tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post7870772964145071706..comments2023-09-29T18:37:14.377+10:00Comments on Eight Acres: Managing pasture - is burning necessary?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-24292511870598016462012-11-19T11:47:44.444+10:002012-11-19T11:47:44.444+10:00I've been doing more reading, and its not just...I've been doing more reading, and its not just the microbes that are affected, but also destroying all that carbon and ground cover is totally detrimental. Our lovely Braford cows are really getting into eating some of the older grass clumps for us, so maybe we won't need to burn in the end (I hope so!).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12874273438983052621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-28057649494367831072012-11-12T11:33:59.223+10:002012-11-12T11:33:59.223+10:00Fascinating! Thank you for linking up with the Cle...Fascinating! Thank you for linking up with the Clever Chicks this week; I hope you’ll join us again! <br /><br />Cheers,<br />Kathy Shea Mormino<br />The Chicken Chick<br />http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com<br />Kathy Shea Mormino, The Chicken Chickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05104166753153507123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-15170910677461481402012-11-11T18:32:22.670+10:002012-11-11T18:32:22.670+10:00Sounds like you're putting good thought into t...Sounds like you're putting good thought into this. I don't have anything useful to add, although I did randomly wonder if goats would help eat through the longer grass for you where you don't have water set up. Although I guess you probably need to provide water for goats too so that train of thought went nowhere. <br /><br />Anyway, good luck and I will be interested to see what you come up with. Emmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10894865592266996002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-71670639279182120932012-11-05T22:49:21.221+10:002012-11-05T22:49:21.221+10:00I was going to say no to burn as it kills the soil...I was going to say no to burn as it kills the soil microbes too but it seems I was not the only one thinking it. Regular slashing after stock have been in the paddock held break up the cow pats and creates a new layer of organic matter every time.Fiona from Arbordale Farmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05196630415124998431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-67399270309530704252012-11-05T13:50:17.669+10:002012-11-05T13:50:17.669+10:00The one reason I would advocate against burning, i...The one reason I would advocate against burning, is that it cooks the microbes in your soil: the very lifeforms which help build and carry fertility underground. You need to build their populations up to get nutritious growth, not reduce them.<br /><br />Burning also draws moisture from the ground, which means you then have to cart more moisture in or hope it rains to bring it back.<br /><br />I know your dilemma about managing these things however. We are currently in the process of removing lantana and sapling growth, which has gotten out of hand over the years. With no animals to help and only a brush-cutter and some hand tools, it's a matter of methodical application. Some of the larger trees have been removed and so we have stumps sticking up too.<br /><br />Our strategy is to wait a year and then once the stumps are dry, we'll try burning them out, one at a time. It's going to be a long process, but we live in a fragile environment where the soils need work to prevent erosion.<br /><br />I also like slow and methodical because we get to see what our efforts achieve in a season. Some strategies aren't the best, but because we're moving slowly any problems which are detected, we can change strategy without causing too much damage.<br /><br />It's so hard though because we want the animals already here, but we can't put them in without anything to feed them. We have to convert bushland to something edible. But the goal is always there (proper nutrition) so we keep plugging away at the environment.<br /><br />We visited some friends recently and discovered they had a tick infestation with their sheep (they only have a few) but they always came out in large numbers with prolonged wet periods. So ticks are present in our area too. I've already had to pluck two off my husband, when he was cutting through long grass and lantana.<br /><br />I'm not sure what the answer is with how we'll deal with ticks ourselves. I can't help but think a nutritious diet must go a long way to helping an animal cope though. <br />Chris https://www.blogger.com/profile/13715819899708384147noreply@blogger.com