# Tift 85 hybrid Bermuda grass



## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Thought some of you guys might like to see what T85 looks like in the field, this is a very small field (3ac). First cutting produced 14 900# rolls....this cutting is 28 days after that cut.....we try to cut at 30-31 day intervals. It's a perineal grass, stands will last a long time given proper nutrition, this one has been in production for 12 years.....

Not a good choice for horses and squares as its a very broad leaf and very stemmy, but the protein is really high, even the stems, and horses do well on it, but it makes a poor looking square....some pics

I should adjust my deflector to lay the grass further from the edge so I don't run over already cut hay but I only cut a small amount of T85, it is perfect for Alicia, the yield is so high on this, it overwhelms the deflector bar....


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

Yeah that tifton makes some good hay. We made 50 bales off of 7 acres last summer. 
Your cutter cuts really well for that kind of cutter too.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Nice looking field.

I still can't understand why folks down that way don't like it for horse hay.....from what I saw last fall when I was down there the T85 is not as course as our cool season grasses like orchard, timothy, fescue. I wish our cool season grasses would grow as fast as that bermuda does.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

Horse people just don't like it. I believe it would be fine for horse hay on a 21 day interval.


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## Lewis Ranch (Jul 15, 2013)

Absolutely love the 85, 18% on the last cutting of 13'.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

The 85 does not look very course to me. Nice and weed free, I can almost smell that distinct sweet Bermuda smell.

There is only one 85 field around here that I know of. The fellow who cuts it says he gets $90 per 4x5 roll to the horsey crowd.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Colby said:


> Yeah that tifton makes some good hay. We made 50 bales off of 7 acres last summer.
> Your cutter cuts really well for that kind of cutter too.


Good point Colby....dry down is purty tough with T85, a flail conditioner would be my first choice for a mower...particularly a MOCO as they seem to handle it real well, not a lot of NH flails here. This mower of course has no conditioner, but it does always carry super sharp blades.....we change blades (or flip) every 80 acres


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

FarmerCline said:


> Nice looking field.
> I still can't understand why folks down that way don't like it for horse hay.....from what I saw last fall when I was down there the T85 is not as course as our cool season grasses like orchard, timothy, fescue. I wish our cool season grasses would grow as fast as that bermuda does.


You know them horsey folk Hayden......I feed it to mine, they do very good on it....ain't never complained to me anyhow.....it does look kinda funky in a square, doesn't retain the same color as Alicia, T44, coastal, etc. but it has better digestibility than all of em, and higher protein than all of em, but it may be too much for some of the horse folk I sell too, they don't need the added protein.....


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Colby said:


> Horse people just don't like it. I believe it would be fine for horse hay on a 21 day interval.


Yes I do cut early when squaring....but more like 27-28 days, this could be squared....but gotta watch the nitrates, could be really high too early and little rain, only one of my fields is irrigated and if I feed it H20 and N we can harvest at 21-25, really high protein


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

somedevildawg said:


> You know them horsey folk Hayden......I feed it to mine, they do very good on it....ain't never complained to me anyhow.....it does look kinda funky in a square, doesn't retain the same color as Alicia, T44, coastal, etc. but it has better digestibility than all of em, and higher protein than all of em, but it may be too much for some of the horse folk I sell too, they don't need the added protein.....


 Yep, I guess it all comes down to what they are accustomed to buying and there perception of good hay.....I believe it would be easier to sell hay to the horse than their owners.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

somedevildawg said:


> Good point Colby....dry down is purty tough with T85, a flail conditioner would be my first choice for a mower...particularly a MOCO as they seem to handle it real well, not a lot of NH flails here. This mower of course has no conditioner, but it does always carry super sharp blades.....we change blades (or flip) every 80 acres


I hear you on the flails. I just don't like the new holland flail machines. And them john deere cutters are actually pretty nice the more I look at them. Now I wish we would've bought a 946 instead of this h7450 but we look at it different than most of y'all on here, it's just hay and we aren't in the hay business


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