Growing Feed

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NECowboy

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Got 30 acres of dry land farm ground on new property that can use to grow feed. Thoughts on what should grow - alfalfa, prairie hay, corn etc? Wanting to reduce feed bills the most cost effective way.
 
I quit raising corn years ago, I can buy it cheaper than I can grow it. That much ground would make a lot of silage.
 
callmefence":1yko6gmu said:
Can you graze what you grow.

Yeah corn stalks at least somewhat helpful but def don't meet all of needs for super long. Can't plant corn every year though gotta rotate.
 
I do quite well double croping annuals. Typically I use oats and rye mix for late fall through spring. And haygrazer for mid and late summer. Takes some tractor time and lots of nitrogen but is cheaper than making and storing hay. Cows do all the harvest. With a few years of doing it you learn to time Your planting and grazing to maximize use and rest your permanent pastures.

Your farther north but I'm sure something similar can be done.
 
callmefence":12ai0hdq said:
I do quite well double croping annuals. Typically I use oats and rye mix for late fall through spring. And haygrazer for mid and late summer. Takes some tractor time and lots of nitrogen but is cheaper than making and storing hay. Cows do all the harvest. With a few years of doing it you learn to time Your planting and grazing to maximize use and rest your permanent pastures.

Your farther north but I'm sure something similar can be done.

I don't have a problem summer feeding but winter feeding. That's where want to grow feed to use in winter. Is that what haygrazer is for? Never heard of haygrazer, what is it?
 
NECowboy":tqve28ul said:
callmefence":tqve28ul said:
I do quite well double croping annuals. Typically I use oats and rye mix for late fall through spring. And haygrazer for mid and late summer. Takes some tractor time and lots of nitrogen but is cheaper than making and storing hay. Cows do all the harvest. With a few years of doing it you learn to time Your planting and grazing to maximize use and rest your permanent pastures.

Your farther north but I'm sure something similar can be done.

I don't have a problem summer feeding but winter feeding. That's where want to grow feed to use in winter. Is that what haygrazer is for? Never heard of haygrazer, what is it?

It's a cross between sudan and sorghum. Summer feed. Very heat and drought tolerant. Probably not a fit for you. Although by grazing it during the summer , I'm able to stockpile grass in my permant pastures to graze long enough in the fall to get my oats up on the same ground the haygrazer was on through the summer.

I believe rye (not ryegrass) is the most cold tolerant cereal grain. You might look into it.
 
callmefence":2echdtoa said:
NECowboy":2echdtoa said:
callmefence":2echdtoa said:
I do quite well double croping annuals. Typically I use oats and rye mix for late fall through spring. And haygrazer for mid and late summer. Takes some tractor time and lots of nitrogen but is cheaper than making and storing hay. Cows do all the harvest. With a few years of doing it you learn to time Your planting and grazing to maximize use and rest your permanent pastures.

Your farther north but I'm sure something similar can be done.

I don't have a problem summer feeding but winter feeding. That's where want to grow feed to use in winter. Is that what haygrazer is for? Never heard of haygrazer, what is it?

It's a cross between sudan and sorghum. Summer feed. Very heat and drought tolerant. Probably not a fit for you. Although by grazing it during the summer , I'm able to stockpile grass in my permant pastures to graze long enough in the fall to get my oats up on the same ground the haygrazer was on through the summer.

I believe rye (not ryegrass) is the most cold tolerant cereal grain. You might look into it.

Will do, stockpiling grass is always a good thing that's why I want to go rotational on my permanent pastures.
 
Bigfoot":6y4obl5k said:
I quit raising corn years ago, I can buy it cheaper than I can grow it. That much ground would make a lot of silage.

Yeah input cost and equipment cost crazy especially with as little ground we could raise corn on. Dryland corn quite risky here with semi-arid climate - corn seems to do great until late July, August then burn up. Irrigating is a lot better but we've had a new well moratorium for years = loads of fun! :lol:
 
What about winter wheat? You could graze it, then either keep it for grain or bale it for hay, then come back with a sorghum possibly, or even crabgrass. All of the above can stand the dry weather pretty good.
 
Clodhopper":1pl18evd said:
What about winter wheat? You could graze it, then either keep it for grain or bale it for hay, then come back with a sorghum possibly, or even crabgrass. All of the above can stand the dry weather pretty good.

We had wheat lately we just sold a month ago, price was terrible.

Anyone know anything about brome hay as an alternative to native grass hay (not enough yield) and alfalfa (too rich)?
 
feed that's 'too rich'?

too rich for what?

alfalfa hay isn't even named right--put up right, it's not hay---it's an all natural, home grown, protein source. Chuck fulla calcium and vit A.

And it gives you the option of combining it with rough, cheaper feed---supplies most of th protein, helps digest the energy and the other stuff slows down the the pass thru and protein bypass.
 
All I know is that I've read cattle can get bloat by eating too much alfalfa and you can't feed it as total winter feed so that's why I'm trying to avoid it.
 
LongLopeSlowHorse":2ykbvhtu said:
feed that's 'too rich'?

too rich for what?

alfalfa hay isn't even named right--put up right, it's not hay---it's an all natural, home grown, protein source. Chuck fulla calcium and vit A.

And it gives you the option of combining it with rough, cheaper feed---supplies most of th protein, helps digest the energy and the other stuff slows down the the pass thru and protein bypass.
What hole did you pull that out of?? Cut and baled it's hay....albeit alfalfa hay. True it's high in protein if grown and harvested properly....too high to be fed to beef cattle in any form without diluting it with lower quality grass hay to reduce feeding more protein than is needed along with the other problems that can occur like bloat at at times, milk fever on fresh cows. And alfala contains very little rumen by-pass protein. Actually it's almost totally rumen degradeable. But you are right on the calcium. ;-)
 
NECowboy":2f4idq7u said:
Bigfoot":2f4idq7u said:
I quit raising corn years ago, I can buy it cheaper than I can grow it. That much ground would make a lot of silage.

Yeah input cost and equipment cost crazy especially with as little ground we could raise corn on. Dryland corn quite risky here with semi-arid climate - corn seems to do great until late July, August then burn up. Irrigating is a lot better but we've had a new well moratorium for years = loads of fun! :lol:
You would have quite a bit less in an old 7200 planter, single row chopper, and an old single axle truck than all but the most frugal set up for hay, plus you would be done in a week vs months.
 
hillbilly beef man":1g2gy0me said:
NECowboy":1g2gy0me said:
Bigfoot":1g2gy0me said:
I quit raising corn years ago, I can buy it cheaper than I can grow it. That much ground would make a lot of silage.

Yeah input cost and equipment cost crazy especially with as little ground we could raise corn on. Dryland corn quite risky here with semi-arid climate - corn seems to do great until late July, August then burn up. Irrigating is a lot better but we've had a new well moratorium for years = loads of fun! :lol:
You would have quite a bit less in an old 7200 planter, single row chopper, and an old single axle truck than all but the most frugal set up for hay, plus you would be done in a week vs months.

Hillbilly what kind of hay you grow? You feel hay is cost effective to you making it or buying your own?
 
NECowboy":3ov8wimi said:
hillbilly beef man":3ov8wimi said:
NECowboy":3ov8wimi said:
Yeah input cost and equipment cost crazy especially with as little ground we could raise corn on. Dryland corn quite risky here with semi-arid climate - corn seems to do great until late July, August then burn up. Irrigating is a lot better but we've had a new well moratorium for years = loads of fun! :lol:
You would have quite a bit less in an old 7200 planter, single row chopper, and an old single axle truck than all but the most frugal set up for hay, plus you would be done in a week vs months.

Hillbilly what kind of hay you grow? You feel hay is cost effective to you making it or buying your own?

Fescue with a few fields of orchard grass. Buying hay makes more fininacial sense, especially if you can run more cows by grazing your hayfields.
 
If you are cow calf put it in something you can graze. Or lease it for crops and buy feed. Whichever pencils out for you.
 

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