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July 13, 2004 Don’t Wait Too Long to Cut Small Grains for Hay As future hay supplies look grim throughout several areas of the Northern Great Plains, many producers are opting to take some of their small grains as forage. The yield and nutrient value of small grain hay can vary greatly with the plant’s stage of development, according to Chip Poland, Extension livestock specialist at the North Dakota State University Dickinson Research Extension Center. While producers may be tempted to wait for a headed-out grain crop to grow after rainfall, Poland advises harvesting for hay at the desirable stage of development and not delaying in anticipation of increased yield. “Although the plants may get somewhat taller after rain, the lower leaves that will be lost due to increased maturity will minimize any yield gain and substantially lessen forage quality,” he says. “Once the appropriate stage of harvest has come, don’t wait, as the window for optimum forage quality is narrow. Still, following a drought-ending rain, you must wait three to four days to ease nitrate and prussic acid concerns.” According to Poland, soft dough is the appropriate stage to harvest most annual forages to provide a balance between dry matter yield and quality. Some crops appear more sensitive to quality declines with advancing maturity than others. Forage quality in oats, for example, declines quicker than barley. If given a choice, producers should begin cutting their oats first or at least at an earlier stage of development. In general, if a lot of forage is available for harvest, it may be beneficial to begin cutting in the milk stage to prevent plants in the later fields from reaching hard dough and declining significantly in nutritional value before harvest. Research shows that crude protein in small grains declines steadily as the plant matures. Energy content, however, can stay relatively constant over a range of maturities as grain is produced. Digestibility of the forage material may decline similarly to crude protein as the proportion of stemmy material increases, but starch accumulation during grain filling can moderate the impact on total energy concentration. Although nutrient value is greatest early in development, Poland understands that some producers hit hard with drought are simply seeking as much dry matter as possible. He says that this tactic works in some scenarios. “When cutting small grains for hay, producers must consider what type of livestock will be consuming the forage. For old, dry cows, producers may wish to harvest as much dry matter as possible with only acceptable protein. For growing calves, replacements and lactating cows, nutrient concentration, and thus the stage of cutting, is much more important.” Poland encourages producers to manage small grains to fit the situation at hand, but says that there is no advantage in waiting to hay past soft dough. For more information, contact Poland at (701) 483-2078 or chip.poland@ndsu.nodak.edu. ### Source:
Chip Poland, (701) 483-2078, chip.poland@ndsu.nodak.edu |
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North Dakota State University |
