# Teff hay



## haymaker1979 (Nov 20, 2011)

i was looking to see if anyone else has planted this hay. i have 50 acres that im wanting to try something new on this year. how did your customers like it or was it hard to get them to switch over and try it. thanks for any info


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

Well I too am looking as you. I thought I would entertain Teff. After about a month of research forget the Teff, I just bought this years hay crop in Pearl Millet @ $35+/50# bag, 25-30# per acre.

My 2c and worth every penny you paid for it.

Mark


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## hay rake (Dec 31, 2011)

mark what didn't you like about the teff. i just started buying teff seed to plant this year. i would like to hear your concerns.


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

I'm sorry but other than trying to get some seed down here, I guess I don't remember. I went through a lot of possibilities for a couple of weeks and it is kind of a blur right now. Once I made my decision I discarded my notes.

I tried to get some brown rib Sorghum x Sudan and some Teff and the seed company that was supposed to handle it locally said it cost too much money and that no one would buy it so he decided to not handle it. I bought seed over the www in the past, (common Bermuda) and I couldn't find one seed that germinated out of $250 worth of seed.

I got some www grass info from the U of Georgia "Georgia Forages: Grass Species" where they went through the explanation of a lot of grasses including Pearl Millet......said nothing about Teff. Anyway, I called the local co-op and asked what they handled (besides sorghum/sudan crosses) and PM was one of the seeds. It suited my needs, the anticipated drought we are expecting this summer, and the locals are used to working with it...custom hay balers. They had it in stock, price was right and that was that.

I probably would have tried Teff had it been more accessible. I really like what it is said to do for haying and pasture.

Sorry I can't help better than this.

Mark


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## covenanthay (Oct 2, 2009)

I just purchased enough locally for a trial (only 8 acres, so no big gamble). I am hoping to find a niche market within the horse market I currently serve. Time will tell.


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## hay rake (Dec 31, 2011)

I ordered 30 acres worth of tiffany teff from producers choice and will buy a like amount of seedway dessi from a local vender. supply has not seemed to be a problem. knowledge of raising it seems to be my problem. asked a local agronomist for info and he told me that after growing it if i talked to my self i would be talking to the first person in maine to grow it to his knowledge. if the things i read are true i hope it will work for us. 
thanks gary


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

atacres said:


> i was looking to see if anyone else has planted this hay. i have 50 acres that im wanting to try something new on this year. how did your customers like it or was it hard to get them to switch over and try it. thanks for any info


I just came from a forage seminar sponsored by Byron Seeds in Sweetwater, TN today. It was a 4 hour seminar and Teff was addressed for about 15 minutes. Brett Winsett, regional man, spoke very highly of Teff and basically said the following. Tiffany was an excellent variety. Teff has a very, very small seed and planting can be difficult. A prepared seed bed is best but MUST be culti-packed at least twice before planting then again after planting. If drilling, just surface scratch it in with drill. Apply 50-60 pounds of Nitrogen at planting, none thereafter as Teff can lodge. Seed 8-12# per acre. Seed depth of 1/4" at planting. Seed when soil has warmed to 60 degrees, cutting interval about 6 weeks. This is a very fine stemmed grass with outstanding palpability. Tape up all cracks in seeder. Hope I didn't leave anything of great importance out.









Regards, Mike


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## mulberrygrovefamilyfarm (Feb 11, 2009)

My only experience with it is watching it sell at auction. Last year it didn't bring squat here. I assume that buyers don't know how to value it so they didn't bid it much over low quality grass hay price.


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## K WEST FARMS (Apr 4, 2011)

I was going to plant some 2011 but decided not after finding out about 60 degree soil temp. at planting. With our cold wet ground....could be late June!!! Can't see much quality tonnage produced on 1 and1/2 cuts ...just too short a growing period here,IMO...John


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

K WEST FARMS said:


> I was going to plant some 2011 but decided not after finding out about 60 degree soil temp. at planting. With our cold wet ground....could be late June!!! Can't see much quality tonnage produced on 1 and1/2 cuts ...just too short a growing period here,IMO...John


Well that is one of my concerns. You read up on something and later on find out that it isn't suitable for you soil type, moisture, or geographical location.

Frustrating.

Mark


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## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

I was a speaker at a Byron Seeds seminar in Nappanee,IN. I have been looking into it as a quick source for grass hay customers. I think I will try 14 acres this spring and then in September notill Orchard and timothy into it. Like everyone else i am a little skeptical about, but am willing to try it once. I cant produce enough grass hay around here. One dairy is interested for dry cow and heifer hay so if I make it right I can move it. I will keep you posted


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## MikeRF (Dec 21, 2009)

I tried it for a couple of years making every mistake in the book. 
From that experience my advice would be

a) *Be patient to wait for warm soil*







*Get your seedbed as firm as possible*. The first year the only seed that germinated was 50-60% on the headland where we turned. Could have counted the plants on the rest of the 20 acres 
c) Be aggressive with your cutting schedule. *Once it starts to head nothing will eat it*.
d) If you manage to get a stand, pray you don't get heavy rain the week before you cut. When it lodges it goes over right at ground level almost as if you ran a roller over it.
e) *When you cut leave a 4 inch stubble minimum*. Too short and it won't regrow. (anything lodged is impossible to recover as you can't leave any stubble)

I am sure there is plenty of folks out there that have grown this crop very successfully but I personally would not go near it again!


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Here is some info on it.I have a nice Crop Overview and Production Guide I could send anyone that is interested.I do have it for sale.507-360-0251

Tiffany Teff Grass


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## captjack (Sep 30, 2009)

I planted about 20 acres last year - everything Mike rf said is spot on. Once horses try it they get hooked. our horses will only eat the teff now.

If I had 40 acres I would have sold every bale/.


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## covenanthay (Oct 2, 2009)

What is the price comparison for small squares between Teff, Alfalfa, and Alfalfa Grass mix?


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## Barry Bowen (Nov 16, 2009)

MikeRF and captjack are both right on. I have been growing some now for 5 years. It is labor intensive to get started as you cannot use a no-till drill, it will be too deep.

My best germination results have been from dropping straight down out of the small seed box on a very old IH drill, and then packing the field two passes after that. Field is off set disced and packed once or twice before seeding. Teff needs water!!!! It does not do well in dry dry conditions. Cut it early when it is about 12-15 inches tall. Leave the 4 inch stubble. Tedder the day you cut and the day after in the AM, and then rake (rotary rake best to stand up tall, do not even bother with the wire wheel V rakes as it will not dry )the afternoon of the second day. This stuff really dries hard and takes as long or longer than alfalfa. I think if you have flails it would dry much faster, but I have rollers in my old machine. You need to stand it up when you rake it because the stems leak lots of moisture and it will not dry if you leave it just teddered wide on the ground. Three days after cutting you will still see little wet spots on your steering tires from the stems leaking. It takes 3 good days of 85 plus to get this dry.

The major advantage to horse people is the hay contains no fructans, hence it is great for cushings horses. Once the horse people try it they are hooked. Many of the horses I serve have eaten first cutting teff over second cutting orchard. There is no difference in the appearance and quality of first, second, or third teff if you cut it at the same heights. The Amish in Lancaster county used to give a few bales to horse people to try and then over charge them when they came back looking for teff.

The main problem with it here in Maryland is that it needs to go in mid to late May, the same time I am in the middle of heavy first cutting. Stay away from coated seed, only use raw. The coating makes it go through even faster than the uncoated, is usually close to double the price of raw seed per pound of actual seed, it is just inert clay and slows down the germination rate and time. If they put some nutrient in the coating maybe it would be a good way to go. You do not need to do more than 7-8 pounds per acre.

With good weather here in MD, I have gotten 4 cuttings on the best years, but do not expect more than 30-40 bales per acre when you make the young really good stuff. I have been able to charge $7 for 35 pound bales at the barn. DO NOT LET IT LODGE, nothing will eat it then, and it will keep showing up in the field for the next 3 years.


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## MUDUC (Dec 13, 2011)

Here goes nothing...I just placed my order: I have 7 acres going back into Alfalfa,attempting Italian rye grass nurse crop, overseeding orchard grass into 2 thinning alfalfa fields and the mystery 6 acres that I picked up from the neighbor last year, seems to be a good candidate for teff grass. I have a few horse customers that go crazy over "soft grass hay" Last years 3rd cut out of the back thinning alfalfa field had a lot of what I would call water grass...and horsey customers went nuts over it...thought I had trash...they thought it was gold...so I want to be able to offer that "soft grass" but actually have a decent product that I can market to them...and maybe educate them with some facts about the teff. As I read above it will be labor intensive, but I'm a small guy...so I can more effectively manage my acreage. But I like the later planting time with teff, because it will let me work down what I plowed in the fall get some rain on it to settle it, and see what's going to try and grow, so I can kill it off before going in with teff in late april to early may here in Central Illinois.


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