A year in the life of a farm

[Catarina]

Mass, Mass, Mass..... that's all I see in these deer pictures

[GarGuy]

I love it! gonna be some cleaned up pics in the next few days.

[Gladesgator]

Rusty,
Looks like another outstanding year, in spite all of the challenges Mother Nature has thrown your way, this year. I really like the young ones that have good mass.

Up, until this past week, we could have certainly used some of your rain. Posted some pics from my place for the first time on here this week in two posts, my East TX ranch. Let me know what you think of them.
Rick

[elgato]

Will be converting fields over to the fall rotation soon and thought I would post this. Peas, beans, sunflower and sunn hemp. The peas are swallowing the hemp.

I plan to mow it as high as the mower deck will go as soon as it dries out enough as I don't think I can drill thru this.

[bloodtrailer28]

Good lord!!! That mower is gona have some fun!

[Puncher51]

Holy smokes! Now that's a plot!

[ethic1]

How are the deer taking to it?

[JeffK]

Will be converting fields over to the fall rotation soon and thought I would post this. Peas, beans, sunflower and sunn hemp. The peas are swallowing the hemp.

I plan to mow it as high as the mower deck will go as soon as it dries out enough as I don't think I can drill thru this.

Looks like you have a jungle over there. Do the deer still graze hard on the peas and beans once they reach this age? Just a thought, why not leave one plot or a section until the first frost? I would think leaving a section in the middle of a plot would be a great place for a hot doe to want to lay up and you would have one field that provides something different.

[JeffK]

Also, those 3 year olds are impressive and their bodies are huge already.

[elgato]

Looks like you have a jungle over there. Do the deer still graze hard on the peas and beans once they reach this age? Just a thought, why not leave one plot or a section until the first frost? I would think leaving a section in the middle of a plot would be a great place for a hot doe to want to lay up and you would have one field that provides something different.

Deer trails working all thru it . Plenty of grazing but 18 acres is too much for them to impact.

I know the conventional wisdom would be to leave some of the field standing till frost for a variety of reasons. I won't do that because just around the corner I have 4 acres of joint vetch and Alyce clover. That will bridge the gap till frost and fall crops get going. Plus clover in several other directions.

I'll drill rye, wheat, radishes, turnips and crimson in this whole field. Part of my experiment is to improve the soil structure of the field. It is heavy red clay and I'm trying to improve it thru cultivar selection and rotation.

[JeffK]

Makes sense. Should on know better to question you! Appreciate you sharing your knowledge. Have you decided on which deer you will be after this year?

Also, don't recall any off your mixes including winter peas? What are your thoughts on winter peas? First year I planted them, they would be the first thing deer would go to, but ever since, deer don't seem to touch them. I am thinking the first year, I may have planted one of the white flowering versions and these last few years the Austrian variety as suggested by the Tecomate guy on here.

[elgato]

Makes sense. Should on know better to question you! Appreciate you sharing your knowledge. Have you decided on which deer you will be after this year?

Also, don't recall any off your mixes including winter peas? What are your thoughts on winter peas? First year I planted them, they would be the first thing deer would go to, but ever since, deer don't seem to touch them. I am thinking the first year, I may have planted one of the white flowering versions and these last few years the Austrian variety as suggested by the Tecomate guy on here.

I've tried winter peas numerous times and never had good luck with them. They don't grow well in my soil and I have never seen a lot of grazing on them. I like the idea of winter peas as a soil enhancer but there are things that work better here. I don't think they like wet feet and winter in La. is going to be wet.

If the big 8 crosses my path....

[gingib]

I found Chicory(10lbs $64, 3lb $28) and Crimson Clover($45 per 50 lb bag)

I heard Chicory is 3lbs per acre and Crimson is 15lbs per acre

1. Is that the planting rate if planting it alone? Would mixing it with other seeds cut that amount down?

2. Out of the 2 if you plan on planting Elbon Rye and Oats, which one would work best assuming a sandy soil?

[JeffK]

I've tried winter peas numerous times and never had good luck with them. They don't grow well in my soil and I have never seen a lot of grazing on them. I like the idea of winter peas as a soil enhancer but there are things that work better here. I don't think they like wet feet and winter in La. is going to be wet.

If the big 8 crosses my path....

I would have to agree on the 8. He is one of a kind and with him being to able to hide out like that, it will make it just as awarding if your able to get him.

[gingib]

This is what I am thinking, lets hear the professionals opinions. I am disking all of it and then will broadcast/drag or drill it:

1 acre- 60lbs Elbon Rye, 100 lbs bob oats, 15 lbs Crimson

1.25 acres- 75 lbs Elbon Rye, 100 lbs wheat, 15 lbs Crimson
1.25 acres- 75 lbs Elbon Rye, 100 lbs Bob oats, 15 lbs Crimson

1 acre- 50 lb Top Notch Widlife Mix

I am thinking of this split to experiment with it all and see what they like and don't like. Any glaring things that I can improve on or am doing wrong?

Overseeding?