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<p>Cecil:</p>
<p>There is a chance that Johnsongrass that has gone to seed can
survive a trip through a ruminant...which could spread the stuff
to the other side of that pasture fence! As long as your horses
keep it mowed down before it goes to seed you should be OK. It is
one of the most 'robust' grass seeds in terms of its ability to
lie dormant in the soil for 10 years or more (most grass seeds
will either sprout or rot after no more than 2-3 years), and
survive animal digestive systems.<br>
</p>
<p>I spent a summer during my college years working for a weed
science professor who specialized in perennial weeds, most
especially johnsongrass. At the time, the stuff was only found
about as far north as Indianapolis - all our research fields were
in deep southern Indiana. These days, johnsongrass is adapting to
the climate and is seen much further north.<br>
</p>
<p>Mark J<br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 8/30/2021 8:07 AM, Cecil Bearden
wrote:<br>
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<p>My Dad grew up working horses to farm. He always said you did
not feed alfalfa to a horse that was going to be worked. They
would get too hot. They only fed alfalfa in the winter. I
sold horse hay for many years before I got cow that eat more
than I can raise. I had people coming from 15 mi away to get my
hay. I baled hay for a couple of "horse" people around here and
they would wait until the hay was dry as broom straw before
baling. Many times I baled mine the same day it was cut. I
still do if I can get my old joints to keep calm..!! Nearly
every buyer would remark how my hay was always so green when
opened up and their horses would eat it like it was candy. I
had one lady who called and returned 4 round bales because her 3
horses ate it up in 3 days. She said she could not afford to
feed that much hay!!!! <br>
</p>
<p>Horse people are a funny lot. My 2 horses are 15 and 11 yrs
old, and they eat anything I drop over the fence. I cut the
weeds off their field with a swather and baled it to keep the
weeds from going to seed. I baled it very very green. Big
juicy weeds, 4 ft tall. 2 weeks later they were eating the
bales where they sat!!! Moswt horse people don't want johnson
grass as they say is is bad for horses. I had a vet tell me
that a horse could handle more Johnson grass and the prussic
acid that forms during heat stress than cattle could. I noticed
that my horses keep the johnson grass ate down as far as they
can reach over the fence... I bale it with the TS110 and now
the new 504R Vermeer, then haul it in with the old 5000 Ford
with the hyd bale trailer behind. The best thing I can find on
the new baler is it will wrap a 12in diameter bale. I can wrap
one like the old Allis roto Baler. Net wrap though...</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Cecil<br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 8/30/2021 6:00 AM, Indiana
Robinson wrote:<br>
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<div>I wouldn't know why it wouldn't be OK. As a late first
cutting it will naturally be a little stemy but it will
still be hay. I have seen beef cattle in particular winter
through on some remarkably rough hay. Much of what is
feedable is often just the perception by people of what is
good hay. I've seen people that would turn up their noses at
decent hay on a good hay year but in a shortage of hay year
(or a tight wallet year) they would feed thistles and scrub
brush and be glad to get it. Son Scott once had a girlfriend
that kept her horses here. I knew money was tight so I
offered to give her some fairly decent hay I still had in
the loft. She turned it down saying that her primary horse
was a show horse and he couldn't eat that rough hay. I
pointed over to the corner of the fence line and said "He
ate that damned gate"... :-)</div>
<div>Our own little private herd of 7 useless but loved equine
creatures (mostly rescues) normally winter over just running
about 65 acres of corn stalks and soybean stubble and
usually get fat on them. When the weather gets really bad we
do usually stick in a round bale, often something son Scott
didn't try to sell because it didn't tie right or was
miss-shaped.</div>
<div>Most of the time if the world is encased in ice or deep
snow we feed a few alfalfa cubes. About a pound per horse,
hand-fed like treats late in the day seems to make a good
difference in keeping them warm overnight. They have shelter
but seldom use it. A couple of semi-recent old and starved
rescues do get special feeding. They are getting pretty
slick looking now.</div>
<div>To be on topic... Any time I take an old tractor out in
the pastures they all have to gather around it and study it
carefully. Not sure why, none of them know how to drive...</div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sun, Aug 29, 2021 at
11:52 PM Mike M <<a href="mailto:meulenms@gmx.com"
moz-do-not-send="true">meulenms@gmx.com</a>> wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px
0.8ex;border-left:1px solid
rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">Hi all, I have a
question. I have a guy that bales my field, for his<br>
cattle. I just give it to him, because it saves me the
trouble of brush<br>
hogging it, and it doesn't go to waste. It's been so wet in
SE<br>
Michigan, he hasn't been able to get on it it yet, He's only
baled 40 of<br>
the 200 acres he normally bales. At this point of the year,
is the hay<br>
even any good?<br>
<br>
Thanks,<br>
Mike M<br>
<br>
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<div dir="ltr">
<div>-- <br>
<br>
Francis Robinson<br>
aka "farmer"<br>
Central Indiana USA<br>
<a href="mailto:robinson46176@gmail.com" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">robinson46176@gmail.com</a><br>
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