Johnson grass in hay

[Ky hills]

I know it's probably been talked about several times on here, but kind of a first for me.
We've had an increasing amount of Johnson grass in the hayfields, and now some of them have areas where it's pretty solid. Never been a problem or concern as it's always been 2-3 months from cutting and baling to the time I've fed any of it.
This year with just now getting the hay put up the Johnson grass was very prevalent and 6 ft tall or more. I have some cattle, in lots that's having to have hay and I'm wondering if hay that's been cut and rolled about 2 weeks would be safe to give them?
Also had some Johnson grass growing in one of the fields I typically graze. We had it ,batwinged, bushhogged, mowed off whatever you call it. 2-3 days before we turned cattle in that field. I was uneasy about doing that after it had been freshly mowed but it's been dry and had to get them moved. They been in that field for a week, and I've seen them grazing where the Johnson grass is and so far so good.
I typically wait until after a freeze to turn them into the hayfields, just in case

 

[Brute 23]

Johnson grass makes great hay you just need to learn to manage it.

If you want to get rid of it just turn the cows in on it. They will eat it first.

 

[Ky hills]

Johnson grass makes great hay you just need to learn to manage it.

If you want to get rid of it just turn the cows in on it. They will eat it first.

Yes I'm fine with it being there. Typically we don't have any in the pastures that are grazed because they keep it ate down. This year has been wet up until the last 2 weeks when the water faucet just seemed to shut off all at once.
I’ve read a lot of information about it and a lot of it seems to be conflicting.
I was just asking about the specifics of how soon the hay could be fed?

 

[worldsgreatestlover]

I welcome johnson grass in a hayfield for the most part. Its actually a better quality feed than many other grasses and the problems it gets a bad wrap for can occur in most any plant. It does get rank when it gets to mature, but so does any grass. It is more prone to Prussic and nitrates but only in exceptional conditions. The fact that the grass is tall thick and healthy is good. Its probably good some unpalatable but safe stems.
Unless you fertilized it with a ridiculous amount of fertilizer and it went through a hard stress I wouldn't be concerned one bit. My 2cents

 

[Brute 23]

I welcome johnson grass in a hayfield for the most part. Its actually a better quality feed than many other grasses and the problems it gets a bad wrap for can occur in most any plant. It does get rank when it gets to mature, but so does any grass. It is more prone to Prussic and nitrates but only in exceptional conditions. The fact that the grass is tall thick and healthy is good. Its probably good some unpalatable but safe stems.
Unless you fertilized it with a ridiculous amount of fertilizer and it went through a hard stress I wouldn't be concerned one bit. My 2cents

I believe that was right. I'm a little rusty on because we graze what use to be hay fields now that had it.

We have some old threads on here that had real good info if some one can search around for them a little.

I believe that was the summary. Don't over due fertilizer to prevent nitrates. You can be test for that though also of you are not sure.
Prussic acid dissipates by letting it dry good before baling.
I cant remember all the after freeze rules though.

 

[TCRanch]

The only problem I have with Johnson grass in the hay is that it gets stemmy and then the cows won't eat it. Plus, potential eye abrasions. Mr TC has been killing it in the brome fields with the weed wiper, and the bales look great. That said, the cattle love to graze it.

 

[Warren Allison]

The only way I have been able to keep JG out of my Bermuda hay field, is with a wick bar and Roundup.

 

[kenny thomas]

Is there anything other than Roundup in a Wick that will control Johnson Grass in hay?

 

[chaded]

I wouldn’t worry about it. I graze it and my hayfield is predominantly johnsongrass and we have never had an issue whatsoever. I have never even heard of anyone having an issue around here and you would be hard pressed to find anyone in this county that doesn’t graze and bale it.


As far as I know, there is nothing that is johnsongrass specific as far as herbicide goes.

 

[TCRanch]

Is there anything other than Roundup in a Wick that will control Johnson Grass in hay?

Plateau, but I think it's more expensive.

 

[TCRanch]

The only way II have been able to keep JG out of my Bermuda hay field, is with a wick bar and Roundup.

A big wick bar.

 

[Warren Allison]

Is there anything other than Roundup in a Wick that will control Johnson Grass in hay?

Anything with glyphosate in it. Some brands may be cheaper than RoundUp.

 

[coachg]

I’ve heard the only times to be concerned is after prolonged drought or it has been frost bitten. I baled some large jg late summer last year and was a little concerned about feeding it . A lot of large stems . The heifers picked through it and left the big stems . Cut it as small as you can. They love it !

 

[worldsgreatestlover]

The only way II have been able to keep JG out of my Bermuda hay field, is with a wick bar and Roundup.

If you have a true hybrid Bermuda like coastal or Tifton you can spray 20 oz roundup and kill the johnson grass along with other grass. The hybrid Bermudas are roundup tolerant enough to survive a light dose.

 

[kenny thomas]

Anything with glyphosate in it. Some brands may be cheaper than RoundUp.

I never use the name brand. I have cut 12 acres today that is 60% Johnson grass. I dont mind it except that it gets big and stemmie when we have a lot of rain. Im actually selling some to a guy that wants johnson grass for rotational grazing.

 

[504RP]

I never use the name brand. I have cut 12 acres today that is 60% Johnson grass. I dont mind it except that it gets big and stemmie when we have a lot of rain. Im actually selling some to a guy that wants johnson grass for rotational grazing.

Tractor supply sells a product called Farm works that is 53.9 % glyphosate 21/2 gallons $60. It will kill big Johnson grass but it will come right back up. If you spray it a second time while it’s a foot tall or smaller seems like that gets rid of it for good.

I personally don’t like Johnson grass, have feed it one time when I couldn’t get nothing else to feed and had the bales tested for purassic acid and nitrates before I fed and even was worried about it the whole time I was feeding it out. Was in a tight and couldn’t find anything else but had several people I trusted tell me it was fine. Cows more less picked through it and wasted most of it.

Have seen one black angus bull that a vet told me it had died from eating Johnson grass. Johnson grass will take over a field and choke everything else out. And it gets big and stemy fast. Other grasses can’t compete with it because it blocks the sunlight and takes over keeping other grasses from growing.

I hear that certain conditions like drought and no rain can cause the Johnson grass to turn toxic producing high nitrates and purassic acid which I don’t know nothing about. It’s easier for me to just keep the stuff killed out and grow other grasses that will grow just as easy as Johnson grass but I don’t have to be concerned about wether or not they have developed high nitrate levels or purassic acid that’s going to kill whatever I feed it to. Nor grow so big and stemy cattle won’t eat it or take over the whole field.

About the only good thing have to say for it is usually it attracts the hell out of grass hoppers for fish bait.

 

[Ky hills]

It's pretty well taken over this hayfield. It had been grazed pretty hard till early summer as I'd about decided to just let it become part of the pasture. Then we moved cattle to another field and when the Johnson grass started growing it made several roles of hay even after being grazed hard. We are really dry now and it's pretty much all that's green.
Edited to add that from what I read, this field with Johnson grass would be risky to graze right now because it’s stressed from being cut and trying to grow in dry conditions. Then if it rains it will be dangerous for a couple weeks after that from growing, and evidently it should be 18-24 inches tall before being safe to graze.
From my understanding it’s not safe to graze for two weeks after a frost and 3 days after a freeze.
It’s not been fertilized.

 

[Ky hills]

I’m not making light of the seriousness of as I’ve known folks that have attributed losses to Johnson grass. From what I’m reading online it seems to be a situation of it’s only safe to graze on a Tuesday evening in June, provided it’s the proper height with a significant variance, and only if there hasn’t been a rain for a couple weeks but not dry conditions either. Then it will be safe again after December, or maybe 3 days after a hard freeze in November.

 

[gman4691]

Is there anything other than Roundup in a Wick that will control Johnson Grass in hay?

Cryder does the trick (1 oz. per acre)…it is a restricted use chemical in Texas so a private applicator’s license is required here. Note: Cryder is the same as what used to be called Outrider. Works for me…I use it on my hayfields. The most effective JG control is grazing…as others have said here.

 

[504RP]

I'm not making light of the seriousness of as I've known folks that have attributed losses to Johnson grass. From what I'm reading online it seems to be a situation of it's only safe to graze on a Tuesday evening in June, provided it's the proper height with a significant variance, and only if there hasn't been a rain for a couple weeks but not dry conditions either. Then it will be safe again after December, or maybe 3 days after a hard freeze in November.

Lol !!! That grazing Johnson grass is way too complicated for me to understand enough to gamble feeding it to cattle especially as much as cattle are worth. I am sure there are 1000’s of people who feed it all of the time without a worry in the world but I am not one of them.