Anyone feed the Rice hay last year?

[Arkieman]

I know there was alot of it baled here in Arkansas last year and sent to TX/OK. I had called our extension service to inquire and he advised against it (silica). Said he would rather buy rolled sage and supplement - my response was there may not be any sage hay!! I know a group from Texas cut over 1,000 rolls off my father-in-law's place last year. I just wanted a first-hand experience if someone had any. Thanks in advance!

 

[brightspark]

i fed rice straw to dry dairy cows afew yrs ago , i added urea and molasis desolved together to give it some protine , the cows servived and calved ok , it was just added work , so see your ag extention oficer . good luck . E

 

[BC]

A friend of mine in south Louisiana said it could be fed but you have to supplement it depending on how it was put up. He suggested that I read this from University of California:

http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8079.pdf

 

[Grandpa]

I fed it to my 10 mama cows last winter. I had a few bales of coastal hay hoarded up and alternated putting out a bale of coastal after they cleaned up 2-3 bales of rice. They didn't like it at first but decided it was fine when it was all they had. Mixing molasses in it made it more palatable and increased protein. I also put out cubes more often than usual. What was crazy was that my daughter's two horses would eat the rice more readily than the cows. It got us through the winter, and all 10 mamas had healthy calves. I am hoarding all the coastal hay I can get this summer, though. I was grateful for the rice hay but would rather not do that again.

 

[banekar]

We fed rice regrowth hay last year during the drought, got the cows through it. It wasn't the cows first choice of hay, but all we could get at the time. Along with cattle cubes and a lot of molasses tubs. We have some left over and are putting it out now, the calves seem to like it.

 

[east_tex]

I fed it last year no problems

 

[Caustic Burno]

I know there was alot of it baled here in Arkansas last year and sent to TX/OK. I had called our extension service to inquire and he advised against it (silica). Said he would rather buy rolled sage and supplement - my response was there may not be any sage hay!! I know a group from Texas cut over 1,000 rolls off my father-in-law's place last year. I just wanted a first-hand experience if someone had any. Thanks in advance!

Neighbor has a pile of it left only thing I can say good about it is, it beat's sweetgum ball's or an old tractor fan belt.
His cow's dang near starved to death on the sorry stuff.