oat hay

[bobia7]

oats are just heading out when is best time to cut for hay as don,twant to combine. have heard boot stage or when in dough stage last time I used them for cover crop I let them get too far along but that was 20 years ago thanks Bob

 

[paul]

What you feeding? Need protien or bulk?

Before any seed shows up makes high-protien feed that the little fuzzy critters won't bother.

Dough stage we have lots of trouble with the critters messing up the bales before we can get them fed, and a lot of stems don't get eaten.

'Here' you'd be way to late, the oats should be in the bin but the humidity & rain doesn't allow us to get it in.

--->Paul

 

[rrlund]

If they're headed,I'd wait now til the grain is ripe and dry. If the grain is in the dough stage,it doesn't matter how long you leave it lay,the grain won't dry and the bales will sweat,heat and rot. Been there,done that. I've let them get ripe then cut them with the haybine and baled them too. Didn't loose enough grain to say so and the cows ate the heck out of them. Kept well too.

 

[bobia7]

didn,t plant untill late June as rounduped brome and then we had a lot of rain. don,t want them matured as horses won,t eat them there will be some alf mixed in as I want to get oats off so as not to smother it.hot as it is here in nw Ia they will turn fast anyway. thank god for therains in good shape now

 

[TGIN]

Seems everyone has a differant time to do it and reason for it . I cut it in the milk stage because thats when dad told me to . The mice ar nt to bad and get the bulk and the cows love it . Never had any trouble getting it dry .

 

[sammydwm]

Should be done in boot for best possible protein. Can be harvested in milk for a little more energy than in boot but palatability can be an issue as the stems are tougher.