Hi All:
Sumner Roberts from Maine asked about being able to suppress Alice white
clover in native grass pastures. He complicates the answer by saying that
he is pretty much organic by choice and that he has no farming equipment
such as sprayers, plows and harrows, etc. Moving cattle and sheep in the
mid-afternoon is a good practice to help reduce the incidence of
bloat. "Bloat Guard" blocks is another option for reducing bloat. If the
sheep and cattle only have access to drinking water in a tub or watering
trough, a few squirts of dish water detergent in the drinking water each
day really helps prevent bloat. I have been using this method for about 6
years with great success when I move cattle into pastures with a lot of
clover. Another option is to move the animals more frequently so that the
have to eat all the feed (grass along with clover) and can not be so
selective. I'm suprised that he sheep are bloating before the cattle. In
our area, we turn sheep out into the alfalfa fields in the late Fall to
clean up the residual growth (usually very leafy stuff) so that the mice
don't have a place to shelter in the Winter.
Inorganic N fertilizer should stimulate the grass, but it will also
stimulate the clover. You might try over seeding with a rapidly
establishing grass such as annual or perennial ryegrass. You'll need some
good rains though to get these grasses to take.
Kindest Regards, Ron
Ronald L. Boman
Extension Dairy Specialist
Utah State University
Logan Utah 84322-4815
Phone 435-797-2163
Fax 435-797-2118
E-Mail ronb@ext.usu.edu
