  BeefTalk:
Produce Six More Bags of Cow Cake By Harvesting Forage at the Optimum Time
By Kris Ringwall, Extension Beef Specialist,
NDSU Extension Service
As traditional June rains arrived in some parts of the Northern Plains, other
sections remain devoid of precipitation, creating the usual pattern of
wet-versus-dry checkerboards across the agricultural landscape. As you move from
square to square, a common question is: "When should this field of hay be
harvested?"
That question is becoming complicated as new annual hay crops arrive on the
scene and merge with the traditional perennial grasses and legumes. In
particular, oat is a good crop to look at and Pat Carr, agronomist at the North
Dakota Dickinson Research Extension Center, has some interesting data that is
relevant to many of our forage crops and crops in general.
By evaluating harvesting date of the oat variety Dumont, the impact of time
of harvest can be better understood. Dumont oat was planted for three years and
harvested at four different time periods: when the plant started to head, when
the kernels were milky ripe, when the kernels were soft dough and when the
kernels were at the hard dough stage with drying leaves.
Understanding forage crops really requires the producer to note the obvious
changes that occur as the crop matures. This year annual crops are running a
little behind schedule, with the winter type crops approaching heading and the
early spring annuals primarily in the jointing stage, essentially stem
extension. Many of the oat plants are enjoying these last days of June waving
their many leaves in the wind awaiting the green flag to initiate one last reach
for the sky, commonly called jointing. In mammalian terms we would call this the
teen years.
Jointing is relatively quick. In fact the entire life of an oat plant is
relatively quick, making it all the more important to pay attention. Over three
years, Dumont oat averaged 1.5 tons per acre when cut at heading, 2.3 tons per
acre when cut with full milky kernels, 3 tons per acre when cut with soft doughy
kernels and 2.8 tons per acre when cut with hard doughy kernels with drying
leaves. But, there is more to the story than forage quantity. You also have to
consider forage quality.
Dumont oat averaged 14 percent protein at heading, 11 percent protein when
cut with full milky kernels, 10.5 percent protein when cut with soft doughy
kernels and 9 percent protein when cut with hard doughy kernels with drying
leaves. In pounds of protein per acre, cutting at heading produced 420 pounds,
increased to 506 pounds at the milk stage, increased again to 630 pounds when
cut in the soft dough stage and decreased to 504 pounds when the kernel is hard
and the plant starting to dry down.
Some, and I certainly don’t mean all, producers really only consider two
plant stages: growing and baled. In reality, effective forage harvesting means
understanding the growth stages of whichever annual or perennial crop that is
growing and harvesting at the best compromise between quality and quantity.
Based on this oat study, the optimum harvest time produced more than six
50-pound bags of 20 percent protein cow cake more than the next best
alternative. In reality, for oat, you should hay somewhere between the
development of a full, milk-popping kernel and the soft dough stage. Of course
this compromise only occurs on one day of haying season, so stay alert, and as
the season progresses, make sure the early high-quality hay is stored, ready for
next years calves and milking cows.
And once the peak season is passed, just keep on putting up hay because, like
it or not, winter is just around the corner. May you find all your ear tags.
Your comments are always welcome at www.BeefTalk.com.
For more information, contact the North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement
Association, 1133 State Avenue, Dickinson, ND 58601 or go to www.CHAPS2000.COM
on the Internet. In correspondence about this column, refer to BT0097.
###
Source: Kris Ringwall, (701) 483-2427, kringwal@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu
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Graphic from above --
Dumont Oat Forage and Crude Protein Yield
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Developmental Stage Tons/Acre Protein % Protein lbs/acre
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Heading 1.5 14 420
Milk 2.3 11 506
Soft dough 3 10.5 630
Hard dough 2.8 9 504
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Source: Carr, P.M., 1999 NDSU Dickinson Research
Center Annual Report
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