# Jiggs Bermuda vs Alicia Bermuda



## Sherman Farms (Feb 21, 2012)

I'm in south Louisiana. Just looking for opinions on these two for hay production only. We will not graze this hay field. We will be making both round bales and small square bales.


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## jdhayboy (Aug 20, 2010)

Alicia is more fine stemmed than jiggs and blows down easy when it big. And that creates more of a dead bottom to me. Jiggs is Probly my favorite of the Bermuda grasses we have. The only thing I don't like about Jiggs is that it has problem with rust.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

Tifton 85 is also a great option. 
Jiggs and tifton are not cheap to plant though. I assume you plan on sprigging?


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## LaneFarms (Apr 10, 2010)

I have no experience with Jiggs but a lot with Alicia. I like Alicia because of its finer stem and darker green color. It is susceptible to rust and will lose lower leaves when it lays down, but when cut regularly it is easier to dry and makes prettier looking hay than most other varieties. Now as far as nutritional content and digestibility it is lacking, but I do not have anyone buying that is interested in anything other than looks and smell.


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## dubltrubl (Jul 19, 2010)

We have some of both, and although our Jiggs a new addition, so far I like both. They're just different. Our Alicia is finer stemmed and has longer leaves. Our Jiggs has a courser stem and shorter leaves, but many more leaf nodes than the Alicia. So far our test results show them to be nutritionally about the same, with a slight edge in favor of the Jiggs. So far, the Jiggs is producing more tonnage/ac than the Alicia. The limited feedback we've gotten from buyers is that their animals accept the Alicia more easily than the Jiggs, but we really don't have enough history yet to say that with any certainty. Our Alicia requires a bit more fertility at this point to produce and keep it healthy. We'll see what the Jiggs eventually takes after it's in production a while and mines the nutrients in the field we planted it in last year. Too soon to really say yet. My personal observations on harvesting both is that the Alicia cannot tolerate as much handling without losing leaf as the Jiggs. I've always had to be gentle with our Alicia due to the leaf to stem ratio. I round baled our Jiggs field about six weeks ago and was surprised at how little leaf shatter I saw compared to what I would expect if I round baled the Alicia. Then again, conditions may have had an effect too since the field was a bit on the damp side. Regarding fertility one more time, our experience has been that our Alicia does best with equal amounts of N & K. I know that goes against conventional advice and wisdom, but it's what works for us. Also, our Jiggs seems to respond better as far as growth and color, to N better than any of our grasses (Alicia, Common, and Jiggs). Hope some of this helps.
Steve


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

Colby said:


> Tifton 85 is also a great option.
> Jiggs and tifton are not cheap to plant though. I assume you plan on sprigging?


I agree with Colby, but just a quick point on sprigging. T-85 pretty much has to be sprigged, where most stands of Jiggs, that I've seen, have been established with tops. Jiggs is much easier to establish.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I'd say if I was planting (sprigging) a new field today, for hay production for cattle, tift 85, for horsey peeps Alicia, jigs, tift 44


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## LaneFarms (Apr 10, 2010)

I am trying some russell. Planted 10 acres last summer and it appears to establish as easily as alicia and green up earlier in the spring.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

LaneFarms said:


> I am trying some russell. Planted 10 acres last summer and it appears to establish as easily as alicia and green up earlier in the spring.


Thinking of trying russell down here. Any idea how it compares with hermothia, rate of growth, production, soil type?


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## LaneFarms (Apr 10, 2010)

Larry I have not harvested enough to tell what russell will yield on our pourous sands but according to university studies it will out yield alicia with a similar look. I do not know wjat hermathia typically yields but I will be disappointed if it won't yield 6 tons a year.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

I didn't keep good records, (yea, I know. I need to, but at the time wasn't as serious about selling as I am now.) and not sure how many I fed to my own cattle. Trouble with baler not making full bale, etc. But I can account for a little over 4 tons last year. Think I will look closer at it.


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## Sherman Farms (Feb 21, 2012)

We will be planting tops. Which of the alcia or jiggs will establish faster?


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## LaneFarms (Apr 10, 2010)

Alicia is easy to establish just make sure your tops you are planting have long runners.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

We planted Alicia back in the mid 70's. It was so easy a CaveMan could do it. We planted 20 acres of tops/runners. We never had to replant one spot.
I have no experience with Jiggs.


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## jdhayboy (Aug 20, 2010)

We have planted every hybrid of Bermuda we have by using tops, not sprigs. Including tifton 85. 
Like Tim said make sure whatever u use has long runners.


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