Oat hay

[Cowboy2005]

Hi, I posted earlier about the price per acre rent on a couple of fields. Regardless if I get them or not I do have another 10acres of hay ground available to me. I don't believe its actually been planted into hay, if it has its a very old seeding. I dont have the time or money to plow and reseed them and I dont want to throw abunch of money into fert as I don't have a long term contract. What I would like to do is drill or broadcast oats to up the tonnage off these fields. Am I thinking wrong or is it a viable option? In a perfect world I'd get a contract, plow, fertilize and reseed but thats not an option this year.

 

[fastfarmall]

What is the grass that's growing there now,if its old Brome grass, Timothy blend,and quackgrass? If you want to inter seed oats,you will need a a no till type of drill, i would think, and with out some Nitrogen not sure if it would pay!!

 

[Bruce from Can.]

The ability for broad casted seed to be able to grow is very much dependent on how early in the season you can get the seed laid down. I have no idea where you are located, or what conditions are like in the field. Ideally for oats to ge a chance to establish, there cant be a lot of competition. So not a lot of tall trash residue from last year that would shade out the sprouting grain. And not a lot of new growth already coming up. Where I live in Southern Ontario, fields are brown and dormant still, and spreading oats, barley or wheat on top of the ground, it will take right off, and make more grazing or hay. If I waited until the field was green already, it would be too late. If you have a roller, and can roll the field after you broadcast the seed, it will make better contact with the ground, and a greater percentage of the oats will germinate and grow. Bruce

 

[Cowboy2005]

Fields are dormant still. And the grass in them is slow growing.

 

[Cowboy2005]

I'm not certain I think alot of its just quack grass

 

[jhwis]

Lightly disk it and broadcast oats then roll it.

 

[redforlife]

If you don't know what this ground is (hay ground, or cropland), or planted to (current state), it sounds to me like your wanting to get involved in something you know nothing about. If that's the case, it might be a BAD idea. 10 acres at $100 an acre rent, you'd have to make $1000 just to get your rent money back. Might be stretching it a little, if one was a little foggy as to what's even going on. What it is even planted to now.
Just saying.

 

[paul]

Years ago we would plant oats into thin alfalfa. First cutting would be 95% alfalfa, second cutting would be closer to 50-50 oats and alfalfa.

Depending on the timing you might get some oats regrowth for the 3rd cutting as well, 25%?

Into a grass stand, not sure the oats would do well. I guess if the grass is thin enough, but.... why is the grass so thin? If the grass isnt growing, the oats is going to be just another grass that also wont grow well. Too dry, too wet, not enough nutrients?

In any event, drilling the oats in, or roughing up with a light disking, broadcasting, then harrowing would be needed. Just throwing the grass on surface wont compete with the existing grass.

Paul

 

[560Dennis]

Cowpeas and or some clover , just suggest clover hay is high , sound like you need to or want to build up your soil with soil , what ever weeds are coming up is a cheap way to tell what your soil needs ,

 

[560Dennis]

From Traditional American Farmer ,Im adding it in just thought of it .

 

[Tx Jim]

It's been my experience most oats cut for hay are too mature when cut due to farmer preference or poor weather conditions. Back when I cut oats for hay if weather permitted I cut shortly after heads became visible when liquid in formed seed was clear not milky.

 

[jon f mn]

I cut some a couple years ago and the cattle thought it was candy. I cut it after it headed but before it started to turn.

 

[jon f mn]

I doubt you will get much advantage planting oats that way. If the ground hasn't been cared for a little fertilizer will do the most good. If you won't have it again 500# each urea, dap, and potash spread over the 10 acres would give a nice boost.

 

[ss55]

Rodents also love oat hay. If you bale it, plan to feed the oat hay first as every small bale will have several field mouse nests inside by early winter.

Oat straw is usually equal in value to the grain, but some areas don't have much of a market for oats as a grain anymore. If you don't need the hay, would combining low to the ground to run all the straw through the combine to harvest both the grain and the straw be an option in your area?

A reduced seeding rate of oats makes a very good cover crop for planting alfalfa/grass mix hay for the following year. Talk to your landlord to see if they will repay some of your expenses if you are not able to continue renting the ground. Your county extension service might have some sample leases for that situation.

 

[Dave H (MI)]

I have fields like that. Usually the person just wants it mowed to limit rodents etc. I trade the mowing for whatever hay I can take off it. I'm not going to pay someone $100 per acre for unimproved hay ground on a short term lease. Make sure to survey the field and look for anything toxic. Some horse people won't touch it. Others are glad to have it.

 

[Billy NY]

One thing that may be a concern if fertility is lacking, Nitrogen. Oats certainly like Nitrogen, hard to figure getting a better yield planting oats in ground that is lacking. Might be worth a gamble, depending, but the results may not be what you are looking for.

 

[Leroy]

Quack grass you do not want in hay.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Quackgrass is great feed if done before it gets old. Cows will milk on that in spring about like good hay. I would think a good soil test would be a beginning point to know what your PH and other nutrients are. Low PH and lime will be needed for it to ever amount to much. Fertilizer will be tied up in the soil.