Teff grass hay

Help Support CattleToday:

m&kCattle

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
78
Reaction score
0
Anyone using this stuff? It's a annual grass comparable to timothy. Supposed to get 3 cuts off it. You sow it May - July. Thought it would be good for wheat fields? looking for opinions.
 
The forage conference at Mich State it was mentioned as being practical on a double cropping system like after winter wheat and also after first cut on a played out alfalfa field. Mention was made that the seed bed really needs to be firm. Also cutting height was important. Michigan State has had test plots for a few years now and this year at the conference they also had producers speak that had baled it and also grazed it. Apparently it can also be difficult to dry down.
 
Tiffany Teff>
We got as high as 5.1 tons with four cuttings. On poor ground it ran out of energy with two cuttings. ( It sucks up Nitrogen ) The best way we found was to use a brllion to seed, but did OK with a broadcaster. The seed is very small and the seed we used was coated. Still the broadcaster would only throw it about 6 feet. All I did was to roll it after seeding. It will grow just laying on the ground, but best to roll it. I thought is was fairly drought tolerant, I let some dry out, but it took off when waterd. just won't grow much when let dry. Once it takes off it really grows fast. You have to watch that it doesn't start to fall down. It will not take a freeze. Once it freezes it's done and turns brown fast. It takes a sharp blade to cut, so if your sections are dull you will have to cut slowly. It is a fine blade grass and will lay tight together and is hard to dry the heavy clumps. You may rake it three times unless you have a tedder or a rake that will fluff it up enough to get air. It makes good hay. I think the average protein was 18% not sure. I did graze it after cutting. It has a fine shallow root and like KNERSIE said cows will pull a lot of it up. I thought it was a good rotation crop, but not worth working the ground every year to plant. Good luck!

Rod
 
We had some locally grown teff go through our local sale barn. When the teff was auctioned most of the local buyers looked at each other and didn't really move on it. It went cheap I think because it was different and no one knew what to make of it. It looked good though and I've heard it feeds pretty good but based on what I saw at the local sale it would keep me on the sidelines for a while until it becomes more accepted by our buyers.
 

Latest posts

Top