Question on oat hay.

[Tower hills cattle]

The seed plant that I work at just bought an additional 30 acres for an 08 expansion that has been moved up to 07 because of demand. The farmer that was cash renting this ground did fall anhydrous (160lb) and P&K (rate unknown) in preparation for corn this year. Since the construction will start in July, the contract was terminated and the site manager seeded the ground to Oats. He has offered it to me for hay, and I am planning on cutting around 60 days of growth (boot to split boot), and round baling for our cattle next winter. Will the high nitrogen rates in the ground correspond to high nitrates in the hay? I know that I will have a lodging problem, but that shouldn't affect hay quality.

 

[Chuckie]

I can't answer your question about the nitrates, but I wish I could grow oat hay here.
Chuckie

 

[Jensen]

The nitrate level would be safe if the plants aren't undergoing drought stress at the time you swath them. High nitrate levels occur when the plant takes nitrogen up into the plant but there is not enough rain for the plant to continue growing. I would test the hay for nitrates before I fed any though.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Plant away. You may want to look into forage oats from Albert Lee seeds.