A year in the life of a farm

[GarGuy]

I think you will like what you see with the Chicken litter. Last year you might remember that I put it out heavy. I grew the best food plots i ever had with it.

[Sticks&Strings]

I think you will like what you see with the Chicken litter. Last year you might remember that I put it out heavy. I grew the best food plots i ever had with it.

Where did you get it and how much is a load? And how big is said load?

[unclefish]

What a chicken ***** thread this has turned into. I mean its just a big load of crap.

I bet your fall plots will be epic!

[elgato]

The fields have been sprayed and ready for several weeks.I ended up spreading chicken litter 2tons/acre over 35 acres. Bucks have shed their velvet and are already fighting and killing each other. And FINALLY, it looks like rain next week.The seed is in the barn and hopefully we get some rain next week and I will start planting immediately after.

Total seed order. 6 pallets including:
5600 lbs elbon rye
6605 lbs wheat
1000 lbs crimson
500 lbs radishes
250 lbs durana
250 lbs red clover
200 lbs arrowleaf
150 lbs purple top turnips
150 lbs rape
100 lbs chicory
Also have 250 lbs of cowpeas left over I'll throw in somewhere

I believe the winter plantings with small grains, clovers et al are the most important thing that can be done nutritionally. Sure summer planting are valuable but also fraught with challenges. Winter plantings can cover most of the year with luck and are much easier to manage.

[TxAg]

Following along for the planting. Very cool.

[Plan B]

The fields have been sprayed and ready for several weeks.I ended up spreading chicken litter 2tons/acre over 35 acres. Bucks have shed their velvet and are already fighting and killing each other. And FINALLY, it looks like rain next week.The seed is in the barn and hopefully we get some rain next week and I will start planting immediately after.

Total seed order. 6 pallets including:
5600 lbs elbon rye
6605 lbs wheat
1000 lbs crimson
500 lbs radishes
250 lbs durana
250 lbs red clover
200 lbs arrowleaf
150 lbs purple top turnips
150 lbs rape
100 lbs chicory
Also have 250 lbs of cowpeas left over I'll throw in somewhere

I believe the winter plantings with small grains, clovers et al are the most important thing that can be done nutritionally. Sure summer planting are valuable but also fraught with challenges. Winter plantings can cover most of the year with luck and are much easier to manage.

El Gato, That is some serious seed! I enjoy the land management portion of this thread as much or better than the big deer photos! I have started top seeding all my plots with clover because of this thread. Keep it up!

[unclefish]

Wow. How long does it take to get it all done?

[timoub007]

I wish we had enough consistent rain out in Kimble to justify all the work of putting plots in. Enjoy keeping up with your progress and learning from your work too.

T

[AhuntP]

Great thread!

[JeffK]

The fields have been sprayed and ready for several weeks.I ended up spreading chicken litter 2tons/acre over 35 acres. Bucks have shed their velvet and are already fighting and killing each other. And FINALLY, it looks like rain next week.The seed is in the barn and hopefully we get some rain next week and I will start planting immediately after.

Total seed order. 6 pallets including:
5600 lbs elbon rye
6605 lbs wheat
1000 lbs crimson
500 lbs radishes
250 lbs durana
250 lbs red clover
200 lbs arrowleaf
150 lbs purple top turnips
150 lbs rape
100 lbs chicory
Also have 250 lbs of cowpeas left over I'll throw in somewhere

I believe the winter plantings with small grains, clovers et al are the most important thing that can be done nutritionally. Sure summer planting are valuable but also fraught with challenges. Winter plantings can cover most of the year with luck and are much easier to manage.

Looks like you have some tractor time ahead of you! So what bucks made the hit list this year?

[deer farmer]

Elgato, the pictured buck prior to the pictured high rack buck is a monster buck. I don't think I have ever seen a healthier buck. Your combination of protein feed along with the high quality food plots have produced some of the best looking bucks I have ever seen.
How did the CS fertilization turn out? Was it spread and then turned into the soil, or left on top of the soil? Was this done at the same time as the seeding or prior to seeding? And have you seen any rain since this past spring? I have seen less than 1" since May, In Harrison Co Texas the drought is back. Seeds are setting in dust and hoping for some rain. And thanks for keeping this thread active again this yr. Are u getting any rain for your fall planting?

[elgato]

Here are the answers to a couple of the questions. I'm expecting it to take 5-7 days to plant assuming everything works. As I consider this the most important mgt. step of the year I'll be careful to try and hit everything perfect. Was supposed to rain today. Didn't happen. Maybe tonight tomorrow. I'll wait for rain.

I spread the chicken litter with a lime cart. Spread it on top and did not work it in. The drill should drive some of the litter into the soil and I'll let the rest migrate naturally.

To elaborate a bit on this falls planting schemes here are the general concepts. It has been so dry and so hot I'm concerned I may have lost much of my clover so I am replanting. My mixes look like this:
1) 50 lbs wheat, 5 lbs durana, 5 lbs red clover, 5 lbs arrowleaf,, 3 lbs radishes, 1 lb turnips, 1 lb rape, 2 lbs chicory

2) 50 lbs wheat, 5 lbs durana, 5 lbs red clover, 2 lbs chicory

For the fields in fall/ summer rotation:
These fields were in sunn hemp this summer. 100 lbs elbon rye, 50 lbs wheat, 15 lbs crimson clover
No sunn hemp 2) 100 lbs elbon rye, 50 lbs wheat, 10 lbs crimson, 3 lbs radishes, 1 lb turnips, 1 lb rape
I'll throw about 5 lbs of leftover cow peas in the mixes where I hunt

Always fun to experiment with different combinations and rotations. All no till drilled.

[elgato]

Just for chuckles here is a picture of a goat we have enlisted to catch a lion at the ranch. The cat has been killing deer so we are checking out his appetite for goat.

[Nailhead]

Just for chuckles here is a picture of a goat we have enlisted to catch a lion at the ranch. The cat has been killing deer so we are checking out his appetite for goat.

I like it. Catch a cat and then cabrito for dinner. Well the goat is probably a little old to be considered cabrito, but roasted goat none the less.

[BolilloLoco]

Just for chuckles here is a picture of a goat we have enlisted to catch a lion at the ranch. The cat has been killing deer so we are checking out his appetite for goat.

I hope you are putting a video cam on this set up once it is deployed!!!