Wheat Hay

[Devin]

Hello Everyone,
My neighbor told me that I could use 40 acres of bottom land that he owns for free. It has only been bushhogged for the last two years. He would like for it to be broken up disked etc. I was thinking about planting some wheat this fall, mowing it for hay in the spring, and then following with some bean/millet hay. Do any of you feed wheat hay? If I did this what would you recommend as a seeding rate for the wheat. What would the approximate maturity date be on the wheat for hay cutting. I live in western, KY. Sorry so many questions, I'm just not real knowledgable about wheat. Thanks alot!
Devin

 

[Bez]

I know folks who have used it, but I have not.

I can speak for oats though. Many times I have planted it, cut it early and baled it - my cows love it.

Generally we seed it at about 4 - 5 bushells to the acre. It depends on soil conditions - your ag rep will know about your area - and for that matter so will most of the local guys who plant oats. Info will be fairly easy to come by if you look around.

Specifically I wait until it heads out. When the oat grain is squeezed and a white milky substance is seen, it is time to cut it. I find I do not lose too much grain this way.

Just my two cents. Nice to get the use of free land.

Best regards,

Bez

 

[Weaver]

We have fed it in the past, with fairly good results. We like to cut it just before it heads out. Once it heads out, it loses feed value, but on the other hand you can get a little more tonage if you let it head out, so either way has benefits and drawbacks. We plant at 120 pounds an acre and chop/cut usually about the first week or two of May.Wheat doesn't like to get its feet wet, so if water stands in the field, wheat might not be the best option, and even if it doesn't stand in the field, you need to be able to get in the field in the spring without too much trouble. After that said, wheat is a cheap forage to grow and even cheaper if you get to use the land for free.

 

[Larry Sansom]

Hello Everyone,
My neighbor told me that I could use 40 acres of bottom land that he owns for free. It has only been bushhogged for the last two years. He would like for it to be broken up disked etc. I was thinking about planting some wheat this fall, mowing it for hay in the spring, and then following with some bean/millet hay. Do any of you feed wheat hay? If I did this what would you recommend as a seeding rate for the wheat. What would the approximate maturity date be on the wheat for hay cutting. I live in western, KY. Sorry so many questions, I'm just not real knowledgable about wheat. Thanks alot!
Devin

As a fellow West KY Farmer - you better watch wheat and the spring rain problem. It needs to be cut right- if it gets rain like this year- you will be way too mature. I used it several years, also prefer Rye grass. Your bean/millet program or a sorgum - sudan grass ( if you can get it to dry down - will feed a big bunch of cows. My 40- 45 acres on your same plan - only chopped in a vacuum silage plan so i did not have the rain problems - fed 150 brood cows all winter. Also hint - do not cut back on fertilizer - your land is free- so pour it on!

 

[Devin]

Thanks for the responses to my wheat hay question. I appreciate all the help I can get! Hey Larry, where are you in western KY.
Devin