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Byron IL | I think you should do a lot more research before you do anything further. I have raised grain, cattle and hogs in the midwest and am now out of farming but getting back into the regenerative grass fed beef on a small scale. I also have some hay ground, small grains and garden. I am interested in the health benefits mostly. I have learned a ton from podcasts and books over the last 6 months and I think that would be perfect for you. Just search "pasture" in Spotify, iHeartRadio, Instagram, Audible or anywhere that you get podcasts. My favorite is the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast. It is not specifically for livestock though. There are many that are. There is Grass Fed Life, Herd Quitter podcast, The Stockman GrassFarmer Podcast, Grazing Grass Podcast, and many others. There is also a lot on YouTube, but I haven't pursued that much because I like to listen to the podcasts when I'm doing other work or driving. Never enough time for YouTube.
You are going to want to research Silvo pasture. That is pasture in the trees. You would need to clear about 50% of the canopy. Once you get a good handle on utilizining your pasture land you could move into the Silvo pastures that you could develop.
If I were you I would start with helping your neighbors as much as you can to get some practical knowledge. You should really try to understand animal behavior to avoid some major catastrophies. I also would hire the fencing work done and maybe help as much as possible to learn the proper techniques. It will cost you a lot more if animals are getting out or fencing life is shortened because it's getting loose etc. I would put up a good perimeter fence of 47" woven wire with a barb or two on top. If you want to add other species down the road, to reduce parasite load and other benefits to the soil, it will be the most versatile and longest lasting and it's better for predators. It is more expensive than high tensile, but you don't have to worry about it shorting out with all of your moisture that you have. You can use various types of electric fencing for smaller interior paddocks. I would also strongly recommend a guard animal. You will probably need a dog for your type of predators.
I wish you lots of luck and would love to hear how it works out for you. Feel free to contact me if you like, Terry | |
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Newbie needs help with 86 acres in Western Washington
