Stockpiling

[boondocks]

Newbie question. I keep hearing this term but seems used differently in different contexts. What does it mean, technically?

 

[dun]

It means to allow grass to grow and not graze it till a later time. Works best with cool season grasses that will have a growth period in the fall. Then it will be grazed during late fall or into winter.

 

[boondocks]

It means to allow grass to grow and not graze it till a later time. Works best with cool season grasses that will have a growth period in the fall. Then it will be grazed during late fall or into winter.

Thanks, I knew it had a connotation of "saving it for later" but didn't know if it was cut or left to grow, and if cut, "piled" in some form or fashion! :lol:
We essentially do that, I guess. We have some fields we usually only get one cutting of hay from. We then let them grow into the fall then polywire them off until it starts to head into snow, or gets so wet that we don't want to ruin the field for hay. In the fall, we have problems with deer breaking thru the poly. Keep trying to get a nuisance permit (or better hunters!). Have a "resident herd" of about 25-30 deer. Or giant lawn rats as a friend calls them.

 

[wbvs58]

It means to allow grass to grow and not graze it till a later time. Works best with cool season grasses that will have a growth period in the fall. Then it will be grazed during late fall or into winter.

Thanks, I knew it had a connotation of "saving it for later" but didn't know if it was cut or left to grow, and if cut, "piled" in some form or fashion! :lol:
We essentially do that, I guess. We have some fields we usually only get one cutting of hay from. We then let them grow into the fall then polywire them off until it starts to head into snow, or gets so wet that we don't want to ruin the field for hay. In the fall, we have problems with deer breaking thru the poly. Keep trying to get a nuisance permit (or better hunters!). Have a "resident herd" of about 25-30 deer. Or giant lawn rats as a friend calls them.

We have the same problem except with kangaroos, they are just big rats.

Ken

 

[boondocks]

[
We have the same problem except with kangaroos, they are just big rats.

Ken

Maybe we should trade! At least it would be amusing!
Do the kangaroos break fences? Maybe they're better jumpers? ;-)

 

[dun]

One other thing is that MIG dovetails perfectly with stockpiling. The better you care for your grasses the better the stockpiling results will be. Around her most people are feeding hay by late october or early november. They old just pracfice open grazing. We do MIG ( not as intensive as we used to because I can;t do the work as much as I used to to) but we typically unless we get deep snow or ice don;t start feedig hay until late february or eraly march. Some years if the year before was good enough we don;t feed until april or may. As CB has pounded on so much (paraphrased) take care of your grass and your grass will take care of you.

 

[Stocker Steve]

We do MIG ( not as intensive as we used to because I can;t do the work as much as I used to to) but we typically unless we get deep snow or ice don;t start feedig hay until late february or eraly march. Some years if the year before was good enough we don;t feed until april or may.

Stockpiling is good but it is not free. Obviously you have to reduce your stocking rate to grow the stockpile, and perhaps also make a fall N application. How do you financially balance these choices?

 

[wbvs58]

[
We have the same problem except with kangaroos, they are just big rats.

Ken

Maybe we should trade! At least it would be amusing!
Do the kangaroos break fences? Maybe they're better jumpers? ;-)

They mostly go under or through, the big ones go over. I would like to fence them out but my boundary is too rough and rocky and impossible to seal up all the gaps. A lot of exclusion fencing going on out west mainly for dogs to protect the sheep and it is also very successfull keeping the roos out, making a big difference.

Ken

 

[dun]

We do MIG ( not as intensive as we used to because I can;t do the work as much as I used to to) but we typically unless we get deep snow or ice don;t start feedig hay until late february or eraly march. Some years if the year before was good enough we don;t feed until april or may.

Stockpiling is good but it is not free. Obviously you have to reduce your stocking rate to grow the stockpile, and perhaps also make a fall N application. How do you financially balance these choices?

You don;t really have to reduce your stocking rate. With proper management it isn;t required. It just takes more management to make it work.
If I notice dark green pee spots in the pasture I will take a soil sample. We haven;t had to add N for several years.
That all being said, a lot depends on your soil and the grasses you are growing.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I try to "stockpile" enough 2nd crop (either hay or grazing the first) to make it until the first of December. I could increase my stocking rates a tad and have the "stockpile" grazed off and be feeding hay sooner but feeding hay December thru May is long enough.

Should mention that stock piling UP north can be a risk as well. 2014 I had enough grass to get through December no problem, but November 13th came along and dropped like 40" of heavy snow on us that stuck around making grazing impossible. So all that nice grass I had was left to rot down over the winter.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

boondocks, have you all had a chance to get any of your "new" hay equipment running yet? Tried any of it out?

 

[boondocks]

quote="Workinonit Farm"]boondocks, have you all had a chance to get any of your "new" hay equipment running yet? Tried any of it out?[/quote]

We are working on getting everything greased up and checked out. And reading manuals :lol:
Still looking for a used tedder. So far we find ones that are essentially scrap metal, or are nicer but about the cost of new, or are far too big.
We still have hay that's never been cut. We've finally gotten a long spell of dry weather but "our" hay guy just used the window to cut his own second cutting while our "first" (or whatever you'd now call the mess) is still in the field. :cry2: It may just have to be brush hogged. Looks like a lot of goldenrod. We just had that field reseeded last year so am not happy. If he'd just bailed on us (no pun intended) upfront, it would have been better...Kept believing him because everyone says he's a "good guy" and will stand by his word.

 

[True Grit Farms]

quote="Workinonit Farm"]boondocks, have you all had a chance to get any of your "new" hay equipment running yet? Tried any of it out?

We are working on getting everything greased up and checked out. And reading manuals :lol:
Still looking for a used tedder. So far we find ones that are essentially scrap metal, or are nicer but about the cost of new, or are far too big.
We still have hay that's never been cut. We've finally gotten a long spell of dry weather but "our" hay guy just used the window to cut his own second cutting while our "first" (or whatever you'd now call the mess) is still in the field. :cry2: It may just have to be brush hogged. Looks like a lot of goldenrod. We just had that field reseeded last year so am not happy. If he'd just bailed on us (no pun intended) upfront, it would have been better...Kept believing him because everyone says he's a "good guy" and will stand by his word.[/quote]

Supposedly it was 90 on Grindstone Island last Sunday. Everyone was swimming and water skiing, it was to cold for that when I was there.

 

[M.Magis]

We are working on getting everything greased up and checked out. And reading manuals :lol:
Still looking for a used tedder. So far we find ones that are essentially scrap metal, or are nicer but about the cost of new, or are far too big.
We still have hay that's never been cut. We've finally gotten a long spell of dry weather but "our" hay guy just used the window to cut his own second cutting while our "first" (or whatever you'd now call the mess) is still in the field. :cry2: It may just have to be brush hogged. Looks like a lot of goldenrod. We just had that field reseeded last year so am not happy. If he'd just bailed on us (no pun intended) upfront, it would have been better...Kept believing him because everyone says he's a "good guy" and will stand by his word.

This is why I bought my own equipment. I know that in parts of the country, hiring someone to put up hay or buy hay from is easy. That's just not the case here. These days it's nice getting into fall having gotten 2 or 3 cuttings done on all my fields. I know I can buy good hay THIS year, but it's not always available. And as long as not much breaks, I enjoy putting up hay.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

quote="Workinonit Farm"]boondocks, have you all had a chance to get any of your "new" hay equipment running yet? Tried any of it out?

We are working on getting everything greased up and checked out. And reading manuals :lol:
Still looking for a used tedder. So far we find ones that are essentially scrap metal, or are nicer but about the cost of new, or are far too big.
We still have hay that's never been cut. We've finally gotten a long spell of dry weather but "our" hay guy just used the window to cut his own second cutting while our "first" (or whatever you'd now call the mess) is still in the field. :cry2: It may just have to be brush hogged. Looks like a lot of goldenrod. We just had that field reseeded last year so am not happy. If he'd just bailed on us (no pun intended) upfront, it would have been better...Kept believing him because everyone says he's a "good guy" and will stand by his word.[/quote]

Sorry to hear. As for a tetter, you could get by without it, if you've got a decent rake. That would help.

I'm wondering just how much good grass may still be in that field, hidden amongst the Goldenrod. You could give it a try, maybe.

 

[dun]

Ratherr then keep looking for a tedder, just consider raking it and extra time. Without rain that's what we did before we got a tedder.

 

[M.Magis]

There's a lot of fields here not put up until Sept and full of goldenrod. Obviously its not the best, but there's still some good grass in there.
I've never once used a tedder. Its on my list for next year, but its not essential. Though it would be great for drying Sept hay. Like Dun said, I just rake it a couple times

 

[boondocks]

quote="Workinonit Farm"]boondocks, have you all had a chance to get any of your "new" hay equipment running yet? Tried any of it out?

We are working on getting everything greased up and checked out. And reading manuals :lol:
Still looking for a used tedder. So far we find ones that are essentially scrap metal, or are nicer but about the cost of new, or are far too big.
We still have hay that's never been cut. We've finally gotten a long spell of dry weather but "our" hay guy just used the window to cut his own second cutting while our "first" (or whatever you'd now call the mess) is still in the field. :cry2: It may just have to be brush hogged. Looks like a lot of goldenrod. We just had that field reseeded last year so am not happy. If he'd just bailed on us (no pun intended) upfront, it would have been better...Kept believing him because everyone says he's a "good guy" and will stand by his word.

Sorry to hear. As for a tetter, you could get by without it, if you've got a decent rake. That would help.

I'm wondering just how much good grass may still be in that field, hidden amongst the Goldenrod. You could give it a try, maybe.[/quote]
When he cut the rest of it late, the first growth had died back and there was a bit of grass in it so it's not great but usable.
I'm hoping on the field that hasn't been cut at all, if we let the goldenrod dry out a bit it might help? I'm worried about spreading it or baling it, they usually don't eat it

 

[boondocks]

Ratherr then keep looking for a tedder, just consider raking it and extra time. Without rain that's what we did before we got a tedder.

Thanks Dun! We have a window coming up Sun-Wed I think. Gonna twist his arm. HARD. If that doesn't work, we may have to do it ourselves.
I assume that it's better to cut and bale it (if there's anything usable at all) than brush hog it, in terms of field "health" for next year? It's a mess....

 

[farmerjan]

Yeah, cut and bale will make next year alot easier for you. The matting of the bushhogged stuff will not rot down into the soil fast enough, and it will be a pain to cut and have all that clogging up the mower. It doesn't cause as much problems for the discbine, but you do have to drop to a slower gear but keeping the rpm's up.
We got a tedder a couple years ago when we weren't getting anything made due to the constant showers. But still, many times I will just rake a second time, catching the row just enough to get it to flip over so the "bottom" is up and the hay is over enough to get it on "dry" ground. It will get it to fluff a bit and air will go through it to help dry it.
Any weeds, goldenrod, whatever, will add organic matter back into the soil where you feed and you can kill the new growth. It is probably going to cause some new growth next year but with your own equipment, if you keep it cut before it gets mature, it will weaken it to some extent. There has been several books over the years talking about weeds and their preferences, and low calcium in the soil is often one of them t