I am going to try and plant about 10 acres with Hybrid Pearl Millet (for forage), there are alot of varietys available from different distributors. Is one variety better than the other? Also what kind of actual results did yall get from planting, were they close to what the manufacturer said? Any pictures of the finished crop? Thanks.
Hybrid Pearl Millet
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Jogeephus
Well-known member
I like Tiftleaf 3. It will produce a lot of good quality forage. Best increase your stocking cause it can get away from you. Here is a picture of some from last year. I had way more than I could graze. Ended up baling excess.
Jogeephus
Well-known member
No problems that I have seen with diseases or insects. Its very easy to grow and can tolerate drought conditions pretty well. Biggest problem is getting a handle on how to graze it properly without it getting in front of you. I like it a lot but haven't really used anything else either.
Jogeephus
Well-known member
To give you an idea of how fast this stuff can grow, I found this picture you can use as a reference. It was taken on the June 18 five days prior to the first pic which was taken on June 25th just after we received our first good rain. Once we got the rainfall, it really didn't matter much as this stuff is fairly drought tolerant. I ended up having to make haylage on one field and round rolled the other. I guess you could say I went from being grass poor to grass rich in a span of 5 days. Its amazing what a little rainfall can do for you.
This picture was taken in July as I had to cut and bale the excess. I came back afterwards and gave it some potash and it continued to grow.
This photo was taken in September after I had already cut hay off. Calves are a solid 6 weight. Most of their grazing occured within a few feet of the shade as they didn't have to walk far to fill their belly.
Its pretty obvious I miscalculated my forage needs but the drought had me worried. At least the excess didn't get wasted as I still have over 100 rolls of millet hay stockpiled.
This picture was taken in July as I had to cut and bale the excess. I came back afterwards and gave it some potash and it continued to grow.
This photo was taken in September after I had already cut hay off. Calves are a solid 6 weight. Most of their grazing occured within a few feet of the shade as they didn't have to walk far to fill their belly.
Its pretty obvious I miscalculated my forage needs but the drought had me worried. At least the excess didn't get wasted as I still have over 100 rolls of millet hay stockpiled.
popsjp
Well-known member
Jorgeephus, some great pics and information. One question, not trying to jack this thred but does this stuff produce seeds? Will it get thicker if it does? Looks like great stuff but could work you some, which could be a good thing.
Jogeephus
Well-known member
popsjp":5jllz9h7 said:
Produces very little seed. I let some grow hoping for a bird shoot and it formed a head but the actual seed in the head was pretty lame. Seed head included, the plants were about 6.5 feet tall but this was never grazed or cut. It really starts going backward if you let it form the head, that's why I cut it when I saw it getting away from me.
Now if you want a seedhead for birds, I can't say enough good things about Tiftseed 104. This plant is the exact opposite of Tiftleaf 3 and will produce a seedhead when the plant gets about a foot tall. It won't get over waste deep either. Talk about a dove shoot. I wouldn't be surprised if they outlaw it. I'll definitely be plantng some more of this for the birds.
How hard is it to cure that stuff. could do it in a reasonable time with a disk mower and tedder? I am really wanting to try something different for a few paddocks of summer grazing and possibley hay production. Can you no till it into existing stands or do you have to prepare a seed bed? Thanks for any advice.
Jogeephus
Well-known member
Its pretty hard to cure. I put half the field in haylage and the other half I cured the regular way. We were in a drought so I thought this would work out. I cut mine with a mower conditioner and it still took three good days to dry it. I didn't tedder it but once. Got 4 rolls per acre to boot. As for planting it, I always use a prepared seedbed since my drill is not a no-till. I don't know how it would do if you planted it in existing gras turf - probably not to well but it might be worth a try if you go a no till rig. I have planted this along with bahia grass seed so I could get use out of the field. This worked very well.
Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
I can't get the tiftleaf 3 varity here, said they could get a varity called leafy green. Maybe i will try that.
Jogeephus
Well-known member
Red Bull Breeder":14ac8yve said:
Probably a regional thing but they have done a lot of work on millet and I suspect it will do well in your area. From the name, it sounds as though leafy green is bred for foliage production. If you try it, let us know how it does. If it does half as good as the Tiftleaf I'm sure you will be pleased.
popsjp
Well-known member
Jorgeephus thanks. I was thinking of birds and cows. Guess it is hard to have the best of both worlds, but a man can dream anyway.
Jogeephus
Well-known member
popsjp":vnrgm7sa said:
You can have it both ways if you just run a strand of electric fence to seperate the cows from the Tiftseed. This is what I did. I ran the grain drill down the side of the fence three times and put up an electric fence. The rest was planted in forage millet. When the heads appeared on the seed millet, I would mow about 20 feet of it every 100 yards or so just to knock some seed on the dirt for the birds. They hung around all summer and by bird season I had a real good population built up and I still have plenty. I also disced the other into the ground in sections and the birds liked this as well. Not as much seed but worked good all the same. BTW, the Tiftseed is pricey but I only bought one bag and have only used about 15 lbs of it and will definitely be using another helping of it next year.
if you were looking to just graze, about how many 6 wt. calves could be run on an acre to keep up with its growth (in an average year)?
if you were wanting to take off a hay crop then graze what would you think the stocking rate would be (again in an average year)?
how many hay crops can you get in a season if you choose not to graze at all?
i tried to get some seed last year to put on a 3 acre paddock used for calving. it gets pretty tore up in the spring - but what seed was available went pretty fast - and i don't always ride on the fastest horse :lol:
thanks,
ROB
if you were wanting to take off a hay crop then graze what would you think the stocking rate would be (again in an average year)?
how many hay crops can you get in a season if you choose not to graze at all?
i tried to get some seed last year to put on a 3 acre paddock used for calving. it gets pretty tore up in the spring - but what seed was available went pretty fast - and i don't always ride on the fastest horse :lol:
thanks,
ROB
popsjp
Well-known member
That is an excellent use of electric fence, think I will give it try. Thanks
Jogeephus
Well-known member
ROB":2uk5f0c5 said:
These are some tough questions with a lot of variables. But in general, if your place is sectioned off and you got other forage for them when the millet is not producing, I think 4 6weights would be a good stocking to keep it in check. I would also recommend having at least two sections of millet, each being planted about two weeks apart. Once the millet touched the middle part of your shin, begin grazing it (you'd be putting 8 hd/ac on the paddock). If you get plenty of rain then you can cut the other as hay. If not, you can rotate them to the other paddock if need be and cut the remainder as hay. The place I planted millet on last summer is divided into three main fields. One is bermuda and the other two were millet. We were in a bad drought, and I put some 6 weight replacement heifers on it at a stocking rate of 1.25 head per acre of millet. Once I finally got a rain, the heifers never left the millet fields so I was essentially running 2.5 head per acre. At that rate I still couldn't keep it grazed and I had to bale the excess which yielded 4 rolls per acre. Also, at the end of its growing season, I could have got one more light cutting (2 rolls) but I opted to mow it as I was sick of moving hay and had more than plenty. They are still eating this haylage/hay and I still have over half of it left.
I would first try some and see how it does for you. When the weather is right, it grows like nothing you've ever seen but when the weather is not right, or if it forms seed heads its growth will come to a screeching halt.
Regarding question 2, I think it would depend on how you do it. If you stock like I did, you will probably get plenty of hay anyhow plus you'd be cutting in the drier months of the year. Even my friend down the road who runs stockers cut hay at the end of the year. He runs 4/millet/acre with creep but still cut 2 rolls/acre as cleanup. But if you left the cows off of it until you got a cutting, 4 would still be applicable.
As for the number of cuttings if not grazed, I would say 2 good ones definitely, but possibly 3.
I hope this is helpful. Its kinda general and probably has plenty of holes in the logic if there is any in it. Basically, I've never been able to manage it properly - I always have surplus. I think you will find it will outgrow your needs which is a good thing - I think.
