Quickest grazing forage, and best long term forage?

[riders2010]

What would be the best in your experience thing to seed to have quickest grazing forage ie oats, millet, etc. and what are some of the better combos for long term to seed on cultivated land, ie alfalfa timmothy, crested wheat etc.? Are there any new ideas. Guys here are fed up with the lack of gov. response to the flooding of grain land and are seriously looking at getting out of grain and into cows, and have some native swampy grass areas and bush quarters, but only enough grazing for some cows until july august.

[wd40]

Were are you located? Fall Rye is better that most know.

[PureCountry]

Go with diversity, lots and lots of diversity. As many species as possible, meaning whatever you're seed dealer will tolerate to the point where he/she says "Enough mixing!". We went with 5 legumes and 7 grasses. Milkvetch, Alsike Clover, Sainfoin and 2 Alfalfas - creep and tap. Grasses were Meadow Brome, Kentucky Blue, Orchard, Western Wheat, Creeping Red Fescue, and a couple natives I can't recall.

Works well because even in bad conditions - drought or flood - something will always be excelling. You basically build resiliance into your forage stand. Monocultures - 1 species - go against the grain of Mother Nature. it's unnatural.

Observe what has/does work within your region, and build a mix from there.

[PureCountry]

I was referring to your long term forage stand obviously. As for annuals for quick growth, fall rye has worked well for us, will be doing it again this summer. Tried Sorghum-Sudangrass in the past, worked well with the heat units and moisture, but didn't graze it, it was all baled.

I would really like to try it in a graazing scenario, as well as green leaf corn. Met a guy from Manitoba recently, named Ron Catt, who grows an OP corn variety. He says he had steers gain 3lbs/day grazing the immature corn in a green leaf stage. That will be amazing to see.

[riders2010]

Good tips guys! I forgot about fall-rye, my dad used to plant fall rye on years he was rejuvinating the other pastures. I think he tried winter triticale once also.

I think my neighbor had better wait until he sees what can be seeded at all this spring before buying cattle. Man there is lot of snow and still so cold. Thanks for the tips!

[wd40]

Don't redmember if we used winter triticale or spring. But for silage I wished I'd never seen it. Great tonnage, but if weather forces you to let it get past a stage it's way to corase. I'd think for psture you may have to keep it no more than 4 - 6 inches tall.