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ALTERNATIVE LIVESTOCK MIXTURES
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Buffalo Mixture -- (Summer pasture)
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35%
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Meadow Bromegrass, Fleet
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25%
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Timothy, Climax
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20%
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Meadow Foxtail
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20%
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Creeping
Red Fescue
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Buffalo do not like cereal pastures, e.g., oats nor do they
like high protein forages like clover, alfalfa's or other
legumes. In winter they prefer paw through the snow to graze
the Fescue rather than eating any hay, as such, it is suggested
to incorporate Creeping Red Fescue into the pasture.
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Deer
Mixture
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35%
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Smooth
Bromegrass, Carlton
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25%
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Alfalfa,
Hannas High Tech
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25%
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Timothy,
Climax
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15%
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White
Clover
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Although orchard grass is a good source of phosphorous and
balances out the calcium/phosphorous ratio in combination
with Alfalfa, the orchard grass can sometimes out compete
the Alfalfa and you end up with a pasture of orchard grass. |
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Elk Mixture
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50%
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Alfalfa, Hannas High Tech
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50%
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Meadow Bromegrass
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Elk do not prefer a single species diet. In a grass/legume mix where the legume dominates, the grass is grazed heavily. In mixes high in grass, the legume is overgrazed. As such, producers should aim for 50% grass and 50% legume in a seeded paddock.
Alfalfa is the most common legume Elk producers are seeding. It has a proven record for high production and persistence across all of the soil zones, making it the best suited legume available.
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Sheep
Mixture
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30%
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Meadow
Bromegrass
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25%
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Orchardgrass,
Potomac
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15%
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Kentucky
Bluegrass
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10%
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Creeping
Red Fescue
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10%
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Timothy,
Climax
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5%
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Alfalfa,
Hannas High Tech
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5%
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White
Clover
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Although sheep are not as susceptible to bloat as cattle,
certain precautions should be used when introducing them to
alfalfa for the first time. Most problems with bloat can be
avoided by placing sheep on alfalfa pasture when there is
no outside moisture on the plants. This is usually in mid-afternoon,
which means that the sheep have already had an opportunity
to graze for most of the day.
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©2007
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