J D 1219 Mow-Cond for Windrowing Oats

[Big Red Man]

Your thoughts please . . . I want to windrow my oats crop and then combine them with a pickup. To windrow them I wanna use my J D 1219 mower - conditioner. I am thinking I can adjust the roll spacing per the Operator's Manual (page 21) so that I don't knock the kernels loose. Whaddya think? kelly
 

[rockyridgefarm]

I have heard of guys blocking open the rolls in all sorts of conditioners to windrow oats, but I would definitely not do it. Crop loss will be high. Look at a windrower like a John Deere 800 or a hesston 6450 and you will see that the reel is much larger, like a combine head.

If it is the only option you have and some yield loss is acceptable, it will work.
 

[Tx Jim]

I think oat stalks will need to have green color in order to not shatter as many seed heads. There are conditioner roll pressure adjustments & stops on each end of cutting platform.
 

[rockcreek4630]

I don't know anything about your mower conditioner but dad cut with a new holland and would back roll pressure off all the way and only cut in the early morning with a dew to eliminate shater.
 

[flying belgian]

Where you at? I have a JD 800 I'm not using anymore.
 

[Paul swpa]

I tried that a couple years ago. The oats had gotten real weedy and wanted to dry things out before running through the combine. What a MESS! Knocked almost all the oats out and still didn't combine worth a hoot. After that episode, if the oats get too weedy, I just mow and round bale for a sheep hay customer. Better use of time and energy, plus the sheep love them.
I would look for a regular grain swather if I wanted to do that type of harvesting. Can't find one around here (and dad swears it won't work with our relatively higher moisture here). I think a swather like Jon in Mn has would be the ticket, take rolls out for grain, put them in for hay. Paul
 

[casecollectorsc]

Oats have to be quite ripe before cutting for grain. I use a pull type swather to cut mine...usually cheaper to buy too, $500 for my 18' IH 75 swather.

 

[caterpillar guy]

You will loose a lot at the rolls. I cut some a few years ago in the milk for hay and it worked alright lost some I'm sure.