From the Barns: Off to a fast start

Everything seems 10 days early. All the first-crop hay was harvested in late May as the weather turned favorable for drying. The row crops in this part of the state are off to a fast start with not a single wet spot in sight. Our dry dirt is very reminiscent of last year, but is happening earlier. My row-crop neighbors seem less irritable now, after pocketing some more U.S. Department of Agriculture gifts and seeing perfect germination.

After three rotations through the four rye fields with 210 head of feeders, Carson has seeded the sorghum-sudangrass in dry dirt very similar to last year. We will need a rain for germination. The rye has been sprayed, even though we were tempted to try and out hustle regrowth with sorghum-sudangrass growth — just would not work this year, or maybe ever, but sure looks like a worthy try when the ground is totally weed-free. We hope to add fertilizer and turnips over the top followed with the harrow.

All grazing is taking place in mid-maturity forage with lots of clover underneath from two years of good frost seeding. It is a time to be watchful for eye problems as the pollination dust shakes off and seeds begin to fly. The front of the ATVs and the Kubota are evidence of the conditions.

We could not see the 210 feeders after they were turned into a reed canary grass paddock. Five days later, much different, with quite a bit of trample. We have some areas where the armyworm invasion late last summer coupled with the drought left a kill, rather than just a delayed regrowth.

So far, two early encounters with Ameren transmission line contractors just walking onto the property unannounced, checking for wetlands and bats. I told them I do have liability insurance, but not sure it would pay for their high-grade bodies under an unfriendly bull. They didn’t seem to think much of my comment, but it was made to wake them up to their behavior, which was unacceptable.

Sure, I signed the permission form, but not for unannounced intruders. Not on a cattle ranch. Our 16-year-old learning herdsman found them in the middle of the paddock he was trying to take the cows through. That did not go well.

There are pasture walks aplenty to attend in June. Check out ilgrazinglands.org/events. See you at the Illinois Forage Institute on June 26 at Spoon River College and later for the Heart of America Grazing Conference on July 15-16 in Effingham. In the in-between, stay safe and sane!