# Lespedezas: AU Grazer?



## wmk0002 (Feb 19, 2013)

Does anyone have the lespedeza variety AU Grazer planted in their pastures? Or know of anyone who does? I have been researching it here and there over the last couple of years and am seriously considering planting it late this spring. There are lots of ag publications on it but I am having trouble finding true reviews from farmers. I'm primarily interested in how it has helped with parasites, how long it took the stand to become well established, and if it spreads to other pastures (in my case I have a bermuda pasture on one side and neighbors property on the other; both of which I don't want it to spread into). 

Any reviews would be appreciated.


----------



## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

I can't give you specifics, but reading posts from some southern herders on other groups I belong to, they love it and it does curb worm problems. Some even make it into hay. 

Not sure where you are, I've read it's considered invasive in some states. Unfortunately we are too cold to plant it here. I'm looking into other options in the same plant family.


----------



## Clovers_Clan (Jul 17, 2012)

Good research paper on anthelmintic effects:
http://www.acsrpc.org/Conference/Proceedings/Mosjidis.pdf

Someone on the forum planted this last year, can't remember who. Hope they respond. Seemed like it was a very involved process of seeding. Land had to be cleared, prepared, watered etc. as it is hard to establish. But once established is easier to maintain. The seed is still quite expensive. I would love to know how its coming for them, we're all hoping the results are worth the effort. It shows a lot of promise.

I'm really most eager in seeing it become more widely available as hay. Its personally more involved than what I can handle in my own pasture.


----------



## Doug Hodges (Jul 22, 2013)

I planted the Sericiea Lespedeza on a few test spots this spring. I'll see how it does. I have Bermuda too.


----------



## GaRLS (Dec 22, 2014)

I plan on planting it myself this year in a silvopasture (in pines) setting.
Seed is expensive tho $200 for a 50# bag @ 25#/ ac comes to $100/ ac.
I'll be planting 40 Ac total but will experiment on 5 Ac this year.


----------



## wmk0002 (Feb 19, 2013)

Ford Zoo said:


> I can't give you specifics, but reading posts from some southern herders on other groups I belong to, they love it and it does curb worm problems. Some even make it into hay.
> 
> Not sure where you are, I've read it's considered invasive in some states. Unfortunately we are too cold to plant it here. I'm looking into other options in the same plant family.


I live in Alabama and am actually only a couple hours north of Auburn University where it was developed...so I should have the ideal environment from a weather/temp standpoint. The 3 acres I would like to plant also has very acidic soil which it thrives in as well. And since it does well in acidic soil I can offset the high seed cost by the fact that it won't need near as much lime plus AU Grazer requires no nitrogen fertilizer.

Preparing the seedbed will definitely require a lot of work as I understand it needs to be prepped correctly. As far as planting goes, I can buy the seed from the Alabama farmers co-op for $230/50 lb (compared to $200 at Sims Bros) and I believe they will rent their seed drill at a cheaper rate if the seed is bought through them which is what I was leaning towards.


----------



## wmk0002 (Feb 19, 2013)

I plan to use it for grazing, square bale hay, and would like to drill in some non-toxix fescue after it gets established.


----------



## Whisperwindkat (May 28, 2009)

I almost planted it, but the price put me off. Neighbor down the road planted and I helped her. It was a bear to follow all the specifics for it. I have lots of oak trees, high tannins. My goats always had clearer fecals than hers even with the SL established and being grazed. In fact her goats had such parasite problems that she lost 3 and sold the rest of the herd because she couldn't keep the parasites down. Now maybe she didn't graze it enough...have enough planted. But even though she only had a couple acres planted the goats would eat some and then refuse the rest. However, my goats eat something from the oak trees all year. Green leaves in the summer, acorns in the fall, and during the first part of winter they eat the dead leaves like they are potato chips. So, the tannins do work for parasite control. Maybe if she cut the SL to keep it young and tender the goats would have consumed more and she would have been able to control her parasite issues. So for me I am glad I didn't spend the money. Blessings, Kat


----------



## wmk0002 (Feb 19, 2013)

Whisperwindkat said:


> I almost planted it, but the price put me off. Neighbor down the road planted and I helped her. It was a bear to follow all the specifics for it. I have lots of oak trees, high tannins. My goats always had clearer fecals than hers even with the SL established and being grazed. In fact her goats had such parasite problems that she lost 3 and sold the rest of the herd because she couldn't keep the parasites down. Now maybe she didn't graze it enough...have enough planted. But even though she only had a couple acres planted the goats would eat some and then refuse the rest. However, my goats eat something from the oak trees all year. Green leaves in the summer, acorns in the fall, and during the first part of winter they eat the dead leaves like they are potato chips. So, the tannins do work for parasite control. Maybe if she cut the SL to keep it young and tender the goats would have consumed more and she would have been able to control her parasite issues. So for me I am glad I didn't spend the money. Blessings, Kat


Thanks Kat. 

I notice you are also in Alabama. What part are you from? I am in NE Cullman County. If your neighbor is anywhere close I would be interested in seeing their lespedeza firsthand if it is something they may entertain.


----------



## CJBegins (Nov 20, 2009)

I have sericera lespedezia in my hay field. Goats, cows and horses eat it but it gets real tall and woody of let go. It will crowd out other grasses.


----------



## PlowGirl (Nov 16, 2005)

I'm intending to plant some down my fence line roads. I buy as much sericea hay as I can find and the goats absolutely love it. It is a little stem.my but just rake those up and compost it.


----------



## wmk0002 (Feb 19, 2013)

CJBegins said:


> I have sericera lespedezia in my hay field. Goats, cows and horses eat it but it gets real tall and woody of let go. It will crowd out other grasses.


I have some generic/unimproved sericia in the pasture already. It is also very stemy and the goats only eat the very tip of the stem and the leaves but do love it. Although I haven't had a chance to see AU Grazer firsthand, I am hoping it is as advertised in the co-op publications and is a more leafy variety with a more edible stem.


----------



## Whisperwindkat (May 28, 2009)

wmk0002 said:


> Thanks Kat.
> 
> I notice you are also in Alabama. What part are you from? I am in NE Cullman County. If your neighbor is anywhere close I would be interested in seeing their lespedeza firsthand if it is something they may entertain.


We are south west of Montgomery. A good ways away. I could try to get in touch with her to see if she still has it. Long story short after the massive death of her goats and having to sell the last few that remained, she kind of had a bit of a breakdown. Hasn't spoken to any of her friends in over 2 years. Keeps herself locked in the house behind a locked gate. Won't answer phone calls, emails, or even car honks at the gate. I will ride by and see what the field looks like from the road. Maybe I could get some pictures.


----------



## kycrawler (Sep 18, 2011)

We have serecia lespedeza here it is an invasive weed seed bank stays in the soil for 15 years after you kill it so it is hard to ever be rid of it . CoWS eat it when young but makes poor hay


----------



## COWS (Dec 23, 2012)

Procedure for baling sereicea: (what's the proper spelling for it anyway, there are at least 3 spellings in this thread and spell check rejects them all, plus i couldn't find it in the dictionary) Anyway, to bale it you cut it when it is about 1 foot or 18 inches high. In good hot weather, let it dry about 2 hours or until the top inch or two of the plant start to turn brittle. Then rake and bale. It helps to have two tractors with the rake hitched to one and the baler to the other. Don't cut more than you can rake and bale in about 2 hours. Square bales will be quite heavy and you will think you have baled it too green, but it will be all right and will finish curing in the bale. Cows love it, haven't had goats to feed it to. Round bale according to the same rules. 

COWS


----------



## COWS (Dec 23, 2012)

Forgot to mention, it should be a clean stand of only sereicea only, not other grass which will take longer to cure.

COWS


----------



## wmk0002 (Feb 19, 2013)

COWS said:


> Procedure for baling sereicea: (what's the proper spelling for it anyway, there are at least 3 spellings in this thread and spell check rejects them all, plus i couldn't find it in the dictionary) Anyway, to bale it you cut it when it is about 1 foot or 18 inches high. In good hot weather, let it dry about 2 hours or until the top inch or two of the plant start to turn brittle. Then rake and bale. It helps to have two tractors with the rake hitched to one and the baler to the other. Don't cut more than you can rake and bale in about 2 hours. Square bales will be quite heavy and you will think you have baled it too green, but it will be all right and will finish curing in the bale. Cows love it, haven't had goats to feed it to. Round bale according to the same rules.
> 
> COWS


Wow, interesting on the drying time. I had read where it was typical to cut in the morning and bale in the evening but nothing this quick! Do you know if this applies to the improved varieties like AU Grazer, which are a little leafier?


----------



## COWS (Dec 23, 2012)

I haven't had any experience with newer varieties but think it would be the same. Do a small amount at a time and keep a close eye on it. With a square baler bale a few bales, stack them under shelter, watch them closely. You probably will feel some heat in the bale which will go away. Break open a bale and check conditions for a few days.

The 2 hours assumes a hot dry day.

COWS


----------



## kpinkert (Feb 19, 2016)

Not sure you still care about AU Grazer... but we have been planting it for the last 6 years here. Overseeding fescue using frost seeding. In fact we just planted 400 lbs of it a couple of weeks ago. We have about 55 acres of hay and pasture with sheep, alpacas and donkeys. This AU Grazer is the single most beneficial thing we have contributed to this farm. It loves the heat, makes incredible hay and thrives here in MD. The photo was taken in september 2014. The brown field in the background is fescue, and the green strip in the middle is AU Grazer.


----------



## kpinkert (Feb 19, 2016)

We don't follow that strict of a baling schedule. It does dry very quickly however. We square bale it (and we have round baled it due to weather or other circumstances). We use a Kuhn rake which does not beat the snot out of the hay. It does have some leaf loss, but not much. We usually always cut the hay flat without making any wind rows with our cutter/conditioner. We let it sit overnight, rake and bale back to back. Cut as much as we can get up that day. All of our livestock love the hay. It must taste incredible.


----------



## wmk0002 (Feb 19, 2013)

kpinkert said:


> Not sure you still care about AU Grazer... but we have been planting it for the last 6 years here. Overseeding fescue using frost seeding. In fact we just planted 400 lbs of it a couple of weeks ago. We have about 55 acres of hay and pasture with sheep, alpacas and donkeys. This AU Grazer is the single most beneficial thing we have contributed to this farm. It loves the heat, makes incredible hay and thrives here in MD. The photo was taken in september 2014. The brown field in the background is fescue, and the green strip in the middle is AU Grazer.


Yep, I am still interested in it. I plan to give it a try this spring. Hopefully it will work out for me, I am just regretting that I didn't prep the pasture like I had planned. I intended on heavily spraying that pasture late last summer and fall to try to kill off everything in it and then lime it according to my soil test. If I remember right, I had very low ph...I'm thinking around the low 5's. Despite that, it is worth it to me to go ahead and give it a try. If it has a hard time establishing I will do everything I mentioned above this year and re-seed next spring. 

I just really need to improve my forage. I have culled over the past few years based on the relatively poor forage I have now, so my current goats should really thrive if I can give it a boost.


----------



## kpinkert (Feb 19, 2016)

It does grow well on lower PH soils. Maybe not a vigorous, but that is why the state highway folks plant sericea lespedeza on road banks in some areas. Try not to graze it much the first year. We planted it heavier then the recommendations (10 to 20lbs/acre). I think we ended up planting it between 30 and 40lbs/acre. I expect to see a great crop on a field we planted last spring as it was doing well in the fall. If you get it going, you will be very pleased with the results. Amazing hay quality. We have sheep, and prior to lespedeza out pasture and hay was primarily fescue. Two years in a row now, we have consistently higher birth rates, vigorous lambs, they even gain weight thru the summer heat. We never had that before (growth during the summer).


----------



## wmk0002 (Feb 19, 2013)

Thanks. I will take your advice and go easy on the grazing the first year and probably just bale it once towards the end of the summer.

Have you ever seeded in a cool season grass along with it? If it and fescue would grow well together that seems like it would be a good combination to have more forage year round.


----------



## kpinkert (Feb 19, 2016)

yes, in fact we frost seed it directly into fescue pastures. Fescue being the cool season hay and sericea lespedeza being the warm season legume. Our first cutting of hay on these fields is about 80% fescue and 20% lespedeza. The second cutting in middle of August is 80% lespedeza and 20% fescue. Same field. Here is a photo of AU Grazer planted last year Feb 2015, taken today Apr 2016. Fescue and it are together.


----------



## Justin_Cain (May 25, 2020)

New guy here. I know this thread is ancient, but I just planted a half acre of AU Grazer in central VA. I also inoculated it which I hope will help it to establish. My soil is typically pretty acidic (5 to 6). I just drag harrowed the area with my quad, broadcasted and then dragged it again. I did apply a little bit of nitrogen, potash and phos, but no lime. I wish I had a cultipacker, as I feel like that would help. Would love to do this in silvopasture too. I currently keep hair sheep, but soon to take possession of some Nigerians and eventually Kikos or myotonics. Would love to hear if the OP ever had any luck getting it established.

Justin


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Justin_Cain said:


> Would love to hear if the OP ever had any luck getting it established.


The OP hasn't been here in the last couple of years.


----------



## Justin_Cain (May 25, 2020)

Bearfootfarm said:


> The OP hasn't been here in the last couple of years.


Figured. Lol! I'll try and create a thread when I have the chance.


----------

