Stockpiled Fescue Test Analysis

[Ebenezer]

Most fescue hay isn't as good as it looks. You get about 3-4 days in may to bale it, or you wait till June.
But for wintering dry cows they can survive on it, although some supplement helps. Wish I could graze stockpile all winter, but with mud and land prices, hay is cheaper.
Now if you want to grow your own supplement, I would do some acres of straight red clover. It can be a pain to bale, but it doesn't have to be pretty and still get 12-14% protien. People worry about bloat, but I've been feeding straight dry clover for quite some time without problems. Unroll in you pastures and get some 'free' clover seeding.

Folks here will bale spring and fall on fescue if they have no cows. The fall fescue hay can look good but has no real feed value but makes a good filler. It has to do with the daylight length and plant response. Same for late cuttings of C4s - diminished quality.

 

[anewcomer]

Banjo, the unfertilized field yielded far more forage, perhaps 50%. Albeit, lower quality. I was OK with this, as it still was sufficient for dry cows. The 200 acres for 60 days with 220 cows suited my plan. Going forward, I need to figure out if the increased forage, quality and quantity, is worth the cost of 60 units of N.

 

[kenny thomas]

In fescue country at least, I've always heard the worst grass is better than the best hay. My limited results of stockpile vs hay tend to support that statement.

Banjo, both fields had been grazed in recent years, but had been heavily hayed for many years prior, with no fertilization. I believe the expected low P levels, was rectified, will make these pastures explode. The haying and fertilizing of one field produced the expected results of higher CP and TDN levels. New growth with added N. The disappointment was very little increase in quantity. The all summer stockpile without N produced low N and poorer TDN levels as it was old growth. It all makes good sense.

Soil testing and making things right in the soil seems like an expense for grazing but is the cheapest thing you can do. Grass won't grow without something to make it happen.
Proper PH is where I start because I can't get the most response from the fertilizer without the PH being good.
I have told this before but for those that missed it. A couple years ago I grazed a field down in August as always. Labor Day weekend I placed a piece of clear plastic 10ft wide and probably 50ft long to cover that area as I spread Urea. I immediately marked the area and removed the plastic.
Dec 5th our Extension Agent came and took samples from both areas. The small area with no Urea tested 17+% and the fields with Urea tested 19+%. Only difference was the Urea. We should have taken tonnage estimates but of course i never considered that. But I would estimate the area with Urea had 4x the forage.
I still have another week or more of grazing but as we have been getting some dry days I have been unrolling hay on some very steep hills. I can then just let them graze the rainy days. I think I like doing this.
I'm a small operator compared to most but it sure beats feeding hay all winter for me.
Also keep in mind it is rare that the ground is frozen here and i haven't broken ice this winter. So anywhere I run a tractor makes a rut.