how to harvest corn stalks for feeding purposes?

[j&lfarms]

I have a bunch of sweet corn that will be ready to be picked next week. I know people feed corn stalks to cattle, but I was wondering how I should go about doing it to save it for this winter. It's not enough to really need to roll it or bale it. Should I pick the corn then come back through and cut the stalks low to the ground and then just bundle it and hang it in the barn? If anyone has any experience in this I would be very thankful for your advice.

 

[Chris H]

You might be better off feeding it green chop right now and resting your pastures.

 

[j&lfarms]

I've got 3 heifers, a cow, a calf, and a 11 month old bull on about 20 acres and another 7 acres I'm letting grow up to winter them on this year. I've already got 8 5x6 rolls of good spring hay and will get another cut this fall which will give me about 17 or 18 rolls depending on what deal I can work out with the guy who rolls my hay. I'm not really going to need the corn stalks I just hate to see all the stalks go to waste. Would it even be worth my time to mess with cutting and storing the stalks?

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Neat idea, but not worth your time IMO, especially since you are gonna be in good shape for winter.

 

[j&lfarms]

Hmmmm....maybe I can cut and bundle them and sale them to people around town for fall decorations lol.

 

[1982vett]

I've got 3 heifers, a cow, a calf, and a 11 month old bull on about 20 acres and another 7 acres I'm letting grow up to winter them on this year. I've already got 8 5x6 rolls of good spring hay and will get another cut this fall which will give me about 17 or 18 rolls depending on what deal I can work out with the guy who rolls my hay. I'm not really going to need the corn stalks I just hate to see all the stalks go to waste. Would it even be worth my time to mess with cutting and storing the stalks?

I have a bunch of sweet corn that will be ready to be picked next week. I know people feed corn stalks to cattle, but I was wondering how I should go about doing it to save it for this winter. It's not enough to really need to roll it or bale it. Should I pick the corn then come back through and cut the stalks low to the ground and then just bundle it and hang it in the barn? If anyone has any experience in this I would be very thankful for your advice.

?Run a hot wire and turn em in.?

 

[j&lfarms]

I planted a few rows of extra seed where I keep my cows in the winter but 95% of the corn is at my girlfriends grandpas place in his backyard so running a hotwire isn't really an option. I was wondering if I cut it if I could trap some nutrients in the stalks.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Hmmmm....maybe I can cut and bundle them and sale them to people around town for fall decorations lol.

Not a bad idea!

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Get ya a sickle bar mower, and whack them off. Then till your kids it fun to pick up stalks, and have them bundle them up for you to feed. :lol:

 

[Chris H]

You won't get a lot of forage from sweet corn. There won't be much grain on it. The leaves seem to deteriorate faster than field corn. If you mow it with a rotary mower & bale it like people do with field corn after harvesting the grain, there won't be anything to bale by the time it dries. To get any feed from it you about have to chop it green and feed it or ensile it.

There won't be anything left of the stalk by this fall to make decorations.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

:lol: We just pull it out and toss it over the fence. The cows eat every last piece! No waste. Our garden is right next to one of the rotation pastures, so the cows watch us for when we are out there picking corn. It is like candy to them, and we have even seen some fights break out over it

 

[j&lfarms]

I'm only 17 so thankfully I don't have any kids to put to work. Lol I may end up just cutting them green. Thanks for your suggestions everyone!

 

[kickinbull]

For the benefit of the soil, leave them. Run rotary mower over them is you want.