Re: Anyone grow sorgham for silage?

Posted by Glen in TX on April 17, 2007 at 16:45:24 from (208.246.9.34):

In Reply to: Anyone grow sorgham for silage? posted by ShepFL on April 17, 2007 at 13:57:16:

Shep, What we call regular sorghum, milo, or maize here won't be tall enough for a maze. Check with seed dealers around you to see what is available. Most is darn sure not just sudan grass but yes there is a sudan cross in most of the haygrazer varieties and many of those if planted close to milo sorghum will polenate and make grain also. Several times we have mixed haygrazer and milo varities on purpose so it would grain a bit to make better hay. There are several sorghum sudan haygrazer varieties out there now for silage or hay and some can be grazed right in the field. If you don't get enough rain and it stresses it nitrates will be higher and you'll need to have it tested to make sure it's safe. Even after a good rain or freeze need to test nitrate levels because if you chop or bale it with high nitrate levels they will still be there and could kill cattle when fed later. The nitrates will higher in lower part of plant of course so don't harvest or graze until nitrate levels are back down or if down some to harvest don't cut it off right at ground leave some sticking up so don't get as many nitrates in it. I've seen some that was tested and safe to finally cut off for hay and then later some cattle got out in field on stubble stalks pulling them out to eat and died on the spot from nitrates in lower part of plant left and roots. If a good year with lots of rain don't worry about it. Many of the true sorghum silage varieties make better feed if they go to grain and there are also some called brown mid rib varieties. Some are better for hay while others are better for silage so do some homework on it or ask others around you what works good for them. It will have good feed value depending on how and when you put it up but not near what corn is. If it freezes and you want to direct graze it you need to wait at least a week or longer after hard freeze and that's still only if plenty of rain and low nitrate levels. If nitrates get too high in it during a severe drought about you can do with it later is burn it off so someone else's cattle or your own don't get in it. Seen some spend the money to bale it all up with nitrates too high and all they could do later was burn the hay and lost what they spent on it so it can take more management than corn.

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