Fertilizer

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showgirl2010

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Jan 6, 2008
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Illinios
Yes, it is cheaper to buy hay.  We make all of our hay though in fact we had a better year than most and ended up saleing some.

Jamie
 

TJ

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May 15, 2007
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2,036
If prices keep going up, I may have to try some of the organic boys tricks!  10 gallons of liquid molasses mixed with 100 gallons of water, sprayed with a broadcast nozzle is a low cost method that they all seem to swear by.  It's supposed to be applied several times per year for max. benefit.  Compost tea, liquid humate, sea water/fish emulsions, etc, etc. are some of their other tricks.  I have been told is that it takes those methods longer to start working, but everyone that I have talked to, swears by them.   

I'm a bit sceptical & I have no clue if any of the above works or not, but molasses is cheap enough that it may be worth trying on a few acres as an experiment.
 

red

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Jan 20, 2007
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LaRue, Ohio
I know this isn't a fetilizer question but I need to get a picture of our new sprayer. The hubby was just trying it out the other day & I think it went over his head!
I'll have to check w/ him on prices. We buy in bulk but it's still out of this world. with this & fuel prices I just don't know how some will make it. Not to mention the sky rocketing land prices!

Red
 

garybob

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Feb 4, 2007
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NW Arkansas
We use Broiler Litter. You get more than 3 elements, and, it builds Organic Matter in our stony, high-clay soils. That, and, it's cheap, as I am in the middle of the Meat-Chicken Industry. Delivered & spread, $40 bucks a load ( about 8 tons-per load).

Smells funky, until it rains. However, you've never seen such pretty Fescue and Bermuda Grass. Wouldn't raise Cattle nowhere else.

GB
 

red

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Jan 20, 2007
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LaRue, Ohio
garybob said:
We use Broiler Litter. You get more than 3 elements, and, it builds Organic Matter in our stony, high-clay soils. That, and, it's cheap, as I am in the middle of the Meat-Chicken Industry. Delivered & spread, $40 bucks a load ( about 8 tons-per load).

Smells funky, until it rains. However, you've never seen such pretty Fescue and Bermuda Grass. Wouldn't raise Cattle nowhere else.

GB

We used the same until one group got control of all the rights to the manure. We spread the manure from the feedlot on our pastures. I agree GaryBob, the poultry manure is a good buy as long as you follow all the EPA rules that are set forth.

Red
 

garybob

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NW Arkansas
red said:
garybob said:
We use Broiler Litter. You get more than 3 elements, and, it builds Organic Matter in our stony, high-clay soils. That, and, it's cheap, as I am in the middle of the Meat-Chicken Industry. Delivered & spread, $40 bucks a load ( about 8 tons-per load).

Smells funky, until it rains. However, you've never seen such pretty Fescue and Bermuda Grass. Wouldn't raise Cattle nowhere else.

GB

We used the same until one group got control of all the rights to the manure. We spread the manure from the feedlot on our pastures. I agree GaryBob, the poultry manure is a good buy as long as you follow all the EPA rules that are set forth.

Red
The "stuff" we call "Litter'' isn't the toxic and corrosive straight, liquid feces, that I think you are describing. Therefore, we don't have to follow as strict a Protocol as with Egg Farm, or Swine ''slurry''.

Raising Broilers , is a little different than an Egg Operation. I don't know how to explain it in Y'uns' terms, but, it's like comparing a drylot Dairy Farm to a Cell-grazing scenario. Most buildings used by the Integrators' Contract Growers are 40' X 400', and 14,000 baby chicks are placed in them, to ''run loose'', eat, and gain weight for their 56 to 63-day lifespan. These buildings have a dirt floor, and, the floors are covered in either Hulls, Saw-dust, or Shavings (about  a 10-inch depth). Once a year, after 5 flocks ( 8 wks each), the Growers ''clean-out'', and replace the Bedding with new, clean Shavings or Hulls. Flexsteel Furniture and Wabash Trailers both have Factories in Harrison, AR, that make various hardwood components for further-assembly somewhere else at other facilities, therefore, Oak shavings are what Tyson & Butterball Growers use in this area.

Fescue's already ''greening up'', at 36 degrees, 30 minutes North Latitude (otherwise known as the Missouri/Arkansas Border).

GB
.
 

red

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Jan 20, 2007
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LaRue, Ohio
here's the new sprayer. Will try to get pictures when booms are out. The total width w/ the booms out is 90'. It's going to be interesting seeing it work!



Red
 

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knabe

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Feb 7, 2007
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Hollister, CA
i saw somewhere the other day corn mush by product or somethign was 8-0-0 and was being used as a fert, OM addition.
 

P-F

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Jun 11, 2007
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286
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Ohio
All I can say is thank God for the hog barns
We run 3 2500 head finishers and it really cuts down on the amount of Anhydrous that we have to put on those fields, we even put it straight on the pasture. 
Plus the cow manure with all the rotted straw real adds the nutrients
 

Will

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May 7, 2007
Messages
744
Location
Jay Ok
garybob said:
We use Broiler Litter. You get more than 3 elements, and, it builds Organic Matter in our stony, high-clay soils. That, and, it's cheap, as I am in the middle of the Meat-Chicken Industry. Delivered & spread, $40 bucks a load ( about 8 tons-per load).

Smells funky, until it rains. However, you've never seen such pretty Fescue and Bermuda Grass. Wouldn't raise Cattle nowhere else.

GB
Unfortunately the days of using litter may be numbered.  It is a great fertilizer and can be used very safely if properly applied.  The politician snd special interest will eventually stop the use of litter in the oklahoma water sheds.  By the way 19-19-19 is running $800.  Urea is $485 and they have not priced ammoniumnitrate yet.  The option of buying hay may get a little tougher.  With fertilizer and fuel cost most of the guys who bale alot around us are just not going to bale as much.  A custom baler in this area is raising his cost to bale to $40/ton.  Some guys are even higher.  If you get 40 a ton in the baling then another $38 a ton in spray and fertilizer that gets to almost $80 before you figure land cost or your time.  I believe hay will be high this summer.
 

aj

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Jul 5, 2006
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Location
western kansas
I think hay will be sky high in the near future...... on crops it is really getting to be tricky on where the point of diminishing returns is......of course everything hinges on weather as usual. :-\
 
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