It went up more quickly than a regular barbed wire fence, and there's a lot less maintenance. My cows calve on the home place. I put the bulls in with the heifers on 20 June and with the cows around 20 July. That way, my heifer calving is finished before the cows begin. This quick rotation helps control weed intrusion.
Weeds are a sign of pasture stress.
If there is no stress, there are no weeds. This form of intensive grazing guarantees maximum use of what nature provides, because Keyston uses no amendments to encourage hay production. Basically, his work is to avoid over-grazing the place, yet make maximum use of hay growth during the unusually short growing season. Keyston pointed out how hay from his 200 acres of permanent hay ground, plus any surplus gleaned from the pasture sections, is enough to see the mother cows and heifers through the year. We're putting up 1,500 to 1,800-pound wrapped round bales.