Ridding bahia

[flaboy]

flaboy, I don't know of many folks in my area that are putting in the traditional Coastal anymore. Tifton 85 is popular but it seems like more people are putting in a bermuda variety named Jiggs. The "poor boy" method is to let Jiggs in a hay field get pretty tall and growthy, so that you have long tops with several nodes. Cut it and bale it right away. Keep it from drying out as much as possible, wet it if you have to. The same day, or the next day if need be, throw the tops by hand and spread it out all over your well prepared ground (helps to have a lot of kids, or some "foreign exchange students", to do this!) then disc it in and roll it. You want to do this when you have a very well prepared "seedbed" and good moisture and of course it really helps to get a good rain soon thereafter. The idea is to get the nodes on the green tops covered with moist soil and in time roots will sprout from the nodes. This can be done spring through fall in our area. Of course, if it is bone dry you're wasting time and money doing this.

Yeah, that's way we used to do it also. All by hand. My problem is finding the sprigs to cut and plant. I guess I will just try Tifton9. Seems to work down south pretty well.

 

[alabama]

I tried roundup to kill behia. And it works but it will stunt the Bermuda. I found this out while trying to kill Johnson grass. A rate of 12 oz/acre roundup will get Johnson grass that is about knee high and will kill the behia and the Bermuda will turn brown and stop growing for a month. If you broadcast it, you will lose one or maybe two cuttings. If all you want to kill is behia then use Cameron. If you need to kill Johnson grass then use Outrider. Both work very well. Roundup will work and it is cheaper if you can take the damage to your Bermuda grass.

 

[J Baxter]

Try disking it. In our experience bahia will not tolerate a good disking as well as common bermuda. I don't have any idea about coastal.

JB

 

[flaboy]

Ah just cut it, bale it, and bring it to me.

 

[okwalker]

I am thankful for the bahai sp? that I have. With no rain the bermuda quit growing some time ago (Looks like a frost hit it). But the bahai is still green and slowly growing.

 

[Dusty Britches]

I am thankful for the bahai sp? that I have. With no rain the bermuda quit growing some time ago (Looks like a frost hit it). But the bahai is still green and slowly growing.

Strange - I have just the opposite. bermuda is holding it's own, bahia is brown. Of course, now after the rain, it's all good.

Camp - after I read your post I thought - yeah, what's wrong with bahia? So, I did some research. Plenty. The articles I read said that it is good to maintain weights, but it lacks the nutrients and vitamins most herds need. Bahia will not allow cows to improve BCS after weaning.

That said, I'd like to get rid of it, but I'm not sure I'd like to spend the money.

 

[milesvb]

I am thankful for the bahai sp? that I have. With no rain the bermuda quit growing some time ago (Looks like a frost hit it). But the bahai is still green and slowly growing.

Strange - I have just the opposite. bermuda is holding it's own, bahia is brown. Of course, now after the rain, it's all good.

Camp - after I read your post I thought - yeah, what's wrong with bahia? So, I did some research. Plenty. The articles I read said that it is good to maintain weights, but it lacks the nutrients and vitamins most herds need. Bahia will not allow cows to improve BCS after weaning.

That said, I'd like to get rid of it, but I'm not sure I'd like to spend the money.

I'm not disputing you but could post any links to those articles?

I was under the presumption that the main drawback to bahia was palatability problems when the foliage got mature. It seems to outproduce (outcompete probably) bermuda on marginal soils.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I am thankful for the bahai sp? that I have. With no rain the bermuda quit growing some time ago (Looks like a frost hit it). But the bahai is still green and slowly growing.

Strange - I have just the opposite. bermuda is holding it's own, bahia is brown. Of course, now after the rain, it's all good.

Camp - after I read your post I thought - yeah, what's wrong with bahia? So, I did some research. Plenty. The articles I read said that it is good to maintain weights, but it lacks the nutrients and vitamins most herds need. Bahia will not allow cows to improve BCS after weaning.

That said, I'd like to get rid of it, but I'm not sure I'd like to spend the money.

I'm not disputing you but could post any links to those articles?

I was under the presumption that the main drawback to bahia was palatability problems when the foliage got mature. It seems to outproduce (outcompete probably) bermuda on marginal soils.

Now that is funny as it is the grass here I going to run out and tell that grass fed Hereford bull thats 2400 pounds to quit eating the stuff. Might stunt his growth.

 

[txag]

Now that is funny as it is the grass here I going to run out and tell that grass fed Hereford bull thats 2400 pounds to quit eating the stuff. Might stunt his growth.

now what is funny is just a little over a month ago you told us he weighed 2200 lbs. i better just let the bahia take over the coastal fields if a mature bull can gain 200 lbs in a little over a month on the stuff. exactly how often do you run him over the scales?

Its not real good stunted my bull to 2200 pounds, thats all we have is poor mans coastal

to answer milesvb, here's one that i found (page 4 has a table with yields):

http://overton.tamu.edu/evers/Seeded%20 ... rasses.pdf

here's the most favorable one i could find for bahia. basically it says that if you don't care to manage your bermuda, then bahia is an alternative. it also says that growing animals may need supplement. in other words, it's better than nothing and a viable alternative for poor soils that won't support bermuda (although it mentions for pasture, not hay):

http://forages.tamu.edu/PDF/scs2001-12.pdf

btw, Stephenville's site lists bahia as a weed. So Caustic, I guess your cows do eat weeds! :lol: :lol: :lol: :

http://stephenville.tamu.edu/~butler/fo ... /index.htm

*note: the first two links are pdf so may take a while to load.

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

My experience has been the same as yours Tracey. The Bahia has browned out quite a bit sooner than the common bermuda. But I've noticed that in years when the fall army worms have attacked my place the little buggars are much worse on the bermuda than the Bahia. One thing I don't have to worry about is Bahia getting old & tough, since my cows don't give it much of a chance to do that!

 

[milesvb]

My experience has been the same as yours Tracey. The Bahia has browned out quite a bit sooner than the common bermuda. But I've noticed that in years when the fall army worms have attacked my place the little buggars are much worse on the bermuda than the Bahia. One thing I don't have to worry about is Bahia getting old & tough, since my cows don't give it much of a chance to do that!

We're still a bit understocked on the place where the bahia is taking over. With the above average rainfall we've had in the last 2-3 years there are some stands that I've got to either burn or shred because they're just too thick for the cattle utilize.


...and thanks for the links txag.

 

[Campground Cattle]

I still think its foolish to kill good pasture grass, let the strongest survive. Got to throw the Big BS flag on the BCS apperently you have never seen cattle raised on Bahia. I am not predjuidce against coastal or any other form of grass thats good pasture. I just have better things to spend my money on than killing pasture. You need to go to Crockett on Tuesdays 1400 to 2000 head of Bahia feed cattle.
You want to waste your money in diesel and chemicals in a pasture killing good grass, have at it.
Your hay field is a different thing bahia has to many seeds to be good horse hay.

Now A&M needs to make up there mind.
http://forages.tamu.edu/PDF/stockpiled.pdf
Check out the protien of the Overton study.

Now this just doesn't look like bad pasture to me maybe it is and I got hit with the Dumb as Dirt again.

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[txag]

Now A&M needs to make up there mind.
http://forages.tamu.edu/PDF/stockpiled.pdf
Check out the protien of the Overton study.

did you even read the study? it's not a comparison of bahia & bermuda. that protein is on stockpiled (winter forage) bermuda. everyone knows protein levels drop in the winter.

 

[Campground Cattle]

Now A&M needs to make up there mind.
http://forages.tamu.edu/PDF/stockpiled.pdf
Check out the protien of the Overton study.

did you even read the study? it's not a comparison of bahia & bermuda. that protein is on stockpiled (winter forage) bermuda. everyone knows protein levels drop in the winter.

Yeah I did are you saying Bahia goes up in protien in the winter and Bermuda goes down. Looks like Overton said as stockpiled feed it was neck and neck. Admit it you just don't like Bahia and I do, age old arguement whos got the best dog. I have tried Coastal 3 times sorrow crap won't grow have tried African Star, Alicia, World feeder, and common Bermuda none have performed as well as bahia.
So again why would you want to kill a proven performer, maybe I am just to stupid to understand but I will be dang if I am going to kill cattle feed to plant grasses that don't perform.

Think I will stick with my Tifton 9 and Pensacola
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AA181

 

[mbdear]

Campground...don't let'em get your goat. In our area (East Texas) it is hard to beat a good rain and several pastures of Bahia in a rotation program. Nature has a good way of providing what is best for the area and an equally good way of taking money and profits from those who insist that nature's way is wrong and they are right. Perhaps in a drier climate or different soils Bahia would not rise to the top as nature's forage of choice. All I know is, in the hand I was dealt, Bahia is working.

mbdear

Slocum, Texas

 

[txag]

Yeah I did are you saying Bahia goes up in protien in the winter and Bermuda goes down.
Looks like Overton said as stockpiled feed it was neck and neck.
Admit it you just don't like Bahia and I do, age old arguement whos got the best dog. I have tried Coastal 3 times sorrow crap won't grow have tried African Star, Alicia, World feeder, and common Bermuda none have performed as well as bahia.
So again why would you want to kill a proven performer, maybe I am just to stupid to understand but I will be dang if I am going to kill cattle feed to plant grasses that don't perform.

gee, your as bad as ollie. just can't give it up.

maybe they don't perform in your area, but they do perform in ours. i never told you not to grow bahia or told you or anyone else to plant coastal (so maybe you should wonder why you're telling me not to spray it?). Dusty Britches asked how to get rid of bahia and i told him. you grow what works for you & i'll grow what works for me. you're welcome to come take a look for yourself any time you want. i'll show you pastures with bahia compared to our coastal or bluestem or klein or we might even be able to find a spot of bahia before i spray it & you can see the difference yourself. maybe we can also compare hay yields, protein content, and sales? oh yeah, hay fields are different you say? well, it's more cost-effective (to us) to keep it out of everything than to have it growing right next to the hayfields or making sure the cattle don't graze the hayfield after bahia or making sure the vehicles are clean before driving in the hayfield.

btw, looking at your new study, i didn't realize we were talking about Florida. :shock: :roll:

 

[Caustic Burno]

Well txag if Bahia is a weed listed by out great states TSU damn fine weeds. A&M considers it forage, Tarleton state doesn't? hmm. Tarleton is in the A&M system right? Spend your money as you will, just never thought of killing grass. There are huge regional differences in the state.
Yes the bull has put on weight over the summer,I haven't walked out to the pasture and picked him up to see how much weight he has put on but he is fatter. All my cattle put on weight over the summer but then again I don't feed out of a sack in the winter and I feed sorry Bahia.

 

[Dusty Britches]

Dusty Britches asked how to get rid of bahia and i told him.

Thank you, but Camp did ask why I would want to get rid of it. I did a little research and found one article from Missouri State U. that studied nutirents and growth of cattle on bahia. I just answered the question, not intending to start an argument.

The nutirent deficiency is becoming appearent - bronzing on the cattle. I keep 12-12 out and my pastures are heavily fertilized. I don't overgraze, as even without rain for 3 months the cows had something to eat. It may be that the bronzing is due to 6-7 month old calves nursing. (btw - I just weaned them off this week.) But, according to the article I read, it MAY be due to nutrient deficiency in the bahia. I'll search for the article again and try to post here by Monday.

 

[dun]

Dusty Britches asked how to get rid of bahia and i told him.

Thank you, but Camp did ask why I would want to get rid of it. I did a little research and found one article from Missouri State U. that studied nutirents and growth of cattle on bahia. I just answered the question, not intending to start an argument.

The nutirent deficiency is becoming appearent - bronzing on the cattle. I keep 12-12 out and my pastures are heavily fertilized. I don't overgraze, as even without rain for 3 months the cows had something to eat. It may be that the bronzing is due to 6-7 month old calves nursing. (btw - I just weaned them off this week.) But, according to the article I read, it MAY be due to nutrient deficiency in the bahia. I'll search for the article again and try to post here by Monday.

If the study was done in MO I would have a jaundiced eye towards what it might mean in tx. As CB said, there are vast difference within ther state, think what those differences are between there and MO.

dun

 

[Texan]

If Bahia is what works for you, you sure ought to use it. But use it close enough to keep it vegetative and palatable to cows. Guys that don't graze it hard enough and have to run a tractor over it and clip it are just wasting money. And I'll have to admit that I'm sure not real happy with mine now under extremely dry conditions. I've got some that is dying out in big spots where the Coastal is just yellowed.

And you can also count me in with the guys that consider it a weed in a Coastal meadow. Or even next to a Coastal meadow. You've got to make the determination early if you're going to let it take over, or fight it. Once you give it some thought, it's too late and it is much harder to control.

So why fight it, you ask? Yield is the main reason for me. Where my Coastal meadows yield three rolls per acre, the Bahia consistently does only two rolls, with the same fertilization and moisture. Not to mention the extra time involved with the Bahia. Slower cutting speeds and longer curing times lowers productivity.

Is it worth spending the money it will cost to get rid of it? I'm not real sure in my case. I've got some patches in Coastal meadows that I will have to spray next year or else forget it. Everybody has to make up their own mind. I know that given the choice, I'd rather just have Coastal. Unfortunately, I've got some Bahia pastures next to my best Coastal meadows. And like txag said, if you've got Bahia next to Coastal, you've got a never-ending battle.