Question for grass and other cow people

[Guest]

Is alfalfa ok for feed after that frost that turned green canola white ? Seems to be green and growing and standing up good yet ?

[Guest]

Is alfalfa ok for feed after that frost that turned green canola white ? Seems to be green and growing and standing up good yet ?

[Braveheart]

Not safe to graze. Cell walls have collapsed in the alfalfa and cows can cram in too much. That is, if there was a killing frost. If not for grazing cut immediately to save leaves.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Looks like pure alfalfa, I wouldn't put cows in there until November personally.

[Guest]

Sorry , i meant to cut and bale

[AlbertaFarmer5]

I've never known nitrates to be a problem in alfalfa in the fall.

[farmaholic]

Sorry , i meant to cut and bale

CIH, By the time that alfalfa dries down after cutting will there be much to bale? It seems short by the looks of the picture.

What about winterkill? Where are the hay guys on the winterkill issue.

[grassfarmer]

I've never known nitrates to be a problem in alfalfa in the fall.

I assume he was talking about bloat risk not nitrate? never much nitrate risk with alfalfa anyway it's more a problem of annuals. Bloat can be managed, Alfasure in the water for one. We graze alfalfa in the fall and don't worry too much about bloat - less risk than in June. Grazing doesn't seem to cause winterkill as bad as haying either in my experience.
For haying I'd be waiting until it does frost kill then get in the next day and cut it to reduce winterkill potential.

[WiltonRanch]

Don’t Cut It! You will kill the alfalfa. It has already taken a kicking with the early frost and if you take the top off you will further weaken it by taking its winter reserve away. Alfalfa is a tough plant but cutting less than 6 weeks before freezing off will subject it to winterkill. Once it’s froze off in November then you can do whatever but no better than poplar trees for sustenance.

[Klause]

I assume he was talking about bloat risk not nitrate? never much nitrate risk with alfalfa anyway it's more a problem of annuals. Bloat can be managed, Alfasure in the water for one. We graze alfalfa in the fall and don't worry too much about bloat - less risk than in June. Grazing doesn't seem to cause winterkill as bad as haying either in my experience.
For haying I'd be waiting until it does frost kill then get in the next day and cut it to reduce winterkill potential.

What he said.


Don't cut it until it's actually dead and the roots go dormant. If it starts to grow out again, it will be using up the energy reserves the roots need to survivce the winter and you'll have winter kill.