D24—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 1,1983
Oats can provide green chop feed
LANCASTER August planted
spring oats provide succulent
green chop after the summer and
fall crops are gone. In Penn
sylvania cows can be kept on oats
green feed to the end of November
and into December.
Many dairymen gave up green
chop when herd expansion led to
large silo capacity and automatic
feeders. But there's still a place for
fresh green feed, some say. It’s a
practical way to get more milk
from expensive land when you get
extra late fall feed from land that
otherwise Just sits there waiting
till next year.
The green oats support high pro
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ductlon, too. One Pennsylvania
dairyman reports his 26-cow herd
increased milk output by 200 lbs. a
day when he moved his crop chop
per from fourth cutting alfalfa to
the green oats in October. The oats
were seeded at 3-4 bushels an acre
in early August. A ram several
weeks later germinated the oats
and got the crop growing. But
because of the diy weather, the
crop was shorter than in the sum
mer before when the oats grew
nearly two feet tall and blossomed
by October.
Late fall and early winter green
feed chopping isn’t quite the same
on you ouv*... r*ov« ovsaY
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Rood The Real Estate Ads
In Lancaster Farming's
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as July green feed. In July, you try
to feed within an hour or two after
chopping to avoid the spontaneous
heating you get in hot weather.
In November and December, the
green chop stays cooler and there's
more chance the weather may in
terfere with daily chopping. Wind
can be a problem, too. So it’s a
good idea to keep a load or two
ahead if snow is forecast. You try
to chop during a calm period to
minimize wind loss in blustery
November and . December
weather.
Dairymen who do it say it’s wor
thwhile. By stretching out the
green feed season right into winter
they save their hay for later and
avoid the need for an extra silo.
Summer seeded oats can be chopped right up until the
snow starts flying.
APPLE BUTTER
The 31st Annual Apple Butter
Boiling Will Be At
BARNER'S CHURCH GROVE
3 Miles Northwest of Liverpool, Pa.
SATURDAY,
OCTOBERS, 1983
Apple Butter Will Be Sold On The Grounds
Bring Your Own Containers • Cider Sold In
• Gallon Jugs-Craft Items Will Be Sold
- DUTCH DINNER -
Will Be Served • Family Style - All You Can Eat
Price: Adults $4.00 Dessert Extra
Children under 12 • $2.00
Start Serving 12 Noon to ?
Rain or Shine