Summer Annuals as an Alternative Feed in the Northeast 

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These varieties do still have the risk of Prussic Acid poisoning in cattle. Thanks.

They are both grass. Corn is a grass.

Long View Farm sorghum us a grass so is ok even the seed, but if iGMO is still a grass but yoy should let the buyer is GMO.

Generally forage peas are planted during the cooler parts of the year either early spring or late summer for fall forage as they don’t perform as well in the heat. Summer annual legumes like cowpeas or forage soybean however can be used in combination with sudangrass. With the competitive nature of the sudangrass, it can be challenging to get a good mixture and although the resulting mixture may have increased protein content and fiber digestibility, the overall dry matter yield will likely be reduced compared to a pure stand of sudangrass. Reduce the sudangrass seeding rate to 25#/acre with 30-40#/acre cowpeas. More information on using cowpeas and other summer annual legumes in combination with summer annual grasses can be found here: kingsagriseeds.com/opt-legume-adding-cowpeas-forage-sorghum/ hayandforage.com/print-article-474-permanent.html#:~:text=Cowpea%20and%20lablab%20beans%20will,of%20the%20total%20plant%20population).

Opo. Grass grows anywhere. Nafeature nrn yn ng DA chck nyo nlng.

One of the considerations for goats I imagine would be height. Sudangrass and sorghum x sudangrass hybrids can grow quite tall and may be more difficult for goats to graze. Pearl millet tends to be leafier and shorter and, although it tends to be lower yielding, may be a better option for grazing goats. These plants do require about 30-50 lbs of nitrogen at planting, especially if the weather is cool and moist. Additional nitrogen applications following each harvest/graze can increase yield and protein content, however, you should be cautious of supplying too much nitrogen under dry conditions to avoid nitrate poisoning.

@@susanbrouillette1672 i understand your point...but if im using the cutting method, is the sorghum x sudan grass ok for goat???...Thanks much...just want to be sure

I’m not sure which specifically Heather is standing next to in the video but when we refer to summer annuals for the Northeast we are typically talking about sudangrass, sorghum x sudangrass, forage sorghum, or millet. Some of the varieties that have consistently had high yields in our trials are: Hayking sudangrass AS 9301 sudangrass AS 6401 sorghum x sudangrass AS 6402 sorghum x sudangrass Wonderleaf pearl millet AF 7101 forage sorghum Hope something in here helps answer this question. Thanks

There are two major issues that are quite manageable but DO require some care and thought in using the sorghum and sudan type forages... one is Prussic acid, and the other is nitrates. Prussic acid, which is a "common name" for hydrogen cyanide, is an extremely poisonous chemical compound which can accumulate to dangerous levels, usually in stressed or rapidly growing plants, particularly if they have been stressed from drought, frost, or other factors, and then receive rainfall or improved growing conditions and have a sudden "growth spurt" or flush of growth. Prussic acid will outgas from the stems and leaves as the forage dries, if taken for dry hay, however, in grazing or green chop/silage type harvest methods, it is something that needs to be carefully considered. Stressed crops should not be immediately grazed or chopped/ensiled for at least 5-7 days after more favorable conditions return, or after a frost, to give the crop time for the "growth flush" to take hold and cyanide levels to dissipate or dilute through new growth. Best to only release one or two animals into a field where Prussic acid poisoning might be a problem, as it is very fast acting-- if the test animals are okay after a couple hours of grazing, then it's probably okay for the entire herd. Also, do not turn hungry livestock into fields of lush sorghum/sudangrasses... best to wait until after they've fed in the existing paddocks and are full. Cyanide poisoning in livestock leads to the blood being a very bright red color. Nitrate poisoning is a possibility in drought stressed sorghum/sudangrasses and millets (along with corn as well) in heavily fertilized fields with the goal of maximum production, where lack of water has been the limiting factor. The high availability of nitrogen fertilizer will cause the plants to accumulate high nitrate levels in the plant tissues from the soil, in preparation for rainfall or more water availability, allowing the plant to make a fast growth flush. If water remains scarce and the crop fails or the decision is made to harvest the crop as dry hay, greenchop/silage, or graze it off, high nitrate levels in the plant tissues can cause nitrate poisoning in livestock. The nitrates DO NOT outgas like Prussic acid does when taken for dry hay, and remain in the forage regardless of harvest type. Nitrate poisoning in livestock leads to high nitrate levels in the blood reducing the ability of hemoglobin in the blood to transport oxygen to the livestock's body tissues, which can lead to death due to asphyxiation. The blood of affected livestock will look like "chocolate milk" and be a brown color due to the low oxygen content. Forages can be tested for nitrate levels and then handled appropriately. Forages containing high nitrates can still be baled or chopped, but MUST be mixed with sufficient amounts of non-high-nitrate feeds to dilute the nitrates to safe levels for the livestock feeding upon it. Nitrates tend to accumulate the most in the lowest portions of the plant, so harvesting methods that cut the stalks as high as possible and leave the lowest portions of the stalks in the field will tend to reduce nitrate levels in the forage, but may still not be enough to reduce nitrates to safe levels. Testing is the key. SO long as water has not been the limiting factor in forage growth (ie drought) then the grasses should have been able to use the nitrates for growth rather than accumulating them, and nitrate concentration should not be a factor even on heavily fertilized forages. Later! OL J R :)