Hay field pasture question

[BryanM]

I am adding 6 acres of hayfield on too my pasture, and have a couple questions: its a 3rd year hay field 75% alfalfa 25% orchard grass. Iplan on fencing it in and taking the first cutting off of it then use it for pasture on a rotational basis. it will me grazed by beef cows and calves just a half dozen or so.
2 questions will it be to rich for cows and calves? and the next question if it sets empty for winter will I have a problem with haying it on first cut? I am thinking of cow patties and such? thanks

 

[HDRider]

I want to offer an answer from an academic perspective. Don't use my answer, but I want it graded by others here with their vast real world experiences. I am a student not a practitioner.

I'd say take you first cut, and maybe a second for hay. Rotate your grazing for a short cycle with paddocks approaching 100,000 pounds per acre during the warmer months, supplementing with hay if the alfalfa is still high in energy and low in fiber.

Reference:
http://forages.oregonstate.edu/php/fact ... p?SpecID=1

 

[LauraleesFarm]

We have a hay baling business. Lots of folks have little meadows like that and cows graze it part time.

Pull the cattle off the pasture about 2 to 4 weeks before your last frost is usually due (for us we would pull the cattle out in March). And fertilize at that time right before a good rain (we like chicken poop).

Personally I would not feed hay all winter in the hay meadow just to keep it from getting messed up with mucky areas.

Get your hay cut either once or twice, then when you are done, let the cows back in to graze for the rest of the year.

You will want to be diligently spraying for weeds and such. I do not recommend fertilizing while cattle are actively grazing.

If you bale it while they are grazing it, you won't get much hay.

 

[Brute 23]

There are two basic principals that I have adopted with the drought.

1) Never skip baling hay that can be baled.

2) Never turn cattle in on hay fields.

 

[Chris H]

There are two basic principals that I have adopted with the drought.

1) Never skip baling hay that can be baled.

2) Never turn cattle in on hay fields.

Different climate, different forage, and opposite principles adopted here.
1) When alfalfa, clover, and many of the grasses reach full bloom you might as well harvest it. During a drought it might not yield enough to be worthwhile to run equipment over it, but the cows can harvest it. Just don't take it too short.
2) Cows won't hurt a hay field if the ground is solid and the cows don't overgraze it.

 

[Chris H]

I am adding 6 acres of hayfield on too my pasture, and have a couple questions: its a 3rd year hay field 75% alfalfa 25% orchard grass. Iplan on fencing it in and taking the first cutting off of it then use it for pasture on a rotational basis. it will me grazed by beef cows and calves just a half dozen or so.
2 questions will it be to rich for cows and calves? and the next question if it sets empty for winter will I have a problem with haying it on first cut? I am thinking of cow patties and such? thanks

We're in Ohio, about an hour north of Cincy. 75% alfalfa is about the max I've grazed. Most of our hay fields are grazed for a 2nd, 3rd, & 4th harvest. This year we were delayed from grazing in the spring due to late growth, then suddenly everything shot up. Some of our paddocks were grazed, then hayed for a second harvest. We try to graze or hay every 4-5 weeks, then leave 5-6 weeks for regrowth before frost, then a light grazing can be done after the alfalfa is dormant, as long as the ground is solid.
Manure was not a problem on the fields we baled instead of grazing for a second harvest. It was so runny it spread out & dried thin. Manure left in the fall is gone by spring. Earthworms will bury it quickly in the spring.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I would cut it twice then graze it. Here our first cutting will generally be in the last 2 weeks of may or just a little later. When I do graze a hay field I have them off by the first of April at the latest.

 

[BryanM]

thanks for the replies, I guess I need to tell my whole plan for this to make sense! I dont have alot of land, 13 acres as of today. Aprox 4 acres of pasture as of right now, and on the pasture we have 4 cows and 3 calves and thru rotational grazing had decent grass until september then started feeding some hay.

We hayed the other 8 acres for are winter hay and sold the rest. We have hayed for the last 5 years with old equipment that breaks down every other time we hay and picking up and stacking hay well it pretty hard work for what we get out of it. I think I would need to update my equipment and with that expense not sure it pays to hay a small parcel.
well my new plan is to have someone else hay the hay field with rounds and keep the hay for my cattle then rotational graze the hay field along with the other 4 acres. My thinking is to add a couple more cows and sell their calves, I think I could do a little bettter than selling hay plus it might be a little easier on the family than haying.

we have raised a few cattle for the last 5 years so we kinda have a clue on what that takes. But after going over the books and what we would have in newwer equipment vs how much hay we produce it makes sense.

 

[pricefarm]

Wit no more land than you have I would graze the hay field and just but hay. By the time you pay someone to hay it for you you could just about buy it from someone and run more cows

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Wit no more land than you have I would graze the hay field and just but hay. By the time you pay someone to hay it for you you could just about buy it from someone and run more cows

In this particular case I have to agree. Either hay will be cheap enough that you would be better of with more cattle, or if gets dry and hay goes up yours wouldn't have made that much, and honestly your not a big enough operation that having to buy some higher priced hay in a bad hay year, really isn't going to break you. Just my opinion, and it's free with your CT membership :lol2: