Stockpile vs Fall cutting?

[kickinbull]

Just curious what others have done and your opinion. I cut the field in july for hay and the plan is to strip graze it starting Nov. 1. I am hoping for enought grass to not feed any hay until Jan. 1. I have never done any stockpiling so I am a little nervous. I walked some of it this am, There is a lot of clover, both white and red, crab grass, fescue, greasy grass, OG and some johnson. It's about knee high to a short man right now. This is for family milk cow, a few heifers and steers and some pony/horses. I am concerned about the johnson once it is frosted will it be a problem. From what I've read it is too late to make another cutting and still benefit from stockpiling.

 

[Aaron]

Growth is minimal from here on out. Depending on how many acres we are talking, you might get away with cutting it. Wish I could graze to January. Best I can do is mid-December, usually late November.

 

[dun]

When the weather starts to cool, given any rainfall, the fescue will grow well, OG not so much. The clover will grow a bit but the other stuff will all die and dry up.
http://forages.oregonstate.edu/tallfesc ... /extending

 

[kenny thomas]

Just curious what others have done and your opinion. I cut the field in july for hay and the plan is to strip graze it starting Nov. 1. I am hoping for enought grass to not feed any hay until Jan. 1. I have never done any stockpiling so I am a little nervous. I walked some of it this am, There is a lot of clover, both white and red, crab grass, fescue, greasy grass, OG and some johnson. It's about knee high to a short man right now. This is for family milk cow, a few heifers and steers and some pony/horses. I am concerned about the johnson once it is frosted will it be a problem. From what I've read it is too late to make another cutting and still benefit from stockpiling.

You have about the same season as I do and I feel its ok to cut hay now and still stockpile. The crabgrass, greasy grass, clover, and johnson grass will almost all go away after the frost. I rolled some last weekend and am going to drill wheat and put urea on the fields this week I hope.

 

[torogmc81]

we tried getting second cut last year in the fall and regreted it. Waste of time and money. This year we will mow now and again in three weeks(especially if the wet pattern continues) to help thicken the pasture and keep some problem weed areas we are trying to rid of. Then let them on it to hopefully save quite a few round bales in the late fall/early witner period

 

[kenny thomas]

we tried getting second cut last year in the fall and regreted it. Waste of time and money. This year we will mow now and again in three weeks(especially if the wet pattern continues) to help thicken the pasture and keep some problem weed areas we are trying to rid of. Then let them on it to hopefully save quite a few round bales in the late fall/early witner period

Our second cutting this time was good but the main reason for me cutting was to get it short and start the stockpile process. It either needs mowed or turn the cattle in on it to get it short to really get it to respond to the N that I apply. Also I need it short so I can no till wheat into it.

 

[dun]

we tried getting second cut last year in the fall and regreted it. Waste of time and money. This year we will mow now and again in three weeks(especially if the wet pattern continues) to help thicken the pasture and keep some problem weed areas we are trying to rid of. Then let them on it to hopefully save quite a few round bales in the late fall/early witner period

Our second cutting this time was good but the main reason for me cutting was to get it short and start the stockpile process. It either needs mowed or turn the cattle in on it to get it short to really get it to respond to the N that I apply. Also I need it short so I can no till wheat into it.

The short part is about the most important for stockpiling. You want it to grow and if it's tall and/or has seed heads it won;t grow worth spit.
That would be with fescue, don;t have anythign else that we stockpile.

 

[kickinbull]

Thanks for replys. The field that I am considering has little fescue. From your comments and info I've read on UKY web, I think the "other stuff" that's in this field will not be desireable for the purpose I want. And since the rain we got latey there are some weeds popping up. So, another idea I have is to strip graze it right now when it is in prime condition and let the rest of the pastures rebuild for 2 months.

 

[dun]

Thanks for replys. The field that I am considering has little fescue. From your comments and info I've read on UKY web, I think the "other stuff" that's in this field will not be desireable for the purpose I want. And since the rain we got latey there are some weeds popping up. So, another idea I have is to strip graze it right now when it is in prime condition and let the rest of the pastures rebuild for 2 months.

Sounds like a sensible thing to do

 

[skyhightree1]

This is what a vast majority of my stockpile looks like

 

[Jacob]

We are cutting some for hay In a few weeks. I have mowed the pastuers last week that we are planing to stock pile and put a little fertilizer on them yesterday and got a nice rain shower today so I hope we still have enough Time to get some growth. Time will tell but this is first year we mowed and fertilized this time of year.