Oats ... Which Type?

[Tree Spud]

I am planting the LC mix & rotation this year. I need to figure out which type of oats. In addition to a food source, the oats need to help support the winter peas. There will also be winter rye in this mix.

Looking at the Welters catalog ... there are cover crop, jerry, and all sorts of specialty type of oats.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

.

 

[Honker]

If memory serves me right LC just planted Jerry oats, he also recommended 4010 peas over Austrian.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I used forage plus oats and 4010 peas mixed with winter rye all from Albert Lea Seed last year. It was my first go with cereals and I planted them to early. I think around the tenth of August. I had pictures of deer in the plot every day. Every day until the neighbors beef got out and ate it to the dirt that is. The oats weren't all that cold hearty by they are a true forage type oat. For about $12/50# I was satisfied. I'm going to give them a try again this year only planted early Sept.

 

[Ben Glantz]

I used forage plus oats and 4010 peas mixed with winter rye all from Albert Lea Seed last year. It was my first go with cereals and I planted them to early. I think around the tenth of August. I had pictures of deer in the plot every day. Every day until the neighbors beef got out and ate it to the dirt that is. The oats weren't all that cold hearty by they are a true forage type oat. For about $12/50# I was satisfied. I'm going to give them a try again this year only planted early Sept.

When you say you planted too early, did the plants get mature too soon and were as big of a draw for the deer? Or just the neighbors cows eating it all?

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

The deer were in the plot regularly after I planted it but my deer numbers are relatively low and the plot is close to an acre in size. I was still getting pics of deer in the plot when it was getting fairly tall but about that time the cows got out and that was the end of the plot. I got some free fertilizer out of the deal but it wasn't much of a trade off. If the cows didn't get into it it would have been overly mature. I will be planting that mix again but will wait until September.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

When I planted oats and 4010 field peas, I went the cheap route and just used feed oats from the local feed mill. They worked great. Some areas were waist high and looking great, but then they got a little too top heavy and fell over in spots. I'm not sure if a lighter planting of oats would help that or not.

 

[SWIFFY]

In my experience the kind of oats doesn't matter. Bob, Jerry, or Shelby have all been equally attractive from what I can tell. The main thing is TIMING! if you plant to early and the oats get too tall and over mature they are just simply less attractive. For me its always been best when theyre about 8" tall and lush dark green at the time of the first frost. Unfortunately we dont get a notifications as to when that first frost is going to be or how much precip we'll have prior to it?

 

[BC Buck]

When I planted oats and 4010 field peas, I went the cheap route and just used feed oats from the local feed mill. They worked great. Some areas were waist high and looking great, but then they got a little too top heavy and fell over in spots. I'm not sure if a lighter planting of oats would help that or not.

Iv been using feed oats for 6 years now. Always have 90+% germination rate and cost $7 a 50lb bag.