Hay field

[tressa27884]

I'm buying land in east Texas, currently they have hay planted (don't know what kind, except it's not Bermuda). I've been told they cut twice a year. How do I maintain this pasture? How do I know when it's time to cut it? Can I put animals (cows) on it and let them graze it without cutting?

 

[Baymule]

If it's not Bermuda, then it's probably Bahia. (pronounced buh-HAY-uh) Where are you buying and how many acres?

 

[greybeard]

Can't answer your question without knowing what forage is growing there. Lots of different kinds of bermuda..Most likely bahia, but could also be one of the Tiftons, a taller version of bermuda, Jiggs, and even WW BDahl--or a combination of any of them.
And just too many variables to go into besides forage height or time period. For good hay, it will need to be fertilized and you will need to wait for the fertilize to work if you want the enhancement of fertilizing to show up in your baled hay.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

So you want to put this hayland into pasture... do you know what forages are actually growing in there, if none of it is bermuda, or even some type of bermuda as greybeard pointed out?

What you need to know is that typically the number of cuts for hay doesn't exactly reflect how much grazing can be done on there. That in itself tells me nothing. It doesn't tell me average forage yield, or how many bales they got off that per acre (and how heavy those bales were), and the resulting quality.

The number of times you can come back to a grazed area depends on moisture, temperature, and recovery period needed based on how much forage was eaten. If there's lack of moisture and cooler temperatures, more time is needed for plants to recover. If forage was heavily utilized (like, if you had animals in there graze quite close to the ground), then it will take longer to recover. Animals aren't going to be grazing as close to the ground or be as efficient at "harvesting" what's there like a hay outfit is.

And yes you can graze this land without cutting. The only time you will need to cut is if you don't have enough grazing power from your animals that the plants get way ahead of you, no matter what grazing system used.

For hay cutting, the standard rule of thumb is typically when plants have just began to head out, or legumes are just starting to flower (like 10% bloom) to get hay that is the best quality. But this can change with different plants. Sainfoin, for example, can be cut at a later bloom (50 to 100% bloom) than legumes like clover or alfalfa.

 

[tressa27884]

If it's not Bermuda, then it's probably Bahia. (pronounced buh-HAY-uh) Where are you buying and how many acres?

http://www.realtor.com/realestatean...W_Cooper_TX_75432_M72821-55924?ex=TX613235271
Here's the link. 19.55 acres! I'm so stinkin excited!

 

[tressa27884]

Can't answer your question without knowing what forage is growing there. Lots of different kinds of bermuda..Most likely bahia, but could also be one of the Tiftons, a taller version of bermuda, Jiggs, and even WW BDahl--or a combination of any of them.
And just too many variables to go into besides forage height or time period. For good hay, it will need to be fertilized and you will need to wait for the fertilize to work if you want the enhancement of fertilizing to show up in your baled hay.

Is there a specific type of fertilizer you recommend? I'm obviously a total newbie at this hay thing...

 

[tressa27884]

So you want to put this hayland into pasture... do you know what forages are actually growing in there, if none of it is bermuda, or even some type of bermuda as greybeard pointed out?

What you need to know is that typically the number of cuts for hay doesn't exactly reflect how much grazing can be done on there. That in itself tells me nothing. It doesn't tell me average forage yield, or how many bales they got off that per acre (and how heavy those bales were), and the resulting quality.

The number of times you can come back to a grazed area depends on moisture, temperature, and recovery period needed based on how much forage was eaten. If there's lack of moisture and cooler temperatures, more time is needed for plants to recover. If forage was heavily utilized (like, if you had animals in there graze quite close to the ground), then it will take longer to recover. Animals aren't going to be grazing as close to the ground or be as efficient at "harvesting" what's there like a hay outfit is.

And yes you can graze this land without cutting. The only time you will need to cut is if you don't have enough grazing power from your animals that the plants get way ahead of you, no matter what grazing system used.

For hay cutting, the standard rule of thumb is typically when plants have just began to head out, or legumes are just starting to flower (like 10% bloom) to get hay that is the best quality. But this can change with different plants. Sainfoin, for example, can be cut at a later bloom (50 to 100% bloom) than legumes like clover or alfalfa.

Thanks. I'm meeting with them next week. I'll ask more specific questions when I'm there. She doesn't know what type of hay it is, hopefully her husband will. Any other questions I should be asking?

 

[Baymule]

What type of grass
How many bales, square or round and what size
Type of fertilizer used and last date it was fertilized
When was last time it was limed
And ask for their recommendations for care of the fields

Take a pad of paper and write it down!

 

[tressa27884]

What type of grass
How many bales, square or round and what size
Type of fertilizer used and last date it was fertilized
When was last time it was limed
And ask for their recommendations for care of the fields

Take a pad of paper and write it down!

Johnson Grass Hay
They don't fertilize
1st cutting 8 round bales
2nd cutting 4 round bales
400 to 600 pounds per bale.
8 acres in hay
They will find somebody to take care of them for me until I can sort it out....

 

[HomeOnTheRange]

Others may have a different take on this subject, but if it is truly johnsongrass, then I would be careful. Johnsongrass is listed as a noxious weed in several U.S. states, and can be toxic to cattle, horses, and other animals. Johnsongrass can accumulate nitrates during the summer if exposed to several dry, cloudy days in a row. Under stress caused by drought, frost or herbicide exposure, johnsongrass can produce prussic acid, or hydrogen cyanide. On the flip side, if you have good growing conditions, johnsongrass contains about 11.6 percent crude protein and 58 percent total digestible nutrients. I will be interested to hear what other think of this grass.