House and Habitat build thread:

[catscratch]

That was just an example based on the program in video.

Stocking rate should be a bit higher under the 24 than 8 paddock system due to more grass production with longer recovery and higher utilization efficiency. But let's say stocking rate is the same for both......what do they normally set stock calves for the season in flint hills?....I have no clue of your carrying capacity or forage yields but will use one 500 lb steer per acre and 50 ac so 50 steers as example. Savvy, stocking rate for both is the same 1 steer per 1 ac....most people start out with normal stock rate for their area anyway when starting a rotational system....then adjust over time according to seasonal production.

Animal impact is described in terms of animal density and this will determine how uniformly a paddock is impacted, the amount of forage actually eaten, and the amount trampled. The number used for animal impact is the lbs of beef per acre. So total weight of 50 steers is 25,000 lbs of beef....same for each system.

50 ac....8 paddock system....6.25 ac paddocks....7 day stay/paddock......25,000 / 6.25 = 4,000 lb stock density

50 ac....24 paddock system....2.08 ac paddocks....3 day stay/paddock.....25,000 / 2.08 = 12,000 lb stock density

More plants get impacted at higher density as paddock # increases. There will be a threshold density number required to impact low preference plants...many times above 70,000 lbs/ac and several moves per day.

Days grazed play a role as well....since cattle have the option to avoid some area which are fouled or high in low preference plants under a low density set up....thus uneven impact. With smaller paddocks, there are less areas of light impact.

Anytime you are trying to tweak plant diversity 2 factors are highly important.....
stock density to set all plants back evenly...and...time required for full recovery of the most severely grazed desirable plant before grazing again. There is no set numbers for those....each area and year differ.....that is where monitoring and planning comes into play.

You got me playing with numbers. We run the summers steers at 1 steer per 2 acres. The way the place is set up it would be easy to have 4 paddocks ranging from 60 to 320 acres. The larger sections would probably require some fencing to divide up and get even grazing across all plant species (to get less preferred eaten). The smaller paddocks wouldn't be big enough to support the herd for long... It would take some planning to figure it out. 70,000lbs could be easy to attain on most of the place.

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[catscratch]

Nice buck your boy got Cat and some nice sheds as well. You take kids "snipe hunting" far different than I was treated to as a kid! I got left in a dark woods holding a burlap bag like an idiot!!! I get the occasional woodcock that migrate thru but nothing worth hunting. I love seeing the ducks on the water as well. My son is talking about picking up waterfowling again once he graduates if he has time.....it's a blast, but not much fun by yourself. You got quite the diversity there at your place.

Lol. I think we've all been on one of those snipe hunts!
Get your boy out there hunting now, have him make time. I use to think I would have more time after graduation, then I thought I would have more time once I was married, then I thought I would have more time once the babies were a little older... etc. I was wrong every time! You are right, hunting ducks isn't as fun by yourself. Done it many times but it's never the same as with a trusted friend or family.
I love my part of the world. Growing up was a new adventure every weekend. We have quail, pheasants, squirrel, deer, prairie chicken, are in the central flyway, and every once in a while something new catches your attention and proves to be huntable (like our newfound snipe). From your posts I would bet you would love this part of the country!

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[j-bird]

Lol. I think we've all been on one of those snipe hunts!
Get your boy out there hunting now, have him make time. I use to think I would have more time after graduation, then I thought I would have more time once I was married, then I thought I would have more time once the babies were a little older... etc. I was wrong every time! You are right, hunting ducks isn't as fun by yourself. Done it many times but it's never the same as with a trusted friend or family.
I love my part of the world. Growing up was a new adventure every weekend. We have quail, pheasants, squirrel, deer, prairie chicken, are in the central flyway, and every once in a while something new catches your attention and proves to be huntable (like our newfound snipe). From your posts I would bet you would love this part of the country!

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I'll give Kansas a good hard look when I win the powerball!

You are right about having time. I have a monument to that in my garage that has been a "project car" for 15+ years now - never enough time or money.....always something with a higher priority.

I especially love hunting waterfowl over water.....we don't have much opportunity for that here. It's mostly field hunting sky carp, but it's still fun when it works out. It's a very social thing - I may give some folks a call and see if they are planning to smack some geese yet this year and dust off to old 11-87.

 

[catscratch]

Here ya go j-bird, this morning's view. Every pic is of a different section of the pond. Must be a migration, we are covered with ducks this morning!

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[Fish]

I duck hunted religiously with my best friend at the time, a black lab named, Cutter. When he died, i completely lost interest. Havent hunted a duck since.
Good luck with the sericea control. Best i could ever do was shade it out.

 

[dgallow]

You got me playing with numbers. We run the summers steers at 1 steer per 2 acres. The way the place is set up it would be easy to have 4 paddocks ranging from 60 to 320 acres. The larger sections would probably require some fencing to divide up and get even grazing across all plant species (to get less preferred eaten). The smaller paddocks wouldn't be big enough to support the herd for long... It would take some planning to figure it out. 70,000lbs could be easy to attain on most of the place.

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With purchased stockers, you probably want to run 25,000 to 40,000 density to maintain animal performance.....letting them actually graze the top 1/3 of plants then move on. At 70,000 with daily moves, gains may not be high enough for a 100 day return on stockers without supplementation....I'd be more inclined to run 70,000+ with a cow herd where average performance is acceptable. You need to watch fill on the cattle and manure to make sure they are performing. Something else you can do is follow stockers with the cow herd especially where you need more impact.

 

[Weasel]

Place is looking great. Congrats to your boy on his buck!

 

[catscratch]

With purchased stockers, you probably want to run 25,000 to 40,000 density to maintain animal performance.....letting them actually graze the top 1/3 of plants then move on. At 70,000 with daily moves, gains may not be high enough for a 100 day return on stockers without supplementation....I'd be more inclined to run 70,000+ with a cow herd where average performance is acceptable. You need to watch fill on the cattle and manure to make sure they are performing. Something else you can do is follow stockers with the cow herd especially where you need more impact.

That's the way we (my father in law) does it. 90 days with the steers and then rotates his cow herd through the place over the fall and winter. I'll do the calculations later to see exactly what the stock rate is. We do suppliment the steers. Some of it is for gains but mostly just to keep them trained for counting and moving into pens.
Thanks for your help so far, this is interesting stuff.

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[catscratch]

Place is looking great. Congrats to your boy on his buck!

Thanks and thanks. The 8yr old is trying for one now that it's rifle season. The kid hunted 6hrs yesterday without a sighting. He is staying patient and still excited for this afternoon's hunt.

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[catscratch]

I duck hunted religiously with my best friend at the time, a black lab named, Cutter. When he died, i completely lost interest. Havent hunted a duck since.
Good luck with the sericea control. Best i could ever do was shade it out.

I've had the same thing happen. A dog can truly be the best hunting partner there is.
The invasive control has been in equilibrium for yrs. I would rather gain on it some than just keep fighting and only getting it to not spread though...

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[catscratch]

Rub post and licking branch still bring critters in. These pics are just from a couple of days total. Some of the pics are of the same deer, but at different times. Lots of activity.

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[catscratch]

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[catscratch]

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[catscratch]

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[Turkey Creek]

Looks like you got yourself a mangy coyote. He must be eating well, usually by the time they are that bald they are skin and bones. Looks like a buck or two that should be good next year.

 

[catscratch]

Started on the kick panel for the bar in the basement today. Sheetrock and paint to match the wife's "accent wall" blue. Then used oak (that I cut while clearing for the electric company to run power lines to the house) as paneling.

I stacked the oak logs and dried them for almost a yr. Then milled them into boards, dried another couple of months, then planed. Due to lack of equipment I had to get creative to get straight edges.

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[wbpdeer]

Got it going in the right direction. Like the natural look. Great job - I bet the wife is happy to see the progress.

Wayne

 

[dogghr]

Your coyote looks to have the Mange. They carry it back to den and usually most or all the den will die in winter freezing to death. One of Natures way of population control of the predator. Has similar affect on coons. Saw it here two years ago, and seldom see a yote last two years. Downside is nearly every doe with twin fawns so population control required when nature doesn't do that part. Two harsh winters with poor mast in 14 and 15, and some of that control has taken place as the deer starved and froze.

 

[catscratch]

It's real pretty wood. Going to look nice once it's sanded and finished.

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[catscratch]

Got it going in the right direction. Like the natural look. Great job - I bet the wife is happy to see the progress.

Wayne

The wife likes it when anything gets done! It helped that I included her blue into the project.

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