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Weird Weather Continues to Concern
As I write this article, it is about 92 degrees Fahrenheit, a record high for this day in Cincinnati, breaking the 1914 mark. Yesterday, I was in a field with a father and son who raise beef cattle, corn and soybeans. We were discussing replanting a corn field for silage. The field had received less than 1 inch of rain in the month of May. As I drove in the lane, a field of fall seeded Alfalfa and orchard grass was in full bloom. But, like much of the hay in the county, it was about half the size you might expect. As we discussed the hay, they said the April freeze, along with heaving from the March fluctuating temperatures, had killed 50 acres of their older stands. They had an additional 40 acres which they expected to yield about half to two-thirds of a crop. “We are going to establish annual forages, or we are going to need to sell a lot of cows.” This is where many cow calf producers might be if the dry weather continues. We don’t think we should be crying wolf, but if you think you are going to be short of feed, you might start planning and planting now.
The best choices are Sudangrass, Sorghum-sudangrass, and forage Sorghum. These, along with pearl millet, can all be planted here in Southern Ohio, up until July 15th. These crops can provide supplemental feed when you are short of pasture and/or hay. They can also fill in the grazing periods when the other pastures are not ready to re-graze. They are better used as pasture or silage, rather than hay because they can be difficult to cure. Adding legumes such as field peas or soybeans to the annual grass mixture will generally improve the protein content of the mix. The cost of the legumes in the mix must be weighed against the improved forage quality. Prussic acid concern needs to be addressed in the sorghum family, but is not a problem with pearl millet.
Another good choice to extend the grazing season into the fall and early winter is Winter Rye. It should be seeded in September in Southern Ohio. Forage type varieties are now available that have better fall growth. Winter Rye is the most productive of the small grains, when used as forage.
