# OG Second Cut Typical Yield Percentage????



## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

I've got a customer interested in second cut OG and a lot of it. What kind of yield can one typically expect vs first cut - 30%, 50%, etc.

Only considering 2nd cut, not further cuttings to be on the conservative side of the numbers.

Techniques to jack-up 2nd cut yield? Obviously nitrogen after the first cut, but what about purposely cutting first cut as soon as the heads start emerging, gleaning that off the field early to give more time for a higher yielding 2nd cut. Any varieties of OG that delivers 2nd cut yield better than others?

Location - western mountains of VA.

Any sage advice appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

We don't square bale much first cut anymore, and when we did it was usually Timothy. On OG I feel like 100 bales/acre was average for us on first cut compared to Timothy at 150-175 bales.

So, let's just go with 100+/- on first cut. If you get that off by early June, you can easily get 2 more cuttings in assuming the weather cooperates just a little. I usually figure at least 25 bales/acre on subsequent cuttings, with 40-50 lbs. of N after each cutting and a little rain. With decent rain and N you can cut OG ever 30-45 days and have decent yield.

The best I've done is pushing 50 bales on second cut, and then 35 on third cut. For planning purposes I usually try to be conservative also and figure on 25 and 25.

As long as you put N down and get at least one or two rains, you ought to be able to do 20-25 bales/acre minimum on later cuttings. Having a good, thick stand also helps with yield on later cuttings. A thinner stand on first cutting I've found will compensate some on yield (course it also is stemmier), but it won't on later cuttings.

Reason we try to make 3 cuttings is because OG will start to rust so quickly once it gets dry and hot and will basically just dry up and fizzle away in the summer heat. If you mow it before that happens it will come back again. It isn't something you can just let sit and expect it to keep growing through a dry summer for one big late cutting. At least in my experience. Some OG varieties may be better about this. A neighbor planted a new variety last year and it stayed nice and green through our dry periods while mine started to whither away and we had to cut. Can't remember the name of it though.

If you get it made in good shape, you'll be able to sell every bale you can make. People really seem to like that nice, pretty, soft blade hay.


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

Trotwood2955 said:


> We don't square bale much first cut anymore, and when we did it was usually Timothy. On OG I feel like 100 bales/acre was average for us on first cut compared to Timothy at 150-175 bales.


Not to drag my own thread off topic, but what is your secret to 150-175 bales per acre of timothy (and I assume these are tight 36" bales). That one cut - it seems to me - would out yield multiple cuttings of OG.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Trotwood2955 said:


> We don't square bale much first cut anymore, and when we did it was usually Timothy. On OG I feel like 100 bales/acre was average for us on first cut compared to Timothy at 150-175 bales.
> 
> So, let's just go with 100+/- on first cut. If you get that off by early June, you can easily get 2 more cuttings in assuming the weather cooperates just a little. I usually figure at least 25 bales/acre on subsequent cuttings, with 40-50 lbs. of N after each cutting and a little rain. With decent rain and N you can cut OG ever 30-45 days and have decent yield.
> 
> ...


TW, those numbers seem spot on to me. On decent years I get 50 on second cut but I am doing 65# N after both first and second cutting. 25-35 seems about right if you get something other than a "clean up" cutting. We call the rust issue Orchard grass decline around here and the only cure is as you said, cut it quick, better yet, cut it before it starts since you know it will. I always made the most dry matter from 1st cutting on timothy. Good solid bales. 150 was about my average. One year i did not even rake, had an old rollabar and it was too thick, just tedded the stuff out of it and started free baling with my wife raking cleanup.


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

I don't know that there was any secret, just good weather and lots of fertilizer...and productive, fairly young stands. 150 was usually what I shot for as an average. Think the best I ever had was one field averaging 180+ bales. And yeah, good tight, solid and at least 36" bales. Also have to remember I was not getting maximum quality at that yield level like you probably have been by cutting your timothy on the early side, fairly soon after seed head emergence. I wouldn't waste time square baling if it was too ripe, but I rarely would get around to square baling timothy right at or just past emergence either. The few times I did I wasn't hitting 150+ bales/acre, from memory.

That's one of the reasons I liked timothy so well for a long time, and still do. Basically one cut and lots of yield. But, you don't typically get that nice later cutting blade hay, and it also doesn't do as much for grazing which is important to me. So, I have very little pure timothy left at this point. Thinking about rotating a couple fields back in though, but mainly because I'm so heavy weighted on pure OG right now I'd like to spread the maturity window out a lot instead of everything being ready at once...


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