Let's talk cowpeas

SD51555

5 year old buck +
Who's planted them? How did they perform? I'm looking for a better summer into winter plot to mix with WGF next year. Would cowpea tolerate browsing better than an ag bean? Perhaps grow faster than an ag bean at least? I think I finally found a place to get a manageable quantity.

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We only planted them as part of a mix a few times.They were hammered to the dirt within weeks on small plots, just like soys and AWP's on our place.
 
Soybeans are a dollar a pound or less........why do anything else?
 
Looking for something that'll grow faster and take the browsing.
 
Since Cow peas are not a pea, and really a bean, I have a tough time paying 50% more for a food plot bean I can't spray roundup on.

Just sayin.
 
Looking for something that'll grow faster and take the browsing.
Forage soys and if you have a clean plot to start with you don't necessarily need to get the Eagle RR types. There are a few others that would work just as well if your not worried about a few weeds here and there. Tyrone, Laredo, and Derry would be good choices to try. They should be considerably cheaper than Eagle beans due to them not being RR and at least the Tyrone variety may be available at your local coop. If you plant them at the right time, they should be able to canopy fast enough to keep most weeds at bay anyway. We tried them a few times at the old place with fair luck, they germinated and grew great but on a secluded 1/3 acre plot in a non-ag area, even the forage beans didn't hold up to the browse pressure for us. They would last 2 to 3 weeks longer than ag beans before they were browsed to death, but they were browsed to death nonetheless.

Just checked some online pricing for Tyrone soybeans, $42 a 50lb bag from a couple different places, about half(or more) the price of Eagles.
 
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sd-Are you considering these for Cass County or Mc Leod County? Two different worlds as to available feed during the summer. Probably also two different worlds as to length of the growing season.
 
Cass.

This year the browse buffet is off the charts on our property. The only evidence of deer foraging I could find other than on our soybeans, was on the different clovers on our trails. There was no shortage of quality forage to be had after green up. I was wondering the other day if that soybean plot, even as non-productive as it is, took pressure off of other things like the RO dogwood this summer for a food source? All the dogwoods I looked at haven't been browsed this spring or summer.
 
Not to be a Debbie Downer...but IME dogwood and most woody browse doesn't get hit hard until winter/early spring. There may be some browsing of leaves and new, tender growth but not significantly so (again IME).
I've worked damn hard to convince myself of my own version of reality, and I ain't gonna let anyone talk me out of it come hell or high water. :D
 
SD - You ever end up trying cowpeas? Curious also about a Cowpea / WGF planting..
 
SD - You ever end up trying cowpeas? Curious also about a Cowpea / WGF planting..
Yeah, I've got cowpeas going right now in a super blend. I moved a bunch of dirt in my foods plot this summer, so I planted everything to it, not knowing what was going to do well, and what wasn't. I've got cowpeas in at 2 bu/ac. They're mixed with spring wheat, jap millet, WGF, and a ton of other stuff. I was able to get them up despite being part of the dust bowl. I hooked a few key rains in July.

So far so good. I don't know if the WGF or millet will make it in time, but we'll find out eventually.

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Cowpeas are the king of spring forage plots in east texas

bill
 
Cowpeas are the king of spring forage plots in east texas

bill
Same here in La. Major part of my summer blend. Prefer them over soy beans though I grow them also in blend
 
Bill/Baker - Being further south, I assume you get pods on them? Pods get eaten much by deer or turkey? I know they used to be a popular cash crop in South Carolina in the early 1900s.

I'm not sure I have a long enough growing season in MO to get pods on them, so it may end up being just a summer forage item.
 
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Bill/Baker - Being further south, I assume you get pods on them? Pods get eaten much by deer or turkey? I know they used to be a popular cash crop in South Carolina in the early 1900s.

I'm not sure I have a long enough growing season in MO to get pods on them, so it may end up being just a summer forage item.

Your deer are going to devour them. I wouldn’t try them in a small plot. I planted a 3 acre field once and never saw a pod.
 
Your deer are going to devour them. I wouldn’t try them in a small plot. I planted a 3 acre field once and never saw a pod.
I was amazed mine have made it to the 2nd pair of leaves past the cotyledon.
 
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