Annual hay crops, including barley, are well adapted to dryland cropping systems in the Northern Great Plains. In-crop herbicides typically are not used on annual forages, but weed control is typically done prior to planting and after harvest, either with tillage or herbicide. A field trial was done comparing forage yield and quality, water use, and weed biomass, quality, and seed production in forage barley following three preplant weed management strategies over three planting dates near Froid, MT. Preplant weed management strategies were tillage with sweeps and rods (T), zero-tillage with glyphosate application (ZTG), and zero-tillage without herbicide (ZTC). Weed density at planting was 21, 387, and 389 plants m^-2 for early, mid-, and late planting dates. Weed biomass at planting was 0.2, 1.8, and 9.1 g DM m^-2 for early, mid-, and late planting dates. Across weed management treatments, delayed planting resulted in decreased barley production and water use, and increased weed biomass and seed production. Barley forage yields were 6.1, 4.5, and 3.0 mt ha^-1, for early, mid-, and late planting dates. Water use was 194, 191, and 153 mm ha^-1, for early, mid-, and late planting dates. Crude protein concentration of barley increased with later planting date, but neutral and acid detergent fiber concentrations were similar across dates. Conversely, protein concentration of weeds decreased with later planting dates. Early planted barley was harvested prior to any weed seed production regardless of weed management method. Green foxtail was responsible for 94% of weed seed production, with the greatest production, 8100 seed m^-2, from ZTC at the third planting date. Production of early planted, zero-tillage forage barley without herbicide may be economically and environmentally sustainable in the Northern Great Plains.