Crabgrass for hay?

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Caustic Burno":2rwlwfew said:
tom4018":2rwlwfew said:
Anyone use crabgrass for hay? If so how late can it be planted?

Yes as it is taking over several of my fields. It's the Red River variety, I mixed mine with rye grass in the fall.
Is it hard to get it to dry down?
 
tom4018":18idwzj2 said:
Caustic Burno":18idwzj2 said:
tom4018":18idwzj2 said:
Anyone use crabgrass for hay? If so how late can it be planted?

Yes as it is taking over several of my fields. It's the Red River variety, I mixed mine with rye grass in the fall.
Is it hard to get it to dry down?


Yes I attribute it to being thicker
 
tom4018":89l0f7gn said:
Anyone use crabgrass for hay? If so how late can it be planted?


We've been using it for hay the last two years and really like it. I cut it with a mower conditioner, but it don't seem to be any different than any grass hay about drying down. Now is the time to so it, it will come up when the ground gets warm enough.
We used the Red River.
 
rollinhills":2ucam6m7 said:
tom4018":2ucam6m7 said:
Anyone use crabgrass for hay? If so how late can it be planted?


We've been using it for hay the last two years and really like it. I cut it with a mower conditioner, but it don't seem to be any different than any grass hay about drying down. Now is the time to so it, it will come up when the ground gets warm enough.
We used the Red River.
Do you let it go to seed in the fall? Someone said if you did it would come back the next year. Seed seems to be high from what I find.
 
tom4018":237xm4u7 said:
rollinhills":237xm4u7 said:
tom4018":237xm4u7 said:
Anyone use crabgrass for hay? If so how late can it be planted?


We've been using it for hay the last two years and really like it. I cut it with a mower conditioner, but it don't seem to be any different than any grass hay about drying down. Now is the time to so it, it will come up when the ground gets warm enough.
We used the Red River.
Do you let it go to seed in the fall? Someone said if you did it would come back the next year. Seed seems to be high from what I find.

These fact sheets will explain getting it to volunteer reseed:

http://redrivercrabgrass.com/fact-sheets.html
 
tom4018":1296pbib said:
rollinhills":1296pbib said:
tom4018":1296pbib said:
Anyone use crabgrass for hay? If so how late can it be planted?


We've been using it for hay the last two years and really like it. I cut it with a mower conditioner, but it don't seem to be any different than any grass hay about drying down. Now is the time to so it, it will come up when the ground gets warm enough.
We used the Red River.
Do you let it go to seed in the fall? Someone said if you did it would come back the next year. Seed seems to be high from what I find.


No I seeded in the spring got two cutting the first year and three last year. Seems,Iike I put out 3 lbs /ac, I used aged seed more of it will come up the first year, I've been letting the last cutting get mature so it will be seeded for the next year. Now is the time to sow it, mix it with fertilizer, I used 300lbs/ac of triple 19.
 
Texasmark":fx1edjg8 said:
M-5":fx1edjg8 said:
its drys about like bahia
How's that? Have thought about it as a hay crop a time or two.
Bahia can be cut and baled in 2 to 3 days most of the time the stem is hardest to dry . But sunny days it's easy. Common crab grass is not as thick of stem but leaf is wider. It takes teddering well. It's good feed .
 
M-5":8czvj16y said:
Texasmark":8czvj16y said:
M-5":8czvj16y said:
its drys about like bahia
How's that? Have thought about it as a hay crop a time or two.
Bahia can be cut and baled in 2 to 3 days most of the time the stem is hardest to dry . But sunny days it's easy. Common crab grass is not as thick of stem but leaf is wider. It takes teddering well. It's good feed .

Moving along with Bahia: I took a trip out West years ago and it was everywhere. Appeared to me that the highway depts of TX, NM, and AZ adopted it for roadside erosion protection. I didn't see much leaf, just long, thin stems and seed heads....not much leaf as you said and not much volume. Is it really worth the time and effort as a hay crop?
 
Texasmark":2bnv4c2x said:
M-5":2bnv4c2x said:
Texasmark":2bnv4c2x said:
How's that? Have thought about it as a hay crop a time or two.
Bahia can be cut and baled in 2 to 3 days most of the time the stem is hardest to dry . But sunny days it's easy. Common crab grass is not as thick of stem but leaf is wider. It takes teddering well. It's good feed .

Moving along with Bahia: I took a trip out West years ago and it was everywhere. Appeared to me that the highway depts of TX, NM, and AZ adopted it for roadside erosion protection. I didn't see much leaf, just long, thin stems and seed heads....not much leaf as you said and not much volume. Is it really worth the time and effort as a hay crop?
Look up Argentine Bahia , Tiff 9 . Common does not produce the tonnage BUT it starts early and stays late with drought tolorance . I don't want everything in Bahia but I want some because it might make sure I have feed if rain stops.
 
M-5":2qaposr1 said:
Texasmark":2qaposr1 said:
M-5":2qaposr1 said:
Bahia can be cut and baled in 2 to 3 days most of the time the stem is hardest to dry . But sunny days it's easy. Common crab grass is not as thick of stem but leaf is wider. It takes teddering well. It's good feed .

Moving along with Bahia: I took a trip out West years ago and it was everywhere. Appeared to me that the highway depts of TX, NM, and AZ adopted it for roadside erosion protection. I didn't see much leaf, just long, thin stems and seed heads....not much leaf as you said and not much volume. Is it really worth the time and effort as a hay crop?
Look up Argentine Bahia , Tiff 9 . Common does not produce the tonnage BUT it starts early and stays late with drought tolorance . I don't want everything in Bahia but I want some because it might make sure I have feed if rain stops.

Thanks, My like (heart) function isn't working.
 
Texasmark":snztohhk said:
M-5":snztohhk said:
Texasmark":snztohhk said:
Moving along with Bahia: I took a trip out West years ago and it was everywhere. Appeared to me that the highway depts of TX, NM, and AZ adopted it for roadside erosion protection. I didn't see much leaf, just long, thin stems and seed heads....not much leaf as you said and not much volume. Is it really worth the time and effort as a hay crop?
Look up Argentine Bahia , Tiff 9 . Common does not produce the tonnage BUT it starts early and stays late with drought tolorance . I don't want everything in Bahia but I want some because it might make sure I have feed if rain stops.

Thanks, My like (heart) function isn't working.

If we can get a shower of rain Im gonna drill some brown top on 20" centers in one patch of bahia and it should mature when the bahia does this should give it a little more protein. About the best you will get on common is around 9%
avg is about 6 %
 

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