Broadcast seed onto bare field?

[TheMan419]

What do you guys think about this hay mix and the percentages? Feel free to adjust the numbers or let me know of anything else to add. I like my hay to be leafy, low on stems and to have variety. This will be in southern Michigan for sheep and cows. I was thinking orchard grass, timothy, perennial rye, alfalfa a little bit of clover. Will the rye live through the winters here? Should I add any bluegrass? I see it in the pasture mixes but don't see it in any hay mixes.

30% orchard grass
30% timothy
25% alfalfa
10% rye
5% Clover

and is this math correct? Lets say it calls for 20lbs of alfalfa per acre. If I'm doing it at 25% it would only be 4lbs per acre and then 40lbs for all 10 acres?

I know you are in Ann Arbor so me telling you this may make you hate me.... call Michigan State. They will be able to help you figure out exactly what mix you need.

I am in South Bend and I ended up calling Purdue. Talked to the head of their agronomy department regarding converting my former corn field to pasture for the horses. He was oddly excited to talk to a newbie who wanted to do it right. Gave me a TON of good information.

Of course what I need for horses and what you need for your animals is going to be vastly different.

 

[garf658]

Here are some pics of my property, generally light sandy soil. The utility company brushed it in 2014 to build the line, I seeded it with a broadcast spreader and drag harrows in fall of 2015. The green pic is from Aug/16, I was really disappointed how it looked like a total failure after they sprayed it with Garlon and Picloram to kill the wooded growth. I mowed it later in fall. The second pic is from Oct this year after I let it all go to seed and cut it with the rotary mower to spread it again. You can see the standing centre strip I left, it is about 3 ft high. I would have never believed it could improve so much. The mix was 40% brome, 40% wheatgrass, 10% fescue and 10% alfalfa which was totally lost with the spraydown. They supplied the seed, it went on at 15-20 lbs /acre.