This can't be true!!!!!Dead grass

[little creek]

J.T. I have 60 acres of alicia bermuda, I have heavy limed and fertilzed only 30 acres. I have the six heifers on 22 acres, that I switch them on and off (cross fenced 11 and 11). that leaves the 8 untouched, because they can't keep up with the 22 acres and are about to pop it looks like to me. We have got some good rain lately that has by God's grace helped in this matter. The 8 acres have not been cut or even walked on. This is the stock pile fields, that I'm hoping can be used in the winter months. Move them on one of the 11 acres, take my soil test and hit it with whats needed and that will give them around 20 fertilzed acres for the six of them for the winter. What do ya'll think, a plan, or a big bust, and starved heifers in the winter. thanks, little creek.

 

[dun]

J.T. I have 60 acres of alicia bermuda, I have heavy limed and fertilzed only 30 acres. I have the six heifers on 22 acres, that I switch them on and off (cross fenced 11 and 11). that leaves the 8 untouched, because they can't keep up with the 22 acres and are about to pop it looks like to me. We have got some good rain lately that has by God's grace helped in this matter. The 8 acres have not been cut or even walked on. This is the stock pile fields, that I'm hoping can be used in the winter months. Move them on one of the 11 acres, take my soil test and hit it with whats needed and that will give them around 20 fertilzed acres for the six of them for the winter. What do ya'll think, a plan, or a big bust, and starved heifers in the winter. thanks, little creek.

In this neck of the woods bermuda doesn;t stockpile very well. Don;t know what the nutritional value of winter stockpiled bermuda would be. I would contact your local NRCS grass people or the extension office and see what they think of the idea. They're the ones that know your specific area and conditions.

dun

 

[MikeC]

In this neck of the woods bermuda doesn;t stockpile very well.

Bahia and Bermuda both get tough when stockpiled down here too. Prolly beats a snowball, but not by much. The ADF goes sky high!!

Dallis grass works pretty good stockpiled down here.

 

[Cabo]

I think that you will find that bermuda looses much of its nutritional value after it dies. I would try to get it baled as fertilized bermuda makes some fine hay.

 

[little creek]

CABO, thanks, I am new at this cow business, I had too put all my monies into buying the farm. I don't have the equipment to cut,bale, and store the hay. I was trying to get all the above before buying the heifers, but a neighbor had to get out of the cow business quick, and I knew these heifers were great stock. So I put the cart before the horse. We can make it no matter what I have to do to get hay. I just don't want to waste money, if not necessary. Thanks, little creek.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Little creek putting that cart before the horse can put you out of the cow business quick and at a big loss like the neighbor that had to get out quick. You are one natural diaster away from not getting hay. Drought's, Hurricanes, and etc.

Bigest mistake I see people make is not planning for what can go wrong you are getting in the cow business at the top of cycle.

 

[little creek]

I know, I got in at the top price market it seems, but I was given a death speak by my doctors, who said, little creek, live and do what you have always wanted to do. I know it may sound crazy and I know this is'nt the forum for mush talk, but all I want is my cows and let them live one day more in happy fields, and grass that is green, and they can grow and live long, because we just love looking at them. little creek.

 

[Texan]

J.T. I have 60 acres of alicia bermuda, I have heavy limed and fertilzed only 30 acres. I have the six heifers on 22 acres, that I switch them on and off (cross fenced 11 and 11). that leaves the 8 untouched, because they can't keep up with the 22 acres and are about to pop it looks like to me. We have got some good rain lately that has by God's grace helped in this matter. The 8 acres have not been cut or even walked on. This is the stock pile fields, that I'm hoping can be used in the winter months. Move them on one of the 11 acres, take my soil test and hit it with whats needed and that will give them around 20 fertilzed acres for the six of them for the winter. What do ya'll think, a plan, or a big bust, and starved heifers in the winter. thanks, little creek.

In my opinion, it's way too early to have bermuda grass stockpiled. What you've got now won't be worth much by wintertime unless you get some fresh regrowth prior to frost. You're basically wasting the eight acres and probably wasting some of the 22 acres, since they can't keep up with it.

If it were mine, I'd find somebody to bale most of it on the halves, leaving you just enough room to run your heifers on for a couple of days until you can turn them in to clean up the hay fields. Having it baled on the halves would give you plenty of hay for winter without any out-of-pocket expense.

It will also let your grass come back with the nutritional quality that your young heifers need. Best forage quality is achieved in the growth stage, not in the mature, reproductive stage. If you don't start using some of it, you'll end up with way too much grass that will be so mature that your cattle will still need protein supplement during the growing season. That's not a good thing.

Even though it might seem as if you have plenty of grass, letting it get too mature for your cattle to utilize is poor management of your resources. You need to keep it in the condition that it can be used---either by your heifers or by harvesting it. You'll still have plenty of time to stockpile later, if you still think you need it.

 

[little creek]

Texan, great advice, but if we cut and bale that means after soil sample, add more fert. I just don't have that kind of money,right now. But like you said the heifers can't keep up with the grass and should I move them back to the field that they were on. Because we just got rain and new grass is growing again, or just let them eat the tall grass in the new field I moved them on. I keep an eye on their waste and it is still green and flat like a pancake. Thanks, little creek.

 

[msscamp]

Texan, great advice, but if we cut and bale that means after soil sample, add more fert.

Ok everybody - Why would cutting and baling bermuda automatically require a new soil sample and more fertilizer? I don't know the first thing about bermuda, but alfalfa does not require that - is it because one is a grass and the other is a legume? Or is just the nature of bermuda? Thanks all!

 

[dun]

Texan, great advice, but if we cut and bale that means after soil sample, add more fert.

Ok everybody - Why would cutting and baling bermuda automatically require a new soil sample and more fertilizer? I don't know the first thing about bermuda, but alfalfa does not require that - is it because one is a grass and the other is a legume? Or is just the nature of bermuda? Thanks all!

After each cutting of alfalfa we used to apply phosphorus didn;t need nitrogen since it's a legume.
Some forages remove more nutrients from the soil then others. Most of the cool season grasses remove about the same amount of N, P & K, don;t know about bermuda.
According to NRCS grazing removes 4.5 lbs of N, 2.2 lbs P, 0.3 lbs K and haying 100 lbs of N, 20 lbs P, 80 lbs K.
That;s with the theoretical load beaing the same. I think a good part of that is because grazing return many of the nutrients to the pasture while haying totally removes it. But that's just a theory.

dun

dun

 

[msscamp]

Texan, great advice, but if we cut and bale that means after soil sample, add more fert.

Ok everybody - Why would cutting and baling bermuda automatically require a new soil sample and more fertilizer? I don't know the first thing about bermuda, but alfalfa does not require that - is it because one is a grass and the other is a legume? Or is just the nature of bermuda? Thanks all!

After each cutting of alfalfa we used to apply phosphorus didn;t need nitrogen since it's a legume.
Some forages remove more nutrients from the soil then others. Most of the cool season grasses remove about the same amount of N, P & K, don;t know about bermuda.
According to NRCS grazing removes 4.5 lbs of N, 2.2 lbs P, 0.3 lbs K and haying 100 lbs of N, 20 lbs P, 80 lbs K.
That;s with the theoretical load beaing the same. I think a good part of that is because grazing return many of the nutrients to the pasture while haying totally removes it. But that's just a theory.

dun

dun

Interesting - Thank you, Dun! I knew that legumes retain (that's not the correct word, but I think you know what I mean) nitrogen, but I was unaware of the phosporous aspect. I can also see where grazing would return nutrients through the manure, but haying simply removes them. Dang, I'm glad you're a member and willing to share your knowledge!

 

[little creek]

MSSCAMP, the reason, everytime you cut and bale, the bermuda uses up some of the n,p,p, and to make sure that the animals are getting the same protein punch from the bermuda. You need to take soil test and go from there. The cows will eat the grass, but I want to make sure they are getting all the benefits of the grass when they eat it. I don't understand, when I do the soil sample and take it to my county agent. The range margin on the soil sample is always in the optimum range and he will still say, you need to add 300 pounds of nit. to the acre. This is what I've seen and been told. Little creek