Harvesting Small Grain Cereals For Hay Or Silage

 

 

The rye, triticale, and other small grains you planted last fall are starting to grow tall and should be harvested for hay or silage soon. While they may not be as good feed as corn silage or alfalfa hay, they can provide good feed when harvested and fed correctly.

 

Tonnage and forage quality are affected most by stage of plant maturity at harvest. Plants with 10%-12% crude protein when in the boot stage may only have 7%-8% protein when they reach soft dough.

 

To time harvest for the best use in your own operation, first determine what livestock 

will be fed this forage.  Calves, stockers, replacement heifers, and especially dairy cows need a fairly high quality forage to gain weight as rapidly as desired or produce milk. In this case, harvest hay and silage while plants are in the boot to early heading stage.  Dry cows, though, won’t need such high quality so harvest can be delayed until dough stage to achieve higher yields with still acceptable protein levels.

 

Think twice, though, about making hay from rye, triticale, or wheat that has formed seed 

heads.  These seed heads produce rough awns that can irritate and injure the eyes and mouth parts of livestock.  To avoid problems from awns, either cut hay before seed heads emerge or make silage from the more mature plants to soften and break these awns.

 

To help you feed the hay or silage safely and efficiently, test it for nitrates, protein, and energy before beginning to feed it. 

 

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.