cow peas

[case1594]

Iron Clay Cow Peas for cattle grazing what is pros and cons to cow peas?

 

[Lucky_P]

IDK about grazing, but I&C are my favorite for eating. They're tiny, and shatter out if you let the pods get too dry before picking, but the flavor is great.
It's one of the most vigorous vining varieties I've grown. Only Red Ripper outruns it, here.

 

[greybeard]

Only Red Ripper outruns it

sounds like a name for a kid's cartoon superhero..

 

[Allenw]

They'll gain about equal to being on wheat pasture and bloat is possible.

 

[StrojanHerefords]

It would be helpful to know where you are and what type of stock you are planning to graze.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Pros outweigh the cons in my book. Pros: They are an excellent protein source. They are a legume so they add a steady supply of nitrogen to the soil to boost your grasses and YOU don't have t fertilize. They diversify the forage base. Cons: They are an annual that has to be planted each year to get a crop (may or may not require tillage as well). They are a legume so there is always the possibility of bloat. (bloat won't be a concern I wouldn't think unless you pretty much go out of your way to invite it. Just be sensible)

 

[ClinchValley86]

Do you drill the peas? Or can they do being broadcast on best up ground?

They a warm or cool season legume,m

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I haven't ever heard of anyone broadcasting the peas, and my thought (before I googled it, but I view googling with suspicion) is that the peas themselves are too large for broadcasting. The web confirms that thought, but also says they can be broadcast with use of a harrow to incorporate them to an inch depth. I think that is a lot of harrow use myself. I'd stick to drilling them personally.

The peas are a warm season annual legume.

 

[rnh2]

what if you planted a non legume with them? No bloat worries. Those who finish on grass prefer a legume grass mix

 

[Ebenezer]

Drill them in. The best use is in a mix. Bin run corn, sudan/sudex, a forage millet, sunflowers, sunn hemp... let the seed cost per acre be the control. the extra forages give a place for the peas to run up. You need to use time grazing for multiple passes or strip graze to spread out the time for a one time through. They will concentrate nitrates so know the soil condition before you make the final decision.

 

[Silver]

I've done peas with oats here. The problem with peas for me is they aren't deep rooted compared to oats so if they don't get moisture they die. Last year my peas started well but then failed completely.

 

[Ebenezer]

I've done peas with oats here. The problem with peas for me is they aren't deep rooted compared to oats so if they don't get moisture they die. Last year my peas started well but then failed completely.

Likely a different pea.

 

[Silver]

Likely a different pea.

I thought we were talking forage peas. My bad. I would be interested in knowing more about this variety of pea that is drought resistant though.

 

[Allenw]

I thought we were talking forage peas. My bad. I would be interested in knowing more about this variety of pea that is drought resistant though

I think your a bit too far north of the Mason/Dixon line to grow cow peas, black eye peas would be another variety people would be familiar with.

 

[dave_shelby]

I've done rays crazy summer annual mix a few years. It's 61% cowpea with some Sudan sorghum, pearl millet, radish and sunflower. We graze with polywire divisions and can cycle back and regraze in a 4 weeks time. Good mix but for regrazing it's mostly the sudan sorghum and pearl millet growing. This year I'm going to ask the seed guy to mix in more Sudan sorghum.

 

[crossbreed]

Drill them in. The best use is in a mix. Bin run corn, sudan/sudex, a forage millet, sunflowers, sunn hemp... let the seed cost per acre be the control. the extra forages give a place for the peas to run up. You need to use time grazing for multiple passes or strip graze to spread out the time for a one time through. They will concentrate nitrates so know the soil condition before you make the final decision.

Sounds almost identical to the cocktail mix I'm going to try this year. I called green cover company and they put together a cocktail. Going to try it on 60 acres this year with headcount down and see what happens. Not as expensive as I imagined if it stockpiles and cuts down on fertilizer. I've got a year of hay to hedge my bet on this

 

[Ebenezer]

Saw it used as a repeated crop in Danielsville, GA with great results. I have used similar here in years prepping land to plant to permanent forages in later years.

 

[dave_shelby]

That's what I use it for, burn down in spring and plant cover then disk and plant perennials in September.

@LocustDaleCattleCompany does repeated summer annuals for stockers I believe.

 

[Allenw]

Deer like them.

 

[Lucky_P]

I&C is a long-season cowpea... 100 days or so to pod maturity. Can graze at 45-50 days, though. There are other varieties that'll mature pods a month earlier.