It all depends on how many head, the weight of the animal, if you have winter grass, the part of the country you live, cow calf, dry cows, calfskin, yearling, one size doesn't fit all. That's the problem with social media. Everybody's a expert.
Thanks. Wish I knew more about hay. Our brome is up in 2 pastures. One is slow coming up. Glad for rain. Might help. Probably learn more about our pastures next year. Have a good weekend.
We have about 37 on the lot. Angus or limosine mixed Holstein. Bred to Hereford, so it's a larger cow. We are getting about 36 hours on a medium large bale. I figure u get about 3 days in that kind of weather. Probably about 1 bale a day when u get pretty cold.
Rolling the bale out spreads the fertility out and if the soil isn't frozen it saves the pasture from severe damage with all the hoof wells. But each farmer has to figure out what is best for their own pasture.
Rule of thumb is a dry cow will need about 2.5 percent of body weight . Example if a cow weight is 1300 lbs they would need 32 lbs of dry matter of feed. If the calf is still nursing it will need about 3 percent body weight.
They all seem to be doing well. Good condition heading into winter. Certainly dont like feeding hay this early but want to make sure everyone is full. Especially the pregnant mommas.
Depends on quality of the hay but quality hay approximately 25lbs per her head per day bit more if really cold for average quality alfalfa maybe bit less
You don't waste hay they don't eat when you unroll, they trample it so the soil life can eat it. Every blade of hay they trample re appears in spring disguised as 4 blades of grass, otherwise known as profit. Further profit from increased value you of your land, which becomes more productive (!)
Thanks Charles. Appreciate the insight. I know it isnt " waste". I look forward to seeing the areas where we fed hay next year and how the pasture looks.
Video evidence says you will have a spot with too much fertility and the rest of the pasture will just have been overgrazed. You may even have a dead patch where the hay is too thick and kills off the grass. But if it rains, you will tear up a ring of ground around the bale. You increase your chances of calves being crushed by bale rings, so perhaps just pick up and stick the bale elsewhere if you aren't going to unroll it. With unrolling hay, you can unroll a portion of the hay in one spot, move over and unroll another section, and then move again and put the remainder in your third day paddock. With set-stocking calves, that pasture is pretty badly overgrazed. It would have been a nice boost over the winter to have unrolled that hay to feed the soil life. Wishing you luck and some good researching with Understanding Ag, Ray Archuleta, Gabe Brown, Greg Judy, and Dr. Allan Williams.
Dang dude. My buddies kid is coming back from Kansas right now, I had 10 days to convince you to sell me one of those young bulls so she could haul it back… wish I woulda seen this video earlier. I got 2 cows and 2 heifers, I think I want my own bull… dexters are scarce around here. Lemme know if you wanna sell a bull and maybe a unrelated cow, I’d make the drive…
The young bull calfs are South Polls not Dexters. Im really trying to grow my herd so Im not wanting to sell any females at this time. Are your cattle Dexters?
It all depends on how many head, the weight of the animal, if you have winter grass, the part of the country you live, cow calf, dry cows, calfskin, yearling, one size doesn't fit all. That's the problem with social media. Everybody's a expert.
Thanks for the comment Dennis. I just started ranching this year and your comment is spot on. So many factors go into so much of this!
Thanks. Wish I knew more about hay. Our brome is up in 2 pastures. One is slow coming up. Glad for rain. Might help. Probably learn more about our pastures next year. Have a good weekend.
Just from the videos, it looks like the bales are stored on the sides ( shed water ?) But fed turned to the flat side that might lessen the waste.
The bales are stored and fed the same way. Sometimes we role them out and other times we bale graze
We have about 37 on the lot. Angus or limosine mixed Holstein. Bred to Hereford, so it's a larger cow. We are getting about 36 hours on a medium large bale. I figure u get about 3 days in that kind of weather. Probably about 1 bale a day when u get pretty cold.
That all makes sense. Thanks for the info
If he feeds in a different spot the next day, etc., it has the same effect.
Rolling the bale out spreads the fertility out and if the soil isn't frozen it saves the pasture from severe damage with all the hoof wells. But each farmer has to figure out what is best for their own pasture.
Rule of thumb is a dry cow will need about 2.5 percent of body weight . Example if a cow weight is 1300 lbs they would need 32 lbs of dry matter of feed. If the calf is still nursing it will need about 3 percent body weight.
Looking really good.
They all seem to be doing well. Good condition heading into winter. Certainly dont like feeding hay this early but want to make sure everyone is full. Especially the pregnant mommas.
Nice the cows...i like the cows video...
Depends on quality of the hay but quality hay approximately 25lbs per her head per day bit more if really cold for average quality alfalfa maybe bit less
How many acres do you have for 24 head.
The property they are at now is 86 acres
You don't waste hay they don't eat when you unroll, they trample it so the soil life can eat it. Every blade of hay they trample re appears in spring disguised as 4 blades of grass, otherwise known as profit. Further profit from increased value you of your land, which becomes more productive (!)
Thanks Charles. Appreciate the insight. I know it isnt " waste". I look forward to seeing the areas where we fed hay next year and how the pasture looks.
I really appreciate what you're doing, thanks
Video evidence says you will have a spot with too much fertility and the rest of the pasture will just have been overgrazed. You may even have a dead patch where the hay is too thick and kills off the grass. But if it rains, you will tear up a ring of ground around the bale. You increase your chances of calves being crushed by bale rings, so perhaps just pick up and stick the bale elsewhere if you aren't going to unroll it.
With unrolling hay, you can unroll a portion of the hay in one spot, move over and unroll another section, and then move again and put the remainder in your third day paddock. With set-stocking calves, that pasture is pretty badly overgrazed. It would have been a nice boost over the winter to have unrolled that hay to feed the soil life. Wishing you luck and some good researching with Understanding Ag, Ray Archuleta, Gabe Brown, Greg Judy, and Dr. Allan Williams.
Why don’t you unroll the bay bale so that urine and manure is spread over the pasture instead of being concentrated in one spot.
I could do that. Simply left the bale for ease of being able to set in advance. May roll some out in certain parts of the ranch
Dang dude. My buddies kid is coming back from Kansas right now, I had 10 days to convince you to sell me one of those young bulls so she could haul it back… wish I woulda seen this video earlier. I got 2 cows and 2 heifers, I think I want my own bull… dexters are scarce around here. Lemme know if you wanna sell a bull and maybe a unrelated cow, I’d make the drive…
The young bull calfs are South Polls not Dexters. Im really trying to grow my herd so Im not wanting to sell any females at this time. Are your cattle Dexters?