Rye grass and oats

[Williams Farms]

I usually move my cows onto ryegrass in february. I put them on a high mag mineral for about a month before i move them. The problem is i need to move them to the rye grass pasture for a day or two while they work on the ditch that runs through the pasture their in now. Am i asking for trouble doing so without being on the high mag mineral or should i be ok.

 

[1982vett]

Most likely not going to have trouble...

 

[greybeard]

How mature is the ryegrass and what kind of usual mineral supplements have they been getting?

If they do get tetany from low mg, you won't have much time at all to act. hrs at the most.

 

[Caustic Burno]

My ? is why are you making it hard on yourself.
Plant the pasture they are in now with rye grass as well next year keep mineral out and quit worrying about it.
This puts them on the rye grass slowly along with the stockpliled forage in your pasture.

 

[Williams Farms]

Greybeard i planted it the middle of October. Your not far from me so you know how much rain it got the first couple of months. Its not very mature at all. The mineral i keep out is nutrabeef mineral(i think thats the name anyway). They dont use it much at all.
CB, the problem i have had with doing it that way is the rye grass slows the jiggs down a few weeks in the spring. So i leave the pasture their in now alone and turn them back on it in spring, then move them back to the pasture that had ryegrass on it in the summer( once the jiggs overpowers the ryegrass). Thanks Dave

 

[Caustic Burno]

Greybeard i planted it the middle of October. Your not far from me so you know how much rain it got the first couple of months. Its not very mature at all. The mineral i keep out is nutrabeef mineral(i think thats the name anyway). They dont use it much at all.
CB, the problem i have had with doing it that way is the rye grass slows the jiggs down a few weeks in the spring. So i leave the pasture their in now alone and turn them back on it in spring, then move them back to the pasture that had ryegrass on it in the summer( once the jiggs overpowers the ryegrass). Thanks Dave

That is why you mix it with clover and bale it before the summer grasses get ready to take off.
I had half my hay by April.

 

[LRTX1]

So, what is it one needs to worry about rye grass? Never heard of any problems around here. I normally just plant cereal rye like wrens, this year i planted a few acres of rye grass too, going to turn then on it probably late feb early march. I have mineral and salt out but they hardly touch it.

 

[BC]

So, what is it one needs to worry about rye grass? Never heard of any problems around here. I normally just plant cereal rye like wrens, this year i planted a few acres of rye grass too, going to turn then on it probably late feb early march. I have mineral and salt out but they hardly touch it.

You need to keep a hi-mag mineral out to prevent grass tetany (magnesium deficiency) especially for cows nursing calves.

 

[JSCATTLE]

I put out high mag last year and the cows didn't touch it . I grazed ryegrass from mid dec until April with no problems . Keep a couple rolls of hay out so they can dilute the rye grass they should be fine . I try to split my fertralizer application so I'm not putting to much nitrogen out at one time .

 

[LRTX1]

I plan on limiting it on time. I do my rye 3 hours a day, thought i'd do the same on the rye grass. They will have hay on other things (in the woods) to graze on during that time.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Mine have been on rye, clover, stockpiled grass and hay since Moby Dick was a minner.
Have never limited them one way or the other and have never had a problem.
The problem come's from switching forage overnight. You are creating problems for yourself.
This is only as hard as you make it. :2cents:

 

[LRTX1]

I'm not making anything hard. I dont have the acreage to dedicate to rye that others have. If I opened the gate and let them be I would be out of rye 3-4 weeks. By limiting them I get 2-3 months. The cows should get what they need in the 2-4 hours a day they are there.

The rye grass is something I have never planted and was curious in this conversation with grass tetany.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I'm not making anything hard. I dont have the acreage to dedicate to rye that others have. If I opened the gate and let them be I would be out of rye 3-4 weeks. By limiting them I get 2-3 months. The cows should get what they need in the 2-4 hours a day they are there.

The rye grass is something I have never planted and was curious in this conversation with grass tetany.

Why not dedicate the whole place to pasture?
Every pasture here is in rye ,clover, bahia and bermuda.

 

[LRTX1]

Everything that can be in pasture is in pasture except for the 3 acres I use to plant rye in. I've never had good luck with planting cereal rye in the pasture, so I yse the 3 acres to plant cereal rye and millet during the year.

This year I broadcasted a few bags of rye grass to see how it would work in a few small pastures. I planted it about 3 weeks ago and its about 1-2" now. I do have an old worn out grain drill but the discs wont open up the sod enough to use it on pasture.

About every third year we plant that area in corn so we can grind grits.

 

[Williams Farms]

CB i tryed the baleing rye grass thing a few years ago it was a nightmare to get dryed. I dont think you live that far north of me how long does it usually take you to get it dry. I tedded it and it still took forever.

 

[1982vett]

Drying time is always tied to weather conditions and other variables:
Ground moisture
Stand thickness
Type of cutter used
Sunshine and temperature
Plant maturity
So for an average answer for us would bee 5 - 7 days

 

[Caustic Burno]

CB i tryed the baleing rye grass thing a few years ago it was a nightmare to get dryed. I dont think you live that far north of me how long does it usually take you to get it dry. I tedded it and it still took forever.

Four to five days just have to pick your weather in the spring just have to time for low humidity.
Now pearl millet is another story here.
I don't ted I have windrowed it and came back and rolled it over before bailing.
Mine are eating rye grass and clover tonight.

 

[JSCATTLE]

CB i tryed the baleing rye grass thing a few years ago it was a nightmare to get dryed. I dont think you live that far north of me how long does it usually take you to get it dry. I tedded it and it still took forever.

I'm pretty close to you too . I bale ryegrass every year usually in April . You will need 3 or 4 sunny low humidity days . I don't Tedder mine . I like to unroll my hay when I feed and the ryegrass and clover seed really helps my pasture .

 

[B&M Farms]

Like CB I plant everything my cows are on in rye grass and they start eating it as it comes up. This is with clover that comes back every year. I don't start rotating them until its established. Unless you fertilize it heavy and turn cows in on it in a lush stage, grass tetany shouldn't be a problem. As far as baling rye grass and clover, it is about the same as trying to bale coastal in the late fall to me. You just have to try and pick a few dry days. Sometimes it doesn't work out.

 

[B&M Farms]

Like CB I plant everything my cows are on in rye grass and they start eating it as it comes up. This is with clover that comes back every year. I don't start rotating them until its established. Unless you fertilize it heavy and turn cows in on it in a lush stage, grass tetany shouldn't be a problem. As far as baling rye grass and clover, it is about the same as trying to bale coastal in the late fall to me. You just have to try and pick a few dry days. Sometimes it doesn't work out.