Winter grazing is in the ground!

[southernultrablack]

I am trying to really reduce the amount of hay that I feed. I am trying to implement a winter grazing rotation of cosaque black oats. I think I have enough grass now to last till the first part of November, and hoping the oats will be ready by then. Planted them Thursday, fertilized on Friday and got about an inch of rain on them the last 24hrs. I sure hope this works!

 

[coachg]

Sounds like a plan. Crazy but now we are waiting on dry days to cut our last cutting of hay . Loving the rain !

 

[Hogfarmer10]

I started planting annual ryegrass today. Don't like to do it on Sunday but rain started for me this evening and is forecast for every day this week.

 

[ClinchValley86]

I am doing similar this week or next. You drill the oats? Or disk them in?
Ive never done this before. I have a drill, hydraulic disk, 8x8 drag, and cone spreader.

I'm going to broadcast ryegrass on rough ground they've eat short. Wanting to try drilling or disking a mix in on two hayfields I've been letting the cows overgraze the last week and next.

Do oats come on fast in Fall? I'd like some fall and spring grazing.

Think I've got grass to get to end of November/December. Started culling this week. Trying to not buy much hay.

Making 3rd cutting when we get a window.

Thought about mixing oats and rye with some vetch and turnips if I can find the seed locally. That sound like a decent mixture? I am all ears.

Procedure and seed choice are my question marks. No one nearby does this that I've found. Going to talk to coop and farm store tomorrow. See what they recommend for here. Hopefully they got a good grazing guy.

 

[sstterry]

I am doing similar this week or next. You drill the oats? Or disk them in?
Ive never done this before. I have a drill, hydraulic disk, 8x8 drag, and cone spreader.

I'm going to broadcast ryegrass on rough ground they've eat short. Wanting to try drilling or disking a mix in on two hayfields I've been letting the cows overgraze the last week and next.

Do oats come on fast in Fall? I'd like some fall and spring grazing.

Think I've got grass to get to end of November/December. Started culling this week. Trying to not buy much hay.

Making 3rd cutting when we get a window.

Thought about mixing oats and rye with some vetch and turnips if I can find the seed locally. That sound like a decent mixture? I am all ears.

Procedure and seed choice are my question marks. No one nearby does this that I've found. Going to talk to coop and farm store tomorrow. See what they recommend for here. Hopefully they got a good grazing guy.

Which Co-Op do you use?
I am pretty sure that Jefferson County Co-Op may have someone. Call Mark Petit the store manager and ask. Tell him I told you to call. [email protected]

 

[southernultrablack]

I am doing similar this week or next. You drill the oats? Or disk them in?
Ive never done this before. I have a drill, hydraulic disk, 8x8 drag, and cone spreader.

I'm going to broadcast ryegrass on rough ground they've eat short. Wanting to try drilling or disking a mix in on two hayfields I've been letting the cows overgraze the last week and next.

Do oats come on fast in Fall? I'd like some fall and spring grazing.

Think I've got grass to get to end of November/December. Started culling this week. Trying to not buy much hay.

Making 3rd cutting when we get a window.

Thought about mixing oats and rye with some vetch and turnips if I can find the seed locally. That sound like a decent mixture? I am all ears.

Procedure and seed choice are my question marks. No one nearby does this that I've found. Going to talk to coop and farm store tomorrow. See what they recommend for here. Hopefully they got a good grazing guy.

The oats should give you some good fall grazing, the Rye should give you more winter grazing as it grows better in cooler temps. I've been told the oats make more forage than the Rye. I sprayed glyphosate and then drilled the oats in, but discing and broadcasting would work too. The oats,rye,turnips, should be a great mix, I don't know much about vetch.

 

[BFE]

I am doing similar this week or next. You drill the oats? Or disk them in?
Ive never done this before. I have a drill, hydraulic disk, 8x8 drag, and cone spreader.

I'm going to broadcast ryegrass on rough ground they've eat short. Wanting to try drilling or disking a mix in on two hayfields I've been letting the cows overgraze the last week and next.

Do oats come on fast in Fall? I'd like some fall and spring grazing.

Think I've got grass to get to end of November/December. Started culling this week. Trying to not buy much hay.

Making 3rd cutting when we get a window.

Thought about mixing oats and rye with some vetch and turnips if I can find the seed locally. That sound like a decent mixture? I am all ears.

Procedure and seed choice are my question marks. No one nearby does this that I've found. Going to talk to coop and farm store tomorrow. See what they recommend for here. Hopefully they got a good grazing guy.

If you're as wet as we are through the winter I would hate to disk. It will make for a muddy mess.

I hate to work ground period. It destroys soil structure. Working ground especially disking is like putting flour on a cookie sheet. The top is fluffy but too loose and what's underneath is too hard.

The oat rye mix would be great. Rye puts down a heck of a root system. Very good for the soil.

 

[kenny thomas]

Try adding some Diakon radish. In loose ground it works great.

 

[Otha]

I really like rye. Like BFE said it puts down a huge root system and produces really well in the spring. Doesn't do as well in the fall as oats from what I have seen so a mix of the two might work well. I always plant a little vetch but it's mainly for the soil not the cows. It just doesn't seem to produce much tonnage, however it does outlast the rest of the winter crops in a over seeding situation. I hope that mean it's provide a little nitrogen to the summer grasses it's seeded into. Austrian Winter Peas are my favorite legume for provided lots of grazing. They grow more in the cooler months and put our a larger plant. They are the first to go as soon as it gets dry or hot. They might do better further north than central Texas.
I no-till drill the mix in. Seems to be the only way to get a good stand in coastal without a good disking which I don't care to do.

 

[Hogfarmer10]

Years ago, we would plant a mix of wheat, crimson clover, oats, Austrian peas, vetch, and barley. We planted after the corn was chopped and used it to graze the dairy cattle and heifers on, then we'd shut them out and let it grow for our spring silage crop. Made an exceptionally good crop blend and always tested very good.