When raising animals on pasture, it is really important to have good quality grasses mixed in. These grasses will help the animal put on weight and will ensure that they are getting all the necessary nutrients to be healthy. So today, I wanted to tell you about three types of grasses that are common in our pastures.
The first type is called alfalfa. Alfalfa is often grown and sold as hay because of its high protein content. It ranges from 15-20% crude protein content. It also offers other minerals like calcium and phosphorous. It gets tall and will eventually get purple flowers on it. (Sorry, I did find any of the purple flowers on the alfalfa to post.)
The next type of grass is called clover. We have two types of clover growing in our pastures and we call them red clover and sweet clover. The red clover grows fairly quick and gets several inches tall and is also very good as a source of hay. They will get little red flowers on them as they get bigger. The sweet clover is shorter than the red clover and does not grow quite as fast, but it too makes for an excellent addition to one’s pasture. Also, clover is good at building up the soil and is more drought resistant than other certain grasses. One thing that we do know is that animals, like goats and cattle, love both types of clover.
The final type of grass that would make a good addition to a pasture is called birdsfoot trefoil. These also take a little while to get some size, but they are good about coming back year after year. They can get fairly tall (depending on the variety) and will have little yellow flowers on them. This can grow better in soils that are poorly drained and slightly acidic to neutral pH than alfalfa. Also, it provides some diversity to your pasture. I have also heard of individuals using birdsfoot trefoil as cover crop.
These are just a few of many great options that one should consider when putting in a pasture for your animals. Our pastures have these grasses among others in them. The important thing is to look for the grasses that will grow best in your area and provide the most benefits to your animals.
Thanks for reading!
Sources came from:
http://menezesbrosinc.com/Facts%20Alfalfa%20Hay.htm
https://www.uvm.edu/pss/vtcrops/?Page=articles/BFT.html
http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition/Text-Version/Legume-Cover-Crops/Sweet-Clovers