Orchard seed seems high

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

I am drilling some preexisting fescue fields to dilute them a bit this fall. Been tossing around the idea of drilling Orchard (Hallmark or Persist seems popular) and Annual Rye seed (DH3 or Marshall). I could not believe how expensive Orchard is now. $3.25/lb for the Hallmark, or $3.15/lb for the persist. At about 10 pounds an acre (remember, drilling in preexisting fescue field) that can get pricey! The annual Ryegrass is only .92 cents/lb. With our program (Manage Intensive Grazing), it has to be something that can grow will in our soil and using our grazing system. Is anyone out there doing anything different that has similar soil to SW MO (hint, LOTS of rocks and very little topsoil, thus FESCUE IS KING!)?

 

[skyhightree1]

Orchard grass is ridiculously high its literally double the price in the last year and a half so no more orchard here for me. I love fescue and will only be putting that in. I think I had posted about how expensive orchard was before as well. Orchard doesn't last long enough here for me to even consider planting it again.

 

[Lucky_P]

Get the Persist if you can. Has performed well here - and palatability has not been an issue.
Planted Hallmark & Benchmark in some paddocks back in the late '90s... the OG would be the very last thing the cows would touch... have to think it didn't taste very good.

 

[Anonymous]

:2cents: cut the rate on on orchard add some clover

 

[dun]

:2cents: cut the rate on on orchard add some clover

Or skip the OG and just use clover

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

The problem is that that field is about 85% clover! Great when you have a good clover year, but I want some grass in there too for more poundage. We drilled that field about 5 years ago with clover and ryegrass, and the clover is going strong. This year we tons of foxtail late in the summer, which I do not like. Last year seemed to be a year for plantain... I just want some good grass!
Lucky, that is what I ordered, Persist. Thinking about putting in more ryegrass since it is cheaper. The problem is the ryegrass might outcompete the orchard, so I have to keep a balance.
I am renting the county drill to put it in, since my usual guy is booked up for the next 30 days straight, IF we get some rain! I can not wait on him... so I will do it myself... :nod: :tiphat:

 

[dun]

The problem is that that field is about 85% clover! Great when you have a good clover year, but I want some grass in there too for more poundage. We drilled that field about 5 years ago with clover and ryegrass, and the clover is going strong. This year we tons of foxtail late in the summer, which I do not like. Last year seemed to be a year for plantain... I just want some good grass!
Lucky, that is what I ordered, Persist. Thinking about putting in more ryegrass since it is cheaper. The problem is the ryegrass might outcompete the orchard, so I have to keep a balance.
I am renting the county drill to put it in, since my usual guy is booked up for the next 30 days straight, IF we get some rain! I can not wait on him... so I will do it myself... :nod: :tiphat:

That would be a quandary. What about some type of brome? I only mention bromes because our cows will graze brome but won;t touch OG

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Dun
Did not think of brome. What varieties do well out here? What is the drilling rate per acre?

 

[dun]

From the manual "Pasture managment guide for the Ozarks" that I got a while back from NRCS, they talk about smooth brome: http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G4672

 

[Waterway65]

Check tug of war seeds. They usually have a much better price.

 

[Anonymous]

yea 85% is a dairymans dream an cows love fox tail but i see your point yea you need somthing to go with all the nitrogen that clover is giveing you .!
kinda like sky said fescue grows good with clover cows love it as hay and winter it is prime stuff !

 

[Ky cowboy]

I re-seeded 10 acre hay field yesterday, re-seeded 20lbs benchmark og 10lb of fescue and a little ladino clover. Benchmark was $2.50lb here if you get by the bag, $3.50 something by the lb. Now i need rain!!

 

[callmefence]

I am drilling some preexisting fescue fields to dilute them a bit this fall. Been tossing around the idea of drilling Orchard (Hallmark or Persist seems popular) and Annual Rye seed (DH3 or Marshall). I could not believe how expensive Orchard is now. $3.25/lb for the Hallmark, or $3.15/lb for the persist. At about 10 pounds an acre (remember, drilling in preexisting fescue field) that can get pricey! The annual Ryegrass is only .92 cents/lb. With our program (Manage Intensive Grazing), it has to be something that can grow will in our soil and using our grazing system. Is anyone out there doing anything different that has similar soil to SW MO (hint, LOTS of rocks and very little topsoil, thus FESCUE IS KING!)?

I know nothing of orchard but ryegrass is .50 cents

 

[Stocker Steve]

The problem is that that field is about 85% clover! Great when you have a good clover year, but I want some grass in there too for more poundage.

OG is vigorous, but RC is more vigorous.
I have no till drilled OG, perennial rye, and oats into high % RC stands and got almost no catch.
Seed price is not your big problem.