First cutting for the year Oats

[Lineman North Florida]

I posted this in my skidsteer thread but figured it might be more appropriate here, supposed to have good weather for the next week, gonna need it to get these dry without running a tedder through it.

 

[Farmer495]

Grass still brown up here in the north.

You cut in dough stage?

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Grass still brown up here in the north.

You cut in dough stage?

I try to cut them in the milk stage if the weather allows, I believe it's different in other parts of the country, some want to cut them in the boot stage, but seeing those seed heads in the roll is what sells down here.

 

[Farmer495]

I try to cut them in the milk stage if the weather allows, I believe it's different in other parts of the country, some want to cut them in the boot stage, but seeing those seed heads in the roll is what sells down here.

I might try straight oats for hay again.

I tried oats & peas once, weather usually too fickle to cut for hay at right time, and my soil doesn't carry equipment too well when wet.

I mudded that crop out since the oats were starting to mature. Need 4wd to rake that field....

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I might try straight oats for hay again.

I tried oats & peas once, weather usually too fickle to cut for hay at right time, and my soil doesn't carry equipment too well when wet.

I mudded that crop out since the oats were starting to mature. Need 4wd to rake that field....

It takes a little luck and some cooperative weather to get a spring oats crop put up.

 

[LHF2019]

No tedder or? Why would you not run a tedder right after mowing so they covered the entire field? What little loss there would be would be made up in better, faster, more even drying.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

No tedder or? Why would you not run a tedder right after mowing so they covered the entire field? What little loss there would be would be made up in better, faster, more even drying.

Just a matter of preference I suppose, if I didn't have this 7 plus day window of good weather I would definitely run the tedder over it, but in the past I have had good luck flipping it with a rake and it drying well, I will have to watch it over the next few days to see if it pays off to keep from losing as many of those seed heads.

 

[Farmer495]

I ted crop that heavy regardless of weather, but getting 7 days of sun and warm in a row would be like winning the lottery here.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Got these oats up in windows today, they are drying well, right on schedule.

 

[super55]

That blows my mind you are baling while I had snow at home yesterday.

Curious what is going in following this harvest? Teff grass or were the oats a companion crop to another seed?

 

[Lineman North Florida]

That blows my mind you are baling while I had snow at home yesterday.

Curious what is going in following this harvest? Teff grass or were the oats a companion crop to another seed?

This field has a mix of Bahia grass and coastal Bermuda already established , so after the oats are rolled it will get sprayed in a few weeks for the weeds that will be showing then fertilized and cut in about 6 weeks weather permitting.

 

[super55]

In my area I may be able to get 3 cuts typically 2 though. Oats are usually a companion crop for us in the spring and if its a fall crop typically cereal rye is out seed of choice. Always interest me seeing similar methods but with different seeds from other regions.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

In my area I may be able to get 3 cuts typically 2 though. Oats are usually a companion crop for us in the spring and if its a fall crop typically cereal rye is out seed of choice. Always interest me seeing similar methods but with different seeds from other regions.

We have the ability to get 4 hay cuttings if the weather cooperates, BUT it rarely does so it's normally 3 and I try to wait and no till drill in the oats after the first frost so they are not competing with the existing grass as much, I believe I drilled these oats in the first week of December last year. I am like you I like to see what other people do in different parts of the country, I'm always interested in learning.

 

[Farmer495]

That blows my mind you are baling while I had snow at home yesterday.

Exactly. My fields are brown and dead and he's baling hay. Neat to see the difference geography makes.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Got about 1/3 of it rolled today in some of the thinner areas it was on the verge of getting a little drier than I wanted which would have been more like straw if I waited but it turned out pretty good with 44 rolls, I think I can get the rest between tomorrow and Friday.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Got it all rolled this afternoon, wound up with 138 rolls off of this 25 acre field, it took all 7 days to get it dry, I think if I do this again this coming up winter I might try what LHF 2019 suggested and tedd it gently right after cutting to help speed the process of drying, I don't think it would damage the seed heads much if I did it that way.Hope everyone has a fabulous Easter tomorrow and remembers that without Jesus's sacrifice all would be lost.