Growing Hay or Grain: Which is Better?

[bubba1358]

I have about a half acre of property that is currently a hay field dedicated for overwinter feed for livestock. I am wondering if replacing that field with grains (oats, rye, etc.) would be a better use of the land. Would I get more calories per square foot via hay or grain growing? Both would be hand-kept, harvested via a scythe, and stored in my shed. What would be the pros and cons of either method? Thanks.

 

[perchie.girl]

It really depends on what you are going to use the grain for. Half an acre isnt much for Hay for animals. Half an acre may be enough grain for human consumption.... Not up on that for sure.

To give you an example.... Here in the desert it takes 100 acres to feed one cow. In the plains where buffalo grass used to grow same cow.... half acre.

If you grew a legume on the same acreage you could feed your family and use the forage for the animals. Beans, Peas, etc, ...
Legumes trap nitrogen and put it into the soil. Alfalfa is a Legume and its used quite often as a cover crop... Till it in and the soil is enriched.

Here I cant irrigate so any of it is out of the question.... 3 inches of precip doesnt grow much.

deb

 

[baymule]

Bubba, whatcha gonna feed with that half acre? Cow? Sheep? Can you get 2 crops a year or only one? Here, we can have a summer pasture, then have rye grass for a winter pasture. So we could cut the summer pasture for hay and graze the rye grass for winter. In a good year we can get 3-4 hay cuttings.

 

[hqueen13]

Well, the other option is to grow it and sell it, and purchase what you need instead. The guy that runs my farm just found out that the market for organic grown grains is really high right now, so the profit is really good.
You can always change what you are doing later!

 

[Smart Red]

With half an acre it really doesn't matter what you grow, you will have to supplement feed for most farm animals over the winter. Your post doesn't say where you are located. Here in south-est, central-est Wisconsin we can get three cuttings and in a good year four cuttings of alfalfa.

This only works if you're in the country and I would try it myself if I needed more growing space. Since 'Hay' doesn't have to grow very high before being cut, why not plant a yard of alfalfa or other feed grass and the field in a grain. Then leave the hay loose when you cut the yard. Also remember (at least around here) the alfalfa is usually planted with oats so you could get both oats, hay, and straw bedding in one summer.

 

[Hinotori]

Around here people get one cutting of grass hay. It's either to wet (most of the time), or is our short dry summer where grass doesn't grow.

I'm thinking of trying some buckwheat. It should grow ok here in our short season.