broadcasting oats

newcattleman · Jan 15, 2016

Anyone try broadcasting oats and letting cattle hoof it in? I thought I might try this in mid march. I live in se Iowa. Should I broadcast earlier? I thought about trying this in my calving pasture. Its only about 2 acres. Calving will be mid April. Should I add another seed with this? (maybe some annual ryegrass or ladino clover or safe fescue) The pasture is currently clover, fescue and orchardgrass.
thanks for any feedback

Nesikep · Jan 15, 2016

Only problem I had with broadcast seeded oats/barley is pigeons, crows and the like will eat them gladly. I don't know what kind of spring weather you have, but you need more humidity for them to spout and grow than if they were drilled. Depending on what's in the pasture now, it may choke it out as well.

Now that I've mentioned all the downsides, for 2 acres the seed is pretty cheap, and you'll spend more time hooking on the spreader than actually doing any seeding... I do about 10 acres in 10 minutes.. Barley and to a lesser extent Oats fly pretty far, 30 ft on each side depending on the machine.. I usually double up on my passes, so I would drive in 30 ft swathes, eliminating any bare spots. To afford losses, I'd probably aim for 60 lb/ac.. Drilling it you could half that for cover crops.

Bigfoot · Jan 15, 2016

Can't say exactly what it would be like in Iowa, but I have broadcast oats here. Only luck I've had with broadcasting is right before a rain. Here, having cattle walk them in would not be necessary, and may even be counter productive.

newcattleman · Jan 18, 2016

I thought it might add a little extra to eat without discing up the field. Usually the grass is just starting to get green mid to end April and thought oats might be a little quicker. anything else that might grow fast to provide more feed? would annual ryegrass work or does that longer to get started?

JMJ Farms · Jan 18, 2016

newcattleman":pnw4oaxq said:
I thought it might add a little extra to eat without discing up the field. Usually the grass is just starting to get green mid to end April and thought oats might be a little quicker. anything else that might grow fast to provide more feed? would annual ryegrass work or does that longer to get started?

Here you would get more growth out of the ryegrass during that time of year.

Stocker Steve · Jan 19, 2016

newcattleman":3ey2ulkl said:
I thought it might add a little extra to eat without discing up the field. Usually the grass is just starting to get green mid to end April and thought oats might be a little quicker. anything else that might grow fast to provide more feed? would annual ryegrass work or does that longer to get started?

Annual rye grass needs a lot of rain. Not recommended on the prairie.
Oats can provide more forage but it is a big seed and does not do well on the surface. Hoof till can work after a shot of rain. If you think it looks squishy - - then you may have it right.
I plan to no till in a oats/festolium/chicory/RC blend this spring.
I am not a big broadcasting over sod fan. If you use a drill - - you can save on seed and greatly reduce the chance of seeding failure.