Oats and alfalfa

cjk · Jun 14, 2009

I planted alfalfa/timothy with oats this spring and in some spots the alfalfa seems to be growing taller than the oats, almost knee high in spots.

Is this normal?

Cut and bale it all or combine the oats off? I would be selling the oats or the hay.

When combining the oats, will the alfalfa get damaged by the traffic over it?

Should the field then be left the rest of the year to establish itself? No hay crop right?

It looks like I will have a lot of alfalfa in my straw if combining the oats, problem?

The more I learn, the more questions I have.

hayray · Jun 14, 2009

Cut and bale it. Try to get the oats while they are still green. If the alfalfa grows back enough for a second cut then cut it. I bale two cuts on first year seedings.

TGIN · Jun 14, 2009

What hayray said , it will make great feed although sometimes oat hay can be hard to sell . Let the buyer see it now in the field to see all the alfalfa .

JMS/.MN · Jun 15, 2009

What hayray says does work fine, except that oats hay really draws mice to the pile. Other option about combining- you can sell the grain and the straw. Machine traffic will not damage the alfalfa as long as the field is fit (dry) to work. Swathing the crop, then getting a lot of rain on it, not drying out, can kill the new seeding under the swaths. Lodged oats can do the same, one reason I went to barley years ago- thinner stand lets more sun hit the ground and grow the alfalfa.

Too Far Gone · Jun 18, 2009

If the oats are not past the dough stage put it up together.If You can still squish the grains easily between your fingers it'll be great hay

Oats and alfalfa

cjk

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hayray

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TGIN

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JMS/.MN

Well-known Member

Too Far Gone

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