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<blockquote data-quote="faster horses" data-source="post: 1705146" data-attributes="member: 17524"><p>I have a comparison of alfalfa hay to any other protein source that was written several years ago in the then Montana-Farmer Stockman paper. At that time they compared $100 alfalfa hay to all other protein sources, excluding DDG's (because it wasn't heard of back then) and alfalfa hay was the cheapest form of protein, BY FAR. Liquid protein was the highest priced. </p><p></p><p>10% protein hay is fine for range cattle. Protein requirements are easily met. Retail stores have made a lot of money selling protein, because it is expensive. In our country, energy is what we are short of. We have tested a lot of hay and I know that we fed 8-10% protein hay that we didn't supplement with anything but mineral and we got along even better than fine. We fed plenty of it, and didn't cut the cows back because they didn't clean it up in a couple of hours. They always went back in the afternoon and cleaned up most of what they left in the morning. It is a mistake to cut them back when they don't clean it right up, because the lower protein hay is usually not as digestible. Takes them longer to digest. It would have been good for us to supplement alfalfa hay with the grass hay we were feeding, but we didn't have it. (SE Mt).</p><p></p><p> The best thing you can to is TEST YOUR HAY. It won't cost much and it can save you big bucks. Then you can supplement what is necessary.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="faster horses, post: 1705146, member: 17524"] I have a comparison of alfalfa hay to any other protein source that was written several years ago in the then Montana-Farmer Stockman paper. At that time they compared $100 alfalfa hay to all other protein sources, excluding DDG's (because it wasn't heard of back then) and alfalfa hay was the cheapest form of protein, BY FAR. Liquid protein was the highest priced. 10% protein hay is fine for range cattle. Protein requirements are easily met. Retail stores have made a lot of money selling protein, because it is expensive. In our country, energy is what we are short of. We have tested a lot of hay and I know that we fed 8-10% protein hay that we didn't supplement with anything but mineral and we got along even better than fine. We fed plenty of it, and didn't cut the cows back because they didn't clean it up in a couple of hours. They always went back in the afternoon and cleaned up most of what they left in the morning. It is a mistake to cut them back when they don't clean it right up, because the lower protein hay is usually not as digestible. Takes them longer to digest. It would have been good for us to supplement alfalfa hay with the grass hay we were feeding, but we didn't have it. (SE Mt). The best thing you can to is TEST YOUR HAY. It won't cost much and it can save you big bucks. Then you can supplement what is necessary. [/QUOTE]
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