Broom sedge hay

[herofan]

In our fall cutting of hay, there was a large section with a lot of broom sedge. We went ahead and rolled it and assumed it would be trash hay.

I decided to put a roll or two out along with the fescue and orchard grass and just let them munch omit if they desired, but I assumed it would just sit there, after all, they certainly don't eat it while it's growing.

To my surprise, they eat it like it's a real treat. They actually go to it before they eat the better hay, and they actually clean it up.

What's the deal. I didn't think cattle liked broom sedge. I thought I might as well put out a bale of cardboard, but they seem to like it.

 

[wbvs58]

Don't question it, just make the most of your good fortune.

If it is like our Pin rush I find they will eat it while in the paddock during winter when desperate but they eat it before a lot of other stuff I would have thought more palatable and I think they do OK on it.

Ken

 

[HDRider]

I would not have expected that.

 

[ClinchValley]

If mine would eat the stuff i wouldn't be worried about having enough hay.

 

[JSCATTLE]

Mine will pick through and get the grass hay out leaving a pile .. I'm glad your cows like it ..

 

[Cabo]

At what stage of growth did you roll it? My cows love it if I can roll it before it heads out but won't touch it afterwards.

 

[Caustic Burno]

At what stage of growth did you roll it? My cows love it if I can roll it before it heads out but won't touch it afterwards.

Same here if it matures and heads out it is only good for filling wash outs

 

[herofan]

At what stage of growth did you roll it? My cows love it if I can roll it before it heads out but won't touch it afterwards.

It had headed out; it was tall, but still green.

 

[Caustic Burno]

At what stage of growth did you roll it? My cows love it if I can roll it before it heads out but won't touch it afterwards.

It had headed out; it was tall, but still green.

Just because it's green doesn't mean a cow will eat it.

 

[kenny thomas]

Are U sure it's broom sedge? It really doesn't have a head if it is. Never seen a cow eat it after it matures.

 

[M-5]

If it's cut green with hay cows will eat it. Mine will eat it in pasture when it's young and tender.

 

[herofan]

At what stage of growth did you roll it? My cows love it if I can roll it before it heads out but won't touch it afterwards.

It had headed out; it was tall, but still green.

Just because it's green doesn't mean a cow will eat it.

Probably true, I was just describing the stage it was in when we cut it, and the point was, they did eat it.

To answer another question, yes I'm sure it's brom sedge. I suppose describing it as heading out might have been incorrect. It doesn't have a head like Feacue or Timothy, but it was starting to produce the part that is light and will fly through the air.

 

[Chuckie]

Broom sage grows where the ground needs liming.

 

[dun]

Broom sage grows where the ground needs liming.

Another of those generalities that isn;t truly accurate. I have one field with a lot of broom sedge, ph is 6.3, have on that is barely 5 and it has broom sedge like crazy too. The others run around 5.9 to 6.5 and no broom sedge.

 

[talltimber]

That's what I see here too. I just did some soil testing last summer late and the pasture that had almost 6 ph has sage in it this year. None last year to speak of, and it was only grazed. It seems like last year was a real good year for it here.

Or my grazing practices have allowed it something it needed. I continue to reduce the paddock sizes and try to rotate out before it gets too short. We also had good rain in August, so that may have helped it more.

 

[Chuckie]

In my general area, if you lime and fertilize the grass, it chokes out the broom sedge and it does not come back until you stop taking care of the land. Never had to spray to get rid of it. But walk away from the land and it weakens what you intend to grow allowing the sedge to come back.

 

[herofan]

In my general area, if you lime and fertilize the grass, it chokes out the broom sedge and it does not come back until you stop taking care of the land. Never had to spray to get rid of it. But walk away from the land and it weakens what you intend to grow allowing the sedge to come back.

These fields were neglected for a few years, so it's no puzzle that we have broom sedge; however, we reseeded and have been fertilizing for three years and applied lime as well.

We actually have a decent looking stand of fescue and orchard grass, but in the fall after the second cutting , the broom sedge shows up again in certain areas.