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barley swath grazing

H

Hayguy

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 7, 2010
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2,384
Location
Southern Alberta
has anyone swath grazed mature barley swaths? neighbor late seeded barley and then didn't get it combined. was froze so grain is light (around 40 lbs). probably rough awn, will the snow on top soften the awns so as not to cause problems? between the mice and the resident geese there wont be much left by spring. no fence on three sides but have the technology to cure that :wink: is this an opportunity or just a make work project?
snow013.jpg
 
y'know, if this was in round bales and feeders, they'd burrow into it about to their shoulders----i'd say less problems with it in swaths--i'd be inclined to try it---and wonder it the guy'd go for a 'tentative' deal--see how it works?
 
We have swath grazed straight barley, but usually use a mix of oats/barley/rye, and are working with some triticale this year. The light grain is probably better for cows as they won't get too much energy. I would have at it. Cheap feed is a great thing, just leave them long enough they have to clean it up. Some cross fencing is definitely time well spent. We use portable rolls and rebar posts. Pound in with a little sledge and pull out with a little pipe wrench (twist and pull).
May be a bit more shelling with more mature barley but the geese will take care of that. We sometimes like more mature as it will often sprout in the spring and make for super may/june grazing (although I doubt your grainfarming neighbour would see that as a bonus).
Obviously price has to be right, but it works.
 
I did the same thing about 5 years ago. Combined most of crop but got caught with about 20 acres. Grazed it around christmas time and in the spring realized that the cows did a better job than the combine, and had no sore mouth issues. I would go for it
 
If you don't want to jump on it I know a rancher just south of you who is willing to load a few pots of cow to test the waters north of the river. Let me know.
 
neighbor dropped by yesterday afternoon to show me his new scare canon's (3) and his new banger pistol. over two grand worth of stuff to scare the geese away, i told him he could have put up some fence and grazed some of it for that price. he feel's that whatever barley he gets will be worth WAAAY more than what ever he could get by grazing. wished him luck. now we get to live with bangers and scare canon's going off all winter :x :mad: :evil: oh well.

thanx to all who replied :D
 
Good luck with that, unlike the neighbors, the geese will soon become accustom to the bangers. I think the opportunity will still present itself later in the winter.
 
per said:
Good luck with that, unlike the neighbors, the geese will soon become accustom to the bangers. I think the opportunity will still present itself later in the winter.
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possibly. didn't realize that there is such a lucrative market for 40 to 45 lb organic barley. he claims 9.75 a bu. :???:
 
hayguy said:
per said:
Good luck with that, unlike the neighbors, the geese will soon become accustom to the bangers. I think the opportunity will still present itself later in the winter.
Click to expand...


possibly. didn't realize that there is such a lucrative market for 40 to 45 lb organic barley. he claims 9.75 a bu. :???:
Click to expand...

It will probably be that organic goose shirt that will make it worth so much. :wink: :roll: :lol: :lol:
 
Grain over load is also a concern, cattle top graze the paddock first, and after opening up the piece they go after the rest. Fellow up this way had a field the weather got to before the combine and he grazed it. Lot of dead and sick animals.

CA
 

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