# Oats vetch hay operations



## jturbo10 (Feb 28, 2011)

Our antique tractor club in East Texas has a chance to use ten acres of land adjacent to our club facilities for some type of farming activities. In our initial analysis of options one we thought might be of interest to the club members and actually contribute income without affecting our scheduled activites was planting oats/vetch combination this fall and harvesting in late spring. Most of us have no experience in handling oats and/or vetch, especially the drying and curing part. Several members indicated we would have to use a mco or it would take a lot of time for it to cure. Anyone one in the Texas area have experience with oats/vetch hay operations and what are typical cycles of cutting, curing, raking, baling, etc? We will be liming, fertilizing, spraying, etc iaw advice from regional and local ag agents. We are considering trying to get people to commit to buying x number of bales ahead of cutting operations so it would mostly be presold at a set price. Since I sell hay to horse customers I was interested in committing to a percentage of the hay. I suspect there would be a market for this type of hay. Does a light rain affect the quality of down oats/vetch hay very much? Running the numbers with free labor and minimal equipment costs it looks like a good option. We think it would run about $200 per acre for lime, fertilizer, and seed so there is some risk if we had any major weather or pest issues. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Anyone sell oats/vetch hay and how much do you charge per bale in the field?


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I'm not sure about oats/vetch for dry hay.....may be hard to cure. Straight oats makes some very nice dry hay. Some type of mower conditioner would be a good help in getting the oats to dry down quickly. Around here oat hay sells good as horse hay. I sell oat hay for $5-$6 per bale. A good stand of fall planted oats should yield around 100 bales an acre. I can't be much of a help on the vetch part......around here it is a weed.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Vetch makes hay difficult to deal with as it mats/clumps if raking is required. My Dad grew oats & vetch for hay when I was young. As you probably know inoculated vetch seed causes the plant to form nitrogen. Many people that make oat hay wait too long too cut it for hay. The sooner one cuts oats after the seed heads emerge from stalks weather permitting the higher protein the hay will be and the fewer rodent(rats/mice) infestation. Be sure and cut the crop high enough that the stubble will hold the swaths up off the ground so air can get under the swaths.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Turbo, what type of vetch are you planning on using? Crown?

Regards, Mike


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## jturbo10 (Feb 28, 2011)

Not sure of the type of vetch as another member is working with a seed store but I will check it out. If vetch is that hard to dry we might be better off with planting just oats in the majority of the field and maybe section off a trial patch with the oats/vetch mixture. The drying part is a big concern and I have zero experience with vetch.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Turbo, the reason I asked about Crown Vetch is once you get that started in a area and it goes to seed just once, then you battle with it for now on. I never had crown vetch here until about ten years ago....I suspect bird dropping were how it started here. I spray every year but I still have to battle with it....it can grow until it makes a dense mat and choke out your desirable grasses. I would be concerned about selling it to a horse customer and the bale containing seed and spreading to others who do not want this nuisance.....then blaming your tractor club. I would give serious consideration to another companion for your oats. The vetch seed is not much bigger than the period at the end of this sentence.

Regards, Mike


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## jturbo10 (Feb 28, 2011)

Thanks Mike. As the comedian Ron White would say, "That is a good piece of information to have". I for sure will not plant any on my fields as the only problem I have is some small patches of Bahia that I have to kill every spring. Sure would not want to introduce any invasive grass or weed. We have worked to hard to have clean fields and hay to sell. Sounds like the kudzu that was introduced for ditch cover years ago. When I farmed in Georgia that stuff was everywhere.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

You'd probably be looking at hairy vetch so the crown vetch issues are in fact non-issues.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

8350HiTech said:


> You'd probably be looking at hairy vetch so the crown vetch issues are in fact non-issues.


Could be.....but the toxicity issues associated with hairy vetch are in fact real issues.

https://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2004/winter/vetch.asp

http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/bookstore/pubs/MF2948.pdf

Mike


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Vol said:


> Could be.....but the toxicity issues associated with hairy vetch are in fact real issues.
> 
> https://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2004/winter/vetch.asp
> 
> ...


True, but that's like saying Sudan grass has issues. Of course it does. But farmers have been managing them quite well for years.


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## 1oldphart (Aug 20, 2014)

have done quite a bit of oat vetch, its great hay and yields of 3 1/2 -4 tns to the acre are common here. you cut when the oats just start the dough stage and turn once, takes about 4-5 days to dryhere but we have 0 humidity. biggest problem is the wives tales among horse people. haven't had any trouble with cattle people or dairy. comes off early enough to go back with teff...


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