Swathing Red Clover-Hay

[@KlineDeere]

Two questions from a beginning dairy farmer. 1.Do you think adding tedding into the operation good or bad and why 2. Do you think adding a percentage of Orchard Grass into my Red Clover would be wise or unwise.

[@GeigerFarm]

These are very good questions!! Tedding depends on your environment. I am in a more arid region. Tedding is only necessary here infrequently. Thus, I have not invested in a machine. The only advantage to tedding, from my perspective is drying time. It might be a better investment to make sure your conditioner rolls on the swather are in good shape and adjusted properly! Seems like the NH swathers with the rubber chevron rolls need more tedding ;)!! The orchard grass question is harder. I have never done this as I am after clover seed...From a strictly forage point of view the idea is interesting. My clover is always a companion crop w/oats or wheat. In my mind, I see the grass drying faster that the red clover (after mowing) and perhaps being a bit "rank". I do make a fair amount of grass hay, with legumes (red clover/sweet clover/alfalfa/birdsfoot trefoil). When doing this I tend to manage for moisture in the grass and hope that it takes the moisture from the legume in order to avoid mold and potential coumarin poisoning. Regardless, you want to avoid coumarin poisoning by getting the proper amount of drying on your legumes. So, after all that I would say it depends on your use for the clover. If strictly forage, the idea might work...

[@KlineDeere]

@@GeigerFarm thank you for the reply I greatly appreciate your thoughts and will take them back to my planning.

[@KMK6464]

I enjoy Your channel, always learn something . I cut with a modern sickle mower and no crimping as my hay mower is a cutditioner and follow your old timer advice of letting the clover mature . Works ok for me and we have bees so it's always a balance between bees and hay

[@GeigerFarm]

Thank you. We have markets for Red Clover seed. Thus, I am always trying to "push" or speed the hay cutting. Locally, the sooner you take the hay cutting (last week of May or first week of June), the better the chance of rapid regrowth and thus seed. We work hard to feed bees as well!

[@brentbellamy5861]

If you are cutting with a disk mower with no conditioner, can you Tedder it and get it to dry in a reasonable amount of time? I’m thinking about adding red clover to my fescue hayfield, but I do not have a mower conditioner.

[@GeigerFarm]

It would benefit from tedding, in a grass mix, it should work better 👍🏻.

[@hoeck2008]

Generally speaking what is a good thing to pair mammoth red clover with? A local farmer always mixed his clover with Timothy.

[@GeigerFarm]

I am not an expert on companion crops. Timothy does not prosper here. Orchard or one of the new ryegrass varieties would work better here.

[@delprice3007]

Mamoth clover?

[@GeigerFarm]

No, just common red clover 👍🏻

[@JamesOBrien2253]

What's the protein on this is it much better than alfalfa I'll be wrapping my bales if I do red clover

[@GeigerFarm]

James, here is a scientific article to address your questions... www.progressiveforage.com/forage-types/other-forage/red-clover-can-be-viable-alternative-to-alfalfa I use both forages. I prefer red clover for; quick tonnage year one/two (even on marginal soils), ease of establishment, I can produce my own seed, my soils allow it to thrive, it makes an excellent companion in a rotational grazing system. In the grazing system, alfalfa will outproduce it once the alfalfa is established in year 3 or 4.