Disking in oats

[JMJ Farms]

I've mixed grits with centipede grass seed so I could get a more uniform spread.

 

[callmefence]

I understand that even tho you're probably not 200 miles from me, there's a world of difference between central Texas and deep East Texas, but which variety haygrazer do you use?
Been tempted to try pearl millet just because it's so cheap to buy and seems to grow easy here.. IF what I see under my bird feeders is any indication.

I always use whatever Brown's in lampasas buys for the year. This year was tridan. Its always a three way cross. Sorgo ,Sudan,sorghum hybrid.
Like vett I usually no till onto my oats.
Nothing wrong with pearl millet . it's good feed , just doesn't give the rid regrowth after the first grazing

 

[1982vett]

1982vett--Do you bale your haygrazer or just graze it?

I'm not vett by a long shot but I plant give or take 20 to 30 acres exclusively for grazing.
I've tried millet but haygrazer outperforms it hands down

Used to try to grow it for hay. My uncles always had good luck but they never tried to plant behind oats. I stopped trying to grow it because of our unreliable rainfall patterns. It just can't take a 40 day stretch June to August with 90 degree temps and no rain.....no matter how much rain you got before planting.

My uncles would graze some of theirs but I always planted for hay. less likely to have problems with Prussic Acid.

 

[greybeard]

Prussic acid has always been the reason I've shied away from the sorghums/sudans. I know there's ways to manage it, but I don't know if I'd be able to do it, especially if a big part of my place got covered in water and I had to move cows onto the area with haygrazer on it at the wrong time--but I'm very tempted to try it next spring..

 

[callmefence]

Prussic acid has always been the reason I've shied away from the sorghums/sudans. I know there's ways to manage it, but I don't know if I'd be able to do it, especially if a big part of my place got covered in water and I had to move cows onto the area with haygrazer on it at the wrong time--but I'm very tempted to try it next spring..

Definitely requires some common sense management. You do need to be able to exclude cattle from it at times. I wait until it starts to boot and then start grazing it. As long as there is soil moisture I will rotate cows on and off. Never grazing it down to far. If it quits raining and settles into sure enough Texas dry summer and plants start curling up. I'll have it tested. If it comes back negative and at this point it usually does. The cows go on and stay on. I let them graze it to nothing preparing for fall oats. If it rains during this time on grazed down drought stressed plant's. That's when it gets prussic acid. A few weeks of good growth and it will be good again. The first few years test it often and you begin to get a feel for it. If it last into fall a light frost can make it get hot as well. If your gonna double crop with oats I kill it with round up before planting oats. Sounds like a lot. But you can really produce a tremendous amount of feed

 

[jedstivers]

Fertilizer will sling a lot further than seed so be sure to adjust for that or you'll get streaks. Best to do a basket weave pattern with half rates but I rarely have.

Thanks. In hadn't thought about that and I should have. Did crabgrass that way a couple of years ago. Seems like we set spreader at half rate and made 20 foot swaths instead of 40

Oats will sling ok on 20'. I've done a lot that way.

 

[TominTX]

Hey Guru. Where in TX are you and how did the dialed oats do last year? I know I'm late on the thread but I disked in about 10 acres yesterday , mixed with crimson and arrowhead clover and then we finally got some rain today so I'm hoping for something good.

 

[callmefence]

Hey Guru. Where in TX are you and how did the dialed oats do last year? I know I'm late on the thread but I disked in about 10 acres yesterday , mixed with crimson and arrowhead clover and then we finally got some rain today so I'm hoping for something good.

Please Tom just call me Fence
I had good results Last year discing in oat's as well as hybrid Sudan in the spring. I acquired a new drill over the summer and used it at home. Drilling does get a more uniform stand with less seed.
I live in Florence in Williamson county.
Have places in burnet, lampasas and mills countys as well.
You should be great on your timing as you caught the first rain in a few weeks and missed the army worms. It would take a freakishly early and hard freeze to hurt you.

 

[wacocowboy]

I plow then sling fertilizer then sling oats and rye mixed then lightly cover with plow. I like to do 3.5 to 4 bushels an acre. Almost everyone around here does it that way. This year I am going to try a no-till drill. I am interested in how no till does I always hate plowing my grass.

 

[Nesikep]

Oats have no problem going 20 ft on each side of the tractor, probably 30.. If you do a basketweave I'd probably be 50 ft between passes, 35-40 if just going one direction.
Rye doesn't mind being on the surface, and if buried NOT DEEP.. Oats will come up from much deeper.