# Millet vs Sorghum Sudangrass



## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

Since mother nature seems to enjoy pissing on my parade. We are considering planting the twenty plus acres that we were planning to put in corn to pearl millet. I was wondering how this compares to sorghum sudangrass as far as feed valud and yeild. Will be chopped and ensiled most likely be fed to heifers or to the milk cows if needed. Prolly will make it a one cut crop like we did with sorghum sudangrass

Or are there any other forage crops to consider


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

If you go with sorghum sudangrass you may want to consider a BMR variety as they are supposed to be more palatable with better animal performance. I planted some last year and baled it as dry hay and got about 220 bales an acre between two cuts.


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## Don Pine (Feb 2, 2012)

I love Pearl Millet. But I put it up for hay. It's my understanding that to get decent tonnage from it, you need to make multiple cuts. Else, it goes to head and you get comparatively little additional growth. Since you plan to chop, I think it'd be hard to beat the SS, especially with a single cut.

Feed value is better with PM, but not near the tonnage of SS.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

How late is too late to plant either ss or pearl millet? If we plant it next week sometime we would prolly chop the end of september or early october. Not sure if it'll yield enough to make it worth while


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Three months of sudan grass will be a huge amount of forage if your fertility is there.


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

Should be ok. I've planted it this late before. I've been planting forage corn this week.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I'm going to plant 6 acres of sorghum sudan the end of this week hopefully if the ground will dry out from the 3.5 inches of rain the past few days.....would have liked to have planted a few weeks ago but it will still produce two cuttings. Your growing season is considerably shorter than down here though.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

I think it'll do okay IF it stays warm and not too wet. But it can also get cool and wet. Might give it a swing. Can get frost last week of september or as late as the end of october.


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