# Teff Hay Questions



## baddog201 (Sep 18, 2010)

I have had alot of amish customers of mine asking if I make any teff hay. I currently do not. Right now I have either pure alfalfa, or alfalfa orchard grass mix or just straight orchard grass and my question is I have heard that here in northern indiana it winter kills so you have to replant it every year. Second I have heard it does 6 tons to the acre is this true.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

It's a annual plant.And it is dead at 31 degrees.

It CAN yield 6 ton but can be a lot of variables so who knows.

Here is some info Tiffany Teff Grass


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## baddog201 (Sep 18, 2010)

so you would have to replant every year due to winter kill


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

You plant it when you ARE CERTAIN that there will be no more frost. We had been taking off precut rye, and then working the ground for teff, getting 2 cuttings, and at the 1st frost it was dead, and then I could replant timothy. For us the teff was more trouble than it was worth. Nobody wanted the stuff until everything else anywhere was gone, and it had to be cheaper...... Wound up discounting a lot to try to make a market for it, and some folks laughed at it. Last year was the last year, and I have not missed it one bit.

Rodney


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## baddog201 (Sep 18, 2010)

well thanks for the advise i dont think i am going to plant any of it i will just stick to my current operations


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I planted a couple of acres two years ago to test it out. Very poor yield, maybe something to do with soil type. What did come up was difficult to handle, fine stem, tough to rake and bale. And it's expensive $4.00/lb. It is a annual so it would have to replanted every year. It is originally from Ethiopia.

Tried it; Mikey didn't like it. won't mess with it again

Ralph


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Here is a survey from Hay and Forage Grower.

Thanks for your opinion. Total Votes: 207
Have you grown teff grass? If so, how happy were you with the yield?

Very satisfied: 13%
Satisfied: 43%
Unsatisfied: 25%
Very unsatisfied: 17%

So,Some like it and some hate it.



> And it's expensive $4.00/lb.


WOW I had it for $2.90 this year.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

I read an article recently where horses given a choice of hay, didn't like the Teff.....may have been picky horses. A guy a couple of miles from me put in a field and got pretty good yields. His cows liked it but he's not going to do it again.


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## Greyhorse (Jun 22, 2009)

Horses, in general, don't like something they haven't had before. They like something they have had before, don't have now, and that horse over there has right now.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Greyhorse said:


> Horses, in general, don't like something they haven't had before. They like something they have had before, don't have now, and that horse over there has right now.


_Women_, in general, don't like something they haven't had before. They like something they have had before, don't have now, and that _woman_ over there has right now.

Fixed.


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## RVT (May 6, 2010)

You know in some circles, the term "fixed" in nice terms, means sterile.


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## circlejacres (May 17, 2010)

I live in Delaware and plant 8lbs to the acre in 10 acres of SANDY soil. Last year I didn't even fertilize it. I cut three acres one day and got about 80 bales per acre. Like anything it is new and people are cautious. If you read into it you'll see it is very high in protein.


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