Another source other than hay

Help Support Steer Planet:

doubled

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 8, 2007
Messages
1,004
Location
Iowa
Is there another source of roughage that we can plant, and just cut and bale other than hay that would add more nutrition for winter feed.  This is an extremely wet year and
we are having trouble seeding for hay, was wondering if there are other options out there, we live in central Iowa.
 

Bawndoh

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 17, 2007
Messages
720
Have you heard of Millet?  It has a relatively short growing season and the cattle LOVE it.  We grow it up here in Canada and Iowa's climate is suprisingly not too far off from Saskatchewan. 
 

doubled

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 8, 2007
Messages
1,004
Location
Iowa
No I have not heard of it, can you just mow it and bale it???? 
 

olsun

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
434
Some years back, many in fact, we planted what was called hybred pearl millet. It grew fast and tall, but took longer to dry out for baling because of the large stems. Made lots of good feed if things went right.
 

Bawndoh

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 17, 2007
Messages
720
Yes.  In good climates it can get up to six feet tall.  Once or twice my dad has ended up planing it really late, July, and cut it green, probably in September/October.  You cut it green, before it develops seeds (just like any forage, its maximum nutrient content is just before it flowers and develops seeds).  Then let it dry, and bale it.  I am not sure on the type that you would grow.  I would suggest just going to your nearest seed dealer and asking more about it.  There is actually a weed called millet.  Dont get confused by this.  
 

red

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 20, 2007
Messages
7,850
Location
LaRue, Ohio
we've planted Tripper. It's a mixture of field peas & tricale (sp?) grows fast, good nutrients & you mow it.

Red
 

kanshow

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2007
Messages
2,660
Location
Kansas
We are in Kansas but we plant a lot of sudan - they have hybrids now that are lower in nitrates - and then we get the hay tested.  It grows fast & we can get several cuttings. 

This is a late year - last year at this time, we already had one cutting of alfalfa in the bag and corn was already up. 
 

showsteerdlux

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 30, 2007
Messages
1,765
Location
Western NC
Wheat, rye, and also alot of people around here have good luck with sudan grass. Also you may want to consider haylage if you have a wrapper available to you.
 

rtnok

Well-known member
Joined
May 1, 2007
Messages
115
Stay away from the hybred pearl millet it gets nitrates worse than sudan. around here we recomend german millet, it comes off in about 65 days. There is a old wives tale that if it goes to head it will cause abortions but that is not true. Makes great feed. roni
 

knabe

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Messages
13,639
Location
Hollister, CA
also, you need to watch what these feeds do with horses.  they can get the hives realllllly bad.
 

TJ

Well-known member
Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
2,036
FWIW, we actually double crop Millet & Wheat.  We plant one right after the other one is harvested.  We cut in the wheat in the spring & then sometimes we can cut the Millet twice in late summer/early fall.  

We've planted pearl millet, japanese millet, german millet.  I personally like Japanese & German the best & they will also work best if you try to 2 cuttings per summer.  Also, Japanese Millet is ideal for grazing & it will continue to grow as long as it isn't continually grazed too low.    

Never done it, but the best method may be to plant 2/3 millet mixed with 1/3 field peas or 1/3 soybeans or a little of both and then just plan on doing 1 cutting.  The soy beans & field peas will add nitrogen to the soil (lower fertilizer costs) & they will boost the overall protien content of the hay.  We haven't done it in along time, but we have actually cut late soybeans for hay & it tested extremely well.  They are hard to cure out, though.    

Red mentioned Tripper... I've heard good things about "tripper" for years.  It's Triticale (a cross between Wheat & Rye) & Field Peas.  I knew a guy near St Louis who put it up as haylage & he swore by it.  We've never tired it because we were afraid it may not cure out quick enough... Red, how about it?  Can you bale it for hay easy enough?
 

red

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 20, 2007
Messages
7,850
Location
LaRue, Ohio
TJ said:
Red mentioned Tripper... I've heard good things about "tripper" for years.  It's Triticale (a cross between Wheat & Rye) & Field Peas.  I knew a guy near St Louis who put it up as haylage & he swore by it.   We've never tired it because we were afraid it may not cure out quick enough... Red, how about it?  Can you bale it for hay easy enough?

We actually put it into bags so haven't dry baled it ever. It did make good feed. Later put the field into alfalfa.

Red
 

doubled

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 8, 2007
Messages
1,004
Location
Iowa
Hey you all gave me great ideas to research, I was raised on regular hay but due  to the weather and the nutrition of our cattle we want to research what is new out there.
I will look into each and every suggestion, thanks I love this forum for suggestions on things, very helpful.  (clapping)
 

aj

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 5, 2006
Messages
6,420
Location
western kansas
We have a local elevator that has a dust collecting system. I get a farm truck load of it once in a while. It is kinda like flour. It runs 8-10 % protein.It is mainly corn and wheat dust. I scatter it out bout one half mile from water source. Haven't lost any cows yetdue to bloat. Right now I still get it free but I guess at one time they actually hauled the stuff to a protein pellet plant to make pellets. One summer I didn't use cause the wheat had rust in it bad and a abortion potential existed. I am assuming its about the same as wheat middlings nutritionally. :)
 
Top