kv2pt4lu9y]

Glad the pinch style has stayed in, so far. Have you noticed further attempts at suckling? Hope it stays in and weaning is successful. Have a blessed day!

[@user-kv2pt4lu9y]

Oh, disappointing! Lost it, ugggh.

[@birchfieldfarming]

Yeah, I’m hoping it was enough tho. Haven’t seen him on yet, so we’ll see.

[@user-kv2pt4lu9y]

@@birchfieldfarming we did keep a record of suck ring installs, so we knew which of the animals to watch more closely for suckle behaviors.

[@birchfieldfarming]

@@user-kv2pt4lu9yGood idea!

[@willbass2869]

For spring "runs" on cattle I wonder if mowing part of a paddock a day prior to move might allow for some of the nitrogen (its a gas, right?) to transpire out. Then the grass would be more "balanced". Cattle might even prefer it taste wise. The sugar/protein profile would be more balanced. Just spit ballin' You could even mow a 20(?) foot strip immediately adjacent to paddock currently occupied. Then in the afternoon layout a length of polywire separating the mown strip from next day's paddock. IOW...you would have parallel poly wire. Then roll up the first wire that created the grazing cell. The cows could then access the mown strip...

[@birchfieldfarming]

Spit ballin certainly welcome here! I like your idea. You know what fascinates me though is the work Allen Williams has done on brix levels and pasture length. He’s saying the research points to higher brix and higher ADG in the longer, more mature forage. Hard to believe, and I wish I had a link.

[@ShepherdsCreek]

So speaking of moving livestock... we had to do some creative problem solving recently. Our sheep have figured out how to teleport. They keep escaping their pasture and we have absolutely no idea how they're doing it. It started with one we named Ewedini but she taught the others. We have walked the fence line so many times and no idea how they're getting out. Our solution is to move them during the day to a new, unfenced area to graze and they actually have been putting themselves away at night lol they're better behaved than our dogs! We are still trying to figure out the fence situation, of course, but for now, this seems to be helping. They stay in the area we put them and during the day, we can keep an eye on them to keep them safe.

[@birchfieldfarming]

“Ewedini” haha! Of course it started with Ewedini! I’m still laughing trying not to wake my wife🤣🤣

[@ShepherdsCreek]

@@birchfieldfarming haha we aim to please 🤣

[@user-kv2pt4lu9y]

Would the following be helpful? Closer, very HOT wires-so they respect the wires. Delete wires once no Ewedini's for a long while.

[@ShepherdsCreek]

Possibly? Having them out during the day seems to be giving them their fix and they don't seem to want to escape at night. Unfortunately hot wire does nothing to deter predators around here so if sheep can escape, coyotes and such can get in.

[@StephenG222]

Great verse. Need to commit that to memory. Have you had issues with coyote and the lambs? You're one of the only people I can think of that doesn't have dogs.

[@birchfieldfarming]

No issues, but two things there: Whole property is perimeter fenced and running sheep with the cattle I think is all that’s needed.

[@MistressOP]

Did you end up finding out if you had those dung beetles?

[@birchfieldfarming]

Yes, we are seeing multiple different dung beetle species in the pasture! Pretty exciting!

[@user-qi8ph9ui6q]

Do you have any heifers for sale?

[@birchfieldfarming]

I don’t right now, but I expect to at some point. My email is in channel description. If you can send me some contact info, I will let you know when I have availability. Thanks👍

[@nevinkuser9892]

Getting close to nature is getting close to god.