# Anyone run oats with pea mixed in? Customer reviews?



## fastline (Mar 2, 2013)

I had looked before at adding pea to my oat hay. As I recall this can boost protein to ideal levels and increase palatability for animals. No doubt cattle will love it but wondering how horse folks will be? had plenty of horse owners buy my oat hay and everyone was happy with it, but have heard peas makes it even better. I think the challenge becomes getting the right varieties so they are ready at the same time, and getting the ratio right.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I'd think the peas might be even harder to get to dry?


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## fastline (Mar 2, 2013)

At least for us, we would harvest a spring crop about the time the hot weather kicks in, which would help, but I have read some concern with peas drying and mold in the pods. I guess that is why I am asking.


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## Northeast PA hay and beef (Jan 29, 2017)

We have not been able to get that mix dry enough for dry hay. The pods and leaves take forever to dry. It makes amazing wrapped hay though.


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## Northeast PA hay and beef (Jan 29, 2017)

We have not been able to get that mix dry enough for dry hay. The pods and leaves take forever to dry. It makes amazing wrapped hay though.


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

Makes excellent pasture as well


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Yes I agree we have grown that mix over the years quite often you would not get a drive for good horse hay.. it's a forage mix. As you said skip the peas if you want it for horses


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## fastline (Mar 2, 2013)

There was some other folks that have mixed Alfalfa with Oats. I honestly don't know how those two would harvest together at all but I guess I might ask that question? I am reluctant to run Alfalfa because it can be finicky and my equipment is not fast enough to do multiple cuttings to yield 1T/acre. However, I would like to at least offer a little "boost" to oat hay even though I have not had one horse owner indicate their horse refused it.

I seem to read some folks say their horse loved pea, another says no. It can be frustrating.

One critical thing I did not document last harvest was what they were feeding! However, cattlemen buy a LOT more so maybe it would help me to run peas to make it a much more marketable product for cattle and let horse people thin out? Maybe that is short sighted of me. I seem to want to fix things that aren't broken...lol

I have heard red clover, alfalfa, and pea mixed in hay makes a good product. however oats will push up fast and probably try to lock out other stuff. Actually that is why I prefer to grow it. I can plant early with minimal prep and lock out most weeds.

I had the idea to try a double crop of it in fall which would offer very fresh hay right up to the cold months where most hays are signing off. I do have concern with drying time late in the year though.


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## Widairy (Jan 1, 2016)

I have been running a peas and oats mix as a nurse crop for my alfalfa for years. Makes excellent feed of harvested at the proper time. I wouldn't recommend trying to make it as dry hay. Ever. I have always chopped mine into a bag. Some years it juices a little, some years not at all, and some years pretty good. I have round baled some for baleage for a neighbor a couple of times. That worked well.


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

Any variety of vetch that will grow in your conditions? That has been done here in the old days. Very fine stem so would dry much quicker than a pea I think. But we have weather to dry anything,more problem getting water to make it grow. It will lodge if it gets to thick,so just plant it lite until you know from experience how much you want.


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## Mf5612 (Apr 29, 2018)

We plant oats n peas along w our alfalfa n grasses when seeding down.it makes a great wet,baleage for heifers.ive never been able to dry bale it cuz it’s too viney.


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## Jay in WA (Mar 21, 2015)

I used oats as a nurse crop for spring planted alfalfa last year. Baled it as dry hay and contracted it to a local feed lot. Worked great and they really liked it. Doing two more pivots this coming year. Total yield for the year was not much less than a fall seeding of straight alfalfa. 1st cutting oats and alfalfa made 4 ton/ac.


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