Tall Grass Grazing

[@willienelson2078]

Everybody here just got done making hay and brush hogging all the grass. Now its hot and dry and their fields are bare and getting baked. I hope they enjoyed themselves, but I'm a grass farmer not a golf course landscaper. Great video.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Thansk

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

@@willienelson2078 that’s right!

[@briangrammer898]

❤❤VIDEO ❤❤

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

@@briangrammer898 thanks

[@davidschwantes4628]

Grace and peace to you. Love the content you and Allison provided for us! I dream of doing what ya'all are doing! Some day hopefully.......

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

You can do it!

[@SasquatchBioacoustic]

Loving your content. Very informative. Thanks for walking us through your motivations and practices.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

You are very welcome !

[@cdf01]

I’m doing the exact same thing right now over here in Fowlerville! So I appreciate this video. I have no where near enough head to keep up with the grass. I tried last year and it was ridiculous. That said we are in tall grass mode right now. What I find is that if you stop looking at the seed heads and get down in the canopy you find a crazy amount of forage including young grasses, clover, alfalfa etc...My herd is doing great, in it. BTW, I watch them eat these seed heads all the time as well. Even saw it in your video. Bottom line, I’m not worried about seed heads anymore. Thx!

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Amen to that!!

[@michaellopez-lq5fn]

We’re neighbors! Just started rotating goats near real near kreegers market. I know they say to be weary of strangers on the internet but if you want to meet somewhere public like good deeds or something I’d love to meet a like mind around and hopefully you would see me as trustworthy enough to show me your herd haha. I’d love to show you my setup too and talk shop. Let me know, coffees on me

[@thurlowfamilyfarm4628]

I have been tall grass grazing for a decade now, I like it. Great video, thank you!

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

@@thurlowfamilyfarm4628 thanks

[@jonbeat789]

I am also preparing for an outdoor pig farming project, I will exploit food sources from the grasslands, the video is great, thank you everyone

[@robertensign8786]

I do it the same way myself, only downside i find, is more eye issues from the seed heads. Other than that I’m a huge fan. As long as I stay on top of checking eyes every few days, and pulling and working what needs treated before it gets too bad it works excellent

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

I haven’t had a problem yet

[@robertensign8786]

@@drumhillerfarms6858 good deal. Sounds like you just have it all figured out then.

[@tonyoconnell2787]

We had the same problems with the eyes . If you have a small herd and are ready to treat the problems. This way seems like a win in so many ways .

[@robertensign8786]

@@tonyoconnell2787 yup. It’s not a matter of if it will happen, just a matter of when. It’s inevitable that seed heads will get into the eyes and then Cause issues. The problem I find with alot of smaller operations is they don’t have the proper working facilities to work calves and cows when this problem arises and they just let it go. For a guy who just raises calves to sell as sides of beef To neighbors and such, this is not a huge problem as long as they don’t go blind, but on the commercial side, you get absolutely killed on calves with bad eyes when running a load of steers through the auction ring.

[@marilynhiggins2785]

I enjoy watching your videos. You make me feel good about farming again.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Thank you!

[@jrobertgrack9342]

So true. More and more people are finally waking up to the fact that the foods we are given are bad short and long term for our health. But, everyone wants the quick buck:

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

@@jrobertgrack9342 that’s right

[@sassy6292]

This is awesome!! Thank you for taking the time to teach folks about this.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Thank you for watching!

[@davidpk6254]

Johann Zietsman expresses a similar non-selective grazing he calls the Total Grazing Program. He has a great book called "Man, Cattle and Veld". Great video!

[@tickcreekranch]

Have you watched any of Josh Teague’s videos. If not, I highly recommend them. I’m going to Jaime Elizondo grazing school in Tallahassee this month. Pretty pumped about it

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

I do watch Josh he’s awesome

[@dombakuring16]

❤nice 👍👍

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

@@dombakuring16 thanks

[@adelalozainah6923]

Well done and comprehensive explanation

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Thanks!

[@michellesweeten5055]

Great explanation Nathan! We had a mild winter and wish we had planned for more residue grazing in the UP instead of bale grazing.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Our winter was pretty mild too.

[@smithfamilypastures]

Great information here! You laid it all out there very well and I can tell you are speaking from experience. We just made a similar video yesterday. I like your point about getting one shot every year. Everything you said was spot on in my opinion and based off my experience. Also thank you for not forcing your cows to clean up what is trampled. Great job! A buddy just introduced me to you. I look forward to more videos.

[@josepaulino6945]

Great video . God Bless you

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

@@josepaulino6945 thanks! God bless you too

[@KennyVanWinkle]

I’m in New Mexico and I have so cool season grasses so I hand sow wheat seed in my native grass pasture and I graze it and the animals help take the see to the soil and I pull the animal out and now I have a good amount of wheat growing in my native grass pastures. I don’t want any fescue or Bermuda grasses I just want native grasses and wildflowers. Weeds do grow some and I love them they are by far more nutritious than grasses but after a couple years the weeds weed themselves out.

[@tickcreekranch]

450,000 lbs density has been working really well especially with the horses. I need to double the stocking rate. Amazing increase in forage. Have you calculated your cow days on these paddocks? Nice looking herd

[@un-leashed5335]

Love the video, Michigan native here, have you experimented with skip grazing your paddocks so that you have strips of grass throughout the field that drop mature seed? May not be worth it because it doesn’t look like you have a plant density issue. Also could you show yer pastures in different stages of recovery??

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

I did a video on recovery a few weeks ago. I’m thinking of doing another on this field, it’s coming back nicely, although slow right now because we are in the mid 90’s for a couple weeks now. We are starting to get into some stuff that is full mature seeds, we will be doing a lot of planting;)

[@FinanciallyLitFathersMovement]

I'm a complete novice but the way explained it, makes sense

[@french-canadianfarmer5049]

Completely understand about grass getting ahead of you. From the day we start grazing full time because there is enough grass we have about two weeks and the grass starts to head out. Can't keep up. So we also graze tall grass but struggling with good weight gain on lambs.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

I run our cattle through first then bring the lambs in after

[@french-canadianfarmer5049]

That's a good plan. I need to buy cows.

[@emilymacdonald5339]

Same here, in SW Michigan. Not possible to graze all the pastures before they go to seed in the spring if the farms' stocking rate is not to exceed forage production when the grass growth slows in the heat of summer. We run sheep and don't have cows. Our pastures are too rough and full of trees to reasonably make hay. In order to have some high quality forage to fatten lambs in late summer/early fall, we clip/brush hog AFTER the flock has grazed the headed-out grass. This seems to encourage tillering and allows enough light to reach the growing points to get finishing quality regrowth. Still need enough rain though.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

@@emilymacdonald5339 we are in South Central Michigan. That’ll be pretty close to one another.Parma mi

[@emilymacdonald5339]

@@drumhillerfarms6858 Yes, 100 miles or so which is not too far considering the size of Michigan. I see Parma is about 35 miles NE of Union City where I take my lambs for slaughter and butchering.

[@koam3556]

Looking forward for spring next year n see what the headlight light growth produces 😂 You know ur farm better then anyone else so beeeeeeppp them

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

We get grass growing out of the headlights every year lol

[@brettnolan1159]

Have you heard of the documentary Roots Too Deep u should look into it it might give u some more ideas on rotational grazing.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Will do, thanks

[@tickcreekranch]

The farmer I just educate about uhdg looked at me like I had 2 heads lol. He’s impressed by our sward, but I don’t think he believes a word I said about how we got it. Whats your stock density and utilization? 😅Your pastures look amazing. Incredible yield! How did you discover and what convinced you to implement UHDG?

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Well that’s a long story…Always wanted to have some property. Was able to buy a small farm 40 acres I knew u wanted to do something with it myself so planted it to hay. A few years later I was able to buy the farm next to me another 40 with that I took over a small herd of cattle about 15 head . The next year as crazy as it might sound God told me to start moving cattle every day I never heard of such a thing and at the time I was afraid of them. Did it for a whole summer not knowing what we were doing until I seen a KZbin video of Greg Judy. I thought he was copying me, thought God must have told him to😂 what I learned that year was we needed a lot more cattle. Now we lease two more farms and raise chicken 250 a month turkeys 30 a month pigs 25 a year and lambs about 20. We are run about 120 head on 110 acres and also raise all those other animals. Just picked up another lease so we are looking for more cattle. Right now I’m getting about 15 days out of 10 acres . We hit a drought last year which made me tighten them up and a light bulb went off. Now we are stockpiling a whole farm this year.

[@tickcreekranch]

@@drumhillerfarms6858 thanks for the reply. I don’t think you’re crazy, God guides me all the time (I just don’t always listen). Great carrying capacity btw. We went from about 30 cow days ac. last year to 120-140 this year on the first rotation. Really excited about this stuff. The moderators in the FB non selective/ UHDG Group have been practicing for a handful of years. They’ve got a bunch of knowledge. If memory serves me, they are all students of Jaime Elizondo. Thanks for the vids

[@ahmeddin6395]

Great content, great motivator, love your channel - keep it up...

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Thanks!!!

[@Mr44magnum0706]

Makes sense, especially when you’re making more money than you were when baling. 👍 Glad I’ve been able to find more Michigan farming/ ranching channel on KZbin

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Thanks for watching

[@korderowhite2234]

I appreciate you taking observation of nature for yourself instead taking advice from multiple so call professional or guru's! Common sense tells me mowing & seeding isn't necessary just another way to give away your earnings to those who benefit off of it.

[@robinsonjohn4975]

Makes total sense to me! You are doing it the right way. The cost of equipment, fuel, maintenance, labor, time insurance, etc. just to cut hay will break a business. Forget about seeding and tilling which only adds to the cost and ruins your topsoil, causes drought, flooding and erosion. All of that is outdated thinking. What you are showing is how the process works to restore the fertility and the environment while feeding your livestock and wildlife. You are restoring the garden we were gifted by God to be the caretakers and shepherds of. God Bless!

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Glory to God! That’s right!

[@emilymacdonald5339]

But remember, Mr.Drumhiller does buy and feed hay. Rolling out hay brought in from someone else's farm is his winter feeding program and pasture fertility program. So the ruining of topsoil, drought, flooding, and erosion you mention is still happening( if it is happening) just somewhere else. Presumably, those who stay in business making and selling hay are covering costs and making a profit.

[@Marilou-g5t]

Gabe Brown feeds very little hay in Bismark, ND

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Love Gabe brown!

[@jrobertgrack9342]

I love what you're able to accomplish! I'm not sure what your late fall, winter and early spring are like in your neck of MI? I have a brother in the central MN region and he quit dairy a mmaybe 10 years ago. He went the rotational cash crop for a few years and is now in his 2nd year of coverting it to like what you and many others like Greg Judy are doing. He's just not sure how practical in will be since most winterish seasons are extremely cold and can be up to 2 feet of snow easy. He's still got his hay making equipment and silos, but he's trying to figure out how to make it all work profitable long term. His plus is it's all paid for. He'd no longer need the big equipment which is a definite plus.

[@michellesweeten5055]

We are doing a similar situation in the UP of Michigan

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Tell him to look at what Gabe Brown is doing. He has a great book that I listened to called dirt to soil, I think he will learn a lot from him

[@jrobertgrack9342]

@@drumhillerfarms6858 I'll do that right now, ...Thanks. Our food system has been corrupted into an economic sytem and we've been eating fake foods which have affected the health of not just the USa but the world:

[@GrazingCreation]

Great Video Nathan, how do you deal with invasive species in pastures that the cattle qont eat? I'm in Missouri so I know my invasives are different than yours, but I know everyone has them.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Our biggest one is multiflora rose with non-selective grazing. It’s not much of an issue when it does become an issue I’ll go through with a sapling puller on my skid steer or my back and pluck them out of there.

[@GrazingCreation]

@@drumhillerfarms6858 thank you, that is my biggest Nemesis right now along with locust trees

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

@@GrazingCreation oh one of our farms is completely covered in Locust, but the Cattle agrees those things like crazy before they takeoff

[@danmiller4774]

Great job keep up to work. I have been doing intensive grazing for 30 plus years. Looks like you got a good handle on it.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Wow that’s awesome! Thansk

[@mnotlyon]

I put sheep on my new farm this summer. I have way more land than my sheep can handle. It's going to take me years to get this neglected property in shape. The good news is that I should be able to graze 365 days a year while I'm building up my flock. I might even add a few cows next spring.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

@@mnotlyon that’s awesome!

[@Sam-tc1op]

Greetings from Drumiller Hill co Down Northern Ireland. Carry on the good work

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Awesome! Thanks!

[@bonsukan]

Thanks for sharing the video. Your pasture looks great. How long did it take for your forage to get that dense?

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

This is our 5 year moving cattle every 12 hours. Seems like this year or land is blowing up!

[@robbyroyer4489]

Keep up the good work ole son

[@ajbill2326]

I agree with you that there is no issue with grazing tall grasses. The only concern I have is pink-eye. If the bacteria that causes pink-eye is present in your herd, grazing tall grass (particularly grass that has headed out) can cause irritation which will cause them to rub more to alleviate the irritation. Sure, that doesn't mean that the herd will definitively get it, just adds an additional possibility.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Have not had any pink eye issues. However, I do know that they say the seed heads can contribute to it. Thanks for the comment!

[@michellesweeten5055]

@@drumhillerfarms6858 pink eye is from too much protein from grazing short pastures. I wouldn't worry about it if you are always grazing residue and watching manure. If its runny we give some dry hay to help them balance.

[@johnwright6403]

How are you watering? Do you have tanks in each paddock?

[@MistressOP]

Do you keep track of what sections you have grazed long grass?

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Yes for the most part we will know, we are already getting a lot of regrowth and are still in that field.

[@romunov]

​@@drumhillerfarms6858 great content. Now that you are probably already cycled through the whole plot, could you do a walk along the gradient of paddocks that you've moved the animals each day? Would be interesting to see the gradient in which the grass regrew. I'm pretty sure that manure has been degraded by insects in a matter of months, too.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

@ oh yes lest than months

[@steveniedzwiecki4435]

Making a fence path with an atv. also works well when grazing tall summer annuals.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Yes it does!

[@Therippranch]

Good stuff! Do you not supplement salt?

[@boovavjb]

I have let grass and other "forbes" get to seed set. then grazed it. the next year I increased my Gras stand to a point where the "forbes" are almost not even there. My conditions have been drought conditions the last 5 years. still improving the grazing through the droughts

[@boovavjb]

love the Armour you are putting down with this

[@johnwright6403]

Leaving more behind will feed your soil nicely

[@janit-5430]

I want to do this but can't afford the fencing. Have the land and cattle but no money for fencing

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

@@janit-5430 check with your local NRCS there’s money out there to help

[@TimBinns68]

I'm all in. We only have 6 cows so it's hard to get them to eat everything but it is working.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Awesome!

[@triciahill216]

Does your Gator’s radiator get clogged with grass seed and overheat?

[@kahlerfamilyfarms]

Makes sense to me. I don’t recall Mother Nature clipping or making hay when it got to tall in front of the buffalo.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

That’s right!

[@emilymacdonald5339]

No, but for millennia in temperate, humid climates such as Michigan, humans have intervened with fire and other ways of land clearing to create and maintain grasslands to attract bison and other food animals. In this climate, Mother Nature wants a forest, and, without human influence, she will get her way.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

@@emilymacdonald5339 true

[@odonnellsaussiehomestead8257]

Thats a lot of feed❤

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Have a lot ahead of us too!

[@Sam-tc1op]

Hay making here at present

[@enderwhitekey7238]

My goal is to do this with native prairie grasses.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

We are seeing natives coming in now!

[@tireddad6541]

I am trying to understand the differences between what you are doing and what Ggeg Judy might do. If he was in your fields. He has commented he doesn't have your winters and has expressed the admiration for the bale grazing, and probably a lot of admiration for letting the cattle do the work. And you are just getting these fields in good shape, just like he advises. Would you have to get a huge amount more of cattle to run them through quickly, like custom graze for someone in spring, so that there is less tall grass eventually? I am pretty sure he wouldn't bush hog, costs money and you list all that forage. And you don't want to have someone hay for you. Though you possibly could a little? Keep on working and managing it.

[@Marilou-g5t]

When they are eating that well, they should be highly fertile at the end of spring flush.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Hopefully!

[@gwc3721]

Grass seed is grain.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Oh whatever

[@gwc3721]

@@drumhillerfarms6858 I say that as a good thing. When people say the grass has gone by I look at it as a shift on the plus. In your video I noticed the little calves went for the seed heads. They need a little concentrate.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

@@gwc3721 gotcha, that’s a good way to look at it

[@michaelwilson7819]

Can I honestly say that after a while this all becomes boring, you can only do the same stuff over and over for so long before people eventually become disinterested in what you are putting out. I've honestly lost interest in you're site because it's become crap.

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

Thanks!

[@JimHerman-o3q]

Bale those tall grass pastures for hay ! And no......hay equipment is not expensive ! That four wheeler could buy nearly all the equipment you would need to bale hay ( round bales ) And then.......the cost of your truck you drive ?? You really need it ? I have a 2002 S-10 truck.. As a farmer.....myself other then the ((tractor)) ......my hay equipment dont equal more then 13,000 dollars ! Disc bine..... 7,000 dollars....... six wheel vicon rake ...300 dollars......4x4 New Holland round baler..... 4,000 dollars....... Tines for loader bucket ........300 dollars..... flat bed hay rake.... 400 dollars. The plusses in baling pastures...... tender grass for the cows to produce more milk......and the calves gain more since they have tender grass to eat ! A total win win ! Then........spend some money on fertilizer.....You can double your hay / grass production " if it rains " !!!!!

[@drumhillerfarms6858]

@@JimHerman-o3q this is completely backwards to what my operation is. Bale hay to feed in the summer? No thanks. I’m grazing 24” straight green leaves right now because of good management on first rotation.

[@JimHerman-o3q]

@@drumhillerfarms6858 Not suggesting you should feed baled hay during the summer ! Baling hay most times is for emergencies such as drought and feeding during the winter time. You could easy double your production by clipping and baling and have very high quality grass ! As a former dairy farmer I know what high quality hay is...the other option......let the cows go dry. Id assume your land there is also expensive as here.....up to 18,000 dollars per acre. I tend to try to get what I can out of an acre of land....and for sure cows with calves....it pays... in milk production and grass production. But you know your expenses best !