Best use of 5 acres (or rehabbing a pasture)

Hi All,

I've got 5-6 acres of grass that I normally just mow once or twice a year and spray for thistles. It seems like I should be putting it to better use. I've got lots of spare time in the summer months (say, May-August), but not during the winter.

When I mow (rotary 3-point mower) the grass ends up piled almost in windrows, which causes the grass underneath to die and thistles then grow. I spray Curtail or 2,4d in the fall, and maybe spot spray an acre or so earlier if thistles look bad. For several years a friend hayed it off, and for several years after that another friend had sheep (30 ewes after lambing couldn't eat all the grass in a summer). With the sheep we had electric netting so I could move them around as they finished grazing an area. They'd eat thistles and all, so I just spot sprayed those years and didn't really have a thistle issue.

I hate to see the grass going to waste. I'm not trying to make any/much money, but don't want to lose a lot either. Again, I have lots of time in the summer but would rather not have too many critter related chores in the winter. Fence would need repaired if I put a cow/steer out there (but I like the taste of beef over mutton,and oughta fix the fence anyway).

What are my options?

1) Mow more often so grass doesn't pile up? I'm trying to mow after the grass goes to seed but before the thistles bloom (so late June here)? Should I do it more often? This might help with the thistle, but still seems wasteful.

2) Have somebody hay it? I don't really even need shares, but would I then need to fertilize? There's some thistle mixed in, so not everybody would want it anyway (at first). I've got some trees in rows at various places, so it's not wide open. More like 2-3 1-acre lots and a 3 acre plot.

3) Sheep/goats? The neighbors have sheep. I kinda know what that involves over the summer at least. I'm thinking of asking the neighbor about 1/2 mile away if he'd want to move them over there for the summer, but he has permanent fences (not the movable nets) and I wouldn't want to build permanent $heep pens all over my place. He also only has 10 or so sheep, so they probably wouldn't make to big of a dent. Still willing to consider, I guess?

4) Any likely options for keeping calf/steer just for the summer? Do I bite the bullet and get set up for a steer year round?

Any and all advice considered and appreciated! Thanks,

I have Kiko meat goats and cattle with your piece of land I'd pick goats hands down,they're easier on the land plus they are bringing over 2X per pound what cattle are bringing.Easier to handle too.Do Not get Boer goats unless you love to doctor health problems.

Net fencing is pretty cheap, hard to beat sheep on a piece like that. Trees in it is annoying for hay and yes would need fertilizer. Alternatively just mow it more often or get a flail mower that doesn?t windrow.

Every time I look into this, it keeps coming back as sheep (or goats). I guess I need to bite the bullet and get started. More likely I shoulda got started a couple of months ago. I'll talk to the neighbor that does sheep (and the other neighbor that did sheep and now does goats) and see what pointers I can pick up.

Thanks,

Thanks. My wife has always liked goats, but for milking, not for eating.

Are they as easy to keep in a net fence? My experience with goats has all been bad. Once back east for construction to eat poisen Ivy and other stuff my boss had one we tried to keep on a rope. It was always escaping and eating what it shouldn't (but I was a punk teenager and didn't pay any attention to the details). My brother in Colorado had milk goats for many years. Had to be home at two particular times every day to milk, which was a family event.

There is a college close by, and the guy who used to hay my place (now deceased) raised goats to sell to some international students there. Pretty simple, as their religion required it be butchered in a particular way so he just sold them live. Some neighbors recently (2-3 years) added goats. I'll see what insight they can provide.

As I mentioned above, it's looking like sheep or goats are in my future.

Thanks again,

Bob

Never tried the netting I have woven wire and panels for fencing for my cows and goats since I hate chasing escaped livestock.

You need to mow the thistles after they flower but before they go to seed at least 2 years in a row to kill them out.