# Successful broadcasting of hay?



## Frantz (Feb 18, 2018)

I'm looking to graduate my mulch farm into a hay farm here, but the mulch market hasn't left with much of a spending budget. So I'm looking to broadcast my hay seed. My question is on rates because most of the spreaders seem to generally like being much higher than the 6 pounds per acre timothy calls for. Plus I've read hay seed won't travel that far which to me would make an even more concentrated. I know for broadcasting you have to do a heavier application but it still seems far off. Do I cut the seed with something else? That's the only thing I can think of. Thanks!


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Frantz said:


> I'm looking to graduate my mulch farm into a hay farm here, but the mulch market hasn't left with much of a spending budget. So I'm looking to broadcast my hay seed. My question is on rates because most of the spreaders seem to generally like being much higher than the 6 pounds per acre timothy calls for. Plus I've read hay seed won't travel that far which to me would make an even more concentrated. I know for broadcasting you have to do a heavier application but it still seems far off. Do I cut the seed with something else? That's the only thing I can think of. Thanks!


 Is the Ground plowed or disked or something like that.. I believe the cheapest route might be to find somebody to plant it for you with a no till drill


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

I have used a rental drill, but now broadcast my seed with an old Herd spreader. I scratch up the ground with a spring tooth field cultivator, broadcast the seed in two passes, 90 degrees apart to get a more even spread, then cultipack down.

Works for me..

Good luck!

Bill


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## Frantz (Feb 18, 2018)

endrow said:


> Is the Ground plowed or disked or something like that.. I believe the cheapest route might be to find somebody to plant it for you with a no till drill


It's gonna be tilled. The woman I rent from is okay with fertilizer but no spray for weeds.... fun times! The plan I have is to till, buckwheat let it go to seed, disc in to reseed, fall rye and then put hay seed in the spring. It's 40 acres total and I don't want to till it all at once so this will be done in three strip sections over a few years. Hasn't had a plow in it for over 35 years according to her and all the locals in the area (including my father in law). Soil tests came back poor but not horrific. I plan to spot treat weeds with a flame and make sure as little goes to seed as possible.. which may be a losing battle, but it sounds fun so worth a try.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

What do you have for a broadcast seeder now? I wouldn't be afraid to use the small box of an old IH endgate seeder. It would take some fooling about to get the gate set right and decide what spacing to drive on. We still do almost all our alfalfa this way (usually 40 acres at a time), but alfalfa goes on at a higher poundage per acre and will cast farther than grass seed. We like to work the field, then roll it will an old Brillion culti roller, broad cast the alfalfa, then roll again.


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## HayMike (Mar 22, 2011)

Blend the seed with fertilizer? What we do.


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## Frantz (Feb 18, 2018)

Gearclash said:


> What do you have for a broadcast seeder now? I wouldn't be afraid to use the small box of an old IH endgate seeder. It would take some fooling about to get the gate set right and decide what spacing to drive on. We still do almost all our alfalfa this way (usually 40 acres at a time), but alfalfa goes on at a higher poundage per acre and will cast farther than grass seed. We like to work the field, then roll it will an old Brillion culti roller, broad cast the alfalfa, then roll again.


Broadcaster hasn't been purchased yet... Sorta looking at the LandPride FSP 750.


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

When I broadcast a field years ago I pulled a 4 section 24 ft drag when I was broadcasting and that gave me a guide for my swaths. I also had the settings a little lite and went over the field with a second pass, trying to split first pass


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