# Pearl Millet Hay Patch



## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

It's done. Read all the literature that I could find to come up with the correct grass to grow in my hay patch this summer, under current environmental conditions here and PM won.

Not only did I choose it, but I am going to town today to pick up the seed at the local Co-Op.....that is in itself is a big deal....getting the seed you choose to use, not what the local suppliers feel like selling. I had been looking at some brown rib Sorghum and couldn't find a supplier. The closest supplier (wholesale seed dealer) which was supposed to service this region decided not to stock it due to it's high price....figured it would be hard to sell.

Sooooo what I need to know is how do I manage the patch of PM? We are forecast to have a dry summer again. I am planting on high, flat, ground in Houston Black Clay, which is a heavy clay and retains moisture very well.

I currently have the field plowed and prepared seedbed down to about 6" and we have had at least 6" of ground penetrating moisture the last couple of months and all of it has been captured...so even if the summer is dry, there is/will be sub-soil moisture. Course spring usually brings moisture that usually dries up in June, if it's going to be a dry year so I am hoping that there is more to come.

I read up on harvesting heights for best regrowth and seems like the cutter will be running really high (8") which in uncommon to the local custom hay balers and can impede the ability to rake up and get the crop bailed and off the patch. Plus, if you cut at 24" growth to get it in pre-boot for quality, you aren't talking about that much yield....like you leave 1/3 the plant standing.

I don't know if it would be best to do a one shot all out cutting, or fool around with trying to do the first one right so as to get a second cutting. With hay running $100 for a 4x6 roll down here, I can pay for soil prop, seed, fert, and custom baling with a $50 bill and come out with some really nice, palatable hay at half the price I would have to pay for who knows what?

So, on paper, it doesn't seem to me that only getting one good cutting will be a problem especially with the yields PM, grown correctly apparently makes. Additionally, any moisture I get will be associated with the first cutting so regrowth might not turn out all that great if in another drought.

After the one cutting, I could let it regrow a bit and just turn the cows in on it. With no prussic acid worry and using sulphate rather than nitrate fertilizers, I won't have to worry about nitrate poisoning either.

Your input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

The main problem I see with your plan is that you are assuming the drought will repeat itself and the high hay prices will continue. My feeling is that the current prices are unsustainable. Either there will be a higher livestock sell off or people will bring in more alfalfa. Either way, high priced cow hay is not a sure thing. I wish you luck, but at the same time, I hope you are wrong.


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

Mike120 said:


> The main problem I see with your plan is that you are assuming the drought will repeat itself and the high hay prices will continue. My feeling is that the current prices are unsustainable. Either there will be a higher livestock sell off or people will bring in more alfalfa. Either way, high priced cow hay is not a sure thing. I wish you luck, but at the same time, I hope you are wrong.


Thanks Mike.

The fertilizer and seed are here and paid for, as is the diesel to do the job. The seed is ET -300 Hybrid Pearl Millet from East Texas Seed Co. in Tyler. My local (25mi) Co-op buys from them so any special order in the future should be no problem. I was looking at their product list this AM and they have just about any seed a guy could wish for......and here I was galavanting all over the www looking for some seed. Ha!

The seed was $35/bag and seeds at 25-30#/A. Were I to do Sorghum x Hybrid Sudan, which is usually available and planted around here, It may be the same price. It was $22/bag several years ago when I planted my last field of it. Surely it has risen with everything else. Application rate on it is 50/A...for a good stand.

I usually did sorghum hay to get the sweet stems that cows prefer but waste was always a big problem. I am not a guy that does this for a living and has to wait until all the hay is cleaned up....can't stand the bawling and eye rolling anyway. Ha! Cows would dig into the bale and come out with a big mouthful with hay 6-10" out both sides of their mouths and drop everything that wasn't in their mouths to the ground....step and pee on it and that's the end of that, as you surely well know.

The hay I currently am using appears to be fescue/rye/bermuda combo and wasn't all that tall when bailed. The stems are small, rolls pack really tight so there is good volume (helps reduce the bailing fee when based on # of rolls). The cows dig into the bale (now that they have decided it doesn't taste all that bad after all.....no sugar) and when they come out, all they have is what's in their mouths and loss is extremely low.

So, couple that with no prussic acid scare if I want to pasture it in the summer or fall, makes something like millet a good choice seems to me. Worth a try anyway.

On the drought expectation, it is anyone's guess as you well know. Either way I'm not going to be hurt as I can adjust what to do at the time. If we get a lot of water then there will be a lot of hay and bailing fees should be realistic.

I'm ready to give her a try. If lucky I'll get enough to carry over into a second season and plant peas or some legume in the hay patch to build up the soil the second year.

Have a good year!

Mark


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## RCF (Sep 14, 2009)

The cutting it 8 in off the ground is gonna be a real problem then you are running over all kinds of tonnage to rake it and get it picked up. I would also run my numbers on projections that the hay market will be somewhat better next year and not at all time high prices.


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## oldcboy (Jan 14, 2012)

I am from extreme NW ND so not familiar with Texas conditions.I have raised German and other hay millets up here and have had good luck with it. Be sure and not seed cold soil or deep as it germinates and emerges weakly.Seed in moisture however or get spotty emergence. Good luck! Dale


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

RCF said:


> The cutting it 8 in off the ground is gonna be a real problem then you are running over all kinds of tonnage to rake it and get it picked up. I would also run my numbers on projections that the hay market will be somewhat better next year and not at all time high prices.


Yes on the 8" pain in the rear. I have this little plot of dirt that is just sitting there. I had horrendous weeds last year when I tried to put in a seeded common bermuda field (seed came from a place in Florida) and none of the seeds germinated. Just decided to turn it to dirt. I know the weeds will return and I can spray even though it is a pain...you know the wind has to be right, humidity, spray pattern...bla bla bla.... So, one good crop could put me in some hay and what stubble comes up from a normal cutting height could be grazed it till the weeds get to be a problem.

No idea on the market. Bought 20% breeder cubes today and supplier said that this was his first price break in almost a year......10 cents a bag....butttttt it is a break.

How's your water over there? The ground here is saturated, but we don't yet have the heavy rainfall rate required to fill the pools so that they can survive the summer. Optimistic gambler, bought 100 fingerling Channel Cats a couple of weeks ago. I lost all my big bass (anything over a couple of inches) and bragging sized Channels in the drought last year so the fingerlings have a chance to survive with no predators to dwindle the numbers.....other than the Fed Protected Great Blue Heron!!!!! Whoopie for the tree huggers.

Thanks,

Mark


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## blueriver (Oct 19, 2009)

Where did you get the seed and how costly was it?

Also does one need a conditioner/crimper?


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

blueriver said:


> Where did you get the seed and how costly was it?
> 
> Also does one need a conditioner/crimper?


I bought it from the Local Co-op headquartered in Sulphur Springs, Tx. (NE Tx. dairy country). Was treated seed and it was $35 something for 50# bags. Seeding rate is said to be 25 min per acre.

I can adjust my drill to accommodate it and I just bought a roller to pack the soil behind the drill....instructions say plant 1/4-1/2" with soil compaction. Built an adapter bracket/tongue so that I can pull it behind the drill and make it a one pass operation. I am excited that maybe I have found something that will fill my needs without having to put up with the usual Sudan x Sorghum that is common.

Seed supplier recommends crimping for fast dry. With stems as thin as these, unless you are in a northern climate, I'm not going to sweat crimping and disc cutters used with Bermuda are more plentiful around here and should make finding a custom baler easier.

Since OFAlmanac says that April and May will be our wet months till fall, I think I will go for a one shot crop and then if anything is left, turn the cows in on it.

Mark


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## blueriver (Oct 19, 2009)

I am chewing on this ... I'm thinking 20 acres. My biggest concern is no crimper/conditioner and I am wondering about the drying time.

The stalks look like they get fairly good sized.


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

blueriver said:


> I am chewing on this ... I'm thinking 20 acres. My biggest concern is no crimper/conditioner and I am wondering about the drying time.
> 
> The stalks look like they get fairly good sized.


Can't say till I see it. I realize that if you fracture a stem into half dozen sections it has that many more moisture exit places which obviously would improve drying. Don't know the drying cycle with no crimping.

I don't know how wet the stems will be, like if you took a plant that was just clipped, and run your thumb nail/index finger down it would you push out water and if so, how much? I know people harvested Johnsson grass for many years before the advent of sudan with nothing but a sickle mower and rake. From the pictures I have seen of this grass the stems seem to be smaller than JG.

Course, if it is as leafy as it appears to be, then even if the stems contain some moisture at bailing, the total moisture level may be tolerable.

I'll know more after I harvest a crop and will publish the results....course that doesn't help you for this years planting/harvesting.

HTH,

Mark


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## RCF (Sep 14, 2009)

If you are cutting this stuff for dry hay then yes you will need some sort of crimper or conditioner. You might get by with just a regular mower if you cut this stuff real short but, you are going to want a mower/conditioner to be able to put this stuff up right.


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## blueriver (Oct 19, 2009)

From my research this can be a very productive grass for grazing and forage. I could do 100 acres BUT I'm thinking 20 to see how it does. Hay you run soil test to see what your fertilize needs will be?


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## blueriver (Oct 19, 2009)

RCF said:


> If you are cutting this stuff for dry hay then yes you will need some sort of crimper or conditioner. You might get by with just a regular mower if you cut this stuff real short but, you are going to want a mower/conditioner to be able to put this stuff up right.


When you say "if you cut this stuff short" are you speaking from experience? I'm reading cut it and leave the stubble at 8" ... I have wondered how it would react at 4" of stubble.


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## RCF (Sep 14, 2009)

We have some experience cutting, chopping, and baling this stuff, and I should have been clearer but I was talking about the crop height. Say cut it at around 3.5 or 4 ft. don't let it get to much taller than that if you plan on not using a mower/conditioner also it would be easier to rake later. We cut this stuff or crops like it at around 3 inches or so. Also if its a decent year you should get two cuttings of this and still have some to graze on later in the year.


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## blueriver (Oct 19, 2009)

RCF said:


> We have some experience cutting, chopping, and baling this stuff, and I should have been clearer but I was talking about the crop height. Say cut it at around 3.5 or 4 ft. don't let it get to much taller than that if you plan on not using a mower/conditioner also it would be easier to rake later. We cut this stuff or crops like it at around 3 inches or so. Also if its a decent year you should get two cuttings of this and still have some to graze on later in the year.


Got it ... thanks. I don't have a mower conditioner ... I have a disc mower therefore if I proceed I guess a used pull type crimper/conditioner/crusher.


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