bulk hay (bales) or cubes

[memanpa]

just wondering about thoughts of bales of hay as opposed to cubed hay!!
both being alfalfa !
remember i live in an area that requires supplemental feeding all of the time!!!
100 to 120# bales of cow hay cost me about $4.50 each
80# bags of cubed will cost about $7.00 a bag.
feed store i use claims i would be better off using cubes????
dun your thoughts on this!!!
not liimited to dun
all responses are needed

thanks

 

[dun]

We fed cubed alfalfa back in the alfalfa partnership days. Cows didn't eat them very well. More picked at them then really got down to eating. The ones we fed were about 2 inches square and ranged from maybe a half inch to 6 inches long. When the hay fields were renuvated they planted oats as a nurse crop. That first cutting of oats and alfalfa was great cattle feed. Depending on the part of AZ, does Majini (not sure of the spelling, it's been 25 years) still haul hay?

dun

 

[memanpa]

dun!
not sure of manji(sp) never heard of them.
i am near but not in tucson! (little town of marana)
i bought 5 bags to try, my stock will eat them but only after the hay is gone!!
and as a last resort!
price per pound vs hay seems a bit high to me, and was just wondering if there was something i was missing
i remember my grandfather NEBRASKA feeding cotton cake and alfalfa cubes (actually round pellets about 3/4 " round and various lengths) during the winter months (snow up to a tall mans butt) but also fed hay!
thanks

 

[Bez]

Price it out and go the cheapest route.

Bez

 

[dun]

dun!
not sure of manji(sp) never heard of them.
i am near but not in tucson! (little town of marana)
i bought 5 bags to try, my stock will eat them but only after the hay is gone!!
and as a last resort!
price per pound vs hay seems a bit high to me, and was just wondering if there was something i was missing
i remember my grandfather NEBRASKA feeding cotton cake and alfalfa cubes (actually round pellets about 3/4 " round and various lengths) during the winter months (snow up to a tall mans butt) but also fed hay!
thanks

Majini is an old indian from the Barona reservation outside of San Diego. When I knew him he was hauling hay out of the central valley and NV. When we were driving cross country 5-6 years ago I saw Majini trucking hauling hay all over AZ and even in NM.
With the cubed hay one thing I was alwasy concerned about was the possibility of choking on the smaller pieces. They're extruded under such high pressure it takes a lot of moisture to get them to break up. Never had it happen but alwasy was concerned about it.

dun

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Sounds like you are getting a deal on the cow hay! Of course, depends on its quality and protein level.

We feed year around in addition to bermuda pasture. Paying between $5.00 and $6.00 small sq bales of 10-12% protein #1 bermuda hay (bales 60 to 70# each). Paying $50 for 950 to 1150 lb round bale of same type/quality. Last year paid $5.50 for sm square of #1 alfalfa (50-70#). All prices were/are delivered and put in barn (except round bales which we unload off a semi).

We also feed 20% range cubes and 30% protein/molasses/mineral tubs to supplement.

We don't feed alfalfa to cattle, just our horses (+ bermuda hay).

We've had excellent results with our feeding program, by the way.

 

[memanpa]

running bull!
the hay i am gettiing fo $4.50 is oat hay (not straw) buying 88 bale sqeezes
delivered for an additional $20.00 $.4.50 bale price is if i go and pick it up. to dad gummed old to toss bales around anymore. not sure of the proten level
but my cows like it. i also feed them silage of rolled corn rolled oats barley and molasses mix that i buy in bulk. only feed small amounts of that unless they are in a finishing corral, then they get all they can handle for the last 90 days or so!!
so far i am getting good results!!!!1 but allways looking for ways to improve
my bottom line

dun
!!don't usually pay a lot of attention to the truckers i see on the road but will try to pay atttention, if they are on the road around here now is the time i should see them as i am seeing some 2nd cut alphala being sold!!!
had a wet warm spring so hopefully hay prices will stay stable!! yea right with fuel costs going up that is a FAT chance
will let you know if i see any of manji's trucks.
by the way dun you gave me excellent advice on fly control, i found some mineral blocks that contained rabon on your advice i bought some and my fly problem has lessoned a good deal!! thanks

thanks to all
as always i respect all of the members opinions and find 99.5% of them very infomitive and useful!