sage, deal or no deal?

[rc]

I was approached about cutting about 30 or 40 acres of mostly sage and fescue/mixed grass for hay. The sage is very young and hasn't gone to head yet. Is there any nutritional value in there or would it be a waste of time and fuel? As bad as it's been for rain this year with this cutting I would be sure to make it through the winter but I don't want to do it if there is no benifit in it. Thanks

 

[alabama]

I assume you are talking about broom sage. It is getting late in the season for broom sage to be much good and it ain't much good any way. However, the other grass is some good but not like well-grown hay.
If you need some hay, cut it and feed a supplement for nutrition as well as to make them eat more of the poor hay. Poor hay tends to be hard for cattle to digest thus they eat less as it does not go through them as fast. Try most any protein supplement such as a syrup tank.
I say if you need it cut it.

 

[dun]

Aha, broomsedge makes more sense then sage. Even this far north the broomsedge has already gone to seed. If it was baled now it would be mostly stem case it doesn;t have a whole lot of leave even at it's best.
If the rest of the stuff would be decent hay I'ld cut it and bale it.
There's a lady up here that bales it every year and sells it. She calls it "Golden Bluestem" and she's right on both accounts. It's golden colored and it's bluestem.

 

[rc]

I had already heard myself say better than a snowball, but probably not much. I think I'll take another look this evening. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[rc]

Well one thing I figured is the broom sage would at least make the short stuff bale and hold together better.