standing wheat overwinter

[Ron]

How much loss should I expect? Crop is standing great and is already feed. With haul damage its around 40 bushels. I dropped straw for a guy to bale any hope for this in the spring or throw a match at it?

[nicolaas]

If it is still standing, you should be able to get it off in the next couple weeks. If it snows a foot and lodges and winter stays,no problem. Buy some lifters for your straight cut header and combine it in spring.(those cheap 1/2 moon ones from peavey mart work great). No drying costs, feed anyways. Yield will be just a bit less than you will get in the fall, and it will be dry. You will combine in April and still put in a crop. It will be slow to combine as you have to lift it, but no potential for plugging, and no slower than it would be wet. This happens to us every 4 or 5 years, and leaving feed cereals out is no big deal - stuff is not worth repairing a combine over. Ther is less mouse damage too and cleaner sample in spring if not swathed, as all the droppings do not get picked up. Last time this happend to us with cereals,it was on 100 bu oats, and combined 80 bu/acre in April - if sample is clean, no one will know if it is spring threshed or not.

[nicolaas]

something to add, if it is a poor crop, you will not pick it up in the spring. The above post only works on a decent crop that lodges in my experience.