Ever try This?

[Bez]

Experiment time. We are now doing our own very non-scientific work.

Today my neighbour came over for a visit. He brought his all singing and dancing no till drill and a bunch of corn seed he had left over from this planting season. Every different variety under the sun.

We have a small 5 acre field in front of the house. We usually have a few yearlings in the field to fatten up for the gate business. (Our own version of "You Pick") This year we have none left to sell, so we turned out the cows and they cleaned it off in about one and a half days. Right down to the dirt.

Neighbour has always wanted to try to plant surplus corn through sod and see what it would do. He figured I might be interested and brought the whole shebang over on spec.

Ground is dark loam and never truly dries out - good garden soil.

After a coffee and a sandwich he laid the plan on me. I said what the heck - let's have a go. So daughter rode the drill and brushed all of the seed into the tubes - not enough to really fill the box - so she used a whisk and he drove real slow. There was almost enough seed to do the whole patch. I promised him I would keep the cows out for the summer.

If this stuff comes up we will just turn a few calves into the field in late summer, or early fall.

We have no idea how things will turn out, but this field is right along the road - so I am sure it will turn a few heads if things come up. Corn and grass in the same field.

Anyone ever try this? I think my neighbour and I are probably just "strange" - we are not afraid to try anything once. If it works it will be interesting.

Bez

 

[greenwillowherefords]

I have corn and grass growing together in my garden-too dry to till. Does this count? :lol:

 

[jkwilson]

There has been some research done on this. You need to strip graze it when the corn is green, and they will chow down. Set an electric fence so you can move it a few rows every few days. Otherwise they will knock all the corn down and eat very little of it.

 

[bigbull338]

bez they are no tilling corn into the fields so i see no reason my is shouldnt work in the sod you desiribe but not sure how good of a stand youll end up with good luck scott

 

[Bez]

Well, it is only a 5 acre patch - so we would not waste our time dividing it up - just turn some animals into it and let them eat it down.

As for the crop - it will be interesting - not worried how it turns out - I figure it will give some additional feed in the field.

I am actually looking forward to watching this happen.

Bez

 

[Tod Dague]

Please keep us up to date on your experiment. I'm a little strange myself.

 

[MikeC]

Using Corn for Livestock Grazing - Jim Hoorman, Ext. Agent, Water Quality, Hardin County Clif Little, Ext. Agent, Ag/NR Jeff McCutcheon, Ext. Agent, Ag/NR

Typically corn is grown and harvested by livestock producers for either grain or silage. As livestock producers try to reduce their cost of production many look at ways to reduce their feed cost. Feed cost has been identified as the biggest single cost of producing an animal making up 50-70 % of the cost of production. To reduce feed cost, producers are exploring options to extend the grazing season. The grazing of standing corn can be a viable alternative forage in some operations. Corn provides several options to livestock producers. As an annual it is extremely flexible as to when it can be grazed. It has been successfully used during the summer, fall and even winter. Using livestock to graze corn reduces the need for investment in harvest and feeding equipment. With the potential to produce more than ten tons of dry forage per acre, few annual crops can compare to corn in terms of dry matter (DM) yield per acre and cost per rate of gain.

Any hybrid of corn can be grazed. Although if the field is only intended for grazing, then the selection should be narrowed to hybrids bred for silage or grazing. There have been several corn varieties bred for high forage yields, high digestibility, low fiber levels and high stover digestibility. Hybrid selection should start with identifying a group of hybrids that are adapted to the area in terms of maturity, disease and insect resistance and drought tolerance and tonnage.

Corn intended for grazing can be planted the same as if it was intended for grain or silage. Most corn in Ohio is planted early May to early June. Early planting will produce more dry matter per acre than later planted corn. See the Ohio Agronomy Guide, Bulletin 472 and Corn Silage Production, Management and Feeding, North Central Regional Publication 574 for more information on producing corn.

When planting no-till or into a sod field, a planter box seed treatment should be used to control wire worms, seed corn maggots, and other corn insects. Care should be given to the type and amounts of herbicide used when planting grazing corn. Since this corn is to be grazed, post emergent herbicides probably are unnecessary. Early season weed control can be achieved with pre-emergence or pre-plant incorporations of herbicides. Late season weed control may not be an issue since this can be accomplished by the grazing animal. The current edition of the Weed Control Guide for Ohio Field Crops, Bulletin 789, contains a listing of grazing restrictions for different corn herbicides. Check current labels for grazing, harvest and replanting restrictions prior to herbicide use.

Grazing corn can be utilized by many categories of livestock. Stocker cattle, beef heifers and cows have excellent weight gains grazing corn. Dairy farmers have utilized grazing corn to feed dairy cows and dairy heifers for breeding. Sheep, goats, and swine have all been used to graze corn successfully. From the animals nutritional standpoint, grazing immature corn is similar to grazing other summer annuals. The big difference comes when the plant reaches maturity. As the corn matures and dries, the loss in the feed value of the forage, leaves and stalk, is compensated by the gain in value from the grain produced. The main decision for the grazer is deciding when additional forage is needed in their systems.

Corn, being a warm season annual grass, can be planted as it would be for grain or delayed planting as producers would for corn silage. Consequently, harvest by grazing may take place from 30 to 100 or more days following planting. Traditionally, producers have planted grazing corn as they would for corn silage, planting corn in late May or early June and grazing it 70 to 90 days following planting. This late summer and early fall grazing allows them to rest and stockpile their perennial pastures for late fall/early winter grazing.

Most of our pasture grasses are cool season grasses that go dormant during the hot summer months of late June, July, August and early September. Corn can be grazed for that mid-summer slump that occurs when the temperatures are hot and/or the moisture is short. If forages are short during a dry period in early June, some producers have had success grazing sheep on corn when the plants are 18 inches tall. They rotated the animals quickly as to protect the growing point (3-4 inches above the ground).

Corn may also be grazed in late summer or extremely late in the season, even after it is fully mature, providing needed energy and shelter during the winter months. Typically, the corn plant loses some leaves and stalks begin to break down as the winter progresses. This causes a loss in highly digestible plant matter and protein. However, the remaining stalks, leaves, and grain are still excellent supplemental feed for over wintering beef cows, stockers, and growing animals. Depending on the type of livestock used, producers may need to supplement to compensate for lower protein levels.

 

[jerry27150]

if it has to compete with the grass, the grass will about choke it out in most places, but who knows on your fertle soil

 

[Dave]

I went to a corn silage seminar up in B.C. a couple of summers ago. In one field they had no-tilled in corn into a closely grazed pasture and it look real good. But they sprayed the field with roundup at planting. I don't know how well the corn will compete with the grass if you don't spray it. Dr. Bittman up there at Agassiz (sp) experiment station has done a lot of work with no-till corn. You might try to look up his results.

Dave

 

[certherfbeef]

We did something simlar a few years ago. One of the hill side pastures has been sod forever, too steep to farm w/o too much run-off and not a big enough field to contour. We fertilized and knifed in corn, all one kind tho.

Turned about 75 cows in it in September when the pastures burn up. The cows started at one end and literally mowed it off to the other end within 2 days. No waste in that field. Worked pretty good for us.
Good luck to ya Bez. Let us know how it works!

 

[Bez]

I will try to get a series of pics together.

First one is easy - just a chewed down pasture.

Bez

 

[J. T.]

I used to have chickens running around my place and I fed them scratch feed and black oil sunflower seeds. I've had corn, wheat, and sunflowers growing in my barnyard among some pretty thick fescue grass and weeds. I've often thought about experimenting on a little plot and broadcasting a couple of hundred pounds of scratch feed and disking it in just to see what happens. If corn and wheat will grow in that jungle of grass and weeds, you'll probably find your experiment pays off. Good Luck!
J. T.

 

[Dave]

Bez,

I was at a workshop yesterday that Dr. Bittman was one of the speakers. During a break I asked him if he had ever tried the method of planting corn that you described. He said that he had but with no luck. The grass out competed the corn. He also said they tried planting into white clover with band spraying roundup where the corn was going to with no success. He said they had too much trouble with mice coming out of the clover and eating his corn seed. On the other hand he was interested to hear if your experiment works. He said that on farm trials beat experiment station plot trials for showing what will actually work.

Dave

 

[myersfarm]

i plant wheat every year for my calfs in the pasture i just use a fertilize spreader with it it works if you get rain i bet it will work on the corn it should out grow the grass..if you get a rain on it real guick.....

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have heard of people having success planting into sod - - but they sprayed first.

I have been working on getting tilled corn costs down . Conventional corn with some thoughful cultivation (like Grandpa did it) is a lot more economical than the Round Up Ready stuff they advertise in the TV and the trade magizes. I am at about $0.02 per pound of DM right now. This is more expensive than permanent pasture but cheaper than feeding hay. The key is it is available during the summer slump.

This fall I am trying to second crop cereal rye behind grazing corn... I like to keep the neighbor guessing. They used to call to tell me the cattle are out and in the corn, now they ask how I manage to feed so many head.

 

[tripleS]

almost 100% of the farming around here is no-till but you have to make sure you get a good kill with round-up before you plant or drill. Most like to hit it again with roundup when it gets a little taller if they are using roundup ready corn. If you ground is more fertile than ours, the corn might beat the grass but it wouldn't here.

 

[Muletrack]

NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center has done some work on grazing corn. About 200 miles west of me. Love the idea, just not the thought of constantly move electric fence to control trampling.

 

[Craig Miller]

You got me. I thought BEZ was back.

 

[rnh2]

What about using milo?