Cows on hay field

[herofan]

Suppose I cut my hay field of fescue and orchard grass in June, and i don't need a second cutting. If I let it grow and turn the cows on it in November and take them off in time to allow it to start growing out in the spring, would the field be in ok shape for my next hay crop, or should I mow it again before November.

My fields are better than they were, but there are still a few weeds, including a little broomsedge that will show up in the fall, and I didn't know if another mowing before November might be best. I don't want it to be a hodgepodge of junk in the spring.

 

[kenny thomas]

I mowed in May and again in early August. Let the cows graze it down in mid September. Then spread my fertilizer according to soil test October 5th. Will graze it again in December but not leave them on it all winter. By spring the freezing and thawing will take care of it. If it gets real wet just keep them out a few days and feed hay.

 

[dun]

If when you cut it you cut it about 3 inches high instead of scalping it like most people do around here, if you get adequate rain you should have enough grass stockpiled to graze during the winter. Given enough moisture, if you clip it so you just barely cut any of the new growth, you will get better fall growth then if you just leave the growth from june. We've done it both ways, dependng on the moisture and we usually dont have to start feeding hay until late march or early april. What you are talking about is classic "stockpiling: which works great for fescue, not so much with other CSGs like timothy or OG.

 

[littletom]

Your ph may be low causing the broomsedge.

 

[dun]

Your ph may be low causing the broomsedge.

I always hearthat, the only field we have broomsedge in runs 6.7 to 7 ph. Maybe it's to high of ph.

 

[kenny thomas]

Many of us blame the lack of lime for bromesage when if you do the soil test it is mostly lack of Potash. Soil tests have been an eye opener to me.

 

[tnwalkingred]

Dun and Kenny are both correct IMO. Every soil test I've done on fields with brooms hedge was lacking Potash while the PH was exactly where it was supposed to be.

KW

 

[1982vett]

On another note.....the "old" oldtimers that walked the fields pulling and chopping weeds would never put a cow on a hay field. Cows are very efficient in spreading weeds around. I'm not saying don't do it, just expect needing to do a little more weed control if you want "clean" hay.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

We are guilty of grazing our hay fields as much as I hate it.

 

[lucky7chief]

We usually bale the first cutting and then add our hay fields to our pasture rotation for the rest of the year. It's much cheaper to let the cows do the work.

 

[herofan]

We usually bale the first cutting and then add our hay fields to our pasture rotation for the rest of the year. It's much cheaper to let the cows do the work.

We did that one year. I'm looking for a way to avoid mowing after the first cutting. If I turn the cows in sometime after the first cutting, I still feel the need to clip it at some point; the cows just don't leave it evenly mowed. If I wait and turn them in later in the year, some have suggested clipping so the stockpile comes from new growth, so either way, it appears i may have to mow.

 

[lucky7chief]

We never mow after the first cutting and the cows do a good job of grazing evenly. I'm talking about fescue so my situation may be different. It usually works out to cutting hay at the end of May, then pasturing in July and again in the fall. The July grazing is equivalent to clipping.

 

[tntblaster11]

Currently have the cows grazing an older hayfield (that I took 3 cuts off this year) of alfalfa/orchard. Move em through quick, don't let them eat it right to the ground, and its been good for the past 3 years I've done this.

Also, if a killing frost is predicted, I'll go out several days ahead of it and mow pretty low to the ground (leaving 2-3 inch) and set the discbine as wide windrow as I can go.. it'll dry out and not get browned out by a frost. Cattle then come in and clean it up really well.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Have rotated them through hay fields for years here, but always had time for a bit of regrowth before frost. And never out after that as our ground is too wet and they'd punch it all to heck. Helps to get some manure on those fields atleast, since I never have enough to around. Gives my pastures more of a break as well. So no issues here , doing it this way.

 

[dun]

Only drawback I see is that if they have preferred loafing areas there will be a cow path worn between there and water. Usually recovers from the bare dirt path by next hay season though.

 

[hurleyjd]

We do not have a dedicated hay meadow. We rotate and bale the surplus that gets ahead of the cows. Most of the hay tests 9.5 protein or better.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

We do not have a dedicated hay meadow. We rotate and bale the surplus that gets ahead of the cows. Most of the hay tests 9.5 protein or better.

That's very good.