Fescue Grass

[Rookie]

When is the protien content highest in Fescue grass and what would be the ideal time of the season to cut and bale?

 

[Dave]

Fescue and the other cool season grasses have the highest protein content when they are in the vegetative stage of growth. Once the stems begin to elongate the grass stops taking up nitrogen which has a direct relationship to the crude protein content. So if your goal is high protein you would cut at that time. The grass will also have better ADF, NDF, and TDN. However, yeild will be considerably less at that point. If you are willing to do multiple cuttings of your field, harvesting in the vegetative stage will give you the highest possible quality. You may also get more total yield for the year doing this, but you will make many more passes over the field with your tractor. The cost of harvesting this way may be more than the benefit from higher feed values. The best time to cut? It is probably a balance between the feed requirements of the class of cattle you are feeding and the cost of harvest.
Dave

 

[dun]

The university of MO has a lot of data on fescue.

[url[http://aes.missouri.edu/fsrc/news/archives/nl95v4n3.stm[/url]

http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/ansci/beef.htm

dun

 

[Scotty]

Tell me if I am anywhere close. As I remember when plants go to seed most of all nutrients usually go to the head right? So any time a plant is in a growth stage it would be the best time to cut.

Scotty

 

[dun]

Tell me if I am anywhere close. As I remember when plants go to seed most of all nutrients usually go to the head right? So any time a plant is in a growth stage it would be the best time to cut.

Scotty

Correct, but also in endophyte infected fescue (the majority of the fescue) the endophyte is primarily in the seeds also.
One of the real problems with harvesting fescue for hay is trying to get a balance between when it should be cut and when the weather provides a window to cut, cure and bale it.

dun

 

[sillco]

Fescue and the other cool season grasses have the highest protein content when they are in the vegetative stage of growth. Once the stems begin to elongate the grass stops taking up nitrogen which has a direct relationship to the crude protein content. So if your goal is high protein you would cut at that time. The grass will also have better ADF, NDF, and TDN. However, yeild will be considerably less at that point. If you are willing to do multiple cuttings of your field, harvesting in the vegetative stage will give you the highest possible quality. You may also get more total yield for the year doing this, but you will make many more passes over the field with your tractor. The cost of harvesting this way may be more than the benefit from higher feed values. The best time to cut? It is probably a balance between the feed requirements of the class of cattle you are feeding and the cost of harvest.
Dave

Dave:
What is the expected Yield per acre and Crude Protein, when cut at this time? Also when do you recommend cutting and what would the yield be and CP then.

Thanks,
Harry

 

[jcarkie]

what is a good supplement for stockpiled fescue. minerals or salt mix?

 

[dun]

We feed the same thing all year round. Loose minerals with CTC and a white salt block. The only variation is in the early spring starting before calving we feed a high mag version, then in mid-late April we use the larvacide stuff. It's all the same basic mineral mix, just add the other stuff as it's needed.

dun