If I have a choice the last thing I will feed is baled corn stalks - the palatability is way too low and the cows have sore mouths after chewing dried out stalks. They are not designed to do this except in extreme emergencies. Thier mouths will get so sore they will only eat when very hungry resulting serious loss of body condition and breeding condition.
I love to graze corn stover - it is excellent - but it is not baled and dried - which makes PALATABILITY a serious issue. It is still moist and soft. One fact that cannot be ignored. Sore mouths can and will prevent an animal from eating.
A real good example of feed values can be seen here:
http://drought.wsu.edu/1100/1130.PDF
Oat straw is slightly below corn stalks but in my opinion - after feeding in a two year drought and all the things we tried - is a better feed.
We had less than 3 inches of rain over a 23 month period - hot weather and heavy winds. No snow in the winter. I KNOW how tough it can get!
Have a look at this before you make you final feed decisions.
Straw can often be hauled a lot further than hay due to price differentials.
Barley straw is a close second in my opinion but watch out for the bards in - sorry cannot remember - I think it is 6 row barley - they get real sore mouths after eating it for about a week.
Old starw is better than new straw - cows love 2 year old straw and tolerate new straw as feed. - Get the old stuff - it works - do not ask me why - it is a mystery to me.
I picked this report because it is out of Montana - some pricing may be out of date but the info is still relative.
For those of you in drought - it is tough but if you are lucky and God smiles upon you - you will pull through. If you are debt ridden through expansion or mortgages or equipment payments - sell everything you can now and bank it. The cost of keeping those animals over the long term will be far more than the loss you take when you sell your animals sooner.
Wait too long and you are now with the herd - and you take an even bigger loss. In fact you might not even be able to sell - and yes I have seen that happen.
Not sometimes, but most times - your first loss is your best loss. Be a herd leader, not a herd follower. Make your decisions early and stick to them.
Cattle can be replaced but life savings are often lost and never made up.
Thinking good thoughts.
Bez?