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Won't be long now

T

the_jersey_lilly_2000

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Feb 16, 2005
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South East Texas
Nother week or two and we are plannin on cuttin this hayfield. We put out chicken litter fertilizer in November. And it's really come along well for this time of year. If we can get the temps and a few days of sunshine we'll make hay.
2006-03-28-015-Hayfield.jpg
 
Looks good lilly. So green, it pert near hurts my eyes.

It is so interesting to see how the seasons, and all, are different elsewhere. Haying usually doesn't start here till late June, or later.
 
That ryegrass needs nitrogen. It's not green enough. You can see the clover and vetch how green it is because it makes it's own nitrogen.

Plant protein and nitrogen content are directly proportional. Chicken litter doesn't contain enough nitrogen to suffice, if you put down enough litter to satisfy the nitrogen needs, you will get an overload of phosphorus.
 
Probably could have stood some nitrogen on it, but it's not planted rye, that's wild rye that volunteers then later it'll have coastal and johnson grass the next cuttin. We generally only fertilize in the fall, since the incident of the hay fields bein burned up with the chicken litter a couple years ago. Fertilized in the spring and on that field normall git 5 1500-1600 lbs bales per acre....and we got less than 1 bale per acre that year. Can't afford to do that no more.
 
Lilly have you ever had the soil tested in any of your fields ? cost is minimal and it shore does make a differnce,lots of folks dont, especially on permanent grass,but when you chiesel ,disk,& plant a field you wanna know what to put on it,also I believe if you test your hay you will see a big differnce in nutritional value and increased tonnage .............good luck
 
We've not had the soil tested on this field, but have had the hay tested a couple times, and it ranged from 12 to 14% protein. I'd really like to be able to increase tonage...(specially after years like this last one) wouldnt hurt to increase the protein too. After this gets cut, I may just do a sample and take it in to see what's needed. But can't guarantee that it'll get it LOL (Still battlin two hard headed men that wanna do things the way grandpa did) Love em to death but sometimes I wanna choke em.

Take the diskin I done the other day for example. The only reason I got my way was because the hogs had tore it up so bad they both figured it would help smooth it back out. This place hasn't seen any renovation of any kind in 20 or more years......that grass back there is really jumpin now. And your guess is right, I gotta big ole "I told you so" told to em real quick LOL
 
Lilly,if you have hay that tests 12 to 14% dont change a thing,somebody is doing something right and with tests like that its doubtful you could do much to increase your tonnage,I dont claim to be an expert,but thats good numbers! as you know winter in TX demands protein for cattle,if I was feeding hay that tested that high I would save money on cubes........good luck
PS What do you think fasterhorses, you have studied cattle nutrition,some of that good hay & a lil vigortone? :D :D
 

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