We have been trying to increase our basin wild rye forage the last 6-7 years. Cows will eat basin wild rye in the spring (don't let them) and in the winter, but they won't hardly touch it in the summer unless forced to. If I could have 1/3 of my ranch pasture under basin wild rye, I don't think I would ever feed any hay. I have seen my cows when moved into a new pasture choose basin wild rye over high quality alfalfa hay freshly put out. Hard to germinate, but when established basin wild rye is like magic.
I have been studying market gardening and pasture raised animals for almost 3 years but have not been able to get a place to homestead yet. Other considerations. We want to stop grazing a paddock when there is not enough plant leaf left to absorb sunshine for photosynthesis to both rebuild the above ground plant for the next grazing and to feed the roots and the soil biology. The plant uses photosynthesis to make sugars for the roots to emit exudates to feed soil biology which bring 41 different minerals to feed the plant. The soil biology can even find water for your plants during a drought. I want to only let the animals graze on the tops of the plants as the sugars and proteins are concentrated there. That means the animals do not have to eat as much mass to get sufficient nutrition. They can eat in the early morning and go ruminate in the shade. I want to use 16 different seeds to take advantage of what Dr Christine Jones called Quorum Sensing. The increased biodiversity will build soil and allow mycorrhizal fungi to serve 16 different plant varieties. The animals will eat what is best for them nutritionally in the first day. I am studying bringing in chickens and or ducks to graze after larger animals. Chickens eat the fly larvae before they become flies on day five after the feces hit the ground. Ducks love to eat insects. Love this quote. You don’t have a slug problem, you have a duck deficiency. -
