Sorghum Sudan and a bush hog.

[southernultrablack]

Going to plant several acres of SS next week for hay. Guy that cuts my hay doesn't have a conditioner or crimper, he just normally cuts, rakes and bales grass hay. I'm worried that I won't be able to get this stuff dry, and am thinking of cutting with a bush hog before baling. Anybody here got any experience? Am I just worrying too much? I live on top of the Cumberland plateau, so usually have some wind up here, but lots of humidity also.

 

[sstterry]

I am not sure that is such a good idea. A Bush hog does not chop, it pulverizes. That is why Bush hog blades are not super sharp they are meant to pulverize the material.

Could you put it up as haylage?

 

[southernultrablack]

I am not sure that is such a good idea. A Bush hog does not chop, it pulverizes. That is why Bush hog blades are not super sharp they are meant to pulverize the material.

Could you put it up as haylage?

I may be able to. I'm thinking about buying a single bale wrapper. I'm afraid the wet bales are gonna be a bit heavy for me though.

 

[Bigfoot]

I cut some that way last year. It wasn't the "fix" I was hoping for. It actually would have been ok, but the tractor squashed down a considerable amount, that got missed. Then quit a bit stayed down. What stood up was too mature the next cut. I want do any more that way, but your mileage may vary.

 

[callmefence]

I've tried it and found a considerable amount of waste. A mower conditioner has been a game changer for me. I have cut plenty with a drum mower . Young thick grass i (thin stalks)n the summer heat can be done. Thicker stalks with marginal weather can be a wreck. The real problem is by the time the stalks dry the leaves shatter. The tendency is to try to rake the hell out of it. This shatters leaves when it's dry and if raked wet the heavy windrows of long stalks ball up in the rake and make huge clumps you can never get dry. I want a week of hot dry weather. Cut it and leave it alone for 4 days.
The stuff on top will get to dry, but the grass under won't and will dry considerable on hot dry ground. After 4 days rake it early in the morning and don't use a huge rake. Just bring enough together to be able to work. (Unless it's very thin) check it late that afternoon if you think it's ready Bale it the next afternoon. And so on.

 

[Kingfisher]

I'd be looking for a Moco to beg, borrow or rent. What do you usually grow?

 

[southernultrablack]

I'd be looking for a Moco to beg, borrow or rent. What do you usually grow?

Weeds! :cowboy:
Just normally native grasses like fescue and orchard grass with lots of weeds mixed in. I'm wanting to improve my hay situation all around.

 

[southernultrablack]

Going to drill into fresh cut, thin sod. Lots of open ground in here. How much would y'all seed per acre?

 

[VaCowman]

Going to drill into fresh cut, thin sod. Lots of open ground in here. How much would y'all seed per acre?

25#

 

[callmefence]

Or you gonna Roundup that before you drill?

 

[southernultrablack]

Or you gonna Roundup that before you drill?

I had not planned on it

 

[callmefence]

Or you gonna Roundup that before you drill?

I had not planned on it

Things sure might be different there. I've just never seen notill work well without killing off all competing grass. I would sure try to find someone who's done it successfully.

 

[Texasmark]

The results of the way a Hog cuts is that the clippings are too short for a baler to pickup with any efficiency, especially a roller. I just baled some dry grass yesterday, cut with a drum mower up to 10" and had a lot of chaff, lot of chaff. Bales looked like Peach fuzz.

You have 2 options as my experience teaches: A stand alone Crimper, like a NH or IH (forget which) 404 drag type, or a Tedder. the conditioner smashes the stems and the tedder scatters the hay. You can ted several times a day with the sun out and work wonders on getting fast curing.....the tedder works like a mixer in the batter when making a cake....just different material.

 

[southernultrablack]

Or you gonna Roundup that before you drill?

I had not planned on it

Things sure might be different there. I've just never seen notill work well without killing off all competing grass. I would sure try to find someone who's done it successfully.

I do you have some orchard grass in this field that I would like to keep around. I think it will go dormant so do you think I could round up the other weeds without killing off the orchard grass completely.

 

[callmefence]

I had not planned on it

Things sure might be different there. I've just never seen notill work well without killing off all competing grass. I would sure try to find someone who's done it successfully.

I do you have some orchard grass in this field that I would like to keep around. I think it will go dormant so do you think I could round up the other weeds without killing off the orchard grass completely.

So if the grass will be going dormant it won't compete with the young SS
Spray with 24d instead to kill only weeds.. DON'T SPRAY GRAZON or anything with soil residual prior to planting

 

[Lbass]

I had not planned on it

Things sure might be different there. I've just never seen notill work well without killing off all competing grass. I would sure try to find someone who's done it successfully.

I do you have some orchard grass in this field that I would like to keep around. I think it will go dormant so do you think I could round up the other weeds without killing off the orchard grass completely.

Don't spray with round-up. Orchard and Fescue quit growing in the summer, but they are never truely dormant, if it's green then glyphosate with kill it. Really in my area the only stands of grass anyone sprays with round-up is bermuda early in the spring.

 

[callmefence]

The results of the way a Hog cuts is that the clippings are too short for a baler to pickup with any efficiency, especially a roller. I just baled some dry grass yesterday, cut with a drum mower up to 10" and had a lot of chaff, lot of chaff. Bales looked like Peach fuzz.

You have 2 options as my experience teaches: A stand alone Crimper, like a NH or IH (forget which) 404 drag type, or a Tedder. the conditioner smashes the stems and the tedder scatters the hay. You can ted several times a day with the sun out and work wonders on getting fast curing.....the tedder works like a mixer in the batter when making a cake....just different material.

You use a Tedder on haygrazer.? I never have but I've never thought it would work very well on the long heavy wet stalks. I would think it would just ball up

 

[southernultrablack]

The results of the way a Hog cuts is that the clippings are too short for a baler to pickup with any efficiency, especially a roller. I just baled some dry grass yesterday, cut with a drum mower up to 10" and had a lot of chaff, lot of chaff. Bales looked like Peach fuzz.

You have 2 options as my experience teaches: A stand alone Crimper, like a NH or IH (forget which) 404 drag type, or a Tedder. the conditioner smashes the stems and the tedder scatters the hay. You can ted several times a day with the sun out and work wonders on getting fast curing.....the tedder works like a mixer in the batter when making a cake....just different material.

You use a Tedder on haygrazer.? I never have but I've never thought it would work very well on the long heavy wet stalks. I would think it would just ball up

So I think I'm just going to wrap it. Not worry about getting it dried down. Going to bite the bullet and invest in a wrapper. Will maybe spray tomorrow and plant Tuesday! Hope to be able to have it cut around first of August.

 

[callmefence]

The results of the way a Hog cuts is that the clippings are too short for a baler to pickup with any efficiency, especially a roller. I just baled some dry grass yesterday, cut with a drum mower up to 10" and had a lot of chaff, lot of chaff. Bales looked like Peach fuzz.

You have 2 options as my experience teaches: A stand alone Crimper, like a NH or IH (forget which) 404 drag type, or a Tedder. the conditioner smashes the stems and the tedder scatters the hay. You can ted several times a day with the sun out and work wonders on getting fast curing.....the tedder works like a mixer in the batter when making a cake....just different material.

You use a Tedder on haygrazer.? I never have but I've never thought it would work very well on the long heavy wet stalks. I would think it would just ball up

So I think I'm just going to wrap it. Not worry about getting it dried down. Going to bite the bullet and invest in a wrapper. Will maybe spray tomorrow and plant Tuesday! Hope to be able to have it cut around first of August.

Good luck.
It makes beautiful hay that cows will like the ground cleaning up when you can get it put up right. But without the right weather it can be a real mess and you need several days of the right weather. You can't rush it trying to beat a narrow window.....I've learned the hard way.lol

 

[southernultrablack]

I sure appreciate all the replies! Hopefully I can give some good updates along the way.