Converting to hay

[WiltonRanch]

After grass there is a huge amount of nitrogen tied up in organic matter.you need to add nitrogen to accelerate the break down of that organic matter.

I never back off on fertilizer but I’m not a big user to start with. Figure what is gained by leaving in perennial stand is better preserved if you keep fertility up. Hay depletes pks quite a lot.

[shtferbrains]

Very tough to make first cut hay that has any value here. Hard to get it off the field in time to make decent second cut.
If you could make silage chopped or wrapped in late June early july here you have much better results with 2nd cut as it doesn't weather as bad later in the year.
The real money is in straight alfalfa with high RFV to the saskatoon dairies or sometimes local Hutt dairies.
No dairies left here but they will alwsys buy premium alfafa. Has to be clean green and fine stem leafy. If you can supply RFV data more money if GOOD. Hard to make good.
Make sure you start with lot of sulfer if rotating alfalfa.

[dmlfarmer]

never tried it personally but have seen good results of underseeding straight alfalfa in clearfield canola. You get a cash crop in year of establishment, good weed control with pursuit or odessey, and canola stubble protects the alfalfa over that first winter.

[GDR]

It is the worst idea ever on a wet year, it never dries, regrows through the swath in days, never dries, and did I mention that it never dries.

Frick I hate Orchard grass, quit seeding it cause it's just a challenge to harvest. As for Sheepwheats suggestion that its palatable, I disagree with that also. Makes a bale look very nice for sure but it tends to be a bit scratchy and they will waste what looks like nice grass. Grazing it is the last thing the animals will eat. I prefer heavy alfalfa with a bit of Timothy and Hybrid Brome.

Sounds like forage may be a longterm solution for Sheepwheat but I live in a big hay area, I watch guys switch back to grain or hay chasing high prices but by the time its becomes established or broken up the market has gone the opposite direction. It's a really feast or famine business growing hay. Find your path and stick to it.

I also try to find later maturing Timothy. If you cut your first cut based on the alfalfa and the Timothy hasnt flowered yet it will regrow for second cut, otherwise not much fall growth.

Otherwise everyone's comments sound spot on!

[WiltonRanch]

I’ve often thought of using an annual in the grazing regime as generally they can be established and grazed or cut in the same year then put to crop the following year. When it’s really dry something like rye is a good bet as long as tetany or prussic acid don’t get you. Lots of cover blends for sale for that purpose but rye is cheap and tough. It would be nice to have a legume in there for n fixation and another non cereal to increase diversity and resilience but cost vs benefit you know. My herd is a lot smaller than years prior as I seen writing was on the wall for having a large herd and hauling all over hell to pasture. If you can’t make them pay utilizing and improving the health of your poor land, and complimenting your grain operation I definitely can’t see how one can do well on them as a stand alone commercial cow/calf enterprise in the future. Outside of areas purely suited for ranching and mixed ones like mine cattle don’t make sense anymore.