The Next 6 Weeks

[Justin]

i put up a fair amount of oat hay every year, but would really like to try swath grazing some of it. but we tend to get alot of our rain in the fall, so i'm wondering if i swath in oats in mid to late July when i would normally hay it, i'm thinking by early/mid winter those swaths are gonna be nothin but mold. :? am i wrong?

 

[per]

i put up a fair amount of oat hay every year, but would really like to try swath grazing some of it. but we tend to get a lot of our rain in the fall, so I'm wondering if i swath in oats in mid to late July when i would normally hay it, I'm thinking by early/mid winter those swaths are gonna be nothing but mold. :? am i wrong?

We try to time the seeding of the Oats or whatever you are seeding so it will be ready to cut around the first and second week of September. That is when it cools down here and you can count on more frosts than not. Mold does not grow when it is frosty. Your timing could be later. The key is to seed it so it is ready when you want to cut it.

We had several inches of rain on ours this year which is fairly rare but because it was cool and or cold there is no mold on the swath grazing at all. I would not recommend swathing it in July here. Rain also washes the nutrients out as many of them are water soluble. We swath graze hay as well but it would be cut or grazed early in order so the regrowth is ready to cut when I want to cut it. Of course it seldom works perfect but for me I would never go back to baling everything.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

i put up a fair amount of oat hay every year, but would really like to try swath grazing some of it. but we tend to get alot of our rain in the fall, so i'm wondering if i swath in oats in mid to late July when i would normally hay it, i'm thinking by early/mid winter those swaths are gonna be nothin but mold. :? am i wrong?

I just read a article about that problem. They switched to Millet and that helped. I think some places seed later so it's not mature enough to swath until September. Doesn't work down here as if we don't get a crop in early we miss the moisture and it gets to hot.

 

[Justin]

i put up a fair amount of oat hay every year, but would really like to try swath grazing some of it. but we tend to get alot of our rain in the fall, so i'm wondering if i swath in oats in mid to late July when i would normally hay it, i'm thinking by early/mid winter those swaths are gonna be nothin but mold. :? am i wrong?

I just read a article about that problem. They switched to Millet and that helped. I think some places seed later so it's not mature enough to swath until September. Doesn't work down here as if we don't get a crop in early we miss the moisture and it gets to hot.

9 out of 10 years that is the case here aswell. i probably won't sell the balers just yet. :wink:

 

[per]

i put up a fair amount of oat hay every year, but would really like to try swath grazing some of it. but we tend to get alot of our rain in the fall, so i'm wondering if i swath in oats in mid to late July when i would normally hay it, i'm thinking by early/mid winter those swaths are gonna be nothin but mold. :? am i wrong?

I just read a article about that problem. They switched to Millet and that helped. I think some places seed later so it's not mature enough to swath until September. Doesn't work down here as if we don't get a crop in early we miss the moisture and it gets to hot.

9 out of 10 years that is the case here aswell. i probably won't sell the balers just yet. :wink:

To quote Dave Pratt "That's my unfair advantage". I am sure there are things you and BMR can easily do that isn't too practical here. That is what I like about this site, I can cherry pick the things I can adapt here and see pictures of things I couldn't or won't be able to do.

 

[Anonymous]

I went up to the north place today to check my mares- that are running on prairie- improved pasture- and stubble in country that looks much like Randilianas....
I was worried the last snowstorm may have gotten too deep/hard for them to graze- so took them a Smartlic protein tub--but found they look fantastic- still have a spring open to get water from besides the snow- and have grass galore to still get to (some areas almost blowed clear)...

The only one that had to work was me- because I wanted to bring down another one of those good grass/alfalfa bales for the few bull calves we have left to sell (last two should go next week) and I had to shovel to get into the stack......

 

[Northern Rancher]

Ty skidooed out to our bigger bunch of mares the other day-they are pawing out on the farside of the muskkeg in a big bluegrass meadow. I'll dump some hay out on the open ground but I doubt they'll come out of there. The cows didn't cross to graze that meadow much so there is a ton of grazing out there-I'm guessing a 3 ton an acre hay crop if there was anyway to hay it.