Annual/Italian Rye grass

[Grassfarmer]

Has anyone experience of using annual/Italian ryegrass for fall pasture? I'm considering seeding some for our grass-fattening cattle and wonder how it will stack up in protein /energy versus the meadow brome/legumes we normally use. Will it be too high protein to get a proper finish? Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[starvin'dog]

I sowed some westerwold ryegrass last spring. the stuff is so slow to get going that moderate grasshopper pressure killed it. Where it persisted in some low spots it came on tremendous in late summer and the cattle loved it. The westerwold sent up seed heads so I would guess the protein was moderate. They knocked it all down into the mud but went back and cleaned up every leaf and stem.
I think I'll go back to oats this spring simply because of the hopper issue. My field is adjacent to permanent pasture.

 

[RobertMac]

I plant annual ryegrass and cereal rye every fall. the ryegrass is slow to start as starvin' dog said. Most of my fall grazing is the rye...which I have found to work better than oats or wheat. Rye also grows at lower temps than most anything else...but heads early in the spring...doesn't like wet soils. Ryegrass should give you a lot of spring grazing. Protein is high, but energy is low until the plants start to mature. Ryegrass may be susceptible to winter kill where you are...snow cover may help with that?
Have you thought about perennial ryegrass?

 

[Grassfarmer]

I should have said I plan to seed it in late spring under a cover crop of triticale which we will silage. I'm really doing it for the fall grazing not spring so will be spraying it out every spring anyway. I forget the story on the westerwold - does it set seed in the first summer which Italian doesn't?
I'm told perennial ryegrass doesn't survive here in winter RobertMac. Have you used annual ryegrass to grass fatten on?

 

[RobertMac]

I should have said I plan to seed it in late spring under a cover crop of triticale which we will silage. I'm really doing it for the fall grazing not spring so will be spraying it out every spring anyway. I forget the story on the westerwold - does it set seed in the first summer which Italian doesn't?

If I remember right, annual ryegrass planted in the spring won't head out until the next spring.

I'm told perennial ryegrass doesn't survive here in winter RobertMac. Have you used annual ryegrass to grass fatten on?

It's my finishing pasture.

 

[starvin'dog]

westerwold will set seed the first season. My idea was to 'cut and graze' it. didn't spray it because of the hopper wreck and it did establish in the wild oat patches. It kept growing right to freeze up. Has a real waxy leaf that they'd go through snow for or graze the next spring I'm sure.

 

[Puma_52]

Spring planted annual ryegrass should do good in your area. We have used Marshall ryegrass here in North Texas because it is the most winter hardy of the annual ryegrasses we have tried. We run our first calf heifer pairs on it and grow out our yearling bulls(two separate pastures).

We have also found that running a packer over plowed ground before broadcasting the ryegrass gets it going a lot faster in the fall in our area. Would not do that in your area, but works really good here.

 

[Grassfarmer]

I should have said I plan to seed it in late spring under a cover crop of triticale which we will silage. I'm really doing it for the fall grazing not spring so will be spraying it out every spring anyway. I forget the story on the westerwold - does it set seed in the first summer which Italian doesn't?

If I remember right, annual ryegrass planted in the spring won't head out until the next spring.

I'm told perennial ryegrass doesn't survive here in winter RobertMac. Have you used annual ryegrass to grass fatten on?

It's my finishing pasture.

How does it do as your finishing pasture? do you also have legumes in the mix or is it a standalone in your situation? I was considering grazing it part of the day and onto perennial pasture with some legume the rest of the day. I'm afraid that going to a straight one species pasture would affect the flavor of the beef - less complexity and diversity = less taste and flavor? What do you think?

 

[RobertMac]

I should have said I plan to seed it in late spring under a cover crop of triticale which we will silage. I'm really doing it for the fall grazing not spring so will be spraying it out every spring anyway. I forget the story on the westerwold - does it set seed in the first summer which Italian doesn't?

If I remember right, annual ryegrass planted in the spring won't head out until the next spring.

I'm told perennial ryegrass doesn't survive here in winter RobertMac. Have you used annual ryegrass to grass fatten on?

It's my finishing pasture.

How does it do as your finishing pasture? do you also have legumes in the mix or is it a standalone in your situation? I was considering grazing it part of the day and onto perennial pasture with some legume the rest of the day. I'm afraid that going to a straight one species pasture would affect the flavor of the beef - less complexity and diversity = less taste and flavor? What do you think?

It works great. I plant rye, ryegrass and white clover and keep grass hay free choice...as the pasture matures, they quit eating the hay. Through the winter when pasture is growing slow, I time limit to a couple hours a day.

As for flavor, remember what PPRM said...think wine. Flavor is subjective...the same piece of meat doesn't necessarily taste the same to any two people. I believe that soil has more to do with "taste" because that is the source of nutrients for all your plants. My soil fertility is very poor, but I love the "taste" of my beef...and thankfully, so do my return customers. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can't please everyone. Raise healthy animals, keep them on the gain and you should produce a quality product...sell it to those that enjoy eating it.

 

[greybeard]

I've also been wondering about using rye grass for fall grazing after seeing the regrowth on my neighbors seed field a couple of years ago. I think his was perennial rye grass. The growth was incomparable and very lush and green in late October with no significant senescence. It looked like the ideal fall graizing to add gains or wean calves. I should qualify this by saying it was a seed field and they always look better due to good fertility. It had also been a very high rainfall season.
Some were growing rye grass seed here for a few years as an alternative to wheat as the inputs were somewhat lower. Most seem to have quit due to the problem with volunteering in the following crop, especially in a zero till system. This to me would indicate it could work with your silage program.
It also appeared to require good fertility and timely rainfall, probably due to being a shallow rooted annual. In low rainfall years it looked poorly adapted to this area.
I expect fall rye would be more dependable but maybe not as potentially high yielding.
I assume what you mean by changing the taste is that livery flavor from too much protein in the finishing phase?