[Homestead] Pasture question

Clansgian at wmconnect.com Clansgian at wmconnect.com
Wed Jun 11 21:42:27 EDT 2008



> > I'd mow it.
> 
> Thanks, Bev, why? Will it help it to regrow or just the asthetics?

Bev is right.  Mow it.  Mowning it will give the grass an advantage and the 
reemerging broadleaf weeds a disadvantage.  Also  goats do not crop closely 
unless they have to.  They will eat off weeds and grass 18" high and leave them 
if there's something else to eat, it seems to be a natural defense mechanism 
against soil borne parasites.  If any dead weeds are standinga around, you will 
notice that the goats will tend to ignore the grass around  the dead or live 
weeds.

We are beplaqued with giant thistle and ironweed.  When we wander the 
pastures, we take a ditching shovel along as a walking stick and do in any weeds we 
see biding fair to rise above the grass.  The goats will eat (the tops) of 
golden rods, joe-pye, vervain, and a good number of other 'weeds', but they don't 
prefer to eat ironweed.   </HTML>



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