Bailing Oats

[muddjammer]

Tore up my alfalfa field this year and planted oats. They have come up pretty good considering our redneck farmer techniques. All we did is scatter the oats then harrow them under best we could. Anyway I have been reading about when to harvest in the fall or late summer. All we want is some small bale horse food. Don't know if the moisture content of the oats should be the same as if you were using a combine and just harvesting the grain. Like I said all we want is horse food till we can plant alfalfa again on the same piece. Should my oats be at 14 to 17% moisture before I harvest. Cut at night like we do with alfalfa? Any help appreciated. RTB Malad, Idaho

 

[kenny thomas]

If you want quality hay you want to cut when the oat heads are in the milk stage. Any later and you have straw for bedding.

 

[MasseyFerg]

we had a problem with oat hay. The mice and rats love it. They nearly ruined our barn full of oat hay by eating holes and tunnels in it as they went after the grain.

 

[sizmic]

Your gonna have nothing but straw if you wait that long! Cut it in the boot stage. Any farther and your mice will likely spred disease in the hay and ruin it.

Sizmic

 

[B&M Farms]

Have the hay tested for high levels of nitrates if there was extended dry weather prior to cutting. Cutting prior to the oats making seed heads will result in better hay for horses.