# Is a forage variety of oats worth it?



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

One variety of winter oats I planted must not have been very winter hardy as they froze out. I'm now in the position to need to replant these fields as soon as it is dry enough. I have not had good previous experiences planting oats in the spring here but am considering trying it again because I don't seem to have very many other suitable options for a spring planted annual that will give me a good quality hay.

In the past when I tried spring planted oats they didn't seem to have time to really tiller well compared to winter oats and were much shorter in height and thinner which contributed to a lower hay yield.....60-70 bales an acre compared to 100-120 bales an acre for winter oats. In the past when I tried spring planted oats I just used a regular certified oat variety. I was wondering if it would be worth using a dedicated forage variety of oat hoping that it may give me a higher hay yield with spring planting. The biggest downside is it looks like forage oat seed might be a good bit more expensive. Do you think that a forage oat variety would give me enough additional yield to make the higher seed cost worth it?

Hayden


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

In a word? No. I seeded some forage oats a couple years ago along with forage peas and barley. Oats looked the same as my Horsepower oats in the field next to them.

I also have never seeded a winter oat, always spring oats, and the way it looks, end of next week may be my chance.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

How much more expensive are they? How many additional bales per acre would it take to pay that extra expense?

Your best additional expense might be a perfectly timed shot of nitrogen to encourage as much tillering as possible.


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

We have planted true forage oats in spring and regular feed oats and I think we get best results from the feed oats. Always put 100 lbs to acre for feed oats but 2 bushels to acre for forage oats. ( seed comes in bushel bags) last year feed oats were more expensive than seed oats but wished we would have spent a little more and did the tried and true. I was not to impressed with the forage oats.
Yield was around 300 3x4x7.5 bales off of 100 acres. We also planted 20 lbs of orchard grass to acre and got a crappy stand due to dry summer we had. Looks like every time I plant grass in the spring we have the drought of the century lol


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

8350HiTech said:


> How much more expensive are they? How many additional bales per acre would it take to pay that extra expense?
> Your best additional expense might be a perfectly timed shot of nitrogen to encourage as much tillering as possible.


 I haven't got any exact numbers yet but it looks like roughly $15 more per 48 pound bag. I would also have some shipping cost as well since nobody local handles spring forage oats.....don't know what shipping would cost. I sell my oat hay for $6-$7 a bale.

I agree nitrogen at the right time can really help small grains tiller but the spring oats I planted before wasn't really hurting for N. I think the biggest problem with spring planted oats here is that they grow so fast trying to catch up with the season and mature before they burn up in the summer heat they just don't have time to grow tillers.....my winter oats that survived the winter have about 3 tillers per plant already.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Hayden, I don't think you will see much difference. I'm just hoping to get some planted. It is still very wet here too. I'm just hoping to get 4-500 rolls to help me along with feeding my cattle. I am using some of my oats that I grew last year. The grain truk is loaded and I'm ready to go , so come on sunshine!


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## CBarM (Mar 1, 2015)

Last year my neighbor planted oats and I planted wheat. We had that big ice storm come through where is stayed over a week in the teens. He lost all his oats he had no tilled over his coastal so he had to buy hay, a first for him. I however did great with my wheat. Im not sured what he planted far as type but he now plants wheat like us...


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

NDVA HAY MAN what part of Va are you in?


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## LaneFarms (Apr 10, 2010)

I only plant the forage varieties do to the severity of rust down here. We no til into bermuda sod in December of January. Last year we had excellent results averaging 8-9 rolls per acre. This year have done everything the same using a different variety but am having completely different results. I will be doing good to get 4 the way they look now. Oats are finicky about high temperatures and these 85 degree days are going to bring things to a head soon.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

LaneFarms said:


> I only plant the forage varieties do to the severity of rust down here. We no til into bermuda sod in December of January. Last year we had excellent results averaging 8-9 rolls per acre. This year have done everything the same using a different variety but am having completely different results. I will be doing good to get 4 the way they look now. Oats are finicky about high temperatures and these 85 degree days are going to bring things to a head soon.


 With the winter oat varieties I usually plant rust isn't usually a big issue......they normally start heading out the end of April to the first of May. I'm thinking the rust doesn't get bad here until the winter oats have already started turning golden so it doesn't affect them but that is when the spring planted oats are just going to be heading so I may need to look into a rust resistant variety. The spring planted oats I planted before in some places had almost no leaves left due to the rust.

Normally I plant oats in November and they make it through the winter fine but we were unusually cold and I had planted half my fields into a different variety than I usually do and it turns out that variety must not have been as cold hardy because they froze and the variety I normally plant looks fine.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

central va farmer said:


> NDVA HAY MAN what part of Va are you in?


. I am in Louisa County near Gum Spring right on Rt. 522


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

Small world, I own a farm right outside gordonsville, and have some rented land around gordonsville also. I've been taking round bales all winter long down to Rockville, that's the next exit off 64 from gum springs I believe. We are in each others backyard lol


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

If you ever need any poultry litter let me know, I've spread around you quite alot. (Kents store, Bybee, all around 208) and I believe I'll be going to Rockville this spring.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

central va farmer said:


> If you ever need any poultry litter let me know, I've spread around you quite alot. (Kents store, Bybee, all around 208) and I believe I'll be going to Rockville this spring.


sounds great. Pm me your info so I can call you. Thanks, Mike


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