If harvesting for grain as well as grazing, remove animals before jointing for a good grain harvest. The best soils for barley are well-drained loams and clay loams. Barley has fertility requirements similar to those of wheat. Oats Oats are an excellent option for spring grazing. Seeding dates would be in early February.
Oats are susceptible to disease, but make excellent succulent forage.
Be sure your seed source is resistant to diseases for Missouri. Feed oats from the northern states are not suitable for seeding. Seeding rate is 110-130 pounds per acre. In certain situations, oats may be a better small grain to use as an emergency source of forage for grazing following corn harvested for silage. If the field that was harvested for silage is to be planted to corn or soybeans in the spring, then oats may be the best small grain choice.