So I gotta ask you guys since my farm has lots of fescue on it ... what keeps my hillsides and waterways from eroding if I were to kill off the fescue?? I’d love more than anything to make my place as rabbit friendly as possible but at same time I hate dealing with soil erosion.
Lots of options, but it depends on a few things like degree of slope, soils, your management options, and tolerance for certain species. if by waterway, these are constructed grassed waterways as designed by the NRCS for CRP you'll probably have to keep them in fescue to stay in the program. Most any perennial grass species would help mitigate erosion, but it's hard for me to say for certain without knowing your farm. Lots of pasture mixtures that include legumes and grass species like orchard grass and smooth brome would likely be more more rabbit friendly than fescue. Especially those with sod forming grasses. Warm season grasses (prairie grasses) would be much better for wildlife than most cool season species, but they are more expensive and harder to establish while requiring a bit more/different management. But, if you are willing to do that, they are great! Species like big bluestem, little bluestem, Indiangrass, switchgrass, etc. Often times technical and financial assistance can be had for these plantings from the DNR, NRCS, or county.
Lespedeza has been used a bunch in SW IN for mine reclamation, but I'd not suggest it. IMO/E it causes other problems down the road than other options.
