Question for grass and other cow people

[Guest]

Is alfalfa ok for feed after that frost that turned green canola white ? Seems to be green and growing and standing up good yet ?

[Guest]

Is alfalfa ok for feed after that frost that turned green canola white ? Seems to be green and growing and standing up good yet ?

[Braveheart]

Not safe to graze. Cell walls have collapsed in the alfalfa and cows can cram in too much. That is, if there was a killing frost. If not for grazing cut immediately to save leaves.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Looks like pure alfalfa, I wouldn't put cows in there until November personally.

[Guest]

Sorry , i meant to cut and bale

[AlbertaFarmer5]

I've never known nitrates to be a problem in alfalfa in the fall.

[farmaholic]

Sorry , i meant to cut and bale

CIH, By the time that alfalfa dries down after cutting will there be much to bale? It seems short by the looks of the picture.

What about winterkill? Where are the hay guys on the winterkill issue.

[grassfarmer]

I've never known nitrates to be a problem in alfalfa in the fall.

I assume he was talking about bloat risk not nitrate? never much nitrate risk with alfalfa anyway it's more a problem of annuals. Bloat can be managed, Alfasure in the water for one. We graze alfalfa in the fall and don't worry too much about bloat - less risk than in June. Grazing doesn't seem to cause winterkill as bad as haying either in my experience.
For haying I'd be waiting until it does frost kill then get in the next day and cut it to reduce winterkill potential.

[WiltonRanch]

Don’t Cut It! You will kill the alfalfa. It has already taken a kicking with the early frost and if you take the top off you will further weaken it by taking its winter reserve away. Alfalfa is a tough plant but cutting less than 6 weeks before freezing off will subject it to winterkill. Once it’s froze off in November then you can do whatever but no better than poplar trees for sustenance.

[Klause]

I assume he was talking about bloat risk not nitrate? never much nitrate risk with alfalfa anyway it's more a problem of annuals. Bloat can be managed, Alfasure in the water for one. We graze alfalfa in the fall and don't worry too much about bloat - less risk than in June. Grazing doesn't seem to cause winterkill as bad as haying either in my experience.
For haying I'd be waiting until it does frost kill then get in the next day and cut it to reduce winterkill potential.

What he said.


Don't cut it until it's actually dead and the roots go dormant. If it starts to grow out again, it will be using up the energy reserves the roots need to survivce the winter and you'll have winter kill.

[woodland]

What he said.


Don't cut it until it's actually dead and the roots go dormant. If it starts to grow out again, it will be using up the energy reserves the roots need to survivce the winter and you'll have winter kill.

Mother Nature can still kill like no tomorrow even when you do everything right. Lost half our acres this year and everyone is similar around here. The local alfalfa pellet plant is giving away free seed to any of their suppliers with no strings attached. The last few years of trying to make dry hay have been brutal with the smoke from BC. Even when the temperature is high with low humidity nothing dries out. Crop insurance is pathetic for hay and ties your hands for how you manage it which is especially important during dry years like this. Canola seems easy peasey along side alfalfa most of the time here.

I reserve the right to change my opinion after this next weeks forecast of wet, cold, snowy $hit. 😉

[GDR]

Been told a few times by some old timers you shouldn't cut it between Sept 1 and 15th. I've cut 2nd cut anywhere from mid August to the end of October and have never had winterkill issues but maybe just lucky.

For grazing we have always waited until there was a frost to turn cows in, not so lush or moist then. Even dry leaves that get rewetted can be a time bomb for bloat.

[Guest]

I assume he was talking about bloat risk not nitrate? never much nitrate risk with alfalfa anyway it's more a problem of annuals. Bloat can be managed, Alfasure in the water for one. We graze alfalfa in the fall and don't worry too much about bloat - less risk than in June. Grazing doesn't seem to cause winterkill as bad as haying either in my experience.
For haying I'd be waiting until it does frost kill then get in the next day and cut it to reduce winterkill potential.

that's what I was thinking . beings there seems to be a shortage of feed .it still makes ok feed that way ? I don't know anything about cattle , but had heard something once that it was no good for feed after even a light frost? grazing isn't an option . just want to clean it up for seed production next year . it was cut for dehy but not until about August. 10 for first cut , so was just thinking of this for an option if they don't cut it again .
thanks everyone for the replies