ROB":2uk5f0c5 said:
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
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.