alacowman1
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I had the same situation...2 pastures of thick rye grass that I would have liked to have had baled...too wet. I just let the cows eat one pasture and mowed the other. Temps are cooler than usual so the bermuda grass is a little slow...but growing. They say this summer will be a bit cooler here but the northeast will be warmer (transition year between El Nino and La Nina is how it was explained to me - but I'm no meteorologist). Chance of a little more rain today. Still working on the trees that went down in the recent storms...all on fences, of course - that will be ongoing for awhile. The storms laid most of rye grass down. Hoping to spray week after next and get chicken litter applied to hay pastures when the guy can get it done. Then, some rain will be a welcome thing. Just another springtime in deep east Texas.View attachment 30547
Got a lot to get to if theses rains let up, have a couple felids on the ground now..so tall and heavy it's laying over
Never done a water recovery, but someone passed away for 24 hrs or so doesn't just bend over the saddle.This is true...working with parks and wildlife, that point does get driven home from time to time. Not required to wear one when out in a boat but you are required to have them aboard.
How do you store your hay? With the reduced yield plus the cost if you store outside hay would become very expensiveBaled the Hay today. I guessed maybe a 25% less yield than average. It ended up being 45% less yield than average this year. Same field, same fertilizer, same time of year within a week give or take. Soil test looks good, ph 6.8.
We have been dry, but not dry enough for -45% hay yield. Maybe it's the filtered sunshine? Sunny days are not really sunny. You can see clouds, but the sky is white between them not blue. The sun is "filtered" for the lack of a better word. They claim it's the wildfires in Canada causing it. I am at a loss and don't see anything significantly different than previous years.
I store the dry hay inside the barn. I also wrap baleage when the barn is full.How do you store your hay? With the reduced yield plus the cost if you store outside hay would become very expensive
By wrap I assume plastic wrap? We use the net wrap but obviously we lose a percentage to Mother Nature. Was thinking about stacking and tarpingI store the dry hay inside the barn. I also wrap baleage when the barn is full.
Thankfully I made enough hay to feed the animals for a winter. With more cuttings of alfalfa and hopefully a second grass cutting, I should have some to sell also.
My grass is green and slow growing. My cow are walking and packing pastures. We have had the rain but the cool days and some 58 degree nights haven't helped it grow much. I am over stocked and having to sub feed cotton seed and 15% cattle feed 2-3 times a week. I have fed my last hay about 3 weeks ago. Hay now $70 a bale and most here have gone to the smaller 4 x 5 ft. bales instead of the 5 x 6 ft bales. I don't have enough land to plant hay so it's tough when the grass is not growing. I only have 11 cows, a bull and 8 calves on the ground with 3 more coming soon. All this on 18-20 acres with about 3 of that in woods. I don't want to sell off cow and calf pairs but I may have no choice. I just doing the best I can to survive without hurting my cows more than I have to. I know there's no need crying on y'all shoulder but it is stressing situation.I'm in northeast TN. I've noticed that it just seems like the grass in pastures and hayfields just hasn't started growing around here. Even what was fertilized. It's got a real nice "black green" color, just not growing. My ryegrass is looking great but the perennial grasses are just sitting there. It's like that all around here. We've had plenty of rain and, other than the Christmas week freeze, no hard cold temperatures. Just wondering what everybody else's grass is doing.
Yes, moist hay wrapped in plastic. It ferments and makes good feed for the cattle.By wrap I assume plastic wrap? We use the net wrap but obviously we lose a percentage to Mother Nature. Was thinking about stacking and tarping
In a similar boat with ya buddy. 56 head on 60 acres here with poor growing conditions really do make for some stress/worry. I've been short changing mine a little bit. Hopefully no lasting effects.My grass is green and slow growing. My cow are walking and packing pastures. We have had the rain but the cool days and some 58 degree nights haven't helped it grow much. I am over stocked and having to sub feed cotton seed and 15% cattle feed 2-3 times a week. I have fed my last hay about 3 weeks ago. Hay now $70 a bale and most here have gone to the smaller 4 x 5 ft. bales instead of the 5 x 6 ft bales. I don't have enough land to plant hay so it's tough when the grass is not growing. I only have 11 cows, a bull and 8 calves on the ground with 3 more coming soon. All this on 18-20 acres with about 3 of that in woods. I don't want to sell off cow and calf pairs but I may have no choice. I just doing the best I can to survive without hurting my cows more than I have to. I know there's no need crying on y'all shoulder but it is stressing situation.
I've got an alternative for the yellowstem broomsedge for you other than the bush hog.......A prescribed burn/fire! I know that isn't what you were aiming for. I don't know of anything that eats it. However, do a soil test and check your pH, P & K. The broomsedge thrives in P deficient (or unavailable) soils. Low pH makes P unavailable. broomsedge isn't a competitive plant and WILL be out-competeted where the nutrients are available. Broomsedge just does well when P isn't available because it doesn't need near as much of it where your preferred grasses do. If you increase the P availability, your broomsedge levels will drop.I'm going to try to ride out to our pastures on Saturday or Sunday, I'm hoping it's balanced out some. I need to find something in the world that eats yellowstem broomsedge after maturity, other than a bush hog of course.