Advice on what to do with my Oats Cover Crop

[CH4Ohio]

As I previously stated I think if oats are allowed to go to seed especially down here where I live one should have a ""very good crop of volunteer oats"" next year. I don't know if it would be thick enough to choke out his hay crop he planted.

The oats dont re-grow here if they're left to go to seed and left on the ground. Not sure why that is, but they just dont. so we dont get the "volunteer oat crop"

So is the consensus to just leave them to get snowed down or brush-hog 'em down ?
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It's pretty common for the old timer farmers around here to use oats as a cover crop or "nurse" crop. I think the ultimate benefit is largely dependent on the weather, but since that's always unknown, I get it. I've had really good luck with NO cover crop, but the weather cooperated.

The plan here is to always cut the hay crop when it's first ready and just bale the oats (with the oats still in the heads) along with that first cutting. That's the end of the oats.

We tried feeding some hay made this way last month. It was a new planting of alfalfa, clover, and orchard grass with oats as a cover crop. Got cut later than normal because it wasn't established yet. I was surprised that horses turned their nose up at it -- maybe they're a little spoiled with the alfalfa, timothy, OG hay they've been eating. Fortunately, cows will eat anything and it's plenty good hay for cows or goats.

I'd bale it and get it out of the way of your new hay crop.

Just my opinion.

 

[Rightsaidfred]

Im just gonna hog it "long"

its basically dried out so its just straw (not hay).

We dont feed straw, its good for bedding to some I guess.

Some of my fields are currently so soft I'd make a mess going in there with too much equipment. July was record setting wet here so Im gonna wait a while and see if the ground firms upon and ill bush hog it.

Id prefer to bale it, but its not gonna happen

 

[Rightsaidfred]

Hogged it down this week, left it at 6-8" long, all good !

look forward to decent hay of that field next year.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

Im in Near North Ontario Canada, short season here for hay , winters are long and hard with lots of snow and very cold.

I dont have access to a combine to harvest the oats this fall so im looking for what my options are, or what the best options are.
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Up here in the far west this would not be a problem... The bears would "harvest" it as quick as it got to any kind of stage where they could digest it.. I have seen them scoot along on there belly, pushing with there back legs, using there front legs to sweep the oats up to there mouth...

I do sow a bit of oats and such to cut with the brush hog, gather and let our chickens and geese pick it over for what ever they find of nutritious..