A key to profitable livestock production is to minimize the need for hay or other stored feed. Use of various techniques to extend the availability of pasture forage and thus keep animals grazing as long as possible is highly desirable on most farms. However, most producers will need to provide hay or some other stored feed at certain […]
Some terms associated with forage-livestock production are unique. Here are a few that are often used, along with definitions or explanations of each. Knowing what these terms mean can help a person better understand discussions of various aspects of forage-livestock agriculture. Alkaloids- A large group of complex compounds that contain nitrogen and occur as by-products of plant biochemical processes, […]
In recent years, fertilizer prices have increased. Budgets prepared by university agricultural economists indicate that fertilizer cost associated with growing grass is typically 50 to 60 percent of the cost of producing beef cattle. Unfortunately, it appears that the cost of commercial fertilizer is not likely to decline much anytime soon. Producers who feel they have limited funds to spend […]
Precipitation is a must for many lawn and garden tasks. It helps moisturize a dry lawn, gets plants growing fast, is necessary to activate many fertilizers and come winter, provides insulation for dormant plants. But when it comes to applying herbicides like RM43, rain and snow won’t do the application any favors. Dry Weather is Essential […]
As the weather turns crisp, you may think your landscaping duties are a distant memory. In actuality, cooler temperatures are the ideal time to get your lawn prepped for winter. Hot, dry, summer weather can seriously stress your grass and for months it has fought to survive; now is the time for it to take a […]
PlotSpike is our premium blend of high-quality forage seeds for planting wildlife food plots. It is a leader in the food plot seed industry and has been providing seed to customers across the southern United States for more than 20 years. Once in a while, we get asked questions about this product and how to use it. We answered the top […]
Benefits of legumes or legume/grass mixtures can include biological nitrogen fixation, higher forage yield, more favorable distribution of forage growth, and higher forage quality that results in better animal performance. In pasture situations, clovers are by far the most commonly used type of forage legume. Depending on climatic conditions, soils, and sites, a livestock producer […]
Farmers across the southern United States depend on winter grazing to provide a healthy diet for livestock until spring. Why? Winter pastures help stretch stockpiles of hay, saving farmers money and time by allowing cattle, sheep, horses and goats to graze far beyond the normal growing season. So now that you’re on board with putting in a winter pasture, how do you ensure your […]
Grazing pressure refers to the extent to which pasture forage is being utilized at a given time. This is a function of stocking rate; i.e. the number of grazing animals that have access to a pasture. For example, if 30 cows have access to 60 acres of pasture, the stocking rate during that period of […]
For those that love to hunt (and enthusiastically wait for deer season all year) there are a lot of factors that need to come into play to make the season the best it can be including producing a quality herd. Food plots provide necessary nutrition for deer, long into the winter. But food plots also work with […]
It is getting close to the time of year that’s more precious to hunters than any other – hunting season. For most experienced hunters a food plot is a must. Food plots not only draw game and wildlife to your hunting ground, they help herds stay healthy and control population numbers. Even though hunting season doesn’t start until […]
When it comes to growing and maintaining a lush, green lawn, don’t fall prey to old wives’ tales and myths. Instead, trust our facts and you’ll be rewarded with a lawn your neighbors will envy. “You need to water your lawn every day.” Contrary to what some may think, watering your lawn for 15 minutes […]
It takes a lot of knowledge to grow a lush, green, healthy lawn and beautiful, blooming flowers. For example, gardeners need to know when to plant, reseed, fertilize, mow, apply weed treatments and treat any diseases. Luckily technology has caught up with landscaping with these great apps specifically dedicated to helping both homeowners and professionals […]
Woody plants like mesquite, oak, locust, wild rose and sweetgum, don’t stand a chance against BRUSHTOX™. This systemic herbicide kills more than 60 woody plants and more than 30 broadleaf weeds, like Canada thistle, milkweed and dog fennel. Since BRUSHTOX™ targets broadleaf weeds, many natural grasses won’t be harmed and many even flourish without the […]
Broomsedge, which is actually a native grass and not a sedge, has become more prevalent in many pastures in the eastern United States in recent years. This is undesirable, because this plant provides relatively little nutritional value to livestock. Even worse, it competes with desirable plants for nutrients, water, sunlight, and space. Reasons for Encroachment […]
Harmful insects and mites have no place inside, or outside, your home. Flies and cockroaches carry diseases, mosquitoes and ticks feed on blood, and aphids, ants and armyworms ruin lawns and plantscapes. Compare-N-Save Indoor/Outdoor Insecticide protects your home and surroundings. As the name suggests, it can be applied both inside and outside. It works […]
Lawn care isn’t easy, it takes know-how, diligence and patience. Luckily there are a few great products that make you look like a pro! Weed Killers Anybody who grew up pulling weeds knows how tedious the task can be. Similar to emptying a bucket of water with a teaspoon, it’s never-ending. Herbicides keep a lot […]
Weeds are the bane of your lawn’s existence. Weeds aren’t just unattractive to look at; they are thieves that steal nutrients from your grass. To eradicate them, you can continuously battle by spot spraying and pulling or, decide on a total kill and start fresh. Grab Some RM18 When you’re ready to say goodbye to […]
Spring is in the air. Warm days outnumber the cool ones. Soon your lawn will need more than the passing glance it has received all winter. A lush, green, healthy lawn or garden doesn’t just happen. It takes hard work, tried and true techniques and help from some of our favorite products. Test Your Soil. […]
When choosing a seed for your livestock’s forage-based diet, look no further than Prine. Ragan & Massey’s Prine™ Tetraploid is the most commercially available ryegrass variety developed by the outstanding University of Florida ryegrass breeding program. This high-yield, rust- and disease-resistant tetraploid variety withstands cold temperatures to improve forage yields.
Year after year meteorologists and farmers predict the upcoming winter will be worse than the last – and it turns out to be accurate most of the time! But no matter if the winter or extremely harsh or mild, it always poses a risk to your livestock. The best way to prepare for the worst […]
A winter pasture, full of annual forages such as small grains and annual ryegrass, benefits small farms with easy-to-grow, highly-nutritious forage while saving money, time and effort. It is no wonder that more and more farmers across the United States are adopting winter grazing habits for cattle, sheep, horses and goats. Planting a winter pasture […]
We’ve been telling you how great our products are for years. RM18, RM43, Compare-N-Save insecticides and herbicides and BRUSHTOX all offer solutions for any type of gardening, farm and lawn care problem. So now you’re ready to buy, but you haven’t seen them where you primarily shop. No problem! There are a lot of different […]
It’s no secret that we love to talk about how awesome RM43 is, but that’s because we are proud of this product and what it can do for the back 40 or the backyard. It is one of our favorite things! Here’s why we love RM43 and you will too.
We offer our customers many different herbicide options and sometimes it can get confusing trying to figure out which herbicide to grab. There are several options from our multiple brands and deciding which one to choose, pretty much depends on where the job is and the weeds that need killing.
When it comes to winter forage in the Southeast, it’s hard to argue with annual ryegrass. It is a quick-growing, non-spreading bunch grass that is a reliable, versatile performer almost anywhere in the United States, but especially the southern U.S.
Noxious and invasive weeds can be downright frightening, but the proper weed killers can get rid of them! They slink, slither and creep around your landscaping and infect your lawn, forcing you to take drastic measures – killing them down to the root. Some of the scariest invaders by far are Virginia creeper, kudzu and […]
In gardening and landscaping, sometimes you just need a clean slate. In other words, no weeds, no grass, no plants, nada. You need total vegetation control. But choosing the right herbicide for the job can get confusing. Ragan & Massey alone sells six different brands of herbicides and each has their particular uses for weed […]
If there was an “All Star List” for forage crops, ryegrass would have to be on it. Ryegrass can be grown in many areas, it has the potential to produce a good forage yield, it is easy to establish, and it provides excellent nutrition for forage-consuming animals. Given these attributes, it is not surprising that […]
October 12 is National Farmer’s Day Fall has arrived. It’s the time of year when farmers may not necessarily be able to take a break, but at least they can take a breath and be proud of the hard work they’ve done all spring and summer. Fall is harvest time, when all the planting, the […]
Photo Credit: Marion Barnes. One of the challenges faced by a cattleman or other producer of grazing animals is assessing the productivity of pastures. The reason is that grazing animals “eat the evidence” (i.e. they eat the pasture forage). But a forage-livestock producer at least knows the size of the pasture area and how many […]
There are two constants in farming; weeds grow faster along a fence line and there’s always something more important to do than getting rid of them. The good news is Ragan & Massey has exactly the products you need to kill weeds, grass and brush that will keep your fence lines clearer, longer.
What you get out of your livestock pasture is directly related to what you put into it, or rather what seed you choose to grow in it.
Millions of dollars worth of hay are sold in the United States each year. Successful hay transactions result mostly from application of “common sense,” but discussion of some points that should be considered is provided in this article.
There are many uses for RM18: your lawn, your garden, and your weeds.
Ragan and Massey’s Prine seed offers the best in commercially available ryegrass varieties from the outstanding University of Florida ryegrass breeding program. These high-yield, rust- and disease-resistant tetraploid varieties deliver proven results. You shouldn’t have to second-guess when you need to plant a winter pasture. We believe Prine offer the best combination of quality and […]
First deemed as the perfect solution for erosion control, kudzu may now be the most hated word to gardeners and farmers in the southern United States. This plant, native to Japan, stretches and expands across pastures, fields and gardens, its vines smothering and choking everything in their path including native species, wild spaces and even […]
University budgets reveal that fertilizer usually accounts for 40 percent or more of the cost of producing forage, and N alone can account for 20 to 40 percent of the cost of producing grass forages. The extent to which a livestock producer is able to minimize fertilizer expenses may mean the difference between profit and […]
If you’ve accidentally gotten into poison ivy once, once is enough. This little plant’s oils, called urushiol, cause painful, itchy rashes that can last one to three weeks. While the rash itself isn’t contagious, poison ivy’s oils can take years to dissipate, so if it gets on clothes and gloves, it can cause multiple reactions. […]
I saw another dandelion yesterday. That makes 123 for the year, and it’s April.
Hay is the most commonly used stored feed on livestock farms in the USA, with a total annual value of billions of dollars. Most hay (especially hay intended for use with beef cattle herds) is packaged in large round bales and stored for several months before it is fed. Round balers are popular because they […]
Dear Driver, I see you up ahead, behind that slow-moving tractor on this otherwise desolate county road. You’re on your cell phone, likely complaining that you’re going to be late for Something Very Important because Some Idiot Farmer took the paved road to the field.
Winter annual forages such as the small grains (rye, wheat, and oats), annual ryegrass, and several Brassica species (including turnips, rape, and kale) benefit many livestock farms. These species are widely adapted, easy to grow, and produce highly nutritious forage. In addition, they make most of their growth during the cooler months of the year […]
This is the year your lawn will be the envy of the neighborhood. All it takes is a little research, a little elbow grease, and a little restraint. Keep reading to learn our secret to lush, green grass.
Flooding of pastures or hayfields occurs with regularity in some or many areas in most years, especially in fields located near creeks or rivers. Obviously, there are limits to the amount of flooding a forage stand can tolerate. Therefore, it is common for questions regarding this topic to arise. In particular, this often occurs when […]
With some honest assessment, anyone can follow these steps to success. Here’s a SMART example of a hunter trying to boost the quail population on his small farm and getting marvelous results. Follow the acronym to see how it worked.
Livestock producers spend a lot of time taking care of their animals, but the idea of giving the animals a job to do usually doesn’t come to mind. I am referring to the “trampling” or “walk in” approach to establishing clover. I first observed this technique during a trip to New Zealand in 1988, in […]
Despite many meteorologists and farmers already predicting some seriously cold arctic blasts this winter, many livestock owners will likely find themselves frantically rushing around trying to save the herd when the mercury falls too far, too fast.
Forage programs vary greatly, even on adjacent farms. Reasons include that soils and other resources vary, the objectives and inclinations of producers may not be the same, and the species, classes, and breeds of livestock differ from one farm to another. However, despite diversity regarding the details, forage producers who have the most profitable forage […]
Every time we write a blog here at Ragan & Massey, we hope you take away something useful. For Thanksgiving, we want to give you something we hope you keep and share. Today we give our gratitude.
