Development of an innovative forage crop system for pasture raised swine

Project Overview

FS12-262
Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 2012: $8,303.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2012
Region: Southern
State: Texas
Principal Investigator:
Ron Luce
Poppa Skinny's Farm

Annual Reports

Commodities

  • Agronomic: peanuts, sorghum (milo)
  • Animals: swine

Practices

  • Animal Production: feed/forage, feed formulation, feed rations, grazing - rotational
  • Crop Production: multiple cropping
  • Education and Training: farmer to farmer
  • Farm Business Management: feasibility study
  • Production Systems: organic agriculture, integrated crop and livestock systems

    Summary:

    A forage system for pasture raised swine is difficult but still a possibility.  Heavy deer population destroyed our peanut crop both years of the project.  A forage system (at least in my area) must include significant and effective efforts to prevent crop failure when the deer eat all the tops off all the peanuts in any stage of growth.

    Introduction

    The proposed system for forage crop system remain largely untried.  Attempts to raise the crops succeeded only as far as planting and cultivating.

    Project objectives:

    Groups of pigs were farrowed and tagged both years. Overlapping crop plantings of milo and peanuts were made.  Early peanut planting dates resulted in good germination but very slow growth.  Peanut growth improved as temperature increased but were all ultimately devistated by heavy deer pressure.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.