grazing orchard grass

[ncboy34]

There is a pasture close to me that I am thinking about renting to put some more cows on. I heard that it is orchard grass although I don't know if it is all orchard or what. I was wondering how cows would do on this. Will it hold up to grazing? How palatable is it? All I have ever messed with is fescue. Just curious about this.

 

[kenny thomas]

If they live on fescue they will thrive on orchard grass. They will do great on it.
Will not stand continuious grazing or stockpile for the winter as well as the fescue.

 

[ANAZAZI]

If they live on fescue they will thrive on orchard grass. They will do great on it.
Will not stand continuious grazing or stockpile for the winter as well as the fescue.

The way we do it is to put all the cows on the OG at the same time, graze i short and move the cows away again. That way the OG will rest and grow most of the time. It does not stand continous grazing well, as stated above, but works fine as a stockpile, better than most grasses, albeit not like tall fescue. Also; OG matures very fast in the spring, but after it has been cut or grazed once, it matures very slowly and keeps high energy a long time, because seed heads comes only once per year.

 

[mattnoll]

How does Orchard Grass bale? Can you get more than one cutting from it?

 

[Dave]

Orchard grass works great in a rotation system. Just get it grazed or cut off before it goes to seed and it will keep coming back. Cows definitely prefer it to fescue when grazing. It is much more palatable. And at least in this area it will produce just as much feed as fescue. It makes great hay too. It has replaced Timothy as the premium preferred hay amongst horse people in this part of the world.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Orchard grass works great in a rotation system. Just get it grazed or cut off before it goes to seed and it will keep coming back. Cows definitely prefer it to fescue when grazing. It is much more palatable. And at least in this area it will produce just as much feed as fescue. It makes great hay too. It has replaced Timothy as the premium preferred hay amongst horse people in this part of the world.

What Dave said -- orchard grass is big dollar hay here!