Hay Field Question

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Tripple C

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Last summer I was unable to find someone to mow, rake and bale my last growth of Coastal Burmuda hay. Naturally it is now brown in the field. Should I leave it, or bush hog it so that the sun can get to the new growth next spring. And if I bush hog it, will it do damage to the new hay if it is not raked and removed?
 
Why not turn the cows in it and let them clip it for you?

dun
 
Tripple C":qkn15u6j said:
Last summer I was unable to find someone to mow, rake and bale my last growth of Coastal Burmuda hay. Naturally it is now brown in the field. Should I leave it, or bush hog it so that the sun can get to the new growth next spring. And if I bush hog it, will it do damage to the new hay if it is not raked and removed?
yes let the cows graze it down.they will eat it.
 
Good Idea, but I would have to fence it first which would be a pretty big expense.
 
Use tepmp hotwire and fince it in strips or chunks. The only problem is the water issue
 
Tripple C":2zks3x7f said:
Good Idea, but I would have to fence it first which would be a pretty big expense.
well what id do is bale it in mid april to clean it up.itll still be good hay.then your costal can get a good start growing.but i would not bushhog it now.
 
not to hijack your thread, but my field has grass almost waist high covering almost half of it and my cows dont seem to be touching it. It is just native prarie grass, but they dont seem to care for it
 
tulsagreenhorn":v3clsofz said:
not to hijack your thread, but my field has grass almost waist high covering almost half of it and my cows dont seem to be touching it. It is just native prarie grass, but they dont seem to care for it
thats an easy 1 put out some lick tubs or a sryrup tank.the syrup will put a fire in their belly.an get them to eat that dry grass.
 
Tripple C":3dfazxk4 said:
Last summer I was unable to find someone to mow, rake and bale my last growth of Coastal Burmuda hay. Naturally it is now brown in the field. Should I leave it, or bush hog it so that the sun can get to the new growth next spring. And if I bush hog it, will it do damage to the new hay if it is not raked and removed?

Disc around the field and burn it sometime around March before green up.

Don't mess with it now. The roots are intaking carbohydrates stored in the leaves now. The more top growth that is on it now, the more carbs available now.

Lots of top growth will insure a good burn too.
 
bigbull338":1sx4yqxz said:
tulsagreenhorn":1sx4yqxz said:
not to hijack your thread, but my field has grass almost waist high covering almost half of it and my cows dont seem to be touching it. It is just native prarie grass, but they dont seem to care for it
thats an easy 1 put out some lick tubs or a sryrup tank.the syrup will put a fire in their belly.an get them to eat that dry grass.

Can you explain; "fire in their belly"?
 
MikeC":3pl4585p said:
bigbull338":3pl4585p said:
tulsagreenhorn":3pl4585p said:
not to hijack your thread, but my field has grass almost waist high covering almost half of it and my cows dont seem to be touching it. It is just native prarie grass, but they dont seem to care for it
thats an easy 1 put out some lick tubs or a sryrup tank.the syrup will put a fire in their belly.an get them to eat that dry grass.

Can you explain; "fire in their belly"?
mike i sure thought youd know that term.fire in their belly means that the sryrup will make them clean up the dead grass an eat alot of hay if its out there.
 
mike i sure thought youd know that term.fire in their belly means that the sryrup will make them clean up the dead grass an eat alot of hay if its out there

I've heard it called "Hot Feed" because of the protein content which aids digestion and lets them move more poor quality dry matter through the digestive system faster, but not a "Fire in the Belly".

Reminds me of a neighbor who fed a real poor quality hay one year and was surprised at the small amount they would clean up because there wasn't enough protein/energy in it.

The cows got thinner and thinner during the winter and started dying in March because it took more energy and protein to digest that hay than it provided.

Maybe he needed to put a "Fire in their Belly". :lol:
 
bigbull338":93ctmsey said:
tulsagreenhorn":93ctmsey said:
not to hijack your thread, but my field has grass almost waist high covering almost half of it and my cows dont seem to be touching it. It is just native prarie grass, but they dont seem to care for it
thats an easy 1 put out some lick tubs or a sryrup tank.the syrup will put a fire in their belly.an get them to eat that dry grass.

There is a lot of that going on now. Got many who are convinced the tubs are cheaper than baling. The dead grass provides the filler since most of the nutrition is in the roots. The tubs provide what the grass does not have. The roots get more return before the grass dies.

Me. I dunno. Sounds reasonable.
 
Had a similar problem. I just turned the cows in and let them have it. It goes in and comes out the same way no matter how it's presented.
 
bigbull338":3laqpa0h said:
Tripple C":3laqpa0h said:
Good Idea, but I would have to fence it first which would be a pretty big expense.
well what id do is bale it in mid april to clean it up.itll still be good hay.then your costal can get a good start growing.but i would not bushhog it now.

After sitting all fall and spring I doubt that grass would have much protein left. By Dec it already usually down to 8% or less. Of course is we have a third year of drought, it would be better than nothing

Either shred it with a bush hog or burn it off this spring
 

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