Bailing native grasses?

Ok, so we have done a LOT of work on brush clearing and range management of our place near Evant. It was overgrazed and the drought really messed up our range condition... But after 2 years of no cows and lots and lots of cedar removal we have the most consitatly healthy range of any place I've ever seen... Tons of native bunchgrasses, it looks like a see of grass 3 foot tall waving when the wind blows...

Any way, the point... We like not having somebody grass leasing it, and we don't want to shell out for cattle... So, here is my question. Does anybody know of or have heard of people bailing native grasses for sale?

It would really help with the sneaky little cedars that pop up to have is mowed and bailed once or twice a year and we have enough good FLAT pasture that would be pretty easy to run machines over. We would just like to do a one cutting a year, maybe two... but is there a market?

Not much different from folks baling the road ditch. People with no hay in less than stellar grazing areas might buy it bc it beats nothing.

Yes, you can bail native. Value will depend on what kind of native. I use to bail a bunch on my old ranch in Oklahoma.

You need to bail it anyway, so you get a decent stand of forbes

my thoughts exactly... its gona way out compete everything... when did yall cut it typically? Its several different natives. I'm not very good at grass I.D. but I see little blue, indian grass, some side oats...

how did you advertise?

It can bring substantial value depending on the species.
Contact Native American Seed in Junction.

I don't I do it on the halves with a custom baler, so he takes care of it. Mine was all little and big bluesteam so usually later in the year after it is done growing. Cut it to early you can kill it.

How rough is it? How clean is the pasture for stumps and rocks? Most people are baling King Ranch Bluestem for hay down south nowdays. With the drought having all but wiped out most coastal hay pastures and KR has taken over it is all they have. Most are feeding protein tubs using this hay for filler. Hay value down here is dependent on demand.

K, well i'll poke around a little and see what I can find. May just have to call somebody who is bailing hay. If anybody knows someone in the Coryell county area that would be interested in this pm me...

the ranch is 550 acres with probably 250+ in THICK native grasses that we are interested in bailing.

Should have at least shredded my deer field in October. Have to pick shots carefully now since the grass is so tall.

If you're worried about little cedars, I think there will soon be plenty of, as my neighbor says, "exchange students" that will walk and chop with a machete for un poco dinero. Practice your Spanish.

we are basically past the clearing point lol, we are just trying to keep them clean and if we can make a little money with keeping it clean its mo'betta.

Yes right now tracking is a SOB when you hit one, blood gets wiped off on the grass as tiny little dots and makes it much harder...

You can do a search for NPAT, Native Prairie Association of Texas and glean info as well as perhaps some contact. Some are in business to bale or collect seed for sale etc. If you have a local biologist or Natural Resource office could be helpful. If you can, the easy way is controlled burning the area, don't have to do it all at one time but you do need a plan etc.
Native grasses are sought out and being planted through their native ranges, the big four or Indian grass, Big and Little bluestem, Eastern Gamma, side oats and switch grass or no slouches either.
You need to set the cutter to leave at least 4 to 6 in. stubble, this is where the plant keeps its food source for regrowth, if you cut or grazed it to ground level can kill it out. Expensive to re establish. You have a good situation just manage it correctly. I view the prairie grass ecosystem as a forest unto it's self, wildlife really utilize it. . Good luck

Forgot to add, deer love to bed in tall grass. So, it is worth leaving some as sanctuary areas to help hold deer on your land.

Why not just do a controlled burn on it? The right time of year to do it is coming soon. You will get more put back into the soil and the fresh growth will be great for the deer in the spring.

Curtis is spot on on this burn it if you can Try and leave some as cover.

Try to find somebody that will bail it on the halves. You can always sell your half of the hay for more range improvements

I agree with this, with a caveat. "a controlled burn is like a controlled fart it can turn to Shiite in a heartbeat", or something to that effect...Seriously, don't try this unless you have a pumper truck close by. Or, it's been extremely wet, and green. Personally, I like having the tall grasses around the perimeter of our fields. Deer seem to like it too.... Great advice from you guys above. Everyone. Knowledge is power.

When I burned my hay fields, I always plowed a 24' fire zone around the perimeter, then start the fire and let it burn into the wind. Adds allot of Potash, cleans the top and will allow dormant forb seed to germinate.

I never had a pumper, or other way of fighting an escaped fire other than the 20' disc on the big tractor, just plan for light winds and decent ground moisture. Grass over 12" I would shred 1st. Caveat: Most of my hayfield s had been baled and cut high at about 8" the last cutting to aid the burn, so there wasn't to much fuel to cause a fire to get huge.

Depending on what kind of bunch grass your going to have a hard time finding someone that will run their equipment through it... might try finding someone who bales stubble.

Yelp waste to burn when you can bale sale then burn.

Plus if grass is to tall you can get to much heat and destroy the grass.

If it is improved pasture pretty easy to just use a swather.

Yeah, there is a fine line when it's time to burn, want it to move fast enough to get done without cooking the soil, but slow enough to burn the top off. I did it to put Potash back in and destroy some weed seed in coastal field. Burning is probably one of the best things that can be done for range, also one of the most dangerous.

True! better be a good bit of hay to make it worth it or have a friend with one handy.

If they are common in the area actually would be the best way to go.

I'm near Evant, Texas. as for burn we are trying to make this thing make some money without doing a grass lease. So as an agg major with range training... YES I would love to burn... but it isn't in the cards looking at the goals of the land we have.

The below links will get you a long way toward where you want to go. (bottom of page)

I've helped restore and manage about 1,200 acres back to native grasses from bermuda/bahia fields over the last 3 years. With another 350 acres in contracts upcoming. Hay is usually cut in mid-June to mid-July one cut is typical since most is managed for wildlife habitat. If you're going for maximum biomass yield you cut at the end of the season, but that won't provide your best forage quality.

You'll need to let it rest occasionally and go to seed so that the stand can support itself over time. If you have quail or other upland birds in the area some areas will need to be left uncut to provide suitable nesting cover and early season brood rearing cover.


http://nativegrasses.utk.edu/

University of Tennessee Center for Native Grasslands link.

Managing Native Grass Forages Link:
http://nativegrasses.utk.edu/manage.htm

Texas Agrilife Bookstore Link:
http://www.agrilifebookstore.org/SearchR...ow=9&page=2