Bermuda vs. Bahia seed

[Brute 23]

I haven't gotten any prices on sprigging. I decided to go with Wrangler because of my location I think it would work best for me.

Had a hard time finding seed but finally did. Kind of regretting going with Bermuda grass because of all the maintenance required to try and keep it weed free as possible. Was under the assumption I could for the most part pretreat it in February and March using roundup. Was told by a friend who works for one of the two largest horse hay producers in my area that they sprayed a 6 % solution per acre of roundup up every 28 days after each cutting.

Learned latter after I had already bought $ 6,300 of Wrangler seed that my friend lied to me. Both of these big Bermuda grass horse hay producers are spraying with MSMA every 28 days after each cutting. Not only is MSMA not recommended for hay or pasture. It can poison cattle and horses.

I won't and wouldn't sell hay that I know could harm or kill someone's live stock. So other than doing a pre and post spray with round up in the Spring and fall after the grass has gone dormant. At this point have a clue how I will keep the weeds out of it.

I must be missing some thing here? One application of a herbicide in the spring should cover you for the year. Applying it after every cut seems odd.

 

[504RP]

I'm lucky to have 8" of topsoil here. Caliche and seafloor below that. I've dug postholes nearly 4 feet and never got out of the seashells.

I must be missing some thing here? One application of a herbicide in the spring should cover you for the year. Applying it after every cut seems odd.

That is what the guy that works for one of the big hay producers here told me. He said they get 6 cuttings a year off of guessing 800 acres of Bermuda grass. Cut every 28 days regardless of grass height because it is mature at that time. And spray after each cutting with MSMA. Ship the hay by the semi loads all across the U.S. They sell it in round bales, 1500 lb square bales and small 60 lb square bales.

Seems like a lot of spraying to me too. But that stuff is a pure as pure Bermuda can be. Can't remember the varieties but there are four of them.

The other big producer does the same.

 

[504RP]

I must be missing some thing here? One application of a herbicide in the spring should cover you for the year. Applying it after every cut seems odd.

I done a complete kill on 55 acres that I plan on seeding the first week of May. Sprayed the field with 2 1/2 gallons of roundup pro. The last week of March. What Bermuda grass was growing at the time was dormant. It is now green along with a lot of other mixed grasses that I plan on killing out before I drill my Wrangler seed. Mixed a 100 gallons of water to 2 1/2 gallons of Roundup up pro today. Spot spraying wild onions, Tall fescue, Johnson grass and other unwanted grasses that didn't kill the first spraying. Am planning on mixing a tank of 6 % roundup to the acre to get rid of the rest of the unwanted grasses that has come back since the first spraying at the end of March.

I am wanting as pure Bermuda as I can get to sell for horse hay. One spraying won't do it.

 

[504RP]

That is what the guy that works for one of the big hay producers here told me. He said they get 6 cuttings a year off of guessing 800 acres of Bermuda grass. Cut every 28 days regardless of grass height because it is mature at that time. And spray after each cutting with MSMA. Ship the hay by the semi loads all across the U.S. They sell it in round bales, 1500 lb square bales and small 60 lb square bales.

Seems like a lot of spraying to me too. But that stuff is a pure as pure Bermuda can be. Can't remember the varieties but there are four of them.

The other big producer does the same.

Because I won't spray MSMA my Bermuda probably won't come close to being as pure as theirs. And I am sure people will want theirs over mine. But mine will not have been sprayed with a chemical that's been not recommended to use on hay or pasture because of its arsenic content.

I know a lot of people who have horses they paid $ 20,000 and up for. I don't think they would want risk feeding their horses hay that is contaminated with arsenic. And I wouldn't want to be responsible selling them hay like that.

 

[Brute 23]

I done a complete kill on 55 acres that I plan on seeding the first week of May. Sprayed the field with 2 1/2 gallons of roundup pro. The last week of March. What Bermuda grass was growing at the time was dormant. It is now green along with a lot of other mixed grasses that I plan on killing out before I drill my Wrangler seed. Mixed a 100 gallons of water to 2 1/2 gallons of Roundup up pro today. Spot spraying wild onions, Tall fescue, Johnson grass and other unwanted grasses that didn't kill the first spraying. Am planning on mixing a tank of 6 % roundup to the acre to get rid of the rest of the unwanted grasses that has come back since the first spraying at the end of March.

I am wanting as pure Bermuda as I can get to sell for horse hay. One spraying won't do it.

I got ya. You are trying to get it established not just maintain.

 

[wbvs58]

Because I won't spray MSMA my Bermuda probably won't come close to being as pure as theirs. And I am sure people will want theirs over mine. But mine will not have been sprayed with a chemical that's been not recommended to use on hay or pasture because of its arsenic content.

I know a lot of people who have horses they paid $ 20,000 and up for. I don't think they would want risk feeding their horses hay that is contaminated with arsenic. And I wouldn't want to be responsible selling them hay like that.

Arsenic will give them a shiny coat.

Ken

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I haven't gotten any prices on sprigging. I decided to go with Wrangler because of my location I think it would work best for me.

Had a hard time finding seed but finally did. Kind of regretting going with Bermuda grass because of all the maintenance required to try and keep it weed free as possible. Was under the assumption I could for the most part pretreat it in February and March using roundup. Was told by a friend who works for one of the two largest horse hay producers in my area that they sprayed a 6 % solution per acre of roundup up every 28 days after each cutting.

Learned latter after I had already bought $ 6,300 of Wrangler seed that my friend lied to me. Both of these big Bermuda grass horse hay producers are spraying with MSMA every 28 days after each cutting. Not only is MSMA not recommended for hay or pasture. It can poison cattle and horses.

I won't and wouldn't sell hay that I know could harm or kill someone's live stock. So other than doing a pre and post spray with round up in the Spring and fall after the grass has gone dormant. At this point have a clue how I will keep the weeds out of it.

If you manange the Bermuda well, you will be able to keep your weed treatments at a minimum. You did indicate you are planting for hay, correct? In order to keep the planting productive, it will require regular maintenance and inputs, period. Reguardless of what is planted, if you want to keep the production constant over time. @Warren Allison grows Bermuda for hay with frequent cuttings, and frequent maintenance. I would use him as a model.

 

[504RP]

World Feeder was developed more for forage rather than hay. It is very drought resistant...grows roots that reach halfway to China. My next best horse hay comes from a field with the Tifton varieties in it, but I have another with Russell Bermuda that also produces very good horse quality hay.

I test for ph every fall after the last cutting, Then test for the fertilizer mix I need in Feb. And I do after each cutting. I apply at the rate recommended from the tests. I burned the fields last month, and will spray 24D for the weeds this week. I have found over the past 50 years, that it is a waste of money to NOT fertilize according to specs. But, I raise hay for hoses...not for grazing cattle. I never put an animal on my prime hay fields. Most aren't even fenced in.

Most pastures around here will be Fescue, bermuda and clover. I will test ph and apply lime in the fall if needed, and spray them with 24D or Grazon, and usually just put out Nitrogen about this time of the year. Most times liquid nitrogen that I put the 24D in. This blend works well for us in north Ga. Fescue starts coming on about now. The bermuda kicks in and takes over about May-Sept, then after it goes dormant in the fall, you can put out nitrogen again and boost the fescue up for a few more months. Lots of people...and I have too.. will over seed perennial rye at that time, and you dang near get year-round grazing like that,

That sounds like good horse hay. Have you ever had any problems with some type of fescue poison ? I was reading that fescue is good horse hay. Have also heard terms like fescue foot, cattle losing their tales because blood flow restrictions caused by fescue. Because of those things I have heard about I wouldn't have thought fescue would be good horse hay.

 

[Warren Allison]

That sounds like good horse hay. Have you ever had any problems with some type of fescue poison ? I was reading that fescue is good horse hay. Have also heard terms like fescue foot, cattle losing their tales because blood flow restrictions caused by fescue. Because of those things I have heard about I wouldn't have thought fescue would be good horse hay.

Fescue is not recommended for pregnant mares. It may have endophytes that cause them to have thick placentas that a foal cannot tear out of, and it suppresses milk production. I think it is just from gazing green grass, but don't matter....no one is gonna buy fescue hay if they have mares. And some people think it is bad for all horses.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

That sounds like good horse hay. Have you ever had any problems with some type of fescue poison ? I was reading that fescue is good horse hay. Have also heard terms like fescue foot, cattle losing their tales because blood flow restrictions caused by fescue. Because of those things I have heard about I wouldn't have thought fescue would be good horse hay.

A note about fescue. The endophyte that causes problems if found within the KY-31 variety which is also the variety that grows literally everywhere within the fescue belt and can't effectively eliminated from a pasture or hayfield for an extended period of time. That said, there are varieties of fescue that are available that do not have the endophyte present or have an alternative endophyte present that is not toxic.