Milo

[S.T.Fanatic]

For you guys that have planted Milo this spring. Are the deer hitting it? I planted a fair amount of it this year and when I checked the plots yesterday they havent seemed to have touched it yet. I am getting deer on the sugar beets and some browsing on other brassicas but not the milo.

 

[Catscratch]

They hit it in the fall during the doughy stage (hit it really hard). That lasts about a week, after that it's simply cover and I see very little use.

 

[yoderjac]

Yes, deer don't touch my sorghum plants at all, even with high deer densities. However, when the grain heads ripen, they hammer those heads.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Agree with the others; very little (if any) deer use as food right now.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

so nobody gets any use from the mature seed heads?

 

[Catscratch]

so nobody gets any use from the mature seed heads?

I don't, but for the most part I don't get mature seed due to them hitting it so hard during the doughy stage. With that said I have routinely seen deer in cut milo fields (larger ag fields) during late winter. I think any grain is sought out but the difference in field size (between a plot and ag) probably limits usable production. Similar to beans, if I don't plant more than 5 acres of beans then I won't have any winter use because there are no beans left.

 

[scott44]

so nobody gets any use from the mature seed heads?

I can't say for sure that deer are eating the mature seed heads because I plant mine in a mix and they are in there all the time. I can tell you that the birds really like it.

 

[swat1018]

On one of my farms where food is less available, they eat every grain. On the other farm, they still hit it pretty good when the corn/beans are cleaned up.

 

[SwampCat]

Does anyone know if hogs eat milo heads?

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I'll probably mix in a little less next year If they don't eat it. It can still be good for peas to climb and carbon input but if the deer aren't going to eat it I don't want to plant to much of it.

 

[Gravel Road]

My brother in law deals in sorghum and he says that deer like some types much better than others. Some types will be hammered early while in the young stage and some aren't touched until later, if much at all. Personally, I love milo. Besides medium usage by deer it makes great cover and food for small game and birds. There are probably better things to plant specifically for deer, but for general wildlife value it's towards the top of the list.

 

[DrDirtNap]

Does anyone know if hogs eat milo heads?

Well as you probably know hogs will eat anything...but as a general rule they do not prefer milo if other food sources are available. At least that’s been my experience. I was forced to stop planting corn in my food plots because of hogs. I have moved to milo. It’s not as good as corn for attracting deer and turkey but it’s the best alternative grain crop I can plant with the threat of hogs around.


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[Tree Spud]

Milo is never a considered high value food, protein, carbohydrate offering for deer as it is 95% stalk and maybe some grain. If you grow a monotytpe of milo in large quantities at the expense of other more preferable food sources, then yes they might eat it. Grain gets picked off by birds very quickly as if you balance your food plot and understand surrounding food sources it is a secondary choice.

There are multiple varieties and they range from 18" to 5'. If they like it, you have a very short window for them eating which is controlled by temp and maturity.

I only grow for OM materials and plot stratification. On a scale of 1-10 for deer food source, it is a 12. It does stand up well for winter harsh conditions for birds which is a plus.

 

[SD51555]

My brother in law deals in sorghum and he says that deer like some types much better than others. Some types will be hammered early while in the young stage and some aren't touched until later, if much at all. Personally, I love milo. Besides medium usage by deer it makes great cover and food for small game and birds. There are probably better things to plant specifically for deer, but for general wildlife value it's towards the top of the list.

That would be a handy piece of info, to know which varieties go early and which go late. Is it as simple as mixing white and red?

 

[buckdeer1]

Scott,I honestly don't see any milo in your picture,I always planted a couple acres and really liked it in the green doughy stage for ML season.They would continue to eat it as heads ripened and I never had any left by end.As mentioned between the coons,dee,turkey and blackbirds it all gets used.I do know there is a chemical that some produces that even black birds won't hardly eat.Very few plant farmers plant milo around here anymore due to sugar cane aphids

 

[scott44]

Scott,I honestly don't see any milo in your picture,I always planted a couple acres and really liked it in the green doughy stage for ML season.They would continue to eat it as heads ripened and I never had any left by end.As mentioned between the coons,dee,turkey and blackbirds it all gets used.I do know there is a chemical that some produces that even black birds won't hardly eat.Very few plant farmers plant milo around here anymore due to sugar cane aphids

You are correct that there is not any milo in that trail cam pic but there is some in that plot, that plot is a mix.

 

[j-bird]

How well does it stand up thru the fall and winter? I have considered using it for an annual screen or as a cover aspect in plots. I'm not interested in it feeding anything, just if it will stand at 4 or 5 feet thru at least December. Like I said I am looking at maybe a screen or broadcasting it lightly (after I have sprayed) into a row planted soybean plot to simply add some light cover when the plot is mature in Oct/Nov/Dec. I can and have done this with corn before...but corn is harder on the soil, more temperamental and if I have to buy seed is far more expensive. I have heard of Milo/Sorghum being called poor mans corn.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

my milo is about 3' tall and is standing well.

 

[Catscratch]

How well does it stand up thru the fall and winter? I have considered using it for an annual screen or as a cover aspect in plots. I'm not interested in it feeding anything, just if it will stand at 4 or 5 feet thru at least December. Like I said I am looking at maybe a screen or broadcasting it lightly (after I have sprayed) into a row planted soybean plot to simply add some light cover when the plot is mature in Oct/Nov/Dec. I can and have done this with corn before...but corn is harder on the soil, more temperamental and if I have to buy seed is far more expensive. I have heard of Milo/Sorghum being called poor mans corn.

Short milo stands all winter and into spring. You will have to knock it down at some point. The taller forage sorghums will break in half sometime in the winter. An 8' plant broken in half is still 4' cover. I like the taller stuff sometimes as the deer can't reach the heads so it sets seed, then puts it on the ground for quail when it breaks over (in the middle of winter when they need it the most).

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[S.T.Fanatic]

I am hoping if the deer dont eat it the turkeys at least will. We don't have much of a turkey population in my immediate area.