Baling Wheat

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klasqh

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Our neighbor has a small plot of beardless winter wheat - has quite a bit of weeds in it and a poor stand. He's planning to mow and bale it. Any problems with feeding this to the cows? He said someone told him that it wouldn't be good to feed horses. Yes or no?
 
Any of the small cereal grains like wheat, oats, etc. make good hay if done right. It is best to mow it shortly after it heads out, however. If the wheat is starting to turn, you have already lost most of your quality. Depending on where you are at, take this into consideration.

The times I have fed wheat or oats, the cows would go after that before they would eat good brome hay.
 
When you think its good and dry and ready to bale, go fishing and wait at least one more day, maybe two. Wheat will fool you on moisture, especially if its heavy with grain. Also, if you square bale, use wire if at all possible. Mice will invade you and chew up all the strings.
 
dyates":3nbj6zo1 said:
When you think its good and dry and ready to bale, go fishing and wait at least one more day, maybe two. Wheat will fool you on moisture, especially if its heavy with grain. Also, if you square bale, use wire if at all possible. Mice will invade you and chew up all the strings.

I would second that. It does take at least one more day to dry when compared to things like brome, etc. Dad gave us boys the same advice. We thought the hay was dry, and he told us to go bale half a dozen and do the rest the next day. Sure enough, the half dozen we baled had some mold, the rest didn't.
 
seeded wheat as a cover crop for an fresh stand of alfalfa/brome a couple years back.cut it before the heads were full and the horses/cows licked it up like candy.
 

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