Winter Forage

[Kell-inKY]

in Kentucky... last year, I hand cranked some wheat into standing soybeans really late in the year. It came up ok and I let the cattle on it to graze in December or so? They pretty much grazed it down to nothing (it was pretty sparse) but still produced in the spring. Not a lot but more than I thought possible considering.

This year on the same field I had a ton of crabgrass as I have talked about here, I am wanting to maybe plant this in wheat again because it looks good, is cheap, the cattle love it and it won't mess with the crabgrass in summer. Does this sound like a plan or would annual ryegrass do better? I can't remember which is cheaper but I just want some winter grazing. I'm doing turnips in the back where you can't see it from the road.

So, do I bother with wheat or is ryegrass the best bet for strip grazing this winter (not next spring). Can I plant now or is it too soon, should rain this weekend, maybe I could get some in before then. I want more growing season this time around, got way too late of a start last year, barely had any turnips either but the soybeans came off really late (no rowcrop this year). Any advice appreciated.

 

[1982vett]

I don't know about Kentucky, but here in Texas I would go with wheat if not oats. I get more fall grazing out of them than I do an annual ryegrass. Annual ryegrass performs better here in the spring. I suppose our climate slows fall growth as we sort of go from hot to cool in a matter I weeks around November. Ryegrass doesn't have the opportunity to rapidly grow till spring.

 

[fenceman]

Both are used around here. If you expect extended temps below 25 use wheat. If you have warmer temps oats provide more and better feed. :2cents:

 

[Bigfoot]

I've done all three. Different years, one will out compete the other. My experience is, that it is a waste of time to put any of the three on fescue. I know that wasn't your intention anyway. They will work in a warm season, or behind a field crop real well. I first preference is oats, then rye, then wheat.

 

[greybeard]

I don't know about Kentucky, but here in Texas I would go with wheat if not oats. I get more fall grazing out of them than I do an annual ryegrass. Annual ryegrass performs better here in the spring. I suppose our climate slows fall growth as we sort of go from hot to cool in a matter I weeks around November. Ryegrass doesn't have the opportunity to rapidly grow till spring.

That's been my experience as well. Ryegrass here, just doesn't seem to do good until it's almost time for the bahia to start growing again, which kinda defeats the purpose imo.

 

[rnh2]

Arkansas extension recommends mixture of wheat rye and ryegrass for max production. If you're planting on crop ground ryegrass can become a weed in cash wheat

 

[etmountianman71]

I will be planting some cereal rye (grain) this week as UT informed me that it will grow better in the fall and a little less in the spring vs the rye grass that would grow a little now and more in the spring. So that is my plan on the forage after having Sudan grass on this field all summer. Believing it will provide some extended grazing over hay feeding for me.
Also plan on planting some rye grass in another field to help supplement for the spring, so not a true comparison but a small one for our ground.

 

[nathan arizona]

My extension agent here in NC recommended rye grass, so I just put out some on some pretty heavily grazed fescue here in NC. The guy at Southern States told me 15 pounds to the acre if I was sowing it on existing stand of fescue. I was using a whirligig and I couldn't hardly keep it at 15 pounds/acre, so I'm sure I put out a little more than that. Does that seem light to everyone else?

 

[1982vett]

My extension agent here in NC recommended rye grass, so I just put out some on some pretty heavily grazed fescue here in NC. The guy at Southern States told me 15 pounds to the acre if I was sowing it on existing stand of fescue. I was using a whirligig and I couldn't hardly keep it at 15 pounds/acre, so I'm sure I put out a little more than that. Does that seem light to everyone else?

If you get the water and cooler weather to keep it growing you will be just fine.