I live in KY and have 17 heifers around 18 months old and one bull. My brother and I started back in Dec. 2011. He said that one should allow 7-10, 4-foot rolls of hay per cow during winter. This year however, ours averaged 2.5 rolls. The winter wasn't harsh, and we did let them roam a wide territory instead of having them more confined. Nonetheless, I was amazed at how little hay they ate. We didn't feed anything else. Did anyone else in KY or surrounding states get by with less hay this year?
Anyone feed less hay this year
- Thread starter herofan
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heath
Well-known member
I'm not near you, but I averaged 3 bales per head. Its a good thing since I only bought enough for 4 per head and I was putting out hay on a limited basis off and on since july. I usually figure 4-6 bales per head, price and forecast for winter factor in on what I purchase, this year it was price. :(
I also have kept feed in a drum out since the first of the year.
I also have kept feed in a drum out since the first of the year.
snake67
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herofan":z1g5xdd5 said:
Still have two to three feet of snow so we will be feeding for another month or so. Started feeding last October
Going to be short on hay I think so I have them on a serious diet - hope they can hang in there.
I bet Aaron has me beat.
We plan a minimum of ten 5' or 6' round bales per cow per winter, two round bales of straw and about 5-10 pounds of corn fines per day per cow - which fortunately for us is free. My payment for driving the neighbours combine and I know my time is worth nothing - otherwise I would be broke by now.
Bez
Ouachita
Well-known member
heath":29trklib said:
Identical situation here in western Arkansas. Just over 3 rolls per head this year. Before the drought, I had really been working toward a year round grazing plan, and had gotten down to 1.7 rolls per head (4x5's)
We've fed more this year in normal. We usually start about the first of march and feed for a week or 2, we're still putting hay out. The grass has turned green and the girls are tryingto graze but with the strangge cloudy/cold spring the grass hasn;t started to grow yet.
TennesseeTuxedo
Well-known member
You started feeding hay the first of March dun? Am I reading that correctly?
stocky
Well-known member
I normally figure 4 bales of the 4x6 bales per year----from Dec. 15 until April 10. This year, with the drought, I started feeding July 1 and except for October, have not stopped feeding, as well as selling over 150 cows to get through, in addition to the 125 cows I sold in the fall of 2011 due to that drought. Figures about 9 bales per cow, this year. Works out to 1 bale per cow per month. So, I fed over twice as many bales per cow, but with less than half as many cows as 2 years ago, I still fed the same 1600-1700 round bales. Hopefully this year will be different, but everything I read is saying we will have another real bad drought---Hope they are wrong
TennesseeTuxedo
Well-known member
Well that should really cut down on your feed bill. I'm impressed.
The bginning of the month we did it becuase of the snow and ice that waited till March to arrive. Didn;t feed regualrly till the middle of march which is when we usually turn them out on the new grass.TennesseeTuxedo":3qvm3pju said:
TennesseeTuxedo
Well-known member
I'd like to learn more about your operation one day.
Quality KY31 pasture that doesn;t get abused because of MIG. Pretty simple but getting it to this point took years. This place had been badly abused by the previous owner , most pastures were full of thistle and pigweed.TennesseeTuxedo":2r4otkvk said:
TennesseeTuxedo
Well-known member
Number of cattle and total acreage?
chevytaHOE5674
Well-known member
Still have about 3 feet of snow on the ground and its currently snowing so we will be feeding hay for at least another month. I try to have 10-12 6' bales for every cow, this year I had 10 and looks like I won't be having too much extra.
Feed more this year than normal, really dry last fall and did not have much stockpiled. Had to start feeding early for that reason. Average 5 or more 4 x 4.5 rolls per head. Grass been later coming on this year.
stocky
Well-known member
Dun,
I sure did envy you guys in Sept and October when I would drive from Colombia through Buffalo on to home. North of Buffalo people were cutting hay and grass foliage was knee high or higher and I would get home and look at the rocks and brown grass stubs and roll out a few more bales of hay. But, your area and other areas getting good rain helped keep the hay price down, some. It took alot of the demand out of the hay market and added alot of grass for the cows to leave more hay for us to buy. Maybe this year, everyone will get back to normal on moisture so people don't have to buy so much grain to supplement all the trash hay we have had to feed
I sure did envy you guys in Sept and October when I would drive from Colombia through Buffalo on to home. North of Buffalo people were cutting hay and grass foliage was knee high or higher and I would get home and look at the rocks and brown grass stubs and roll out a few more bales of hay. But, your area and other areas getting good rain helped keep the hay price down, some. It took alot of the demand out of the hay market and added alot of grass for the cows to leave more hay for us to buy. Maybe this year, everyone will get back to normal on moisture so people don't have to buy so much grain to supplement all the trash hay we have had to feed
Even during the worst of that time there was a strip around Marshfield that always got some rain . . Really bugged me when I had to go there for a part and everything was green and then came home and it looked like desert.stocky":zexyiu0m said:
