We just fertilized our pastures yesterday, and this will give them a boost nutritionally, in regards to the cows. We always keep mineral out in a couple boxes for them throughout the year, but their usage during spring and summer is very light compared to fall and winter when the grass just has no nutrient value at all.
I know Sandra and Bonnie both have talked about burning off the pastures, and back before commercial fertilize came about, and even after, ranchers still burn off pastures and scrubland. The grass after a burn comes back so pretty and green, and this not only benefits your livestock, but all the wildlife as well.
A burn was called, “poor man’s fertilizer,” and that’s exactly what it was, and in many cases still is. I know my brother Shane burns when he can.
It’s not just beneficial from the nutrient value in the grass it supplies, but also helps prevent major wildfires if done once in a while. By the rancher burning pastures and woodlands off occasionally, it destroys old underbrush during a burn, and by doing so, this prevents so much “fuel,” from continually building up through years and years of being left alone.
It also destroys some of the older or weakened trees, thus opening up holes in the canopy, and allowing young trees to flourish.
Well, I saw ‘ole Queen Bee today. This is the first time I’ve seen her in her last 4-5 trips. We were always gone, or something else was going on, but did get to spend time with her today.
As much as I hate to say it, I had pretty much neglected my starter hive, but Sherry has been looking after it for us, and from what I saw with her, it is really doing well now.
Going back a little, Sherry began my starter hive, a few months back. She did this by “splitting” a few of her hives. This is where she has a few hives doing really well, with plenty of food source (honey), plenty of brood, eggs, and bees.
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