Rye Grass question

[RICHARDL]

Getting a late start on my rye grass planting, But since the 2 storms we've had no rain. But we have some coming today. seeded yesterday evening. Ok, The questions is can i allow, my cattle to graze on the rye grass heavy or just on & off?
that is if it comes up thick enough. i think i planted 40lbs for the acre

 

[TexasBred]

Getting a late start on my rye grass planting, But since the 2 storms we've had no rain. But we have some coming today. seeded yesterday evening. Ok, The questions is can i allow, my cattle to graze on the rye grass heavy or just on & off?
that is if it comes up thick enough. i think i planted 40lbs for the acre

Haven't planted any in years but when we did it was for dairy cattle. Only allowed them a couple of hours grazing per day.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Getting a late start on my rye grass planting, But since the 2 storms we've had no rain. But we have some coming today. seeded yesterday evening. Ok, The questions is can i allow, my cattle to graze on the rye grass heavy or just on & off?
that is if it comes up thick enough. i think i planted 40lbs for the acre

Graze it heavy and you'll kill the whole sward, which means you'll end up having to plant the whole feild over again. That being said, you'll kill the roots that are trying to establish the grass if you overgraze the newly planted sward, because the root growth of the newly planted grass is not very deep nor thick.

I'd graze it REAL light, once it gets to 8-12" in height, like have the cattle take only 10 to 20% off AT THE MOST. The grass needs time to deposit a root system and if you graze it nice and light like this, or not graze at all, by the next year you'll have a somewhat established root system. Even by next year it'll be wise to use the take half-leave half or take 40% leave 60% principle for next grazing season.

 

[RICHARDL]

SOUNDS reasonable what about planting something other than rye? clover maybe?

 

[Brandonm22]

like have the cattle take only 10 to 20% off AT THE MOST. The grass needs time to deposit a root system and if you graze it nice and light like this, or not graze at all, by the next year you'll have a somewhat established root system. Even by next year it'll be wise to use the take half-leave half or take 40% leave 60% principle for next grazing season.

Karin, I could be wrong; but he is in Louisiana and perennial rye grass (unless there is a new cultivar I have missed) don't do real good down here in the heat. We plant ryegrass as an annual, usually drilled right into a summer sod (like bermudagrass, bahia, or dallisgrass) since the ryegrass can handle 42 degree nights that the summer grasses can't. IF this is annual ryegrass (and we really need to know that info), there is no next year. Graze it on and off like you said from now to the end of January; but once it warms up some in February (and certainly by the 10th of March) let the cows go at it like you would a fescue stand.

 

[IluvABbeef]

like have the cattle take only 10 to 20% off AT THE MOST. The grass needs time to deposit a root system and if you graze it nice and light like this, or not graze at all, by the next year you'll have a somewhat established root system. Even by next year it'll be wise to use the take half-leave half or take 40% leave 60% principle for next grazing season.

Karin, I could be wrong; but he is in Louisiana and perennial rye grass (unless there is a new cultivar I have missed) don't do real good down here in the heat. We plant ryegrass as an annual, usually drilled right into a summer sod (like bermudagrass, bahia, or dallisgrass) since the ryegrass can handle 42 degree nights that the summer grasses can't. IF this is annual ryegrass (and we really need to know that info), there is no next year. Graze it on and off like you said from now to the end of January; but once it warms up some in February (and certainly by the 10th of March) let the cows go at it like you would a fescue stand.

I was assuming he'd be establishing perennial ryegrass, and yeah thinking a little more north than I should've. This may sound like a dumb question, isn't it a little cooler around there at this time of year, good for planting perennial rye? Or is my seasonal time schedule a little mixed up? I know up here, perennial ryegrass is deemed as an annual because it's too cold for it to survive our winters, same with the annual ryegrass, which is planted more in the southern part of Alberta. (A little bit of useless info for ya.)

So RichardL, are you planting perennial or annual?

 

[Brandonm22]

Louisiana is hotter, wetter, and warmer than I am; but HERE I haven't taken a jacket out of the closet yet and am still in short sleeve Ts with the fans on. I haven't had a snow that stuck on the roads here since the April 1993 blizzard. First frost COULD come as early as Oct the 20th or as late as Dec 5. Today's forecast is 79F high 67F low (26-19C). The lows will get into the 50s thursday but we go back in to the 80s this weekend.

We plant ryegrass in heavily grazed down summer sods in September - October and it gets real lush growth until the first hard freeze and it will green up in warm weeks throughout the "winter". Often it is planted in blends with rye, oats, wheat, arrowleaf clover, red clover, crimson clover, and/or white clover (rye, ryegrass, oats, and 'ladino' white clover is the classic mix to get the most cool season grazing. Most of the farmers down here plant corn/soybeans in the summer and drill in wheat or oats following the fall harvest and then get a small grains harvest in March or April. Rye is an annual here too, though some people do plant perennial peanuts.

 

[RICHARDL]

I BELIEVE, it was an annual that i planted i also mixed in some landino clover yesterday prolly do more clover next week after we are get some more rain

 

[IluvABbeef]

I BELIEVE, it was an annual that i planted i also mixed in some landino clover yesterday prolly do more clover next week after we are get some more rain

Then you should disregard my first post on here.

 

[RICHARDL]

So, my orginal question was can i graze it, like i do my bermuda & biahia field? once its established? or do i turn them out on it for a day or so than back to there regular field? I'm asking these questions becuase i'm buying hay this year and maybe i could cut down my hay cost a little by planting an acre or 2 of rye & clover by letting them graze on that. the seeds very relativly cheap. figured i'd give it a try. Next year i'll cut hay

 

[RICHARDL]

thanks that's what i needed to hear. shouldn't have any problems with bloat? or anything? :cowboy:

 

[KNERSIE]

thanks that's what i needed to hear. shouldn't have any problems with bloat? or anything? :cowboy:

No, rye grass on its own won't cause bloat, in combination with clover it can, but the risk is relatively low, if your cattle have hay available at all times there is almost no risk. You just don't want to starve them and let them onto the clover/rye grass mix and let them gorge themselves.

If you let them grow till about 12 inches before grazing the first time the regrowth will be alot faster. If managed well you'll still be grazing rye grass in April.

 

[RICHARDL]

thanks for all the posts, i feel much better about my decsion to plant the rye. wasn't to sure at first. thanks again
Richardl :cowboy:

 

[1982vett]

When they get the squirts, feed em some hay and limit the time on the grass. Doesn't have to be high protien, just something they will eat.