# Reed Canary info/update



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

To anyone who wants to know: I took about 60 tons of reed canary to local mushroom producer and got $110/ton for it last week.
I had a few round bales left over and asked my cattle owning neighbor if he wanted to try one so I could hopefully earn his business. I put the bale in the field yesterday and they attacked it. Looked again today and they are still chomping on it. They even lay down and rest next to it.
I can sell some of it to him for a much better price than for mushroom hay.


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## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

How much yield can get off of reed canary in your neck of the woods?


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

You mean per acre? If so I'd guess about 1.5-2 tons/acre. That's with no fertilizer, just a natural flood plain.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

_Here I've had up to 5 ton in low ground._

_3.5 Ton 1st cut_
_1.5 ton 2 nd_


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

just to clarify, I meant 1.5-2 tons/acre in one cutting. should get 2 maybe 3 cuttings per year.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

_Ahhh thats more like it.







_


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Wish I could be more accurate. I know I shipped 60 tons off only about 30 acres...


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

This was hayed about the first of August in 2010. Made about 14 tons on 3 to 4 acres. no fertilizer, and hadn't been hayed for 2 or 3 years. Took off 750 bales @ 35-40 lbs. Sold it for mulch. Might just get dry enough to hay it again this year! It was too wet to get it last year.
Dave


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Seems to yield a lot of tonnage and make a really nice bale.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I've notice RC grass is alot more drought tolerant then Brome or Orchardgrass.Br and O grass will go dormant and the RC grass will still have 12-18" of regrowth.


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## Will 400m (Aug 1, 2011)

I will second the regroth that stuff takes off fast but it is also more prone be grone in wetter spots so there's more moisture there any way. It does yield well but up here I find it's more dense than the og/timothy that I normaly grow so the bales are heavier.


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

I have heard that the RCG seed is difficult to acquire, as some of the "powers that be" have deemed it invasive.Do any of you have any first hand factual information concerning this? I'm thinking that I would be inclined to try Marathon RCG!
TIA, Dave


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Apparently the stuff I cut was planted years ago. It is in a flood plain.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I have RCG seed available.Low alkaloid variety.$6.50 per lb


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Is there a way I can test to see the alkaloid level in the stands I'm currently baling? Would be nice to know if it's nutritional enough for livestaock or just sell it all off for 'shroom hay.


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## enos (Dec 6, 2009)

You guys can get cows to eat reed canary grass, mine drag it outa the feeder and sh*t on it. Spoiled I guess.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

enos said:


> You guys can get cows to eat reed canary grass, mine drag it outa the feeder and sh*t on it. Spoiled I guess.


Alot is baled here that grows in ditches and lowlands.Alot is baled late and feed value is low and it is tall and rank.If you tub grind it very little waste.If baled with rd baler you have hay that maybe have stems 4-6' long so yea they are going to drag it out of feeders and waste it.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Nutritionally I guess it's not suitable for the queen of England's cows







but my neighbor has some pretty expensive Irish Dexters and Belted Galloways and they sure loved it! lol

I agree it would be great to have a crop cutter feature on the round baler to shorten it.
I was more or less just reporting that my neighbor's experiment to see if his cattle liked it proved to be true. I plan to keep selling it to the mushroom company.


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