Grazing Oats and nitrates......

[eatbeef]

Make sure you test any forages that you are planning on grazing. Was planning on grazing some oats and just got the results back of nitrate test and they came back at 3200 "very high" and another sample at 3800 "extremely high". Guess its been a little to dry. Had 2 inches of rain since the samples were taken, dont know if that will lower it enough to try testing for nitrates again???? Guess I got another 2 weeks of feeding 1 set of cows before going to one summer lease.

 

[littlejoe]

Make sure you test any forages that you are planning on grazing. Was planning on grazing some oats and just got the results back of nitrate test and they came back at 3200 "very high" and another sample at 3800 "extremely high". Guess its been a little to dry. Had 2 inches of rain since the samples were taken, dont know if that will lower it enough to try testing for nitrates again???? Guess I got another 2 weeks of feeding 1 set of cows before going to one summer lease.

they kinda take up N 24/7

if stressed, cloudy plant don't use N up.

it accumulates the highest right above bottem growth node/joint, that and a couple inches of stem is all you need to test.

it can change hourly. with adequate moisture and good sunshine, oats that are to be cut for hay can be deadly in the morning, borderline after lunch, good to go in afternoon. BUT---when cut, it 's locked in---it ain't gonna change, so you wannna make sure it's ready.

i'll bet with a few days of sunshine, it gets safe in afternoons--maybe esp if cows not empty when they go in---