# Just starting in SC



## snoshoe82 (Aug 9, 2013)

Howdy,

So I'm in the Army moved to SC last AUG. Wife said we're getting horses! now we have 6. 1 belgian, 2 arabians 1 b, 1 girl, 2 paints 1b,1 girl, and 1 rescue mustang girl. I have about 12 acres for hay will this be enough? I have a 1940 9n w/ 501 7ft sickle, 4 wheel rake, and a ih 46 baler. I want to plant rio trio, mix of bermuda and a few others. but was told to wait until spring. other guys can get 3 maybe 4 cuts a season.

Thanks in advance


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## dubltrubl (Jul 19, 2010)

I see no reason why you can't plant it now but depending on mother nature, you may not get a cutting this season. If you haven't done a soil test, get one done ASAP. Your best success will be if you can make any nutrient ammendments prior to planting by incorporating them into the soil during filed preparation. Then pray, pray, pray for rain! In our part of the country, 6 horses on 12 acres is pushing things a bit unless you suppliment their ration with feed of some sort. You may consider separting your pasture into lots so you can rotational graze. That would give it time to recover from grazing and hoof traffic. I'd also consider a hybrid bermuda. A hybrid will outproduce a seeded variety almost every time and considering your acreage it may be your most cost effective option for the long haul. Just something to keep in mind.

Best of luck!

Regards,

Steve


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Welcome snowshoe....not gonna need them shoes much in SC....anything we can do to help...


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Welcome, in Virginia we figure on 100 squares per horse per year figuring on reasonable pasture. Then the variables kick in-some you won't be able to free graze on full pasture or they will explode. Then there the drier than normal summers whenyou feed hay all summer due to lack of pasture. Then you are way south of me so none of this may apply.


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## snoshoe82 (Aug 9, 2013)

Thanks for the info,

latest update: we got way to much rain this year and the soil has not drained well. I was just able to get in to the field to cut it last weekend. I love that sickle 3 foot tall grass and these tree looking things that were woody on the outside and soft on the in. the biggest one I had to cut through was 3 inches in dia. only had to stop because it hit a tooth and not a blade. we picked up a 2 basket NH hay tedder/rake and will try it on this crop of weeds. I have the hardest time cutting around corners with the mower. It pulls out of the cutting and leave an L shaped corner and makes the next corner sharper. How do I avoid missing hay in the corners just to save wear and tear on the equipment?

I was recomended to plant winter oats an harvest at the dough stage to help for hay for the horses then plant the regular hay in the spring. Any thoughts? And how many bales can an average acre of hay produce? I was going to use the weeds as a estimate but they were pretty dense.

Horses: we eventually will have 4 pasture areas set up between 1.5 to 3 acres a peace.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Oats will make some excellent hay if done right. You do not want to wait until the dough stage however, at that point they are more like straw with grain on it and the grain in the bales will draw loads of mice and rats which will burrow into the bales and chew the strings and make a mess. Cutting in the dough stage will give you maximum tonnage but not quality.

I like to cut oats as soon as the heads emerge and are pollinating and no later than the milk stage after pollination. I feel that cutting at this stage is a good compromise between quality and quantity, for even better quality you could cut in the boot stage before the head emerges but you will yield considerably less. All of this happens fast now....you have at the very best about 2 weeks from when the first heads emerge to the milk stage then its too late to cut. It is better to cut early if the weather is right than wait for some more growth and take the risk of bad weather and by the time you can cut they have turned to straw.

This past spring I made about 130 bales per acre, this is with fertilizing good. If you fertilize like you need to I would count on at least 100 bales per acre.


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## snoshoe82 (Aug 9, 2013)

Does horse poo count? lol we have been spreading out there since we got them. Also should I rake up the weed cuttings or disk it in and plant the oats?


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

snoshoe82 said:


> Does horse poo count? lol we have been spreading out there since we got them. Also should I rake up the weed cuttings or disk it in and plant the oats?


 The horse manure I guess will be good for the ground but I doubt it will contribute enough nutrients without fertilizing. You need to take a soil sample to see where you are nutrient wise and apply the needed P and K and lime before planting this fall. Oats only need about 20 to 25 units of N at planting but you will need to top dress them in spring before they start jointing( mid February to March) with at least 60 units of N for best yields.


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