Increasing fall pasture production IF we get rain

[jkwilson]

We are struggling with a very dry summer so far on the heels of a cold April that really stunted the forage. Barring a sudden change in the weather pattern, I'm going to be tapping the hay supply pretty soon. That would only be a money issue if anybody had any hay to sell :( , but it's hard to find any at all.

I'm trying to plan for the fall if we get normal rain after August. My pastures are tall fescue with about 25 or 30% red clover. I'm inclined to try fertilizing in August and hoping to get some extra growth that will carry me through November and maybe December to make up for the hay I'm probably going to have to use this summer. If anybody has any advice, I'd be glad to hear it.

Already have the first load of cows sorted for the sale this week. This is the load that would probably be going regardless of the weather, but they are going early. The next load will be the hard one to pick.

 

[Chris H]

We're in southwest Ohio, about 50 miles north of Cincinnati. We're also hurting.
We normally fertilize fescue fields with N the first week of August. 90% of the time we get a real soaker during that week(our county fair, of course!). We aim for 50 lbs actual on fields that have some clover in them. If the rain looks like it will come in the last week of July, we'd fertilize then and still pray for more rain in August. 50 lbs of N generally returns the most value for money spent. Increased response can be seen up to 100 lbs., if water, soil conditions, and other nutrients will support extra growth. Increased costs for hay may make it economical to increase the N over 50 lbs/acre, if other factors will support it.

We have sudex planted for hay. If we get a rain today, maybe it will finally sprout. It's laid in dry ground for 3 weeks.
If we get rain in August we will be interseeding Italian ryegrass and/or forage oats in those acre's after a hay cutting during August. More N as soon as they're growing. We may get a cutting of sudex after that, but the oats keep growing until a freeze in the mid 20's. The Italian ryegrass will produce a smaller amount of fall forage but will explode in March/April, just in time for calving.
Cereal rye will go in after the corn is harvested. It will provide forage slightly before the italian ryegrass. During warmer February's we've grazed it as early as mid Feb. Check out some of my rye pictures at http://www.howardandsoncattle.com under the 'research' link. Here's a link, http://howardandsoncattle.com/RyePictures.html
Cereal rye responds to high N, the results from the corn after that indicated a boost to the corn in proportion to how much N was applied to the rye.

We saw some on-farm field size tests in central Ohio which resulted in an excess of 4 tons/acre of forage from oats seeded after wheat harvest. It was strip grazed into January. Quality held very well, very palatable to the cattle. The same field day we saw oats which had been flown into standing corn in late July. After corn harvest they were going to graze that field. It looked like they'd get their money's worth from it when we saw it in August. Herbicide will affect that option.

Those are options we are preparing for now.

 

[jkwilson]

Oats is something to think about. I replanted a 6 acre field that has been mostly the bull's home during his off season, and it's been a waste without rain. I could plant it in oats and get some good out of it before I replant next spring.