# Brushhog or not?



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Next year we will have bunch more fence in place hopefully. The areas where we want to put the fence are old overgrown hay fields. Lots of weeds. 

Should we brushhog it now? Is it better to cut it all down and leave it there? Is it better to let it die with winter and regrow as it will in Spring? 

** There is some milkweed out there. What do I do about it? I am sure its seeds are spread. We did pluck as many pods off as possible but. ? It was pretty impossible to pull up from the roots.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Do you want to grow it again next spring or are you wanting to plant it?

It's better for the hay or grass if you leave it longer rather than shorter trhough the winter. But if you're wanting to plant something else then i'd mow it now.


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## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

I started in the spring without brush-hogging, but then I only had two goats and the field grew too fast.
We had our neighbor brush-hog it for us. Plus there was alot of small trees from the field sitting for 4 years.

As far as milkweed goes our field had tons of it. I tried to pull it all up but it ALWAYS leaves the roots in the ground(as you have said).
I found out that my goats hardly touched it. Sometimes I see 2 leaves bitten off but in small amounts it doesn't seem to affect them.

Now I have 3 does, 2 kids, and 1 lamb and the field gets eaten down pretty good. I dont think I need to brush-hog next year.

I think it is a good idea to cut it down before winter. If I had that chance I would plow 1/2 the field and plant a seed mix of some sort but cant do it this year. plus also cutting it down might fertilize it and make better pasture next year.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I don't plan to plant it or sow it. I will be spreading seed out there. It is about 2 feet tall of weeds and the pasture grass is barely there anymore.


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## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

I'd mow it now, the grass will grow up better in the spring and not be choked out by weeds.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

In that case i'd mow it now. If you keep it mowed through the spring and keep water on it...that grass should be able to grow better and the weeds will kind of die down with the mowing.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Thanks; we will brush hog it.  
I just wasn't sure what the goats would do better on. The current pastures have pasture grass and also shrubs and brouse. 
Water is not a problem here in NJ. It rains a lot!


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## Steve (Mar 12, 2011)

goats love weeds and trees,why bush hog them down?

the grass will grow just fine,they are not cattle,goats prefer taller weeds and grasses and it will help keep parasites down.

If you are going to replant the field with better weeds then i would plow or disc,if not let it go,winter will take care of most of it.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Steve said:


> goats love weeds and trees,why bush hog them down?
> 
> the grass will grow just fine,they are not cattle,goats prefer taller weeds and grasses and it will help keep parasites down.
> 
> If you are going to replant the field with better weeds then i would plow or disc,if not let it go,winter will take care of most of it.


Thats kind why I wasn't going to brush hog. 
I figured that the goats would like the variety and weeds.

The other pasture they did eat all the grass down but it was pasture grass and they ate the brouse first. :wink: Maybe I will just do the horses field and leave the ones that will be fenced for the goats. I wish I could put them out there now but fencing is expensive! We have had to add barns and feed rooms and fencing since when we moved in a year and a half ago there was none of that. We currently have a few acres fenced and hope by the end of next year the whole property will be fenced. The new pastures by Spring.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

I'm with Steve. I'd be sure the goats wouldn't prefer the weeds to
the grass that you would be encouraging by mowing. With that said,
I guess it would depend on the weeds. If the pasture was once eaten
down to dirt and only nasty stuff filled in, I could see where it would
be better to do something. But then you would need to plant too.
I'm in the process of trying to plant/encourage a one acre field for
my goats. It has had horses on it and they over grazed it something
terrible in the summer. I dragged the heck out of it and then drug in
some hairy vetch and deer plot shade blend under the big Douglas
Firs. I'm going to use a seed drill to put in some more hairy fetch
and chicory if it ever quits raining. I'm anxious to see how it turns
out. I won't put any goats on it until things get established.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

There have not been animals on the land in the last 30 years at least. The people we bought the house from had been here that long and never had more than a dog. 
They at one point were allowing a local farmer to plant and harvest hay but that was years back so now the weeds just took over. 

The only weed I don't want them to eat is the milkweed but I can't figure out how to eradicate it.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

freedomstarfarm said:


> There have not been animals on the land in the last 30 years at least. The people we bought the house from had been here that long and never had more than a dog.
> They at one point were allowing a local farmer to plant and harvest hay but that was years back so now the weeds just took over.
> The only weed I don't want them to eat is the milkweed but I can't figure out how to eradicate it.


Wow. That should be perfect for goats. Is milkweed poisonous to goats? IDK.. I'd leave it alone and let the goats sort it out.
Any chance for a picture?


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Milkweed is toxic to goats. Usually mine tend to stay away from the bad stuff but it still worries me a little. 
I will go take a few photos.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

All the stuff in the photos will hopefully be fenced pasture next year. I think that because there is a lot of area that has pasture grass already I will go the route of not brush hogging.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Oh yeah...that's not to bad...I was picturing something way overgrown...that looks good...i'd leave it. :thumb:


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## Farmgirl675 (Oct 21, 2010)

My goats will seek out milkweed and devour it??? Never had an isssue with it causing ill effects. I do know that the only way to get rid of it is round-up...they have very deep "runner" roots. I struggled for years to get rid of it in my veggie garden.....that is a demon weed that is tough to kill.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I had looked on multiple lists and it says milkweed is toxic on all of them. 
:shrug:


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Maybe you have a different kind of milkweed farmgirl? I've also heard they're toxic. We have some here...I don't know what type of milkweed they are, but my goats have some at the edge of their pasture and i've never seen them eating on them. :shrug: 

Are they scattered, Logan, or are they all bunched together? Maybe you could take the mower out there and just mow over the bunches of them?


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

They do seam to be in patches. I can try or maybe since the goats won't be out there before Spring now would be a good time to try the roundup to kill them.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Yeah...might as well. I'd go out there again in the springtime and spray the patches of them again...hopefully you won't get to many by the time the goats go out there. :thumb:


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Good pictures. That looks like an awesome goat pasture. It sounds 
like you know what to do about the milk weed. Virtually no parasites!


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Yes I do fecal samples and have not had to worm in over a year now! Love that!!


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## Steve (Mar 12, 2011)

that does look like good goat pasture,you might want to dd some other stuff to it for early spring graze,winter wheat or other small grains

my goats love milkweed too and have never had trouble,they usually just eat the tops,they also eat poison hemlock to extinction so i think some of the poison plant lists are over exaggerated a tad and might depend on how much they eat


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I will add some winter wheat.  What else do you suggest to be added with no tilling required?


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## Steve (Mar 12, 2011)

red clover can be planted with no till but i would only put it in thin or bare spots,otherwise it might not come up


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I had thrown some seed of that out in the Spring but it probably was shadowed by the other weeds.


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