Mowing Brome Field

Bobl1958 · Jan 16, 2021

I always swath and bale my brome in late May or early June here in Kansas. If we get late rains a second crop will come, albiet a sparse growth. But still some stocks will reach a mature height. I know the second cutting is very weak on protien, so don't want to spend the time and money to bale it again. But then the next spring I have all the dead growth in my bales that especially horses won't eat anyway.
I am thinking about a batwing mower and mow it down in the fall or early spring so good new growth will come up to bale when it is ready. The only real question is if the trash/old growth will cause problems when I go to swath it. I would think it would be settled down to the ground, and I don't cut that low anyway, but wondering if anyone does this?

I have a good JD 3340 swather with a double knife head to swath. Mainly wondering if the mower mulch would cause trouble with swathing? Thanks for any advice.

showcrop · Jan 16, 2021

Bob, I have to disagree with most of your caveats. Around here 2nd cut brome is just as good if not better relative feed value than first cut. If I have enough regrowth that I have any concern for it being a significant proportion to next years crop, I will certainly be cutting and baling it. Horses will eat the dead regrowth right along with the new. The horse's owner may object to it, but it has to be up around 30% of the material in the bale for them to be able to see it.

Destroked 450 · Jan 16, 2021

If you set the batwing at 4-6" and the swather moves at 3-4" you'll have very little old growth if any in the new hay, providing the rake isn't set to scrape everything off the ground.
My bar rake is set 1" above the ground, the vee rake has hardly any ground pressure.

SVcummins · Jan 16, 2021

Let yer horses stare at it until they get hungry they’ll eat it

MJMJ · Jan 16, 2021

The maturity of the grass when its cut affects the nutritional value. It would be very unusual for second cutting to have less protein than first unless its allowed to get too mature.

Bobl1958 · Jan 16, 2021

Keep in mind this is Central Ks. Very hot, windy, and little rain. Sometime though enough rain to bring a partial crop. What there is will be stressed from heat/wind and not enough rain for a decent cutting.

showcrop · Jan 17, 2021

(quoted from post at 19:29:21 01/16/21) Keep in mind this is Central Ks. Very hot, windy, and little rain. Sometime though enough rain to bring a partial crop. What there is will be stressed from heat/wind and not enough rain for a decent cutting.

Bob, that is how it is some years here in NH. In the past I have looked at it and convinced myself that it is worthwhile, but after drying for two days I rake it and I can't see the windrow. If I leave it, come next spring, it isn't there any more. the first 2-3 frosts shrink it right down.

Mowing Brome Field

Bobl1958

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showcrop

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Destroked 450

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SVcummins

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MJMJ

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Bobl1958

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showcrop

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