# Seed Mix Recommendations for Hog Pasture?



## jkleven (Feb 28, 2016)

I'm interested in improving the quality of the existing pasture that I intend to run hogs on and am looking for recommendations from folks with experience as to a seed blend/formula that would work well for my climate. I'm in West Central MN, the soil is nice and black, fertile and relatively well drained and has partial to full sunshine over most of it.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

We plant:
soft grasses (bluegrass, rye, timothy, wheat, etc);
legumes (alfalfa, clovers, trefoil, vetch, ect);
brassicas (kale, broccoli, turnips, etc);
millets (White Proso Millet, Japanese Millet, Pearl Millet);
amaranth;
chicory; and
other forages and herbs.

Exactly varieties will depend on your local climate and soils. I avoid the grasses and such that turn toxic with drought, frost or other stress as they make our management system too complex.

I prefer perennials or things that self-reseed. Some things labeled as annuals are-actually perennials in our climate because we get early snows that protect their-roots over the winter - e.g., kale, broccoli, etc.

In our winter paddocks we plant during the warm months things like pumpkins, sunflowers, sunchokes, beets, mangels, sugar beets, etc.

We blend seed by spreading a tarp, setting out barrels, pouring a little of each seed we want in the mix into the barrel and then when it has all the types and is about 80% full we close the barrel and roll it around to mix.

We seed by hand broadcasting with the mob, the storm and the frost. Over seed a bit. Smaller seeds do better than larger seeds this way but even oats work. If seeding sunflower or other large seeds where grackles and other birds will steel try first seeding radishes a week or two before to create a non-tasty cover. Then seed the larger seeds.

Seed companies we buy from: Johnny's, Hancock, High Mow, Bakers and a couple of-others I'm not thinking of at the moment.

-Walter
http://SugarMtnFarm.com
in Vermont
USDA Zone 3


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## jkleven (Feb 28, 2016)

highlands said:


> We plant:
> soft grasses (bluegrass, rye, timothy, wheat, etc);
> legumes (alfalfa, clovers, trefoil, vetch, ect);
> brassicas (kale, broccoli, turnips, etc);
> ...


Do you mix all of those different seeds into one big batch? Or just use a few different varieties per mix and use different mixes on different paddocks?


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## Pig in a poke (Mar 27, 2013)

Yes, and is there a certain ratio?


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Yes. I mix them and broadcast together. Some seeds throw further than others but in time it equals out.

-Walter


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

Dwarf Essex rape, legumes, with smaller quantities of beets, radishes and turnips. Rape has a protein content comparable to alfalfa, but is much cheaper and easier to plant than alfalfa.


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## jkleven (Feb 28, 2016)

Gravytrain said:


> Dwarf Essex rape, legumes, with smaller quantities of beets, radishes and turnips. Rape has a protein content comparable to alfalfa, but is much cheaper and easier to plant than alfalfa.


Any suggestion where to buy rapeseed? I'm having trouble finding it at a reasonable cost around here.


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

jkleven said:


> Any suggestion where to buy rapeseed? I'm having trouble finding it at a reasonable cost around here.


Rapeseed cost is high here also. I do plant a lot of it. Its has high protein and well worth planting. It grows fast and is one of the best pig feeds. The pigs love it.


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

Rapeseed is about 80 cents/lb here. Rapeseeds are small and a pound goes a long way. Hancock seed has it online for $1.14/lb.


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## GalloLoco (Apr 13, 2016)

I'm completely new to this, so a bit clueless. How can one determine what pasture grass grows best in their are? I'm in VA (Zone 7A). Soil is a bit rocky, but pretty fertile.


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## Rural Economist (Dec 14, 2013)

It also depends on the quality and condition of your soil. If the soil is compacted you will probably want to add something like diacon radish to the mix. 

It is best if you can rotate your pasture area. But a mixture is always best.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

What I did is buy a _lot_ of different varieties of grasses, legumes, brassicas, millets and other forages. Then I setup test stripes about 30' wide out in our pastures. Then I crisscrossed this to create a plaid pattern. Next I observed over the course of several years which did well in various soils and which the animals liked and which the animals did well on. Over time that allowed me to select for the species of forages that do well for our pastures. I then seeded much more heavily with those forages that were the best choices for us. It is an ongoing process. I continue testing and adjusting. Science is fun.

-Walter


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

gerold said:


> Rapeseed cost is high here also. I do plant a lot of it. Its has high protein and well worth planting. It grows fast and is one of the best pig feeds. The pigs love it.




http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G2360

Link above is a good guide for planting for pigs. I follow it fairly close. I do plant Milo, corn, field peas,Sudan grass and a few other when the price of the seed is right 

Gestating Sows does real well on Ladino clover and some other pastures without any ground grain.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

The legumes (e.g., alfalfa, clovers, etc) are very important in pig pastures.


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## jkleven (Feb 28, 2016)

I might try a food plot mix that a local seed company has. It contains a mixture of alsike, red, white and crimson clovers, rape, chickory, alfalfa, rye, ladino and turnip. That mixed with some fescue and brome seems like a good blend.


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

jkleven said:


> I might try a food plot mix that a local seed company has. It contains a mixture of alsike, red, white and crimson clovers, rape, chickory, alfalfa, rye, ladino and turnip. That mixed with some fescue and brome seems like a good blend.


Chickory is very good. Don't have to worry about worms and such with it in your pasture.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Really? I hadn't heard about chicory as being a dewormer. I planted a lot of chicory years ago and it has thrived here. The pigs love it. Do you have any links to research?

-Walter


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

highlands said:


> Really? I hadn't heard about chicory as being a dewormer. I planted a lot of chicory years ago and it has thrived here. The pigs love it. Do you have any links to research?
> 
> -Walter


Not only the root of Chicory but the whole plant is good for improved taste, and worm control. People been using this for years for worm control. 

Link below. Should be quite a few links on research on this.

http://orgprints.org/9369/1/9369.pdf


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

gerold said:


> Not only the root of Chicory but the whole plant is good for improved taste, and worm control. People been using this for years for worm control.
> 
> Link below. Should be quite a few links on research on this.
> 
> http://orgprints.org/9369/1/9369.pdf


I had read that somewhere too...though I don't have any practical experience with it.


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## Jeep (Jan 30, 2016)

Depending on where you at you can also plant canola instead of rape. Same plant but canola has had a acid I think bred out of it so we can use its oil. Should make it more palatable for pigs.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Interesting. We have _lots_ of chicory so maybe that is one of those little details that is making things work. I love it because it grows early and fades very late in the fall. It flowers for a very long time and has a variety of colors. The pigs love to eat it. It self seeds very well and comes back from the root year after year.

-Walter


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

Jeep said:


> Depending on where you at you can also plant canola instead of rape. Same plant but canola has had a acid I think bred out of it so we can use its oil. Should make it more palatable for pigs.


I can't imagine anything more palatable to pigs than D.E. rape. My pigs forego everything else to get to the rape...including sweet corn, cheese and bread. They absolutely MOW it.


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